Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Prawns 3 Ways

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To Prep
Peel prawns, reserving heads and shells. Devein the prawns by slicing along the back and removing the trail. Set prawn cutlets and 6 heads aside in the fridge until needed.

To Cook
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add reserved prawn shells and heads, chilli and lemongrass. Sauté for 2 mins.
Add in 2 cups water and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 1 hr. Top up with extra water if needed.
Season with fish sauce, tamarind puree and sugar.
While prawn broth is simmering, add remaining prawn heads and cornflour into a ziplock bag. Shake until prawn heads are well coated.
Heat oil in a separate saucepan to 180°C. Deep fry the prawn heads for 2 mins or until slightly golden and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
Once the broth has nearly finished simmering, poach prepared prawn cutlets in broth for 1 min or until pink and cooked through. Remove from the broth.

To Serve
Arrange poached prawns and crispy prawns heads in a bowl. Garnish with chilli and micro herbs. Serve with prawn broth.

Thai Carrot and Pumpkin Curry

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To Cook
Pour stock into large pot and bring to boil.
Add galangal, half your garlic, lemongrass and chillies, and simmer for 5 mins.
Add pumpkin and carrots, and simmer while covered for 5 mins or until tender.
Heat oil in a separate pan, and stir fry the shallots and garlic for 2 mins, or until fragrant.
Add curry paste to shallots and garlic and stir fry for another 2 mins.
Transfer the shallots, garlic and curry paste into the pot with the now-softened carrot and pumpkin.
Add the coconut cream, and Thai basil and simmer for a few mins.
Toast pumpkin seeds in frying pan.

To Serve
Serve dish with or without rice and sprinkle on the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Thai Sweet & Spicy Fried Sweet Potato Fingers

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To Cook
Prepare 3 bowls for the Sweet Potato coating.
On the first bowl, add flour, chilli powder, salt and 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 Sweet Potatoes in the flour mixture. Then dip it in egg wash and finally coat with panko.
Repeat with all the Sweet Potato Fingers then it’s ready to be fried. Fry for at least 5 mins or until golden brown.

To Serve
Serve with Sweet Chilli Sauce for the dipping.

Thai Red Curry Salmon Cake Rice Bowl

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To Make the Chilli Coconut Sauce
Bring the ABC Original Chilli Sauce and TCC Premium Coconut Milk to boil, reduce to a simmer until mixture is halved. Add the zest, juice and Squid Brand Fish Sauce into the pot, stir and cook for a further 2 mins. Set aside to cool.

To Prep the Red Curry Salmon Cakes
Slice the salmon fillets into 1cm cubes and then chop vigorously into a chunky mince. Do not use a food processor to do this, as you do not want to puree the flesh. Place into a bowl.
Crush the garlic and ginger with a little salt using a mortar and pestle into a paste. Scrape into the bowl.
Add the Valcom Kaffir Lime Leaves, Valcom Authentic Thai Red Curry Paste, Squid Brand Fish Sauce and remaining ingredients to the salmon, mixing until well combined.

To Cook Red Curry Salmon Cakes
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick fry pan on low to medium. Scoop slightly heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the pan.
Flatten slightly and cook for a few mins until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel, repeat with the remaining mixture.

To Cook the Coriander and Lime Rice
Drain and rinse the konjac rice.
Pop into a dry non-stick fry pan on low to medium heat and cook while stirring continuously until all the moisture is gone. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the frozen cauliflower rice and again cook until the moisture has gone.
Return the konjac rice and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the konjac rice has heated through.

To Serve
Cut the baby bok choy in half and wash away any sediment. Blanche in boiling water for 3 mins. Drain on a paper towel and dress with Yeo’s Pure Sesame oil.
To plate up, divide the coriander & lime rice, baby bok choy and Thai red curry salmon cakes between 2 plates.
Dress the salmon cakes with the chilli coconut sauce. Serve with lime wedges and pickled vegetables. Enjoy!

Prawn Wonton Tom Yum

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To Prep
Separate 12 large prawns, peel them but keep the tails attached. Put all peeled shells and heads into a large bowl. Then devein all 12 prawns, put into another small bowl and keep them in the fridge.
Peel and take all the tails off from the remaining prawns and put all shells and heads in the same bowl as the first lot. Then devein all prawns and put them in the bowl.
Transfer all clean prawns from step two into a mortar then pound it with pestle into a rough paste. Scoop the prawn paste into the bowl and keep them in the fridge.

To Make the Stock
Bring 6 cups of water to the boil and add all prawn shells and heads, then add the red shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal. Let the water boil and simmer gently for about 10-12 mins.
Pour all of prawn stock into a colander with another pot under them. Use a big soup ladle to press all prawn shells and heads until all liquid gets into the pot.
Put the prawn tom yum stock back to the gas top and turn the gas on high heat.
Add all the seasoning ingredients into the stockpot and mix all ingredients until combined and adjust the flavour to suit your liking. Let the stock boil and turn the gas off.

To Make the Wontons
Separate the wonton skin and put the prawn paste, about 1 full teaspoon, into one wonton skin each time. Then moisten the rim of wonton skin with a little bit of water and fold the skin in half to join and close the rim together. You can make any shape and design you like.
Put the complete wonton filling onto a plate and continue doing until the filling is finished.

To Cook
When it’s time to serve, turn the gas on for tom yum stock pot and keep it simmering while waiting to cook wonton.
Put 2L of water into another large pot and put on the gas and let it boil.
Cook all prawns with the tails on in the boiling water for about 40-60 secs, then take the prawns out and put them onto a plate.
Let the water boil again then cook wonton by putting one wonton at a time to prevent them from sticking together.
Cook 6-8 wontons each time. Wait until wontons float to the surface then scoop them out and into individual bowls (6 wontons per serve).
Repeat the wonton cooking process until the wonton wrap is finished.
Increase the heat on the tom yum soup pot and let it boil, then add all mushrooms into the pot.

To Serve
Pour hot tom yum soup and cooked mushrooms into individual bowls and top up with 2 cooked prawns per bowl and garnish before serving.
Add chilli powder as desired and enjoy prawn wonton tom yum soup.

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.

Karaage with Rice

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To Prep
In a large bowl, mix lightly but completely the chicken thighs (each cut into approx. 4 pieces), ginger, garlic, mirin, soy and sake together. Leave and let marinate for at least 20 mins.
Start preheating wok with enough vegetable oil for frying (approx. 180°C).
Mix cornflour and plain flour together.
Take drained pieces of marinated chicken and coat firmly in the flour mixture piece by piece. Set aside on separate dish to let stand for at least 10 mins.

To Cook
Once the oil has reached temperature, add chicken pieces one at a time but do not overcrowd the wok (dependant on wok size and volume of oil).
Continue in batches, cooking for 3 mins and setting aside on a cooling rack to drain. Keep wok on a steady heat.
Fill serving bowls with steamed rice, garnish bowls with lemon wedge and rational amount of lettuce in preparation.
Return all chicken back to wok for further 1 min before final drain on cooling rack.

To Serve
Once drained, divide amongst bowls and serve with Kewpie Mayonnaise dusted with shichimi togarashi pepper mix.
Squeeze lemon over chicken & eat while hot and juicy. Enjoy!

Avocado Rice Paper Rolls

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To Assemble
In a bowl, pour in 250ml of warm water, dipping rice paper in slowly. Leave for about 1 min.
Place other ingredients inside, arranging avocado slices neatly along one side. Fold the side edges and roll up the rice paper roll.
Cover with a damp cloth or tea towel to prevent the rolls from drying out. Serve with sauce and dressings of choice. Enjoy!

Soba Soy Salad

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To Cook
Chop all the ingredients and cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet, then combine.
To make the dressing, combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, and crushed red peppers in a small saucepan.
Whisk over heat for 3 mins, then add the honey and soy sauce, stir until combined and then allow to cool before dressing salad.

Chashu Ramen (Braised Pork Belly Ramen)

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To Make the Broth
Rinse the bones under cold water, place them in a tray and brown them in the oven at 220°C (fan forced) for 15-20 mins.
Transfer the bones into a pot and add water until they are fully covered. Add in the other broth ingredients (5 garlic cloves, 40g sliced ginger, spring onion & shallots).
Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 3-6 hrs.

To Make the Braised Pork Belly
In a sauce pan, mix the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, mirin, Japanese sake, sugar, star anise, dry red chilli, garlic cloves, ginger and whole black pepper and bring to simmer for 2 mins.
Take off the heat and set the braising liquid aside.
Pat dry the pork belly and season with salt and pepper.
Place the pork belly in a roast tray and pour the braising liquid over it.
Wrap the tray with aluminium foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 220°C for 30 mins.
After 30 mins, reduce the oven to 180°C and let the pork cook for another 2 hrs while basting the pork belly every 40 mins.
After 2 hrs, remove the aluminium foil and cook for another 15 mins.
Set the pork aside to cool until ready to serve.

To Serve
Boil the ramen noodle and the corn cob for about 4-5 mins. Place in a bowl.
For the soft boiled egg, place your eggs in boiling water for 7 mins then remove the eggs and place in ice-cold water for 2 mins. Place in the bowl on top of the noodle.
Cut the pork belly and assemble on the noodle, along with the enoki mushrooms.
Pour in the broth until the noodles are covered and add in 25ml of the braising liquid mix with the ponzu sauce in each bowl.
Top with some spring onion and serve!

Panko Crumbed Tofu Salad

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To Prep
Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder and black sesame seeds in the panko crumbs. Add a pinch of salt into the whisked egg.
Dip the tofu slices in the flour and remove the excess flour. Then dip the tofu slices into the egg wash and finally coat them in the seasoned panko crumbs. Put aside on a plate until all tofu slices have been coated.

To Cook
Heat some oil in a frying pan. Once your oil is hot, slowly put in the coated tofu.
Let each side of the tofu cook for about 1-2 mins. Do not stir or toss. Once the tofu is golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel.

To Cook
Assemble your salad bowl by mixing the salad components; lettuce, cucumber, onions, corn kernels, nori sheets and any additional ingredients of your choice.
Top the salad bowl with the crispy tofu and add in dressing of your choice; taste best with a roasted sesame Japanese dressing or a wasabi soy dipping sauce!

Hot Pot (Beef Stock with Tom Yum Paste)

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To Prep
Wash and cut all the vegetables. Arrange them on a plate.
Prepare your choice of meat and arrange them on a plate.
Prepare your dipping sauce, bowl, spoon, chopsticks, wire basket or slotted spoon.
Place your portable stove in the middle of the dining table.

To Cook
Combine the beef stock, tom yum paste, soy sauce, fish sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer.
Put a small portion of your favourite ingredients such as fish balls, cheese fish tofu, carrots, beef, vegetables, shrimps, mushrooms, tofu, chilli into the broth (place the ingredients that take longer to cook first).
Let the ingredients simmer until cooked.
Enjoy hotpot food with the dipping sauce, add some lemon to taste too.
You can use chopsticks, wire basket or slotted spoons to dish out the cooked ingredients and put into your bowl.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. At the end of the meal enjoy the delicious stock.