Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Japanese Vegetable Soup (Kenchinjiru)

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To Prep
Rinse and soak dried shiitake mushrooms for 2-4 hours with 100ml water. Once soaked, reserve the mushroom soaking water, and squeeze remaining water out of mushrooms and cut into quarters.
In the meantime, soak kombu with 650ml water for atleast 1 hr. Bring it to a slow boil and remove kombu once it starts to bubbles. Set aside the kombu.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JVS-1.jpg
Wrap tofu with paper towel and place some weight over to soak up as much water from it.
In a small saucepan, bring some water to boil and cook konjac by cutting using a spoon (to make irregular shapes) for 3 mins. Remove and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JVS-2.jpg

To Make
Heat up sesame oil in a medium cast iron pot and sauté daikon, potatoes, carrots, taro and konjac for 1 min.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JVS-3.jpg
Add in shiitake mushrooms and hand tear tofu and cook for 2 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JVS-4.jpg
Add in kombu dashi and mushroom soaking water and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 mins under low heat. Skim away foam and scum with a fine mesh strainer.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JVS-5.jpg
Add in seasoning ingredients and cook for 1 min.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JVS-7.jpg
Garnish with chopped spring onions and shichimi togarashi before serving with some steamed rice.

Mushroom Stirfry with Sesame Dressing

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To Prep
Toast white sesame seeds until slightly brown without any oil. Transfer to pestle and mortar or food processor and grind until halfway to release fragrance and to give extra texture.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WMS-1.jpg
Mix together all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WMS-2.jpg
Heat up cooking oil in a wok. Add in all the prepared mushrooms and sauté for 2 mins. https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WMS-3.jpg
Add salt and cook for 2 mins. Add in sake then the sesame dressing. Stir to coat and cook for another 2 mins under medium low heat.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WMS-5.jpg
Add sesame oil and switch off fire. Toss in the baby spinach and cook with residual heat. Serve hot.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WMS-7.jpg

Note: You can use any types of mushrooms of your choice

Korean Gochujang King Oyster Mushrooms

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To Prep
Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Marinate the sliced mushrooms for 30 mins or up to an hour.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GKM-1.jpg
Heat up frying pan with cooking oil. Pan fry mushroom slices flat for 3 mins each side until brown with a bit of charring. Fry them in batches.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GKM-2.jpg
Once all mushrooms have been fried, return to frying pan and pour in remaining marinade and sesame oil and cook until sauce thickens.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GKM-3.jpg
Transfer onto a plate and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot with rice.

Vegetable Rolled Omelette with Seaweed (Gim Gyeranmari)

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To Make
Add ⅛ tsp salt to egg yolks, stir gently with chopsticks – you don’t want air bubbles!
Add ⅛ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper and all chopped vegetables to the egg whites, stir gently with clean chopstick.
Heat tamagoyaki pan over very low heat, brush with vegetable oil (use oil-soaked paper towel).
Pour in ¼ of egg white-vegetable mixture, gently swirl to thinly cover base of pan. Lay a piece of cut nori on top in the centre of the egg white mix – there should be an omelette border.
When the egg whites start to set, start rolling from the handle end up to the far end, then gently push the omelette back towards the handle end.
Grease pan again, then pour in ⅓ of remaining egg white mix, lifting the edge of the rolled omelette to allow some of the wet mixture to bond to the cooked part.
Repeat two more times with remaining egg white mixture and nori squares (or until you run out of mix!)). Turn the rolled omelette over on its sides to allow it to cook evenly and to form pleasing flat sides as you return to the handle end each time. Use spatulas to help with this. Carefully remove rolled omelette and set aside.
Grease pan as before. Lay zucchini slices evenly over base of pan. Pour a layer of egg yolk over the zucchini and allow it to cook a few seconds before returning the white rolled omelette to the pan at the handle end. Gently roll up, adding a little more yolk if the white is not all blanketed. Turn omelette over on all sides to allow it to cook evenly and to form pleasing flat sides, using spatulas.
Remove from heat and allow to cool a little before cutting into 6 equal slices. Enjoy!

Japchae Rice Paper Dumplings With Soy Dipping Sauce and Three Banchan

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To Make
Separate the eggs. Beat whites and yolks separately. Heat a non stick pan and lightly grease. Pour a thin layer of whites to cover the pan, gently cook until set. Remove and slice thinly. Repeat with yolks.
Prepare noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse. Snip with scissors 5-6 times. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and stir through to prevent sticking.
Add a small amount of oil to the pan. Lightly fry each vegetable separately seasoning with salt and pepper. Once cooked, remove and add to noodles.
Add garlic and spring onions and thoroughly mix. Add in egg and mix again.
Season with remaining sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Cover the base of a pan with canola oil.
Briefly dip a rice paper in warm water to soften. Add a 1/4 cup japchae into the centre and fold in sides to form a parcel.
Work in batches, making only as many dumplings as will fit in the frying pan. Gently fry on each side until light golden. Transfer to the oven to keep warm/continue golden while cooking remaining dumplings.
Stir together remaining ingredients to make the dipping sauce.
Serve japchae dumplings with dipping sauce, rice, Obap Roasted Seasoned Korean Seaweed, lettuce leaves, and three banchan – Spinach sigeumchi-namul, Cucumber oi muchim and Obap kimchi.
To eat, snip off a portion of dumpling and place in a lettuce leaf with all other accompaniments. Season with dipping sauce and then take the biggest mouthful you can. Enjoy with a cold beer!

Gochujang Eggplant with Crispy Vermicelli Noodles

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To Make
Cut eggplant in 2cm slices and quarter, lay out on absorbent paper, liberally sprinkle with salt to draw out water, set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat oil to 190 degrees. Fry noodles for literally 3 seconds and place on absorbent paper, set aside
After 30 minutes prepare batter as per packet instructions. Ensure water is ICE COLD for crispier results.
Combine eggplant pieces in batter and fry for 2 minutes, drain on absorbent paper.
Combine, gochujang paste, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, oil and 2tbs water in small saucepan and heat until just starting to boil. Add slurry and stir until just thickened (if too thick add extra water).
Gently toss through cooked eggplant. Place noodles on plates and top with gochujang eggplant. Garnish with coriander leaves and sesame seeds.

Plant-Based Korean Buddha Bowl

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To Make
In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, raw honey, sesame seeds, garlic, and ginger to make the dressing sauce.
Marinate the shredded carrots and thinly sliced red cabbage with 1/2 tsp of the dressing.
Make an avocado rose with the sliced avocado for garnish.
Divide the cooked rice among bowls and top with radishes, carrots, cubed avocado, cucumber, and red cabbage.
Place an avocado rose in the center of each bowl and garnish with roasted buckwheat, sesame seeds, and fresh coriander.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining dressing served on the side.

Lo Han Zai

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To Make
Trim the hard ends of lily flowers. Tie a knot in the centre of each strand.
Heat oil in wok to medium-high heat. Deep fry dried bean threads until crispy, then leave aside for later.
Heat your claypot over medium-high heat, add oil and ginger. Let the ginger caramelise for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, 1 tsp Lee Kum Kee Light Soy Sauce and 1 tsp sugar into the wok. Stir fry until caramelised.
Next, add the chinese cabbage, Yensen’s Fried Tofu, wood ears and tied lily flowers, let it stir-fry for a few minutes.
Add Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce, Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, sugar and the fried dried bean threads. Stir everything together, add water. Cover the claypot, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer.
Uncover the claypot and turn the heat back up to high. Add the mung bean noodles, which should soak up most of the liquid. Keep stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve with steamed rice!

Tempe Orek

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To Make
Heat the pan, put 1 tbsp oil, sauté the tempeh for 2-3minutes until slightly golden brown colour then put aside.
Heat the pan, put 1 tbsp oil, add the shallot, garlic, chillies and bay leaf. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Put the tempeh back into the pan, season it with sugar, sweet soy sauce, water, salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in until the tempeh cooked and coated with the sauce.

Hakka Yong Tau Fu – Stuffed Bean Curd and Vegetables

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To Make
Scrap Spanish markerel off the bone, finely chop till turn into paste. Mix fish paste with salt, white pepper, and sesame oil, and set aside.
To prepare the bean curd (hard tofu and fried soft tofu) for stuffing, make a cut lengthwise, with both ends still attached.
To prepare bitter melon for stuffing, cut around 2 cm wide and remove seeds
To prepare the chillies for stuffing, make a slit lengthwise and remove all membranes and seeds.
Stuff bean curd and vegetables with fish paste using a butter knife.
Heat a deep pan over medium heat, and pan fry stuffed bean curd and vegetables in batches, until golden and set aside.
Saute garlic with a little oil for 30 second in the same pan, before adding Lee Kum Kee chilli bean sauce.
Continue to saute for a minute, then add in oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cooking wine, white pepper and stock. Simmer for 2 minutes and check for seasonings.
Arrange stuffed bean curd and vegetables neatly in the pan and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. Thicken the sauce with corn flour solution just before serving.
Sprinkle spring onions on top and serve with plenty of steamed rice!

Roast Pumpkin Bibimbap

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To Make
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Mix maple syrup, salt, butter (or oil), garlic, 1 tbsp gochujang and 1 tsp of sesame oil together in a large bowl.
Add the pumpkin slices to bowl, coat well in sauce and lay the slices evenly on an oven tray.
Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, should be caramelised and soft
Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients (soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, 1 tablespoon Gochujang and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil) in a clean bowl.
Spoon rice into serving bowls, top evenly with alternating side dishes and the roasted pumpkin slices, add fried egg on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with the bibimbap sauce.

Thai Crispy Garlic Chives Dumpling (Gui Chai Tod)

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To Prepare
Place chopped garlic chives in a medium bowl with bicarbonate soda, salt, sugar & pepper and mix well.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-1.jpg
Add in oil and light soy sauce and mix well. Set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-2.jpg
In a sauce pan, add in the rice flour and tapioca flour together and mix in warm water to turn into a watery batter. Heat up while stirring the batter under medium heat.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-3.jpg
Once the batter starts to coagulate, add in the garlic chives mixture and mix well before removing from heat.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-4.jpg
Place the mixture into oiled baking pan, compress and steam for 25-30 mins. Remove and let it cool.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-5.jpg
Meanwhile, for the dipping sauce, heat up all the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Let it comes to a boil and simmer for 1 min. Set aside and let it cool.

To Make
Once cooled, cut into squares and coat with tapioca flour.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-6.jpg
Deep fry garlic chives squares for 3-4 mins on each side and strain away excess oil on a wire rack.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CGCD-8.jpg