Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Tempura Mushroom Bao with Pickled Radish and Miso Mayo

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To Make Fillings
Place all pickled radish ingredients in a bowl and massage the salt, sugar, vinegar and chilli into the radishes. Leave in the fridge for 5-10 mins.
Place tofu, miso paste, rice vinegar and rice malt syrup in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set the blender on high speed and drizzle in the oil so it emulsifies. Store the mayo in the fridge.
Mix sake, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and water in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 mins or until tender. Remove and pat dry with paper towel.
Return half the liquid to the heat and reduce by half.
Heat the oil in a large wok. Mix the corn flour, plain flour in a large bowl, add soda water and mix quickly.
Add mushrooms and turn them to coat. Lift one mushroom at a time to let the excess tempura batter drip off, then lower into the hot oil. Repeat until all mushrooms are golden brown. Drain them on paper towel.

To Make Bao
Place the milk, flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar together in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the oil and water together.
Make a little well in the middle of the bowl with the dry ingredients and add the water oil mix.
Stir with a spoon and use your hands to knead until the dough comes together.
If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour and keep kneading. Knead for about 5-8 mins or until it is smooth. Cover and leave it in a warm place for 90 mins to rise (roughly double its size).
Once the dough has risen place on a floured surface and knead for a further 5 mins to get the air out. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough about 1 cm thick.
Grease the top with oil then use a glass or rough cutter that is roughly 8 cm in diameter to cut out 12 circles. Remove the excess dough.
Fold the circles in half and slightly roll with a rolling pin. Place each bun on a square of baking paper and pop in bamboo steamer to rise for 30 mins.
Fill a third of a wok or saucepan with water and heat on high.
Place the bamboo steamer on top and steam buns for 12 mins.
Then turn off the heat and let it sit for 4 mins before taking the lid off.

Assembling the Bao
Take your bao bun, open it up and fill with shredded wombok, green onions and pickled radish.
Place your tempura mushrooms on top, then add a drizzle of the reduced mushroom liquid and a dollop of miso mayo. Enjoy!

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.

Crispy Chinese Savoury Pancakes (Jian Bing)

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To Cook
Using a small pot, heat 2 cups of oil to medium heat. Gently place in 1 wonton wrapper at a time, flipping after 30 secs, then flipping again until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain. Repeat for the remaining wonton wrappers and set aside.
In a medium bowl, place plain flour, mung bean flour, ½ tsp salt and water. Mix well to make a thin batter.
Using a crepe pan, heat ½ tsp of vegetable oil to medium-low heat. Pour in approximately ½ cup of the batter mixture, rolling it around the pan to make a thin layer. Cook for 2 mins.
Whilst cooking the batter, mash together the silken tofu, cornflour and ½ tsp salt, until fairly smooth.
Spread a thin layer of the silken tofu mixture onto the pancake (for texture and as an egg replacement), top with a pinch of sesame seeds and spring onion, then cook for 1 min. Flip the pancake over.
On the cooked side, spread a thin layer of dou ban jiang paste followed by Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce (about 1 tsp each, or to your liking).
Add sesame seeds, spring onion, lettuce, coriander and top with the crispy wonton wrappers cooked earlier.
Once the pancake is cooked, fold the bottom side up to the middle, right side in, left side in and finally roll the jian bing over to have all folds underneath.
You can enjoy the pancake whole or cut in half to serve.

Mushroom Chilli Dumplings with Chinese Broccoli (Lai Jiao Jiaozi)

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To Prep
Combine salt and flour on a bench and make a well in the centre.
Add water to the middle and turn in the flour to mix until dough is formed.
Knead the dough for 8-10 mins by hand or with a stand mixer until the dough is beginning to become smooth, cover and rest for 15 mins.
After resting, re-knead the dough for 2-3 mins to make it very smooth. Cover and rest for 1 hr.

To Make the Dumpling Filling
use a large bowl and combine Shaoxing cooking wine, Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and white pepper.
Follow by adding ¼ cup water chestnuts, spring onion, bok choy, carrot and mix well.
Add 1 tsp cornflour along with the firm varieties of mushrooms first, king brown, shiitake, wood ear mushrooms and mix well.
Finish the dumpling fillings by gently combining the oyster and enoki mushrooms to the mix and set aside.

To Make the Sauce
Combine all dressing ingredients and mix until sugar is dissolved.

To Cook
Cut dough into 5 equal portions. Using a rolling pin, roll each out to a thickness of approximately 1mm.
Using a knife, cut the rolled dough into squares of approximately 8 to 9cm in size. Keep the work surface dusted with flour throughout.
To make the dumplings, begin by wetting the outer edges of the square wrappers with a little water to help them stick.
Take a wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a little more than a teaspoon of filling in the centre.
Fold the edge over to form a rectangle and seal all around leaving no air inside the dumpling. Finish by wrapping the two short edges around the rounded bump and join to form the delicious dumpling shape. Repeat until all wrappers and content has been used.
Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil, place in the dumplings and cook for approximately 5 to 6 mins.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil and place in the full broccoli stems for approximately 2 to 3 mins.
While the broccoli is cooking, combine garlic, Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.
Using a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil for 30 secs and take off the heat.
Drain broccoli and cut into four or five equal segments and place on serving plate.
Pour the combination of vegetable and sesame oil over the broccoli, then pour over the oyster sauce mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.
Divide the dumplings into bowls, liberally drizzle the chilli sauce over the top and dress with finely sliced spring onions.
Serve and enjoy immediately.

Ma Po Mushroom Tofu (Ma Po Mogu Doufu)

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To Cook
Chop the shiitake and king oyster mushrooms into similar sized cubes (about ½ cm).
Cut 2 spring onions into 3cm batons. Finely slice the remaining spring onion for serving.
Cut the tofu into 3cm cubes, being careful not to break the tofu.
Heat oil in a wok to medium heat. Then add in ginger and garlic, cook for 1 min until fragrant.
Add all of the mushrooms to the wok, cooking for 3-4 mins until soft.
Turn the wok heat to low and put in doubanjiang paste, Sichuan peppercorns and Lee Kum Kee Peppercorn Chilli Oil, stir for 1 min.
Gently place tofu into wok with salt, soy and water. Cook on a low heat for 3-4 mins.
In a small bowl add 1 tbsp of water and cornflour to make a slurry. Pour into the wok, stirring to combine well, until the sauce begins to thicken.
Put tofu and mushroom mixture into a dish, top with finely sliced spring onion and serve with rice.

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.