Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Vegan Hot Oil Noodles (You Po Mian)

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To Prep
Boil the noodles as per the packet instructions before draining them and setting them aside.
Blanche the spinach until they are cooked through and then remove them from the pot and refresh them in ice water.
In a small pot, heat up the oil until it begins to simmer.

To Assemble
In a heatproof bowl, combine the noodles, spinach, light and dark soy, vinegar, garlic, crushed red pepper to taste and then slowly pour over the simmering oil.
Mix the ingredients well and then serve along with a topping of cilantro and scallions and salt to taste. Garnish with the remaining coriander and, or spring onions.

Buddha’s Delight

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To Cook
In wok over a medium-high heat, add in the oil and ginger. Cook the ginger until fragrant before adding in the fermented red bean curd and stirring until the pieces have broken up.
When the bean curds have been broken down, add in the garlic, the mushrooms and the lily flowers before adding in the Shaoxing wine and continuing to cook for another min.
Add in the bean curd sticks and stir-fry on a high heat for about 2 mins before adding in the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and stock and letting it simmer while covered for 6 mins.
After the mixture has simmered, uncover and add in the noodles. Allow to cook till most of the liquid has evaporated.
When the sauce has reduced and the noodles are cooked, remove the wok from the heat and serve!

Pan Fried King Oyster Mushrooms

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To Prep
In a small pot of boiling water, blanch the spinach for about 45 to 60 seconds. When they have begun to wilt, remove the from the pot, drain and rinse them and then pat them dry using paper towels.
Combine the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds in to a small zip lock bag along with the drained spinach. Sealed the bag and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
To prepare the mushrooms, cut them either lengthwise or cut them in to small round sections about 2 to 3 centimetres in length.
Score the mushroom slices on one side and then season with salt and pepper prior to cooking.

To Cook
In a pan over medium heat, add the oil and allow it to heat up before adding in the mushrooms. When one side has become golden brown, flip it over and do the same for the other side.
When cooked, remove from the heat and season again with salt and pepper.
To serve, arrange some of the marinated spinach on a plate and top with the mushrooms.

Fried Tempeh

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To Cook
In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add in the oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Place the tempeh slices in and fry for about 2-3 mins or until the side of the tempeh has become golden brown.
Flip the tempeh slices over and cook for another 2 mins or until the side has also become golden brown.
When both sides have become golden brown, remove the pieces from the heat and sprinkle salt to taste and serve!

Spicy Steamed Eggplant

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To Prep
Set up a steamer in a wok or in a covered pot to steam the eggplants for 10 minutes or until they have become soft.
When the eggplant has cooked, transfer it on to the plate that you intend to serve the dish on and set it aside.

To Cook
In a small pot, heat the oil and the sesame oil over a medium-high heat before adding in the ginger and the sesame seeds.
When the ginger has become fragrant, add in the chilli oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, salt and sugar and mix till all of the ingredients are well combined.
Once the sauce has begun to simmer, remove the pot from the heat and mix in the spring onions and the black beans.
To serve, pour the sauce over the eggplants and served topped with more sliced spring onions!

Miso Scrambled Eggs with Crispy Kale

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To Prep
Trim the leaves off of the stems. Clean, drain and pat dry the leaves prior to frying to reduce the risk of spitting.
Heat a pot with enough oil to deep fry over a medium heat until the oil reaches a temperature of about 180 degrees Celsius.
Fry the kale in batches for about a minute to a minute and a half each batch. When they have cooked, remove them from the oil and let them drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
Season with salt and pepper as they drain.

To Cook
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, miso paste and grated ginger and whisk together until they are all well incorporated.

In a frying pan, add the oil and heat it over a medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and allow to cook without stirring for about 30 seconds or until the bottom of the mixture has begun to set.
When the bottom has begun to set, scramble the eggs constantly until the eggs are almost cooked.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the eggs to cool slightly before transferring on the a plate to serve.
To serve, plate the eggs with the crispy kale and garnish with chilli and sliced coriander. Optionally, you can pan fry a slice of buttered bread too!

Honey Soy Tempeh Soba Noodle Salad

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To Prep
Slice the tempeh in to small rectangular sections and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients together and mix well. Add in the tempe slices and mix to coat. Let the tempeh marinate for at least 15 mins.
Meanwhile, remove the kale leaves from the stems and rinse, drain and pat dry; ready to fry.
Fill a small pot with enough oil to deep fry over a medium heat until the oil reaches a temperature of about 180 °C.
Fry the kale in batches for about a minute to a minute and a half each batch. When they have cooked, remove them from the oil and let them drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
Season with salt and pepper as they drain.

To Cook
In a pot, boil enough water to cook the soba noodles. Cook the noodles as per the packet instruction and when they have cooked through, rinse and drain them before setting them aside.
In a frying pan, add half of the peanut oil and heat it over a medium-high heat. Add in the broccolini and stir-fry until it has become tender but still crispy.
When the broccolini has cooked, transfer them out of the pan and add in the remaining peanut oil in to the pan.
When the oil has heated up, add in the tempeh and fry for about 2 mins on each side. Reserve the leftover marinade and ensure that you pay attention to how quickly the tempeh will cook as the sides will caramelise quickly.
When the tempe is cooked, remove them from the pan and turn the stove off. Pour the remaining marinade on to the pan and let the residual heat warm it up.
To plate, arrange the noodles on to a dish and top with the broccolini, tempeh, kale and then drizzle with the sauce from the pan. Dust with shichimi togarashi for a bit of extra heat and serve!

Yakitori

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To Prep
Thread all chicken onto skewers, and all eggplant on to separate skewers and plate in spate flat dishes or containers with lids.
Pour approx. half the marinade all over the eggplant and roll around until all sides are in contact with the marinade – marinade for 20-60 mins.
Repeat the marinade and roll for the chicken. Chicken can marinade in advance for up to 1-24 hrs, turning 2-3 times.

To Cook
Preheat griddle pan or barbecue to medium high.
Create cucumber salad dressing by thoroughly combining sesame oil, vinegar and mirin, and adjust heat level with wasabi to your liking.
Place yakitori skewers on the hot surface and grill until there are heavy caramelisation on all sides, and cooked through – maybe up to 10 mins, turning 3 times, or all sides.
While yakitori is cooking, dress your cucumber and place in a bowl or a board, sprinkling with sesame seeds, leaving space for cooked skewers.
Once skewered meat and vegetables are cooked through, place on board and serve.

Pork and Vegetable Ramen

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To Prep Chicken Stock
Add all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil. Put the lid on and cook for 2-3 hrs over low heat.

To Prep Noodles
Cook as per pack instruction. Drain and set aside.

To Cook
In a small pot, cook soup ingredients and bring to boil.
In a frying pan, stir fry in garnish ingredients till cooked.
Place noodles in a bowl, followed by soup and with garnish on top.
Serve hot.

Sapporo Miso Ramen

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To Prep
Grind the sesame seeds, leaving some unground for texture.

To Cook
In a large pan or medium pot, saute the ginger, garlic and shallots until fragrant.
Add the minced meat and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Add in the spicy chilli bean sauce and miso paste and mix well before adding in the sesame seeds and sugar.
Continue to mix before adding in the sake and chicken stock.
Bring the mixture up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Check for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if necessary.

To Serve
Cook the ramen noodles as per the packet instructions.
Divide the topping ingredients into equal portions of servings. Place the cooked noodles into a bowl and ladle some broth over the noodles. Add the toppings on the noodles and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Taro Milk Tea with Pearls

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To Prep
Boil the taro in a small pot of water until the flesh has become soft and tender. Transfer the drained taro cube into a blender along with the milk, water, and sugar, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
To prepare the pearls, in a large pot, boil water and cook the tapioca pearls following packet instructions, or until they become soft and chewy. When they have reached the desired texture, remove them from the pot and drain them, reserving 1 tbsp of the starchy water.
Transfer the drained pearls into a small mixing bowl and add in the brown sugar and the reserved starchy water, and mix until the sugar has dissolved.

To serve
In a tall serving glass, spoon some of the pearls into the bottom of the glass and then pour in some of the taro milk. Serve!

Dim Sims

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To Make the Dough
Add flour and salt into a large bowl and mix well.
In a separate bowl, pour in water and egg, whisk until well combined.
Make a well at the center of the flour, pour in the egg mixture. Knead until smooth and let sit covered for 1 hr. Set aside.

To Make the Filling
Mix all the meat, vegetables and seasonings together in a large bowl. Then use a blender or food processor to combine the ingredients into slightly chunky mixture. Do not over process.

To Make Dim Sim
Roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut into 10cm square skins.
Scoop 2 tbsp of filling and form into a meatball. Repeat for the rest of the fillings.
Place a meatball onto the center of a skin, then pull the 4 corners of the skin to the top center of the meatball. Gently squeeze the dim sim in your hand to form a cylinder shape and for the dough to stick well. Repeat.
Deep fry the dim sim in batches in 180°C hot oil for about 5 mins or until cooked and golden brown. Serve hot.