Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Vegetables

Bun Cha Hanoi with Light Fish Sauce and Pickled Carrot and Papaya

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To Cook
Grilled Slice Pork
Slice the pork shoulder into slices about 5cm lengths, 4cm width, and about ½cm thickness. Place into a zip-lock bag with the rest of the ingredients to marinate for at least 2 hrs in room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Grilled Pork Patties
Mix ground pork with the rest of the ingredients and leave to marinate in room temperature or fridge for the same amount of time as the sliced pork.
To make the minced pork into patties, first shape the ground pork mixture into round balls of approximately 5cm diameter and flatten patties to 1cm in thickness.
Use a grill rack or charcoal BBQ griller to cook the pork. If cooking in an oven, set oven to 200°C to broil until golden brown.
Grill the patties and the sliced pork until both sides are golden brown, roughly 10 mins per side.

To Prep Sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients above and cook over low heat until the broth is lukewarm (not boil).

To Prep Pickle
Make enough pickling vinegar to immerse the sliced carrots and papaya. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hrs.

To Serve
When meats are done, place in a covered medium sized sauce pan containing the dipping sauce. The juices of the meat will darken and meld with the fish sauce.
Transfer to large serving bowl and serve with rice vermicelli topped with fresh herbs, lettuce, pickled carrot and papaya, and minced garlic.

Thai Laksa with Prawns (Laksa Goong)

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To Cook
Prepare the noodle as per packet instruction. Drain and divide between 2 serving bowls.
Heat oil then add Valcom Laksa Paste and stir-fry over low heat until fragrant. Add the prawns and stir well until cooked.
Add light coconut milk and bring to the boil. Spoon soup over noodles in bowls, then garnish with beansprouts and coriander.
Hint: chicken fillet can be used in place of prawns.

Sizzling Saigon Crepes (Banh Xeo)

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To Prep
Finely mix the rice flour, turmeric powder and salt. Add water and coconut milk and whisk well until the ingredient is smooth. Sieve through to ensure no lumps inside the mixture. Rest the batter for 30 mins.

To Cook
Use a large fry pan or non-stick saute pan, heat up with high heat. Add 1 tbsp lard/oil and then add one portion of pork, shrimp, onions, scallions, and mushrooms (and salt to taste) to stir fry until the pork and shrimp are half done.
Add in ½ cup of batter into pan, swirl pan to coat bottom evenly. Add bean sprouts over one half of the crepe.
Drizzle in 1 more tbsp of lard/oil around the edge of crepe and lower heat to medium.
Cover pan and cook for 1 min. Remove cover and continue to cook until edges begin to brown.
Loosen crepe from bottom of pan with a soft silicon spatula (hard spatula would break the crepe). When bottom turns light brown and crispy, fold crepe to encase bean sprouts.

To Prep Nuoc Cham Sauce
Add fish sauce, water, sugar and lime juice into a small bowl and mix well until sugar is completely dissolved.
Add garlic and chilies and stir, serve as tableside condiment.

To Serve
Roll pieces of cooked Banh Xeo in a lettuce leaf, dip in Nuoc Cham sauce and eat immediately.

Omelette with Chinese Sausage, Onions and Carrot

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To Prep
Add the salt into the beaten eggs and mix well. Set aside.

To Cook
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat, sauté the onion until fragrant.
Add in the carrots and Chinese sausage, stir fry for about 2 mins.
Pour in the eggs, making sure it covers all the ingredients. Pan fry for 2-3 min or until the bottom side is golden brown.
Flip the omelette to pan fry the other side. You can do this in batches with a spatula. Pan fry for 2-3 mins until golden brown and eggs are cooked. Remove from heat and serve.

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Roast Pork

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To Cook
Heat oil in wok over medium high-heat. Add in minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add Chinese broccoli and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, then add in oyster sauce and ground pepper.
Then add in the roast pork chunks and stir well to mix in the flavours. Taste to see if saltiness suits, light soy sauce and sugar may be added according to your liking. Continue to stir fry for another minutes and then dish up on a serving plate. Served with steamed rice.
Serve hot with steamed rice

Boiled White Radish Soup with Pork Ribs

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To Cook
Blanch the pork in boiling water for 5 minutes and remove from the water. Clean off any impurities and set aside.
Put in all the ingredients into a pot and add 2L of water. Make sure the water covers all the ingredients by 2-3cms, otherwise add more water to the pot.Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat, then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 2.5 hours or until the pork is tender.
Season with salt and serve.

Fried Omelette with Green Beans

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To Prep
Add soy sauce into the beaten eggs and mix well. Set aside.

To Cook
Heat some oil in a fry pan over medium heat, add the beans and stir fry until cooked. Season with salt and mix well.
Use spatula to move the beans so that they are evenly spread out on the pan. Pour the eggs evenly over the beans and pan fry until the bottom is golden brown.
Flip the omelette in sections with spatula, pan fry the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken

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To Cook
Place noodles in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 2 mins, then drain.
Heat oil and stir-fry chicken for 2 mins. Add carrot, baby corn and mushrooms and stir-fry for 3-4 mins.
Add oyster sauce, chicken marinade and noodles. Cook while stirring until heated. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with spring onions.

Tofu and Long Bean Stir-Fry

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To Cook
In a wok, deep-fry the tofu in 180ml of vegetable oil at high heat for 2-3 mins or until golden brown; set aside and allow to drain.
Heat the remaining oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the garlic and shallots until fragrant.
Add the long beans, oyster sauce and salty soy sauce and mix well. Mix in tofu and serve hot with rice.

Yellow Curry Lamb

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To Cook
Heat oil over low heat and stir-fry Valcom Yellow Curry Paste until fragrant. Slowly add 1 cup of coconut milk and stir until oil appears.
Add lamb and cook until tender. Slowly add the remaining coconut milk and 1 cup of water to the mixture, then add salt and sugar, stirring well. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the meat has softened.
Add potatoes and bring to the boil for few mins. Add tomatoes and simmer until softened.
Garnish with red chilli and spring onion, then remove from heat.

Southern Thai Salad

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To Prep
Combine chillies, garlic and coriander in a bowl.
Add fish sauce, vinegar, lime juice, salt and sugar.
Mix well and set aside.
Mix the cooked meats and prawns with the shallots, celery, vermicelli and tomato.
Toss with the prepared dressing.
Serve salad on a bed of chilled lettuce.

Beef with Black Bean and Chinese Celery

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To Prep
Marinate beef for 15 mins in corn flour, rice wine/dry sherry and oyster sauce.

To Cook
Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, toss celery for 2 mins and set aside.
Heat remaining oil in wok and add garlic, onion and mushrooms; stir-fry for 1 min.
Add beef and stir-fry for a further 3 mins.
Add black beans, sesame oil and Chinese celery.
Combine well and serve with steamed Jasmine rice.