Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Korean Kimchi Pork

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To Prep
Prepare marinade by combining all marinade ingredients into a small bowl and stir thoroughly.
Add thinly sliced pork to marinade, mix to coat well and marinate for 10 mins.

To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a wok until it just begins to smoke, add marinated pork and toss to stir fry for between 1 to 2 mins.
Add the onion and kimchi to the wok and toss to combine. Add the sugar and cook for a further 3 mins.
Add the gochujang and continue cooking for another min, stirring all ingredients to combine well.

To Serve
Divide cooked rice between four bowls and spoon on the kimchi pork.
Garnish with spring onion, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

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.

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!

Fried Shrimp Dumpling

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To Prep
Put pork, carrot, spring onion, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.
Spoon the pork mix on the dumpling skin and then add a prawn into it before closing the dumpling skin, using two fingers to press it.

To Cook
Heat the pan over a medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil then put the prawn dumpling into the pan and fry the dumpling bottom until golden brown.
Whisk 2 eggs and pour them around the dumplings and continue to cook covered with lid until the egg is cooked.
Sprinkle chopped spring onion and sesame seed to serve.

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.

Dubu Jorim

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To Cook
In a medium heated pan, pour the vegetable oil then fry tofu both sides until golden brown then set aside in a paper towel.
In a small bowl, dilute sweet soy sauce, vinegar, water, chilli powder, salt & pepper.
In a medium heated pan, saute spring onions & garlic until shiny but not burnt.
Add the diluted sauce mixture, then allow to it reduce.
Once the sauce is reduced and thickened, add snow beans and fried tofu.
Mix it well then transfer in a bowl, garnish with sesame seeds and sliced red chillies.

Bouquet of Vermicelli

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To Cook
Soak the vermicelli in hot water until soft, drain and cut into 5cm long pieces.
Add 1 tbsp cooking oil into a frying pan and cook the onion for 2 mins before adding in the carrot and cooking until soft.
Add the ABC Sweet Soy Sauce, vegetable stock and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and leave it to cool.

To Serve
Cut the Obento Yaki Nori sheet into 4 pieces, form a cone and scoop the mixture inside the cone. Enjoy!

Everyday Veggie & Tofu Laksa

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To Cook
Heat oil in a large pot over a medium heat and add the laksa paste. Fry for 3-4 mins or until fragrant and it starts to split.
Add the coconut milk, chicken stock and water and bring to the boil. Then turn down and simmer for 5 mins.
Add the kaffir lime leaves and lime juice to the broth and continue to simmer for 10 mins.
Prepare the noodles according to packet instructions.

To Serve
Divide cooked noodles into 2 large bowls. Add the tofu and vegetables then ladle over the broth. Garnish with spring onions, coriander, bean sprouts and lime.

Swordfish Steaks with Zesty Dressing

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To Prep
Place the fish sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and 2 tbsp water in a saucepan, and bring to boil. As soon as it boils, take it off the heat and add in garlic and chilli. When cool, add lime juice and lime leaves. Set aside.

To Cook
Heat a fry pan to hot and spray with a scant amount of oil. Fry swordfish steaks until cooked through (approx 2 mins on each side).
Spoon a 2 tbsp of dressing over swordfish and serve.

Rainbow Banh Mi with Chilli Soy Glazed Tofu

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To Prep
To prepare marinade, mix Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce with chilli, vinegar, ginger, garlic and 2 tbsp sugar. Slice tofu into 8mm thick slices and place in a shallow dish or large zip lock bag. Pour marinade over and turn tofu pieces to coat. Marinate in fridge for 30 mins.

To Cook
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Remove tofu slices from marinade and pat dry with absorbent paper. Fry tofu slices for 3 mins on each side or until golden. Add remaining marinade to pan and continue cooking, turning tofu slices every minute, until marinade has reduced slightly and formed a glaze on the tofu, around 6 mins. Keep warm.

To Serve
Slice open bread rolls and spread each side with mayo (for a vegan alternative, replace with a vegan mayo or spread of your choice). Place tofu slices on bottom halves and layer on lettuce, cabbage, onion, capsicum, carrot, radish, cucumber, shallot and coriander.
Serve immediately, scattered with a few pieces of fresh red chilli.

Delicious Vegetable Pancake

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To Prep
For the dough, add the yeast into the warm water set it side for 5 mins, then add the flour and salt into the yeast water, knead into dough, then cover with the plastic wrap, let it proof for 30 mins.
In the mean while, put the cabbage into a blow, add ½ tsp of salt and mix, let it set aside for 15 mins, and then squeeze out the cabbage water.
Grate the carrot then squeeze out the juice.
Combine all the filling ingredients together and mix well, and then divide into 4 portions.
When the dough is finished proofing, divide into 4 portions, then round it into a ball, then flatten it thin, and then put the filling into the thin dough, wrap it up, and then use the rolling pin lightly roll it about 3-4 cm thick.

To Cook
When all the pancakes are done, heat the pan on medium, put 4 tbsp of oil into the pan, fry the vegetable pancake both side until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Flower Blossom Dumplings in Sesame & Shiitake Mushroom Broth

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To Make the Shiitake Mushroom Broth
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water, until softened. Drain (retaining liquid) and roughly chop.
Place the vegetable stock, shiitake mushrooms & liquid, spring onions, garlic, sesame oil, soy & chilli garlic sauce & Shaoxing wine in a saucepan and simmer for 30 mins.
Strain, return the broth to the pan & keep warm.

To Prep the Flower Blossom Dumplings
Soak the shiitake mushrooms until softened, drain & finely chop.
Drain & finely crumble the tofu into a bowl, add the shiitake mushrooms, chives, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce & Shaoxing wine, mix well and season with white pepper to taste.
Cut the wonton wrappers into circles (a few at a time), cover with damp cloth.
For the large flower dumplings, lay 7 wonton wrappers in a row, overlapping slightly (dampen the area, that overlaps with a little water)
Spread a thin layer of filling through the centre of the wrappers, flatten slightly, brush a little water, on the top half of the wonton wrappers then fold the row of wrappers in half to enclose the filling.
Starting at one end, gently roll to form a flower shape, separate & fold the top wonton edges to form petals. Repeat 4 times.
For the small flower dumplings, repeat the above using 5 wonton wrappers for each flower.

To Cook the Flower Blossom Dumplings
Heat a little sesame oil in a non-stick saute pan and fry the base of the dumplings until crisp & golden.
Gently pour 1 to 2 cups of broth around the dumplings, cover and steam for 5 to 8 mins (or until cooked through).

To Serve
Place a large and small flower dumpling in a shallow bowl and gently add the broth, garnish with black sesame seeds, whole chives and a few drops of sesame oil.