Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Massaman Steak and Salad

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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)

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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.

Thai Red Curry and Chicken Soup

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
In a large saucepan, add 1½ cups water, cook rice and set aside.
Cut the chicken breast into a few pieces and boil them until they have cooked through. Set aside to cool off.
Add butter, garlic, onion and capsicum to the stockpot. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 3-4 mins. Stir in ginger until fragrant, about 1 min.
Whisk in curry paste until well combined, about 1 min. Gradually whisk in coconut milk and vegetable stock and cook, whisking constantly until incorporated, about 1-2 mins.
Shred chicken breast. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 8-10 mins.
Stir in rice, shredded chicken, lime juice and coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately.

Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients (ginger, galangal, garlic, palm sugar, five spice powder and fish sauce) and mix until sugar is dissolved.
Place meat into bowl and coat with spice mixture. Set aside to marinate for 25 mins.

To Cook
Using a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil on a high heat. Add in garlic, shallot and lemongrass and stir for 3 mins until the shallot becomes translucent.
Place the beef in the pot and brown on each side. Reduce heat to medium, add tomato paste and cook for 4-5 mins.
Add to the pot the star anise, chilli powder, paprika, white pepper, water and coconut water. Simmer for 60 mins, stirring occasionally.
Once the hour is up, add in the chiu chow oil, soy and carrots. Continue cooking for another 35-40 mins.
Prepare the egg noodles according to the packet instructions, then divide between 4 bowls.

To Serve
Remove the star anise from the soup then carefully ladle mixture over the noodles, ensuring there is a generous amount of beef and carrots.
Top the soup with Thai basil, coriander, sliced shallot and lime.
Enjoy!

Bun Ga Thom (Vietnamese Fragrant Chicken Vermicelli)

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Prepare the marinade in a large bowl: Mix the marinade ingredients thoroughly to ensure the sugar has dissolved.
Add the chicken and mix well to fully coat with marinade. Set aside to marinate for a minimum of 1 hr, preferably longer if you have time. (For food safety, marinate in the fridge for longer periods).
After chicken has marinated, place the vermicelli into a bowl and pour over boiling water until it covers the noodles. Loosen the noodles with a fork and set aside for 5 mins. Rinse noodles under cold water and drain well. Divide noodles between 4 bowls.
In a small bowl, add in the sauce ingredients, continue stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved.

To Cook
Heat a large fry pan with oil to medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until it is cooked through, it will start to caramelise (approximately 3 mins per side). Remove from the heat and set aside for a few mins to rest.
Prepare the chicken for serving by slicing into strips (about 1cm wide).
Prepare each bowl of vermicelli with a generous amount of mint and Thai basil leaves and Thai mint along with the vegetables. Add the sliced chicken, spoon over some of the sauce and finally top with peanuts, lime and chilli to taste.
Enjoy!

Sesame Tofu & Sweet Corn Ramen

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Drain & press the tofu overnight, cut into 2cm square strips, marinate in the teriyaki sauce for 3-4 hrs.
Remove the tofu from the marinade, pat dry, dip into the egg/almond milk mixture and coat with black and white sesame seeds. Chill for 30 mins.

To Cook
Place the vegetable stock, white miso paste, sesame oil, togarashi spice, cooking sake into a saucepan and simmer for 5 mins.
Add the sweet corn kernels, baby corn and shredded nori and simmer for 1-2 mins; set aside, keeping warm.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the Hakubaku Organic Ramen noodles, cook for 4-5 mins, drain and keep warm.
Heat a little oil in a heavy based fry pan, cook the sesame coated tofu, turning to brown each side. When cooked, drain on kitchen paper and slice.

To Serve
Place the noodles & broth in a bowl, arrange the sesame tofu and hard boiled eggs on top. Garnish with enoki mushrooms, nori and chives.

Nasu Chips

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Prepare 3 bowls for Eggplant coating.
On the first bowl, add flour, chilli powder, salt & pepper. On the second bowl, beat the egg and on the third bowl, put the panko breadcrumbs.
Heat pan with oil in medium heat.
Dredge eggplant in the flour mixture. Then dip it in egg wash and finally coat with panko breadcrumbs.
Repeat with the rest of the Eggplant. Fry for at least 5 mins or until golden brown.

To Serve
Mix mayo, lime, salt and wasabi in a small bowl for the dip and serve together.

Tom Yum Noodle Soup

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Soak the rice noodle in warm water until they soften, then set aside.

To Cook
Mix the Valcom Authentic Thai Tom Yum Paste with water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, reduce to medium heat and let simmer.
Add in the sliced mushroom and tomatoes and let simmer for 1 min. Add in the prawns and the mussels and bring to boil for 3 mins.
Take out the prawns and the mussels and set aside so they don’t overcook.
On low heat, place the noodles in the pot and let simmer for 20 secs in the soup.
Remove the noodles into a bowl and top with the prawns and mussels.
Finish the soup with the fish sauce and sugar, then pour over the noodles when ready to serve.

To Serve
Squeeze a lime over the top and serve with some fresh coriander and chilli (optional).