Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Ehime Hotchpotch  (Imotaki)

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To Prep
Gently clean the kombu with a damp cloth, but don’t scrub off its layer of white powdery coating. This coating will contribute to the umami flavour of the broth.
In a medium pot, put the kombu and water in, and heat up the pot slowly on medium low heat for about 20-25 mins.
Just before the dashi starts boiling, remove kombu.
Line the sieve with paper towels (or cheese cloth) and set over a large bowl. Strain the dashi through the sieve.

To Cook
Add konnyaku pieces in water and bring it to boil. Continue cooking for a minute, then drain and set aside. This helps the konnyaku absorb more flavours and improves its texture.
In a large pot, bring dashi, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and salt to boil.
When soup boils, add in the rest of the ingredients and bring the konnyaku to boil.
Then set heat to low to keep content in pot warm. Scoop out cooked ingredients from the pot and serve. This dish is also perfect to be enjoyed at the table. Place pot on a portable stove at the dining table to keep the imotaki warm and have your guests help themselves to its contents.

Miso Pork and Vegetable Stew (Satsuma Jiru)

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To Prep
In a large pot, add the pork bones and enough water to cover them. Turn on the stove and heat over a medium-high heat until the broth begins to boil.
Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for at least 30 mins
while skimming off anything that floats to the surface. When the broth has done cooking, remove it from the heat, strain and set aside.
While the broth simmers, in a pot, add in the diced pork along with 180ml of water and bring to a boil before continue to cook for 10 mins.
Similarly, in another pot, boil enough water to cook the konnyaku. Cook and set aside.
Steam the shiitake mushrooms for approx 4 mins before transferring to a cutting board, removing the stalks and slicing the cap in to thin strips.
If you are using fresh burdock root for this dish, shave the root in to strips using a knife.

To Cook
In a large pot, combine the pork, broth and konnyaku and bring to a boil over a low heat before adding in the daikon and carrots.
Return the mixture to a boil before adding in the sweet potato and mushrooms.
Continue to cook the stew while skimming off any foam or scum that rises to the surface. After approx 5 mins, add the miso paste in to the stew (use a strainer and a ladle to ensure that the paste is fully dissolved within the stew).
When the paste has fully dissolved, add in the burdock root and continue to cook for 5 mins before removing from the heat and begin to plate.

To Serve
Transfer the soup in to 1 large serving bowl, or multiple individual servings bowls before sprinkling with sliced spring onions and adding Ichimi Togarashi to taste.

Knife Cut Noodle Soup (Kalguksu)

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To Make Stock
Place Stock ingredients and water into a pot, bring to boil. Skim off any impurities. Simmer for about 15 mins. Strain out vegetables and anchovies, discard. Set stock aside.

To Make Noodle Soup
Bring the stock to a boil again and add zucchini, carrot, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
Add in the noodles and vongoles (optional). Cook until the noodles are cooked and the shells of vongoles have opened. Add spring onions towards the end of cooking time.
Serve noodles in individual bowls with seasoned soy sauce.

Tips
You can use chicken stock instead of making the anchovies stock.
You can add precooked noodles to stock to have a clearer soup.

Korean Spicy Squid (Ojinga Bokkum)

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To Cook
Add 1 tbsp oil to a heated pan, sauté carrots, zucchini and onions over high heat briefly, about 1 min. Set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan and sauté garlic gently for about 15 secs, then add the chilli powder. Cook over low heat, taking care not to burn, for about 20 secs. Turn heat to high and add the calamari rings. Stir fry calamari for about 3 mins or until just cooked. Add the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables and green onions to the calamari and immediately cook over high heat until the ingredients are well mixed. Remove from heat, garnish with spring onions and serve.

Korean Mixed Kimbap

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To Cook
Mix rice with 2 tbsp sesame oil and ½-1 tsp salt in a bowl and set aside.
Pour ½ -1 tbsp oil to a heated pan and pour in eggs and make a thin omelette over medium heat. The omelette should be pale in colour. Cut into thin strips when cooled and set aside.
Pour ½-1 tbsp oil to a heated pan and quickly sauté carrots for about 30 secs and season with salt and set aside.
Saute the zucchini with ¼ cloves of garlic and ½ tbsp sesame oil, set aside.
Squeeze excess water out of spinach, mix with ½ tbsp sesame oil, ¼ cloves of garlic and 2 pinches of salt in a bowl and set aside.
Place sushi mat on a board and a nori sheet on top. Spread ⅓-½ cups of rice on nori sheet, covering about ⅔ of the sheet. Place all the ingredients on top of the rice, lining them up horizontally and close together. Roll the nori sheet using your mat until you have a cylinder shape. Squeeze the roll inside the mat gently so that the kimbap is not too loose.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have a desired number of kimbap rolls. Cut kimbap into bite sized pieces, usually 8-10.

Korean Spicy Chicken (Buldak)

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To Prep
Marinate chicken with the marinade for at least 30 mins.
Put the Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend into paste.

To Cook
Add ½ tbsp oil into a heated pan and quickly sauté onions, zucchinis, carrots and capsicums, about 10 secs. Set aside.
In the same pan, pour the rest of the oil and cook the chicken until they start to caramelize on the outside and the liquid from the meat evaporated.
Pour in the sauce and gently cook over medium heat for 3- 5 mins or until the sauce is well mixed with the chicken. Add the cooked vegetables and spring onions. Pour chicken onto a hot plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Korean Spicy Baby Octopus

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To Cook
Add 1 tbsp oil to a heated pan, sauté carrots, zucchini and onions over high heat briefly, about 1 min. Set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan and sauté the garlic gently for about 15 secs, then add the chilli powder. Cook over low heat, taking care not to burn, for about 20 secs.
Turn heat to high and add baby octopus, stir fry for about 3 mins or until just cooked. Add soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, season with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables and spring onions, immediatelt cook over high heat until the ingredients are well mixed. Remove from heat, garnish with spring onions and serve.

Korean Seafood Noodle Soup (Kalgaksu)

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To Cook
In a stockpot, add the dried large anchovies, garlic, onion, whole spring onions and 10-12 cups of water. Bring to boil and skim off any impurities. Simmer for about 15 mins. Strain and discard ingredients, set stock aside.
Bring the stock to a boil again and add the soy sauce, fish sauce, zucchini and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the noodles and seafood, cook until done. Add spring onions towards the end of cooking time.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with spring onions. Serve with seasoning sauce.

Thai Braised Pork Noodle Soup

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To Cook
In a stockpot, add water and pork, bring to a boil. Add all the Soup ingredients and simmer for 1 hr.
Add meatballs and seasoning to the stockpot and let it simmer for another hr. Do taste test and add more seasoning if needed.
In a separate pot, blanch vegetables until tender, set aside.
Divide noodles into 4-5 separate bowls and top with vegetables.
Ladle soup and meat over noodles and garnish with coriander. Serve hot.

Vegetarian Pad Thai

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To Cook
Place noodles in a bowl of boiling water and soak for 6-8 mins. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok over medium heat, add in garlic and sauté until fragrant and slightly browned.
Add in tofu and stir-fry until just cooked.
Add broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and zucchini, toss until vegetables are tender.
Add Pad Thai paste and mix well. Stir in fish sauce, tamarind puree, sugar and chilli powder.
Rinse rice noodles then add to wok and stir through. Push the mixture to one side of wok, then add beaten egg and allow it to cook slightly before tossing it through the noodles.
Throw in the bean shoots and chives, stir thoroughly for 1 min.
Dish out and garnish with peanuts, lime/lemon wedge, coriander and a dash of pepper.

Thai Glass Noodle Soup with Tofu (Kang Jued Woon Sen)

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To Prep
Mix the minced meat, soy sauce and ground white pepper until well combined. Form into approximately 12 small meatballs.

To Cook
Heat oil in a frying pan on high heat, then add in garlic and fry for 30 secs.
Pour in the soup stock and bring to a boil.
Add meatballs, onion, Chinese cabbage and carrot, simmer until tender.
Add in the noodles and stir thoroughly.
Add the fish sauce, sugar and white pepper.
Carefully add Japanese tofu and stir gently to avoid breaking the tofu. Remove from heat.
Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with coriander. Serve.

Thai Crispy Pork Skin Salad (Yum Sam Grob)

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To Cook
Place onions and coriander in a bowl, cover with cold water, add 6 ice cubes, and place in refrigerator for 5 mins or until ready to use.
Blend garlic, chilli flakes, and chillies into a fine paste. Add sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice, and continue to blend until the sugar is dissolved. Taste test and add more sugar, fish sauce, lime juice or pepper flakes to taste.
In a mixing bowl combine prawns, crispy pork skin, cashew nuts, tomato and blended paste. Mix through and transfer to a serving plate.
Remove onions and coriander from fridge and drain. Garnish salad with lettuce, onion and coriander. Serve.