Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Panko Crumbed Tofu Salad

by Leave a Comment

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)

by Leave a Comment

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.

Flower Blossom Dumplings in Sesame & Shiitake Mushroom Broth

by Leave a Comment

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.

Dan Dan Tofu Noodles

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
To start the noodle sauce, in a bowl combine together 4 tbsp soy sauce and the sesame paste, stir until fully combined. Then add in vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar and spring onions. Mix thoroughly.
Add the Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil, white pepper and Sichuan peppercorns to the sauce, stir until combined. Set aside.
Using a food processor, pulse king oyster mushrooms, 3 spring onions and garlic until finely chopped . Add in tofu pieces and pulse the mixture again, until all ingredients are finely chopped, (not a paste!).

To Cook
In a wok, add in vegetable oil until medium-high heat. Add in the Sichuan preserved vegetables and cook for 2 mins.
Reduce the heat, add the tofu and mushroom mixture, cooking for 2 mins, stirring very gently.
Pour 1½ tbsp LKK Premium soy and Shaoxing wine into the wok. Continue to cook for 7-8 mins, gently turning the mixture over so it does not stick to the pan. It should become lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the fresh wheat noodles according to packet instructions. Place pak choi into boiling water for 30 secs.
In 4 separate bowls, divide the cooked noodles, then ¼ of the sesame noodle sauce mixture to each, stir through lightly to combine.
Top noodles with a generous spoonful of tofu mixture, then add pak choi, finely sliced spring onion and peanuts.

Veggie Tempura Tasting Plate with Spicy Dipping Sauce

by Leave a Comment

To Prep Sauce
Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Taste and alter accordingly.

To Prep Vegetables
Top and tail vegetables if necessary. Cut capsicums, carrots and cucumbers into ½cm pieces.

To Cook the Vegetables
Mix cornflour, plain flour and baking soda with 2 chopsticks held together, in large bowl.
Mix egg yolk and soda water together till frothy.
Mix soda mixture and flour mixture together with chopsticks until all mixed; a few lumps don’t matter.
Place the bowl onto an ice bath to keep the batter cool during the cooking process.
Heat oil till it starts to slightly bubble.
Place veggies in batter one variety at a time and skim off the excess batter.
They should sizzle as soon as they enter. Let them cook till just golden, before taking out and placing on a paper towel. Repeat for the rest of the veggies.

To Serve
Plate the tempura on to a plate and add edible flowers, chilli and preserved Asian ginger to garnish. Enjoy!

Zosui Pork Rice

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
In an earthenware pot, add the dashi and bring to a boil.
Add the pork and stir to separate. Add in the onions, carrots, cabbage and mushrooms and stir to combine.
Add the mirin, soy and return the mixture to a rapid simmer for about 1-2 mins, while stirring occasionally.
Mix in rice and simmer for another min.
Lastly, stir in spring onions and swirl in the beaten egg.

To Serve
Turn off heat and garnish with some more sliced spring onion. Enjoy!

Satay chicken

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Combine chicken, curry powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp red Thai curry paste and ¼ cup of the TCC Premium Coconut Milk (save remaining for the satay sauce) mix well and set aside to marinate for at least 20 mins, or overnight. Thread 6-7 pieces of chicken on to each skewer.
Place remaining TCC Premium Coconut Milk, 1 tsp salt, ¼ cup white sugar, 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste, peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Stir to combine then simmer, stirring every now and then, for 5 mins. Cover with lid and keep warm while cooking skewers.

To Cook
Heat olive oil over BBQ on medium-high heat. Cook skewers, turning until cooked through and chicken has some golden colour to it.

To Serve
Serve salad in bowls and top with 2 chicken skewers. Drizzle with satay sauce or serve the sauce on the side in a dipping bowl. Enjoy!

Thai Red Curry chicken

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Heat oil in saucepan and add onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 mins or until soft.
Add carrot, capsicum and cook for 10 mins.
Add curry paste, coconut cream, fish sauce, brown sugar and kaffir lime leaves.
Chop chicken thighs and add.
Cook for 30 mins stirring occasionally.

To Serve
Serve on rice and add peanuts, fried shallots, chilli, coriander and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Rainbow Banh Mi with Chilli Soy Glazed Tofu

by Leave a Comment

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.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Vegan Curry

by Leave a Comment

To Cook
Add garlic, onion, ginger and red curry paste to 2 tbsp cooking oil and fry on a medium heat for about 5 mins.
Add coconut milk, peanut butter, water and sweet potato. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low to medium heat for 10-15 mins or until sweet potato is tender.
Blend mixture until smooth.
Fry tofu in 1 tbsp oil until lightly and evenly browned on all sides.
Add mixture back into the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low to medium heat and add tofu, capsicum, broccoli, green beans and the juice of 1 lime for about 5 mins or until the vegetables are just tender.

To Serve
Serve with boiled rice and lime wedges. Sprinkle with peanuts and coriander.

Two Ways Choko Fab

by Leave a Comment

To Prep
Grate chokos and carrots. In a bowl, combine them and sprinkle ½ tsp of salt and mix. Leave it for 10 mins and then give it a quick rinse before squeezing out most of the juice.
Mix in 2 eggs and season with salt and pepper.

To Cook
Cut the puff pastry into 4 squares, take one square, fold to make a triangle, pinch one side so form like a pocket, divided filling mixture into 4, scoop into the pocket and seal the other end, brush with eggs, bake in preheated oven at 210°C until brown.
Alternatively, if you’re in hurry, add oil into a frying pan to cook small pancakes of the filling over low heat until brown and cook well.

To Make Peanut Sauce
In a bowl, combine the crunchy peanut butter, chilli sauce and soy sauce with ½ cup of hot water. Add a bit more water if needed (the sauce should be a bit like pancake mix consistency).

To Serve
Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Delicious Vegetable Pancake

by Leave a Comment

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.