Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles

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To Prep
In a stand mixer, place flour, salt and water into the bowl and mix with your hands until it starts to loosely form a dough. Using the dough hook, knead the dough on a low speed for 20 mins.
Pull a piece of dough from the ball and it should stretch without breaking (the dough should be smooth and elastic). If it breaks, knead dough for another 5 mins in the mixer.
Cover the dough in glad wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour.

To Cook
Using a small fry pan, put in the cumin and coriander seeds on a low-medium heat until the spices are aromatic. Remove from heat and grind into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Cut the tofu in half. Using one half of the tofu, cut into 1cm cubes. With the remaining tofu, slice thinly into 4mm slices.
Using a medium size fry pan, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and heat to medium temperature. Carefully place in tofu cubes and fry until lightly browned, remove and set aside.
Using the same frypan, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and the thinly sliced tofu and raise to a high heat. Cook until the tofu is crispy and has some crunch to it. Remove and set aside once done.
Once the dough has rested, put it onto a lightly oiled surface and roll into a rectangle about 30cm long and 1.5cm thick. Using a large knife, cut dough into 10 strips.
Using your hand, flatten each strip into a wide noodle – it does not have to be perfect.
Pick up each end of the noodle, then carefully hit it against the counter (up and down – similar to a skipping rope). This will allow the noodle to stretch and flatten out further. The noodle should be about 3mm thick, ensuring it is a similar thickness throughout the noodle. Repeat with each noodle, allowing it to rest on a non-stick surface, then cover with a light towel or glad wrap.
In a wok, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil to a medium heat, then add the ginger, garlic, spring onion, cabbage and red chilli, cooking for 1-2 mins (until fragrant).
Add the mushrooms to the wok, stir fry for 2 mins. Then add Shaoxing cooking wine, cumin, coriander, Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil, Lee Kum Kee Peppercorn Chilli Oil, sugar, soy, vinegar, salt and celery. Stir for 2 mins.
Using a large pot, put the noodles into boiling water and cook for 2 mins (fresh hand-made noodles are quick to cook).
Add the cubed tofu to the wok containing the sauce mixture and coat the tofu.
Once the noodles are cooked, add them to the wok with the sauce mixture and cubed tofu and toss gently until well combined.
Garnish with the crispy fried tofu slices, finely sliced chilli and spring onion.
In a small bowl mix rice wine vinegar and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in sliced cucumbers for pickled vegetable side serve.
Serve immediately to enjoy!

Vegetable Donburi with Soy-Cured Egg & Pickled Red Cabbage

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To Prep
To make the cured egg yolks, combine soy sauce and mirin in a bowl. Reserve 3 tbsp of the mixture. Gently add the egg yolks and cover. Place in the fridge for 4 hrs.
Cook rice according to packet directions until tender.
For pickled cabbage, combine rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cabbage and toss until all cabbage is coated. Place in the fridge.

To Cook
Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan, heat a dash of oil over medium to high heat. Cook mushrooms for 2-3 mins. Add carrots and cook, stirring for 2 mins. Add the reserved soy sauce mixture. Simmer for 1-2 mins until vegetables are tender.
Divide the cooked rice between 4 bowls. Add the pickled cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and avocado.
Use a spoon to remove the cured egg yolks from the curing mixture and gently place in the middle of each bowl.
Garnish with spring onion and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings

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To Cook
Sauté mushrooms, wombok, carrot and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-high heat until softened.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped bamboo shoots and soy sauce.
Spread gyoza wrappers onto a clean bench top. Place a tsp of the sauteed mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using a finger dipped in water, dampen the circumference of each wrapper, then fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges together.
Place the dumplings into a lined bamboo steamer. You will need to work in batches of 5-10 dumplings at a time, depending on the size of your steamer.
Place the steamer over a saucepan of boiling water for 8 mins, or until the dumplings are cooked.
Allow the dumplings to cool, then pan fry for 1-2 mins each side in olive oil. Serve with soy sauce and black vinegar to dip.

Mixed Veggie Noodle Bowl with Chilli Oil Bamboo Slices

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To Prep
Prepare chilli oil bamboo slices by mixing bamboo slices, chilli oil, sesame oil, and salt together in a container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.
Soak noodles in boiling water for 3 mins and drain.
Chop tomato and spinach into big pieces.
Spiralize the zucchini using a vegetable spiralizer.

To Cook
Pour the water into a small to medium size saucepan. Add stock cube and ginger and set to simmer at a low heat.
Add the frozen lotus root slices.
Add the soya chunks, tomato and spinach to the simmering broth. Simmer for a further 3 mins, or until veggies slightly soften.
Place the zucchini into a large noodle bowl.
Add the remaining flavouring ingredients to the soup mix and stir gently.
Add the noodles, stir gently, and simmer for a further min or until soup slightly bubbles.
Turn off stove and pour the noodle soup mix over the zucchini in the bowl. Using a fork or chopsticks, gently combine the ingredients.
Serve with the chilli oil bamboo slices, coriander, chilli pickle, sesame oil, and vinegar to taste.

Roast Miso Pumpkin

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To Cook
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the marinade ingredients in a small jug and whisk to combine.
Cut the pumpkin into 2cm wedges, leaving the skin on, then place on a tray lined with baking paper and pour the desired amount of marinade over the top. Roast in the oven for 30 mins or until tender.
While the pumpkin is cooking, prepare the rice as per the instructions on the back. Finely chop the spring onions and pick the coriander leaves, and combine with the rice.
Serve the pumpkin on a bed of rice scattered with sesame seeds, slices of fresh chilli and extra coriander.

Sticky Tofu Sliders

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To Prep
Cut your block of tofu into 8 equal size pieces. (Slice lengthways through the centre to create two equal size squares, then cut each into 4 pieces.)
Combine the honey, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a shallow glass or ceramic bowl, then add the tofu and gently turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Prepare the slaw. Combine the cabbage and carrot in a bowl with the Kewpie Mayonnaise. Toss to combine.
Slice the brioche buns in half.

To Cook
Place a griddle pan on the grill over high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 2 mins each side, basting with the remaining marinade if desired.
On the base of each brioche bun, place a small amount of salad greens, then the cooked tofu, the Kewpie Mayonnaise, and finally a sprig or two of fresh coriander and the top of the bun.

Quinoa Vegan Salad

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To Cook
Wash the quinoa, then start cooking the quinoa with 1 cup of water. When boiling, continue to cook for 8 mins more, then turn the heat off.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan.
Add the carrot, asparagus, peas, red chilli in, then fry for a few mins until soft.
Then add the cooked quinoa, purple cabbage, cucumber, spring onion into the pan and mix evenly.
Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and mix well, then turn the heat off.
Stir in some fresh mint and serve.

Meat-Free Okonomiyaki

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To Prep
In a small glass bowl, steep all the dry shiitake via packet instructions.
Add some cold water into a bowl. Make thin strips of the white part of spring onion and cut length ways. Then, add the spring onions into the bowl.
Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup shiitake flavoured water.
Chop half of the shiitake up roughly and add to a large bowl. Finely chop the rest.
Press dry with paper towels and toss in cornflour.
Shallow fry in some oil for a few mins until crunchy.
Using a food processor and thin slicing tool, shred the rest of the vegetables.
Whisk eggs, soy and shiitake water in a large bowl.
Add plain flour slowly while whisking. The batter will need to be of a thickened cream consistency.
Fold the vegetables into the egg mix.

To Cook
Add oil and butter into the frying pan.
Add in roughly half the vegetable batter mixture to coat the bottom.
Press down the vegetables on top to make the perfect circle. Add lid and cook for 5 mins on a low-medium heat. Take lid off.
Put a plate over saucepan and flip pancake onto plate.
Once flipped, put saucepan back on stove and add another dob of butter and oil.
Gently slide pancake into saucepan and cook with lid on for another 5 mins. Set aside.
In a bowl, add tomato ketchup, soy, Worcestershire, honey to make Okonomiyaki sauce. Mix well.
Drizzle the Okonomiyaki sauce over pancake. Add Japanese mayonnaise, shredded pickled ginger, crunchy shiitake mushrooms and strips of spring onion on top of the pancake.

Otak Otak

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To Cook
Place salmon fillets, egg, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, red curry paste, chopped onion, chopped spring onion, and turmeric powder in a blender and blend well to make otak otak paste.
Preheat BBQ grill.
To make banana parcels, place two banana leaf rectangles on a flat surface.
Place 2 tbsp of otak otak paste in centre of banana leaf rectangles and fold the left and right edges to the centre to make a banana boat. Secure ends with toothpicks.
Place on BBQ grill for 5-10 mins (or until cooked through).
Serve with turmeric coconut rice, boiled eggs, cucumber slices, tomato halves and peanuts for a complete meal.

Hakka Braised Pork Belly with Chinese Broccoli

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To Cook
Bring water to boil in a pot and cook the pork belly for 30 mins. After that, take out the pork belly and dry it with a clean towel.
In a saucepan, pour some oil and shallow fry the pork belly until they’re light golden brown in colour.
In the same sauce pan, add in all other ingredients and stir for a min.
Add water until the pork belly is covered and let simmer on medium heat until the sauce is reduced to a thick consistency.
Once the sauce is thick and the pork belly is tender, take it off the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, sauté the Chinese broccoli for 2-3 mins.
Serve the Chinese broccoli with the pork belly on top with rice.

Tom Yam Goong Noodle Bowl

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To Cook
Pour prawn stock into pot over medium-high heat.
When the stock starts to boil, add lemongrass, Valcom Tom Yum Paste, Squid Brand Fish Sauce, kaffir lime leaves and sugar to pot.
Stir gently to break down paste and leave to boil for a couple of minutes.
Add carrots, king prawns, snapper, mussels, straw mushrooms to pot and leave to boil for 2-3 mins.
Add the squid and baby corn to pot, allow to boil for 1-2 mins.
Lastly, add cherry tomatoes and remove pot from heat.
Add lime juice to pot, stirring gently.
Place noodles in a bowl, and ladle Tom Yum soup over noodles.
Garnish with fresh herbs and cut chilli.

Rice Noodles with Green Chicken Curry (Ka-nom Jeen Gaeng Keow Wan Gai)

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To Cook
Cook the noodles by following the instructions on the packet.
After the noodles are cooked, rinse them under tap water, drain in colander and twist the noodles into small balls, cover with cling wrap and put it aside.
Use a blender to blend 200ml of water, garlic, sliced lemongrass and chopped coriander until it is a dark green liquid.
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
Add curry paste with coriander seed powder then cook, stirring for about 4-5 mins or until fragrant and the oil starts to split on top of the curry paste.
Add about 200ml of thick cream from the top of the coconut cream can then cook for about 5 mins.
Increase the heat a bit higher and add sliced chicken then add another 200ml of coconut cream and green water of lemongrass and coriander liquid, let it boil.
Stir and cook it for about 6-8 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium heat and then add fish sauce, palm sugar and chicken stock powder.
Stir and cook for a few mins then taste and add more seasoning to suit your taste.
Then add both eggplants, and simmer for a further 2-3 mins or until eggplants are just cooked. Remove from heat then add torn kaffir lime leaves and basil leaves and stir to combine.
Put the cooked noodles in a bowl then top it up with green chicken curry and garnish with sliced chillies and basil leaves. Enjoy!