Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Okonomiyaki

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To Prep
Combine the plain flour and baking powder in a bowl and stir together with a whisk.
Dissolve the bonito dashi stock powder in the water and gradually add the dashi stock while mixing. This will help avoid pockets of flour.
Add a pinch of salt and the cornflour.
Cut the pork belly slices into 5-6cm pieces. Remove the stalks of the cabbage leaves. Stack the leaves on top of each other and cut into strips, and then coarsely chop into pieces.
Place the cabbage leaves into the bowl of batter. Chop the spring onion into fine pieces and place into the bowl. Chop the beni shoga into about 1cm pieces and add to bowl.
Coarsely chop the prawns and place into the bowl.
Crack two eggs into the bowl and lightly toss all the ingredients to coat.
Try not to mix the batter too much otherwise the texture of the okonomiyaki will become tough.

To Cook
Heat a non-stick fry pan or bbq plate to medium and coat the surface with oil. Place the mixture onto the hot surface making a round shape. Make sure to leave a bit of batter in the bowl for later use.
Quickly place the pork slices onto the mixture. Coat the surface of the pork with the remaining batter. This will prevent the pork from getting tough.
Cover with a lid and cook about 2 mins on high heat.
Turn the okonomiyaki over, cover and cook until the other side is golden brown.
Remove the lid, flip it over again and lower the heat to medium to cook the inside.

To Serve
When it is ready to serve, coat it with the okonomiyaki sauce.
Sprinkle on lots of spring onion leaves and garnish with Kewpie Mayonnaise. Finally, top with the aonori seaweed and dried bonito flakes.

Creamy Chilli Coconut Prawns

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To Cook
In a wok/pan, heat up some oil on high heat.
Add in the prawns and toss for about 30 secs on high heat.
Add in the minced garlic and toss for another 30 secs on high heat.
Add in the salt, pepper and sugar and combine well on medium heat for about 10 secs.
Add in the Valcom Authentic Thai Tom Yum paste and toss well for 30 secs.
Add in the coconut cream and let it cook for 1 min until the sauce thickens a little bit.
Add in the chopped chilli and spring onions and toss for around 20 sec.

To Serve
Remove from heat, top with some fresh basil leaves and squeeze some fresh lime juice. Can be served with steamed rice.

Opor Ayam Kuning (Pressure Cooker Javanese Coconut Chicken Curry)

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Method For Spice Paste
Blend all ingredients together in high-speed blender for 20-30 secs, until well blended. Stop and scrape down as needed. Place in pressure cooker pot.

Method For Opor Ayam
Sauté Spice Paste over med-high heat in open pressure cooker pot for 2 mins until fragrant and starting to “catch”, do not burn!
Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and salam leaves, and stir for 2 mins.
Add chicken and stir till no longer pink, about 2 mins (it doesn’t need to be cooked as the pressure cooker will do that).
Add the sachet of Lee Kum Kee Ready Sauce for Creamy Coconut Curry Vegetables and half the coconut milk. Stir to combine.
Close pressure cooker lid and bring to high pressure. Pressure cook on High for 3 mins.
Quick release. Remove lid when all the pressure has been released.
Stir in remaining coconut milk and hard boiled eggs. Season with salt and sugar as needed. Heat for 2 mins, stirring gently.

To Serve
Serve with lontong, fried shallots, krupuk and sambal.

Mixed Seafood Stir-fried With Red Curry Paste

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To Prep
Using a mortar and pestle pound garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime skin and bird eyes chilli (if using) until a coarse paste.

To Cook
Heat a wok, pour in the oil then add the paste from step one. Fry over medium heat until fragrant; about 1 min. Then add in the red curry paste and fry for about 1 or 2 mins.
Add mussels and calamari, fry them for about a min and then add the prawns and salmon into the pan.
Season with dark brown sugar and chicken bouillon powder then add water. Simmer for a moment until all is cooked.
Add beans and stir a few moments then finish with torn kaffir lime leaves, sliced red chilli and basil leaves.
Serve with Thai jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Char Kueh Tiaw

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To Prep
In a small bowl, mix the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce and Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce, and set aside.

To Cook
Heat wok over high heat until smoky, add 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Add garlic in wok, and give it a quick stir.
Add Chinese sausage and prawns, stir until combined.
Add flat rice noodles and add half of the soy sauce mixture, stir to coat flat rice noodles.
Position the flat rice noodles to side of wok to create a well on the other side of wok.
Place remaining 1 tbsp cooking oil in the well on the other side of the wok and crack eggs into well.
Cover flat rice noodles over egg, add remaining half of the soy sauce mixture, mix until combined.
Add in garlic chives and bean sprouts, mix until combined. Remove from heat immediately and serve hot.

Chicken Katsu Curry

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To Prep
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides.

To Cook the Curry
Add carrots, potatoes and vegetable oil into a medium sized pot.
Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until ingredients are tender, approx. 12 mins.
Turn the heat down, break S&B Golden Curry Mild into pieces and add them to the skillet. Stir until sauce mixes are completely melted. Simmer for approximately 5 mins while stirring constantly.

To Cook the Chicken Katsu
While waiting for curry, heat ¼ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 mins per side, or until golden brown.

To Serve
Serve hot over rice. Garnish with Kewpie Mayonnaise, chilli, and green onion.

Massaman Steak and Salad

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To Prep
Rub massaman curry paste and kecap manis into fillet steak and leave to marinate while preparing the rest of the meal.
Grate potatoes and rub pepper and salt through the mix thoroughly. Put aside in a colander to allow the salt to draw moisture from the potato.
Chop simple salad ingredients and place on serving plate, then drizzle with a little lemon juice and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

To Cook
Chop onions and fry over medium heat in oil until they soften. Then stir through brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to taste.
Place onions on the serving plate, wipe out the frypan and heat up some more oil.
Squeeze the potatoes to remove as much moisture as possible then melt a small amount of butter in the microwave and mix through the potato. Press firmly to make four flat patties. These do hold together in the oil if you are gentle, but don’t worry if a few ‘fly away’ pieces of potato appear in your pan. They will firm up enough to flip over once they start to change colour. Once cooked, place on a piece of paper towel to drain, while you cook the meat.
Using the same oil you used for the potatoes, place the marinated meat into the fry pan.
In a microwave-proof cup, heat up the peanut butter, the coconut milk and the sambol oelek. (If you don’t like chillies, you could leave the last ingredient out).

Honey-Soy Salmon with Rich Coconut Rice & Ginger Veggies

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To Cook the Coconut Rice
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water and the salt and bring to a boil over high-heat. Add rice, stir and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low heat.
Cook for 10 mins, then remove the pan from the heat and keep covered for another 10 mins until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed and the rest of the meal is ready to serve.

To Prep
While the rice is cooking, grate the ginger, thinly slice the carrot into half-moons, roughly chop the bok choy and trim the green beans. In a small bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, garlic and sesame seeds.

To Cook the Vegetables
In a frying pan, add a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat and add the carrot and green beans. Cook until just tender, 5-6 mins.
Add the bok choy and stir through until wilted, 1 min.
Add the ginger and cook until fragrant, 1 min. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and transfer the veggies to a bowl.

To Cook the Salmon
Return the pan to medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, skin-side down, to the pan and cook until almost cooked through, 2-4 mins on each side, depending on thickness.
When the salmon is almost cooked through, reduce the heat to medium. Add more olive oil and add the honey-soy glaze. Simmer, stirring, until the garlic is golden, 1 min.
Spoon the glaze over the salmon, then remove from the heat.

To Serve
Divide the coconut rice and veggies between bowls. Top with the honey-soy glazed salmon and spoon over any glaze remaining in the pan.

Gluten Free Pork And Baby Pak Choy Stir Fry

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To Cook
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in large wok. Add pork mince and cook on med-high heat. Slice and chop vegetables while meat is cooking.
Once meat is browned, add garlic and a dash of sesame oil. Cook for a further 1 min.
Add vegetables, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Ensure heat is high and cook for a further 5 mins until pak choy has softened.

To Serve
Serve up on a plate and sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

Chicken and Prawn Laksa

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To Make Chicken Stock and Prawns
Place chicken stock ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to simmer, then reduce to medium-high. 
Cook for 25 mins or until chicken flesh falls off the bone and liquid reduces by about a third.

Discard skin, pull the flesh off the bone and place in a bowl, discard bones. Set broth aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Cook the prawns, in batches, turning occasionally, for 5 mins or until prawns curl and change colour. Transfer to a serving platter. 

To Make Laksa Chilli Sauce
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside for 20 mins.


To Make Laksa Broth
Heat oil in a large saucepan or small pot over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 20 secs, then add lemongrass and chillies. Cook for 1 min.
Add the laksa curry paste. Turn heat up to medium and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.

Add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and 2 tsp of laksa chilli paste. Place lid on and simmer for 10 mins.
Adjust to taste using lime juice and fish sauce. Add tofu puffs. Leave on turned off stove with lid on for 5 mins.

To Assemble Laksa
Divide noodles between 2 bowls. Top with shredded chicken.
Pour broth over chicken. Top with bean sprouts and the rest of the garnishes. Serve with Laksa chilli sauce on the side.


Mini Japanese Pancakes (Okonomiyaki)

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To Prep
Place the zucchini and onion in a bowl with 1 tsp salt, then toss to combine and set aside for 20 mins to draw out liquid. Squeeze out the excess liquid and discard.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the egg and 2 tbsp cold water then season and lightly whisk until thick and smooth. Add the zucchini mixture, then stir to combine.

To Cook
Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium heat.
Working in batches, drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the pan and cook for 3 mins each side or until golden and cooked through.

To Serve
To serve, top each pancake with ½ tsp barbecue sauce, stripes of mayonnaise and pickled ginger.

Slow Cooked Red Curry

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To Cook
In a slow cooker, place 3 tbsp of red curry paste with 1 tbsp of oil.
Dice and add in the chuck steak along with the coconut milk.
Leave to cook for 2 hrs.
Dice and add in the sweet potato, eggplant and zucchini.
Add peanut paste, fish sauce, palm sugar and cook for another 2 hrs. Add snow peas.
Serve with boiled rice.