Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Sencha Daifuku

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To Prep
Steep 3 tea bags in 150ml hot water for 4 mins. Remove bags and allow tea to cool completely.
On a baking tray, sprinkle potato starch liberally. Set aside.
On a 10cm piece of cling wrap, place 3 tsp red bean paste and slightly flatten. Place a strawberry on the paste and using the cling wrap, gently move the paste to wrap around the fruit. Unwrap and set aside. Repeat with remaining strawberries and red bean paste.

To Cook
In a medium-sized, microwaveable bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, 80ml of sencha tea and sugar until well combined.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap, leaving a small gap on the side to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 2 mins.
Carefully fold over cling wrap and with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, quickly stir the dough to loosen. Cover the bowl again and microwave for 1 min.
Tip hot dough onto the tray with potato starch. Gently roll the mochi dough over to cover entire surface with starch. Cut dough into 3 equal portions.
Cover hands liberally with starch, then flatten 1 piece of mochi dough to approximately 6 cm across. Place dough on one palm and brush off excess starch on the top surface. Place red bean coated strawberry on the dough. Pinch opposite sides of the dough to seal in the red bean and strawberry. Roll in between your palms to form a ball and place mochi on the starched tray.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Once completed, brush off access starch on the surface and place mochi on a serving dish. Serve with a cup of Japanese tea.

Siu Mai

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To Prep
In a large bowl, combine the pork and prawns with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt and pepper.
Place a teaspoon of the filling in to the centre of one of the wrappers and then bring in the sides and gently squeeze to set the shape.
To ensure that the siu mai stands, make sure that the bottom is relatively flat.
If desired, place some of the fish roe on to the top of the siu mai.
Repeat this process until there is no more filling left.

To Cook
Set up a steamer with enough water to cook all of the siu mai and line with baking paper to stop it from sticking to the steamer.
Steam the siu mai in batches for at least 8 minutes or until they are cooked through and then serve!

Lotus Root (Renkon) Chips

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To Prep
Fill a large mixing bowl with water and stir in rice wine vinegar. Add sliced lotus root and soak for 10-15 mins.

To Cook
Drain sliced lotus root, rinse well, then pat dry thoroughly with paper towel.
In a large pot or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat to 170°C.
Deep fry lotus root slices in batches until crispy and golden brown.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil. Season with salt and nori. Serve immediately.

Chrysanthemum Garland Soup (Canh Tan O)

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To Prep
Place chicken carcasses in a large pot. Fill with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 1 hr, regularly removing scum and fat from the surface.
Meanwhile, combine pork mince, shallot, fish sauce, salt, pepper, chicken powder and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 mins.
From marinated mince, roll small, bite-sized meatballs and set aside.
Once broth has boiled for 1 hr, remove chicken bones. Reduce heat to medium-low and season with sugar and salt to taste.
Add in meatballs and cook for 5-10 mins or until cooked. Turn off heat and add in chrysanthemum garland, allowing to wilt slightly. Serve immediately.

Jack-O-Lantern Onigiri

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To Prep
Add sushi rice, water, turmeric powder, hot chilli powder and salt in a rice cooker, and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Once rice has cooked, allow to cool completely.
Oil hands, then form 2-3 tbsp of rice into a round shape and fill centre with mashed pumpkin.
Using scissors or a knife, carefully cut out facial features out of nori sheet. Place onto rice ball.
Cut ends of spring onion and attach to top of Jack-O-Lantern Onigiri.
Serve on a plate with coriander and steamed pumpkin.

Thai Banana Blossom Salad

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To Prep
Place dried shrimp in a food processor and process until fine. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with tamarind paste, palm sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, chilli paste and coconut cream. Cover in cling film and set aside.
Fill a large bowl with water, add lemon juice and salt, and mix to combine.
To prepare banana blossoms, start by removing purple outer petals and flowers. Reserve a few purple petals for garnish.
Cut banana blossom in half, remove core and thinly slice pale inner petals. Place sliced banana blossom in lemon water to prevent browning.

To Cook
In a large mixing bowl, add prawns, spring onions, toasted coconut and coriander. Drain sliced banana blossom and place in the bowl. Add dressing and toss gently to combine.
Serve in banana blossom petals, and garnish with fried shallots, coriander and chilli.

Malaysian Fried Rice Cake (Char Koay Kak)

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To Cook
In a large non-stick pan, heat up 1 tbsp of oil and pan-fry the rice cake cubes until the sides are a light brown colour.
Remove the rice cakes and set them aside.
Add another 3 tbsp of oil in to the pan and saute the garlic and pickled radish until fragrant before adding in the chilli paste.
Return the rice cake cubes back in to the pan and then add the dark soy sauce and stir.
Season the rice cubes with salt and pepper to taste before making an empty space in the centre of the pan and pouring in the eggs.
Toss the rice cake cubes in the egg to coat them.
Finally, add the bean sprouts and chives and stir fry for another minute before removing from the pan and serving.

Blue Butterfly Pea Rice Salad (Nasi Kerabu)

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To Cook
In a rice cooker, add in rice, water, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and salt. Strain blue butterfly pea flowers, reserving the blue water. Add blue extract into the rice cooker and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
To make the sambal, blend the chillies together with sugar. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Transfer into a small bowl. Season with salt and lime juice to taste. Cover and set aside.
For the fish and coconut floss, blend together the red onion and lemongrass into a fine paste. In a dry pan, add the onion and lemongrass paste with the mackerel and shredded coconut. Cook on medium heat until the mackerel dries and turns into a floss. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl for the salad, combine the ingredients.
To assemble, line a plate with banana leaves. Place blue rice in the centre of the plate, and arrange sambal, fish and coconut floss, salad, fried chicken, fish sausage, prawn crackers and salted egg around. Serve immediately.

Dry Bak Chor Mee

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To Cook the Mushrooms
In a small pot, add mushrooms with the remaining mushroom ingredients and simmer for 30 mins until tender. Set aside.

To Make Soup
Add the dried anchovies stock/hot water and meatballs into pot and bring to boil. Lower the heat to simmer for 5 mins and keep the soup bubbling at low heat.

To Cook the Pork
Marinade the minced pork, pork livers and pork slices with the respective ingredients separately for 10 mins. Divide into 2 portions.
Ladle hot soup into each pork portions, set aside for 1-2 mins, then return them into hot soup pot through a slotted ladle and cook for a few secs. Use chopsticks to separate the minced pork into smaller pieces. Drain.

To Serve
In a serving bowl, add the sauce ingredients, noodles and bean shoots, mix well. Top with braised mushrooms, minced pork, pork liver, pork slices, fish cakes and lettuce. Garnish with sautéed spring onions and lard croutons.

Thai Red Curry Fish Cakes

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To Prep
In a food processor, add fish, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, coriander, fish sauce and curry paste, and process until they are finely chopped.
Transfer mixture to a bowl, add green beans and mix to combine well.
Divide patty to 10-12 portions and shape them into 6-8cm patties. Dampen hands with water to avoid patty from sticking while shaping them.

To Cook
Heat oil in a wok/frying pan over high heat. When oil starts to bubble, lower to medium heat. Add patties to wok/pan in batches and fry each side for about 1-2 mins until they are cooked through.
When cooked, transfer patties to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

Condiment
Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Then, add lime juice, fish sauce and lime juice, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add chopped cucumber, sliced chilli and stir to combine.
Serve fish cakes with the cucumber dipping sauce on the side.

Thai Minced Chicken Salad

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To Cook
In a small saucepan, add the water and cook the chicken over high heat, stirring well to break up the chicken. Do this for 5 mins or until the chicken is cooked.
Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce, lime juice and chilli powder, and stir to mix well. Set aside to cool.
Add the spring onion, shallots, coriander, mint and Vietnamese coriander to the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Gently mix this together with the ground roasted rice.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Crab Fried Rice (Kani Ankake)

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To Cook
Heat 1 tbsp of the sesame oil in a wok over high heat. Add the eggs and gently scramble until cooked. Remove the eggs and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of the sesame oil in a wok over high heat. Add the spring onions and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 secs or until fragrant.
Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 secs. Add the soy sauce, salt, pepper, and cooked eggs, cooking while stirring constantly for another 30 secs. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 more secs. Turn off the heat.
To plate the rice, arrange 4 plates, and ready 4 small bowls to serve as molds (rice bowls are ideal). Spoon ¼ of the cooked rice into each bowl, then quickly flip the bowl over, and rest it onto the plate rice side down. Do not remove the bowl for now; it will keep the rice warm. Repeat with the remaining 3 bowls. Set aside.

To Cook Ankake
Combine the crab, chicken stock, lettuce, ginger, salt, and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the ankake simmer for 2 mins over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the potato starch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 secs. Remove from the heat.
Removing the bowls covering the rice. Pour about ¼ of the ankake either alongside each serving of rice or over it, as you desire. Serve immediately.