Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

“Swimming Rama” Thai Peanut Sauce with Spinach & Pork (Pra Ram Rong Song)

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To Prep
Marinate pork tenderloin with sugar and salt.
Cut water spinach in bite size and separate the leaves and the stems.
Cook rice vermicelli / rice following the package instructions.

To Cook Sauce
Bring coconut cream to boil.
Add curry paste then mix well.
Wait till it boils again, add all remaining ingredients (save a bit of sesame seed and peanuts for garnish).
Bring to boil again then set aside. During the time, get ready for a pot of boiling water for blanching.

To Serve
Cook rice vermicelli first to avoid getting colour from vegetable. Blanch the stems of water spinach first, then blanch the leaves. Set aside.
Blanch the marinated pork for 45-60 secs.
On a plate, place the rice vermicelli or rice at one side, then add the pork and water spinach around the noodles or rice. Ladle the sauce over the pork, garnish with chilli and sprinkle some sesame seeds and peanuts on top. Serve.

Korean BBQ at Home (Sogum Gui)

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To Make Korean BBQ at Home
Arrange lettuce and sesame leaves on a plate. Set aside.
Divide garlic slices and green chilli slices into 4 individual portions.
Pour sesame oil to a cast iron frying pan (or any frying pan) and cook meat in batches.

To Make Pajeori
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl just prior to serving.

To Make Sesame Oil and Salt Dipping Sauce
Divide salt and pepper equally in 4 sauce dishes. Pour 1 tbsp of sesame oil over each dish. Serve with Korean BBQ as dipping sauce.

To Serve
Serve meat with rice, lettuce and sesame leaves wraps, garlic and chilli slices, pajeori (green onion salad), ssamjang, and sesame oil and salt dipping sauce.

Tip
Cook meat in the middle of dining table using portable stove is preferable, ie tabletop cooking.

Yuzu Mayonnaise Chicken Yakisoba

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To Cook
Mix soy sauce, mirin, olive oil, cooking salt, pepper in a small box until combined.
Cook the noodles in rapid boiling water for 3 minutes, discard water and put noodles in ice bath to avoid further cooking. Drain and set aside.
In a pan, gently cook garlic and red chilli in oil until fragrant. Stir fry chicken for 3-4 minutes, add mushrooms and asparagus until cook through. Add noodles and sauce mixture.
Cook, stir and mix through. Topping with Yuzu mayonnaise and serve.

Summer Veges with Wasabi Beetroot Dip

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To Cook
Cook tomatoes, cucumber, red capsicum, yellow capsicum, baby cos lettuce, baby corns and asparagus. Massage okras with salt until lightly pickled. Wash off salt and drain excess liquid.
To make the dip, preheat oven to 180°C. Cut beetroot into ¼ wedges (skin on). Coat with olive oil. Wrap in aluminium foil and roast in oven for 30 mins or until cooked through. Peel beetroots skin. Blend with wasabi mayonnaise and salt in a food blender.
Nicely plate the vegetables and serve with the dip.

Vegetarian Thai Curry Tray Bake

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To Cook
Pre-heat oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan-forced.
Cook rice as per instructions in package.
Heat up yellow curry paste on frying pan over high heat. Stir for 2 mins or till aromatic.
Add half a can of coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook for 1 min.
Toss in green beans and cook for 1 min and add water. Stir to combine.
Add in pumpkin wedges and let it boil for 1 min. Transfer to a baking tray.
Top off with carrot sticks and tofu cubes.
Bake for 35 mins, turning the pumpkin wedges once and bake for another 15 mins for even browning and till pumpkin is tender and tofu cubes are golden brown.
Pour over remaining coconut milk and stir through.
Sprinkle cooked rice over and bake for a further 10 mins or till rice is warm.
Garnish with coriander and limes.

Korean Chicken Bowl

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To Cook
Pre-heat oven to 220°C fan-forced.
Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking tray for 20 mins.
In a glass jar, add all the Gochujang Sauce ingredients except the mayonnaise. Mixed till well combined. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add chicken and half of the Gochujang sauce. Spread out onto baking tray and roast chicken for 15 mins or till cooked.
Move the chicken to one side and pour the roasted sweet potatoes to the other side and let them roast for another 10 mins. On the last 2-3 mins, switch to broiler/top heat and grill till brown.
Add Japanese mayonnaise into the remaining Gochujang Sauce to create dripping sauce.
Toss Chinese broccoli with 1 tbsp of oil and salt. Spread Chinese broccoli and onion on another baking sheet and toast slightly for about 10 mins. Let it cool, add in lime juice and a pinch of salt.

To Serve
Spread rice onto plates and top with some roasted Chinese broccoli, chicken, sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumber, onions, kimchi, toasted sesame, coriander and drizzle Gochujang Sauce over and top with spring onions.

Stir Fried Cubed Vegetables, Meat and Nuts (Lup Lup Delight)

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To Prep
Marinate chicken cubes with 2 tsp fish sauce and a dash of pepper for 20 mins.

To Cook
Heat frying pan with 1 tbsp oil and fry the cubed firm tofu till slightly brown. Remove and set aside.
In the same frying pan fry the string beans for 3-4 mins, remove and set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan and fry the capsicums for 3-4 mins, remove and set aside.
Add 1 tsp oil into the same hot pan and sauté the ginger for 30 secs, then add in the garlic and stir for 30 secs till slightly brown and toss in the cut chillies. Stir for a few secs then toss in the fermented black beans and fry for 30 secs.
Add in the cubed chicken and fry till 70% cooked, add in the black soy sauce, stir till meat is covered with black soy sauce.
Toss in the fried capsicums, string beans and lastly, the fried tofu and stir for 1 min.
Add the remaining fish sauce and pepper for taste.
Lastly, add in the roasted cashew nuts and give a good stir.
Dish up and serve with hot rice.

Mille Feuille Nabe

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To Make Dipping Sauce
Divide scallions into 4 small bowls, cover with ponzu sauce and add a few dashes of shichimi togarashi. Adjust amount to your preference, set aside.

To Make Mille Feuille Nabe
Wash wombok and drip dry.
Stack about 5 wombok leaves alternate with sliced pork belly. Cut each stack crosswise to the height of the pot.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MFN-3-Large.jpg
Arrange wombok-pork slice stacks in a circle until the entire pot is filled up.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MFN-4-Large.jpg
Stuff in some enoki mushrooms in the centre.
Slot some thin carrot slices in between the wombok for a vibrant outcome.
In a jug, mix dashi with water, sliced ginger, sake, light soy sauce and salt.
Pour over the arranged wombok in the pot. Cover and boil till bubbling.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MFN-5-Large.jpg
Using a skimmer, skim away any scum that floats on the soup.
Let it continue to boil for 5 minutes or till wombok is soft.
Serve with dipping sauce.

Thai Larb Chicken Salad

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To Cook
In a frying pan, dry toast the glutinous rice until golden brown, stirring continuously. Transfer to a mortar and pound to a coarse powder. Set aside.
Heat oil in a larger frying pan, sauté grated galangal, lemongrass and chopped onion. Cook until onion becomes transparent.
Add chicken mince, stirring to break up lumps until cooked.
Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in ground rice.
Add dressing ingredients and toss together with chopped mint, coriander and spring onion.
Serve larb gai in cos lettuce.

Moon Viewing Udon Soup (Tsukimi Udon)

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To Prep
Using a damp kitchen towel, wipe the kombu. Cut in half and soak in water for 2 hrs.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-2-Large.jpg

To Cook
To make dashi/soup, pour the soaking water and kombu into a pot and cook on medium heat till bubbles start to appear on the wall of pot. Remove kombu. Do not let it boil.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-4-Large.jpg
Toss in the dried shiitake mushrooms, cover pot and let boil for 15 mins.
Add in the sliced carrots, fresh shiitake mushrooms and kamaboko, cook for 5 mins. Remove everything and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-5-Large.jpg
Add wakame and boil until they expand, remove and set aside.
Season the dashi with shoyu, sake, sugar and salt.
In another pot, boil water and cook udon according to package instructions. Divide into 2 bowls.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tsukimi-7-Large.jpg
Scoop broth over udon and arrange carrot, kamaboko, shiitake mushrooms, wakame and spring onions on top.
Crack egg and place on top of udon. Serve immediately.

Stir Fry Garlic Chives with Pork Mince (Cang Ying Tou – Fly Heads)

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To Prep
Wash and soak fermented black beans for 5 mins. Drain well and set aside.

To Cook
Heat up frying pan with 2 tbsp oil and once oil is hot enough, fry the pork mince till broke apart and almost cooked. Add in 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp Shoaxing wine. Stir for 30 secs, dish up and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FH-5-Large.jpg
In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and toss in the red chillies to lightly toast them for 1 min. Remove from pan and set aside.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FH-7-Large.jpg
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in the pan and sauté the minced ginger and garlic for 1 min.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FH-8-Large.jpg
Add the drained fermented black beans and continue to fry for 1 min.
Toss in the chillies, fry for 1 min and add in the cooked pork mince and stir fry for another min.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FH-11-Large-1.jpg
Add in the chopped garlic chives. Stir to combine and cook for 1 min, add in remaining light soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Stir for 30 secs and dish up.
Serve hot with steamed rice.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FH-12-Large.jpg

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Miso Glaze

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To Cook
Pre-heat deep fryer or a large pot of oil with vegetable oil to 160°C.
Add cut sprouts to the oil and begin to fry.
Add all remaining ingredients to a stainless steel pot and gently bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.
Continue to fry the sprouts until tender inside, golden brown and crunchy.
Drain sprouts on absorbent paper.
Add Miso glaze to the fried sprouts, add flaked salt to taste. Stir well to ensure the sprouts are coated in the glaze.
Serve while warm.