Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

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.

Boiled Potato and Green Bean Salad with Wasabi Mayonnaise

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To Make Salad
Mix mayonnaise and wasabi paste in a bowl.
Drain excess liquid and cool down the cooked vegetables to room temperature.
Add vegetables to the bowl of wasabi mayonnaise and marinade with your hands so the vegetables get an even coating.
Serve in desired bowl.
You may change the ratio of mayonnaise and wasabi to your liking. Broccoli also works well too.

Tip
Do not overcook the vegetables as it will become too soft and wet. Use a skewer to pierce potatoes to check if it is cooked through. If the skewer goes through easily without breaking the potato, perfect.

Fried Rice Paper Roll

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To Prep
Combine all of the main ingredients together and mix until well combined.
Dip the rice paper into warm water and let absorb slightly before placing on to a work surface.
Add a portion of the mixture onto the bottom side of the rice paper and tuck the edge over the mixture.
Roll the sides of the rice paper onto the covered mixture and continue to wrap the paper, rolling until the rice paper completely covers the mixture.
Repeat this process until all of the mixture has been used up. Place in the fridge for 10-20 mins to dry the skin.

To Cook
In a large pot with enough oil to deep fry the rice paper rolls, heat over a medium to high heat.
Fry the rice paper rolls in batches or one at a time for approx. 5 mins to allow the fillings to cook. Ensure that the heat isn’t too high to prevent the rolls from burning. Take further care when frying the rolls too as they will stick together at the start of frying.
When the rolls have cooked, remove them from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel or over a rack.

To Serve
Garnish and serve immediately with our nuoc cham dipping sauce or a dipping sauce of your choosing!

Cute Japanese Curry for Kids

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To Cook
Heat oil in a pot, stir fry onion until fragrant.
Add potatoes and carrots, stir fry until softened.
Add water and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 mins.
Turn off the heat, add curry roux and stir until dissolved. Simmer for another 5 mins, stirring constantly.

To Serve
Place rice into rice mould and set on a serving dish.
Ladle curry around the rice, then remove the mould.
Place kelp face on rice and garnish with peas, broccoli, cute carrot and apple slices. Serve.

Vegetarian Japanese Pancakes (Vegetarian Okonomiyaki)

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To Prep
Combine and mix all the batter ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, add cabbages, spring onions and carrots into the batter mix. Mix well.

To Cook
Heat ½ tbsp oil over medium heat in a pan. Add 120ml of batter mix, cook for approximately 5 mins or until bottom is golden brown. Flip over and thoroughly cook the other side until golden brown.
Continue the same steps to cook the remaining 5 pancakes.
Mix S&B Wasabi Paste and mayonnaise, then drizzle onto each pancake or serve at the side.
Garnish with aonori and pickled red ginger.

10 Minute Noodles with Prawns and Chilli Oil

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To Cook
Cook the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water until soft, but still slightly firm (they will continue to cook in the wok). Drain and set aside.
Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce and hoisin sauce in a small jug and stir to combine.
Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat until very hot. Add the eggs, prawns and garlic together and quickly stir until the eggs and prawns are cooked through.
Add the sauce to the wok and continue to cook, stirring over high heat, for another minute.
Add the cooked and drained noodles and stir fry over high heat until combined.
Add the spring onions and stir until combined.

To Serve
Serve the noodles on a large plate and top with fried shallots and the chopped coriander. Top with chilli in oil to individual taste. Enjoy!

Caramel Tamarind Pork with Thai Red Jasmine Rice & White Peach Salad

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To Cook
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the rice & simmer until cooked, drain & rinse under cold water.
Place the palm sugar & water in a pot on low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add the tamarind puree, fish sauce, lemongrass & Chinese chilli oil, bring to the boil & simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens into a sticky syrup, set aside to cool.
Combine the peach, cucumber, chilli, red onion, kaffir lime leaves & cashew nuts, with some of the coriander & Thai basil in bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine 2 tbsp of the tamarind syrup with the coconut cream, lime juice, sesame oil and fish sauce; taste & adjust the flavour balance, it should be a little tangy (if you like more heat, add some finely chopped red chilli to the dressing)
Heat a heavy based non-stick fry pan, cook the pork until browned & just cooked through and pour the remaining sauce over the pork and heat, stirring to coat the pork, with a layer of sticky sauce.

To serve
Toss the peach & cucumber salad with enough dressing to coat, saving some to drizzle later.
Place a layer of salad leaves in individual bowls, top each with ½ cup of rice, drizzle with a little dressing.
Top with ¼ of the peach & cucumber salad and a layer of sticky caramel tamarind pork, drizzle with a little of the remaining sauce.
Garnish with Thai basil & coriander leaves.