Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Hot Tofu (Yudofu)

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To Cook
In a pot, add in the kombu and fill it with enough water so that all of the tofu you have can be easily submerged. Let the kombu absorb the water for at least an hour.
When the stock has begun to absorb the flavour of the kombu, take out half a cup of it and combine it with the soy sauce and mirin to make the dipping sauce. Mix and set aside.
Cut the tofu in to the size that you intend to eat it at and then carefully add them in to the pot. Turn on the stove and bring the broth to a low boil over a medium heat.

To Serve
Transfer the cut tofu in to bowls and pour in some of the stock. Top with katsuobushi and cut some kombu for extra taste. Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!
Tip: You can cook and serve this dish entirely in a clay pot or donabe for a more authentic look.

Garlic Oil

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To Cook
Heat oil up in a sauce pan on high heat.
After 1 min, add the chopped garlic in and turn down the heat to low-medium. Stir garlic occasionally and keep on checking the heat to make sure garlic is bubbling. Continue to fry until garlic turn golden brown.
When it is ready, remove from heat and transfer into a heat proof container to cool.
Used when needed.

Tip
Even though the garlic oil is removed from heat, it will continue to brown (cook) in hot oil. Depending on desired texture and flavour, garlic can be removed from the heat earlier.

Cold Udon Soup with Tempura Batter (Cold Tanuki Udon)

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To Prep
Soak the wakame in hot water for about 10 mins or until it has become soft. Drain the water and set aside.
Make the mentsuyu sauce as per the instructions in our soba recipe.
While the sauce cooks, begin cooking the udon noodles as per the packet instructions.

To Plate
To plate, transfer the cooked noodles on to a serving plate and ladle over some of the mentsuyu sauce.
Top with the cucumber, wakame and a soft boiled egg. Garnish with the tempura scraps and serve!

Quick Duck Pancakes

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To Prep
In a bowl, combine the salt, pepper and five spice powder and then coat the duck breasts. Set the duck aside.
Prepare the pancakes as per the packet instructions and then set it aside under a damp towel or any method to prevent it from drying out.

To Cook
In a pan over a medium heat, fry the duck breasts skin-side down until the skin has become crispy and brown and the fat has rendered.
Flip the breasts over and add in the star anise and continue to fry for another 5 mins or until the meat has become firm to the touch.
Remove the duck breast from the pan and let rest for at least 5 mins before slicing thinly.

To Assemble
On a single pancake, lay a few sticks of the cucumber and spring onions with a couple of the duck breast slices and top with the hoisin sauce before wrapping tightly.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve with more hoisin sauce as a side!

Vegetarian Dumpling Noodle Soup

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To Cook
In a pot over a medium heat, combine all of the broth ingredients and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer and cooking for 20 mins.
While the broth simmers, cook the noodles as per the packet instructions and set aside.
Similarly, prepare the vegetable dumplings as per the packet instructions.
In another pot of water, bring to a boil and blanche the bok choy for about 30 seconds. Remove from the pot and set aside.

To Serve
In a bowl, add a portion of the noodles and ladle over some of the broth. Top with the dumplings and the bok choy and garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Beef Lo Mein

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To Prep
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients together and mix thoroughly.
Prepare noodles as per the packet instructions and set aside.

To Cook
In a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add a tbsp of oil and fry the beef until it has fully cooked through.
Season with salt and pepper and add in the cornstarch. Toss till the cornstarch has mixed with the meat juices and has begun to thicken. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Clean the pan with a paper towel and and in a tbsp of oil. When the oil has heated up, add in the broccoli florets and stir fry for about a minute.
Add in the ginger and garlic and fry until aromatic before returning the beef to the pan and stirring well.
Mix the sauce well before pouring it in to the pan and tossing well. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly before adding in the noodles and continuing to toss. When the sauce begins to nicely coat the noodles, remove the pan from the heat and begin to serve.

To Serve
Transfer the noodles on to a large serving plate and serve topped with chilli flakes!

Duck Noodles

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To Prep
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients and stir well.
Bring to a boil a pot of water and blanche the bok choy until they have softened slightly. Remove from the water and set aside before cooking the noodles as per the packet instructions in the same water.

To Serve
Add the noodles in to the mixing bowl of sauce and mix well to coat them. Transfer the noodles in to a serving bowl and spoon over some of the remaining sauce.
Top with the sliced duck and blanched bok choy. Garnish with pickled chillies and serve!

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

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To Cook
In a pot over a medium heat, combine all of the broth ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the broth to a simmer and add in the chicken breasts. Continue cooking for another 20 mins or until the chicken has fully cooked through.
While the broth simmers and the chicken cooks, prepare the noodles as per the packet instructions and set aside.
In another pot of water, bring to a boil and blanche the bok choy for about 30 seconds. Remove from the pot and set aside.

To Serve
Remove the chicken from the broth and either sliced or loosely shred the meat.
In a bowl, add a portion of the noodles and ladle over some of the broth. Top with the chicken breast and the bok choy and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve!

30-Minute Chicken Stir-Fry

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To Prep
In a small bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients together and stir until all of the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed.

To Cook
In a wok or a pan, add in a tbsp of oil and heat over a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and ginger and fry until they become aromatic.
Add in the onions and cook until they soften before adding in the chicken and cooking that until all the pieces are no longer pink.
Add in the remaining vegetables and stir fry for a couple minutes before adding in the sauce and tossing.
Cook until the sauce has thickened but ensure that the vegetables remain crisp. Remove the dish from the pan and serve immediately garnished with sesame seeds and accompanied by rice!

Sweet Potato Balls

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To Prep
Place the sweet potatoes in to a steamer and steam for 10 mins or until they become soft.
Transfer the potatoes in to a large bowl and mash them in to a puree.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar and baking powder and mix well. Add this mixture in to the bowl with the sweet potatoes and mix with a spatula until a soft dough begins to form.
The dough should be soft but not sticky; if the dough is too sticky then add a bit more white rice flour.
Pinch off enough dough to form a small ball about an inch in diameter and set aside. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

To Cook
Heat up enough oil to fry the sweet potatoes over a medium heat. Fry the balls in batches for about 3 to 4 mins or until the balls have turned golden brown.
The balls will have cooked through when they are floating. Remove the cooked balls from the oil and let drain to remove the excess oil. Repeat the cooking process until all of the balls have cooked.
Serve while hot and enjoy!

Thai Red Curry Pumpkin Soup

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To Prep
Begin by combining all of the paste ingredients together in a food processor and blending until a
a thick paste forms. This produces more paste than needed but the rest can be stored for another dish.
If you don’t have a processor that is large enough to fit all of the ingredients in one go, blend them in stages until you have used all of the ingredients.
Set the curry paste aside.

To Cook
In a large bowl, combine 2 tbsp of oil, the pumpkin pieces and salt and pepper and mix till the pumpkins are well coated.
In a roasting pan lined with baking paper, place the pumpkin pieces on top and roast in an over until the pumpkin is soft.
When the pumpkin has cooked to the desired level of softness, remove from the oven and let cool.
When the pumpkin has cooled, place it in to a food processor and blend until the pumpkin has a puree consistency.
In a deep pan over a medium high heat, add in 1 tbsp of oil and then 2 tbsp of the curry paste. Cook the paste until it becomes fragrant before adding in the pumpkin puree and the vegetable stock and stirring till any clumps are gone.
Bring the soup up to a boil before reducing to a simmer and letting cook for another 10 minutes.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and add in the coconut milk. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes before taking it off from the heat.
To serve, spoon a serving of the soup in to a bowl and drizzle with extra coconut milk, pepper and chilli oil for some extra kick! Finish with some coriander leaves.

Wagyu Beef Bowl

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To Prep
Take the steak out of the fridge and allow to reach room temperature. Season with generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

To Cook
Heat up a pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Place the steak in to the pan and let cook without touching for about 1 min.
Flip and brown the other side. Cook to the desired level of doneness before setting aside to rest.

To Serve
When the steak has rested for at least 5 mins, slice it thinly at an angle and against the grain of the meat.

In a bowl, spoon your desired amount of rice and furikake and mix till they’re well combined. Top with the sliced steak, cooked edamame beans, tsukemono and an onsen egg. Top with extra furikake if desired.