Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Mabo Tofu Japanese Style (Mabo Don)

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To Prep
Wash and cook the Japanese rice.
Place the tofu slices on a work surface and lay a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth over them, then place weight on top of the tofu such as a heavy plate to press out any excess liquid. Set aside for about 30 mins. Then, cut tofu into 3 cm cubes and set aside.
In a bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, and white parts of the scallion. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the torigara stock, sake, sugar, soy sauce and miso. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix together 1 tbsp of the sesame oil, water, katakuriko and vinegar. Set aside.

To Cook
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Fry ginger and garlic until aromatic, then add the pork, scallion mixture and the tobanjan. Cook for about 2 mins. Use a fork to break up the minced pork and stir the ingredients. Add the liquid mixture. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium.
Add the tofu and cook for 3 mins. Add the katakuriko mixture and stir through to thicken the dish. Cook for another 30 secs.
Divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls and spoon the tofu over. Garnish with the chopped coriander and season with sansho to taste.
Tip: Omit the tobanjan (spicy bean paste) so kids can enjoy this dish too!

Korean Stir-Fried Rice Cake (Gunjung-Tteokbokki)

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To Prep
If using frozen tteokbokki, set aside to defrost, and marinade with sesame oil.
Slice beef into 5 cm long, 0.3 cm wide/thick pieces. Soak the shiitake mushrooms and dried for 1 hour. Slice them the same size as the beef.
Slice the onion, green and red capsicum into thin slices.
Remove the head and tail of mung bean sprouts and rinse thoroughly.
Prepare seasoning sauce A and B in separate bowls.

To Cook
Preheat the oil in wok, and then stir-fry the onion and pumpkin for about 2 min on medium heat. Add green and red capsicum and stir-fry for another 15-20 mins.
Season the beef and mushrooms with seasoning sauce A, and add to the wok to stir-fry for 2 mins on medium heat. Dish out and set aside.
Heat up the wok again, and stir-fry the rice cake sticks with seasoning sauce B on medium heat until tteokbokki softens to the required texture.
Return the beef, mushrooms, pumpkin, onions, green and red capsicum and mung bean sprouts to the wok, then stir-fry for another 30 secs.
Turn the heat off, and in the thinly sliced egg omelette and mix thoroughly.
Dish out and serve immediately while it’s hot.

Cashew Nut Chicken

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To Cook
In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Mix chicken well in the seasoning.
In a frying pan, heat oil and fry the chicken until cooked through. Drain and set aside.
With the leftover oil, add in Chinese rice wine, ginger juice, ginger slices and mushrooms. Fry until fragrant then add in the green capsicum and continue cooking for another 2 mins or so on high heat.
Add in the chicken cubes and mix well. Add in the sauce and stir-fry until it thickens.
Finally, fold in the toasted cashew nuts and garnish with spring onions and thinly sliced red chilli. Serve hot with rice.

Calamari Salad

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To Cook
Clean the squid, score the inside in a criss-cross pattern and cut into bite size pieces. Boil in water with a little vinegar added (this enhances the whiteness) until tender – approx. 30 secs.
Pound the chilli and the garlic in a mortar and stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Pour this mixture over the squid.
Add the sliced lemon grass, spring onions, celery, mint and coriander leaves and mix lightly.
Line a serving dish with the lettuce leaves and spoon the salad on top. Garnish this Calamari salad with extra chillies.

Beef in Black Bean Sauce

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To Prep
In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients together and add in the beef. Mix and set aside for at least 10 minutes to marinate.

To Cook
In a wok, cook the beef without oil for about a minute before transferring on to another plate to cool.

Add oil to the wok and heat over a high heat before frying the onions and the green peppers for 30 seconds.
After this, add in the garlic and the fermented black beans and continue to fry for another 30 seconds.
Return the beef strips back in to the wok and fry for 30 more seconds before adding in 2 tbsp of water, the sugar and salt and mix in.
Finally, mix together the cornflour mixture ingredients and slowly pour it in a little at a time. Mix the sauce well before adding soy sauce and simmering for until the sauce thickens.
Once the sauce has thickened, remove the wok from the heat and serve!

Classic Tofu and Vegetable Salad with Peanut Dressing (Gado Gado)

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To Prep
To make the peanut Sauce, coarsely grind the peanuts, garlic, chillies and galangal in a mortar or blender.
Adding small amounts of water, just enough to keep the mixture turning.

To Cook
Place the ground mixture in a saucepan with all the other dressing ingredients, except lime or lemon juice, and simmer uncovered over very low heat for about 1 hr.
Stir constantly to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pot and burning. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the lime or lemon juice, mix well and sprinkle 1 tbsp of the fried shallots over the sauce just before serving.
In the meantime, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat, and briefly blanch the vegetables. About 30 secs for bean sprouts, 1 min for spinach, 1-2 mins for carrot, and 2-3 mins for green beans and cabbage.
Remove from the heat and strain vegetables.
On a serving platter, arrange all the vegetables and top with the tofu and egg wedges.
Garnish with the remaining fried shallots and drizzle the peanut sauce on top. Serve with the deep-fried krupuk on the side.

Braised Pork Belly (Nyonya Hong Bak)

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To Cook
Grind all ingredients for spice paste A then add in 50ml water.
Place ground spice paste A in a bowl, and mix in ingredients for spice mix B.
Dissolve 1 tbsp sugar in 3 cups water.
Heat up a wok or pot and add oil. Fry the ground spice paste at medium to high heat. When the paste becomes aromatic, add the pork belly and fry until it is half cooked.
Add in the sugar water and cook on high heat, then add the raw potatoes.
When it reaches to a boil, turn to medium heat and simmer till the meat is tender for about 40 to 60 mins. Check the meat with a fork, when tender the fork should go through it easily. Once the meat is tender, turn the heat to high to thicken the gravy. This should take about 10 mins. Keep stirring to avoid gravy from burning.
Add salt and dark soy sauce to taste. Dish out and serve hot with steamed rice.

Soba Noodle Salad

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To Cook
Prepare soba noodles in accordance to packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well.
Place noodles and salad in a bowl. Add dressing ingredients. Toss well to combine.
Taste test and add extra dressing of choice to personal liking.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over noodle salad.

Oriental Fried Rice

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To Cook
Heat wok and add oil and diced onion, stir fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add beaten eggs and let it set slightly before scrambling it to break it up.
Add diced luncheon meat, diced carrots and snake beans, stir fry until fragrant. Add in rice, breaking up any big chunks with the back of the spatula.
Season with white pepper, oyster sauce and soya sauce. Stir through. Taste test and adjust taste to personal liking. Sprinkle with spring onion and serve hot.

Stir-Fried Beef with Lemongrass

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To Prep
Cut bottom 7cm off the lemongrass stem, and slice very thinly (keep the remaining portion to flavour soup stocks if you like)
Marinate beef in lemongrass, corn flour, fish sauce and soy for at least 1 hr.

To Cook
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add watercress and 2 tbsp water and toss for 1 min. Arrange on a plate and keep warm.
Heat remaining oil in the wok, add beef and stir-fry for 3-4 mins or until cooked. Add sweet chilli sauce, stir through, and serve over watercress.
Garnish with coriander and sliced chilli.
Serve with Jasmine rice.

Quick Coconut Noodle Soup

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To Cook
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add noodles, cook for 2-3 mins. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chicken, cook for 3 mins until cooked through.
Add lemongrass, garlic, ginger, curry paste and turmeric. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 min).
Add coconut milk, spring onion, bean sprouts, fish sauce, stock and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2 mins.
Divide noodles among 4 bowls; add soup. Garnish with spring onion slices, chilli and lemon wedge. Serve.

Soft Tofu Soup (Sundubu)

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To Cook
Start boiling a 1 litre pot or clay pot of water.
Combine the soup seasoning ingredients. Mix well and reserve.
Sprinkle salt on the soft tofu and let it absorb the salt for about 10 minutes.
Chop spring onions, red and green peppers. Set aside.
Wash and rinse oysters using salted water (1L water and 1 tbsp salt). Drain and remove any excess moisture. Set aside.
Let the pipi clams exude debris by soaking them in salted water (1L water and 1 tbsp salt). Set aside.
Add vegetable broth and all ingredients with seasoning to a clay pot and heat till boiling.
Add soft tofu, oysters and clams to the boiling clay pot. Continue boiling for 1 min so the flavours blend together making soft tofu soup.
Garnish the boiling soup with mushrooms, Korean Red Peppers and green pepper and spring onions.
Break the egg and add it to the boiling soup. Serve.