Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Dessert

Lotus Seed Dessert (Leng Chee Kang)

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To Prep
Soak lotus seeds overnight. Split in half and remove the bitter, green sprouts. Boil for about 1 hr or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Soak lily bulbs for 30 mins. Boil for 15 mins. Remove and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Boil the ginkgo nuts over medium heat for 3 mins. Drain and set aside.
Rinse the basil seeds under cold running water, then soak in cold water for at least 10 mins or until they swell. Drain and set aside.
Soak malva nuts in warm water and soak for 30 mins or until they expand. Then remove the seeds and stem by hand. Rinse in cold water. Remove as much liquid by squeezing and set aside.
Soak snow fungus for 15 mins or until soft. Rinse and remove dirty particles, cut off hard stem and tear into small florets. Drain and set aside.

To Make Dessert Soup
Combine all the syrup ingredients and the snow fungus in a medium sized saucepan. Boil over medium low heat for about 20 mins or until snow fungus are cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.

To Serve
In a bowl, add some of each prepared ingredient. Ladle over the sweet soup together with some of the dried longans and snow fungus.
Serve warm, or cold with some ice cubes.

Egg-Free Durian Ice Cream

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To Begin
Mix or blend fresh durian with fresh milk.
Once that is smooth (or to your liking) add in caster sugar and continue to mix/blend until sugar is dissolved.
Beat the heavy cream until stiff, and then transfer batch by batch into the durian mixture. Fold the whipped cream until it is well mixed.
Transfer into a container; make sure it can be properly sealed to avoid crystallization on top of mixture once it is frozen. Leave it in the freezer for at least 5 hours.

Red Bean Paste Pancake

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To Prep
Mix milk, egg, sugar and oil in a bowl until well combined using a hand whisk. Pour in flour and whisk to mix thoroughly. Sift the batter and allow to rest for 30 mins.
While waiting, place a portion of red bean paste on a cling film. Wrap and lightly roll into a rectangular shape.

To Cook
In a flat pan, heat up about ½ tsp oil over medium flame. Ladle about 1½ scoops of batter into the pan. Off heat, quickly tilt the pan to evenly spread out the batter, forming a thin layer of pancake. Back to the heat, cook the pancake for about 1 min until it has set.
Allow the pancake to cool down slightly. Then, transfer the red bean paste and wrap into a rectangular parcel. Lightly dab the edges with flour thickening to seal the pancake. Repeat with remaining batter and red bean paste.
Sprinkle some white sesame seeds on one side of the pancakes. Heat up a pan with 2 tbsp oil. Place in the pancakes, sesame seeds side down first. Fry until golden brown over medium heat. Turn to the other side and continue to fry for another 2 mins.
Transfer the pancakes to a serving plate and cut into slices. Serve.

Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake (Ma Lai Koh)

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To Prep
Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl and add sugar. Whisk until light and fluffy. Pour in oil and milk and continue whisking until smooth. Slowly add in flour and custard powder while whisking until smooth batter is formed. Also, gradually add in baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk until smooth, ensuring there are no lumps. Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap and allow the batter to rest for at least 30 mins.

To Cook
Prepare a steamer and bring water to a rolling boil. Place a 9-inch round pan into the steamer for about 3 mins to warm it up. Then, pour the batter into the pan and steam for 40 mins. To check if it’s ready, insert a tooth pick into the centre of the cake and remove it. The tooth pick should come out clean.
Take the cake out from the steamer and set aside to cool down slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Egg Tart

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To Prep
Soften butter by placing it at room temperature. If it is cold where you are, preheat oven until warm and turn off the heat. Let butter sit in the oven for 1-2 mins until softened. Using an electric mixer over medium speed, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. The mixture should be pale yellow.
Over low speed, add in half the whisked egg and beat into the mixture. Add the other half and continue to beat until combined. Add a dash of vanilla extract and beat to mix well. Then, slowly sift in flour while scraping the sides. Mix all ingredients well and knead them into a dough.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to ½ cm thick. Then, using a round cookie cutter that is slightly smaller than your tart tin size, cut out the dough. Place a round, cut-out dough in the centre of a tart tin and gently press the dough in at the bottom. Next, lightly press the dough at the sides while turning the tart tin clockwise. This is to ensure the tart shell is even. Trim off any excess dough. Repeat with remaining round, cut-out dough.
To make the custard, mix sugar into hot water and stir to dissolve completely. Place eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk. Then, mix in the earlier sugar water until well combined. Sift the egg mixture into a jug then, carefully pour the mixture into each tart shell.

To Cook
Place rack at the lower third section of the oven. Preheat to 200°C. Place the tarts in and bake for 10-15 mins until edges are lightly browned. Then, turn the heat down to 180°C and watch the tarts. The moment the custard starts to puff up slightly, open the oven door slightly and continue baking for another 10-15 mins until the custard is cooked. To check if the custard is cooked, insert a toothpick into the centre of the custard. If the toothpick stands, then the custard is ready.
Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly. Serve warm. This recipe makes 14-16 egg tarts.

Aloe Vera Sakura Raindrop Cake

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To Prep
Soak some of the pickled Sakura flowers in a bowl of water.
In a small saucepan, add agar agar powder and Yoosh aloe vera drink and stir it with a spatula a few times, until the agar agar powder dissolves into the water.

To Cook
Turn your stove top to medium heat and bring the agar agar water mixture to a boil. Maintaining a medium heat level, allow mixture to boil (without a lid) for one minute, then turn off heat.
Pour mixture into moulds.
Drain the Sakura flower and use paper towel to dry the flower. Put some into each mould.
Refrigerate to set the raindrop cake.
When it’s ready, serve with the Kuromitzu sauce (dark sugar syrup) and sprinkle with some Kinako (soy bean powder).

Steamed Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Ice Cream (Putu Ayu)

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Preparing Coconut Ice Cream
Add all the ingredients together and mix them in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture into an ice cream machine. Churn and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Preparing Putu Ayu
Mix the grated coconut, corn flour and salt. Pack 2 tsp of the mixture tightly into each of the moulds.
Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Fold in the coconut milk and flour alternately. Add in 1-2 tsp pandan flavouring into the mixture and fold. Pour the mixture into the cake moulds until full.
Prepare a steamer. Bring water to a boil and place cakes in. Steam for 10-15 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. When the cakes have cooked, leave them to cool for 10 mins. Using a knife, ease the cakes out of the moulds.
Serve with a scoop of coconut ice cream. Top with coconut flakes if desired.

Pandan Gula Melaka Layer Cake

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Preparing Pandan Sponge Cake
Line bottom of an 8-inch cake round pan with 1 layer of parchment paper. Do not grease cake pan. Preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk castor sugar and egg yolks till well combined. Mix in melted butter. Add milk. Whisk thoroughly. Add and mix pandan paste. Add sifted cake flour and baking powder into mixture. Add salt. Whisk till all combined.
With an electric mixer, whisk egg whites till frothy. Add cream of tartar. Whisk till thick foam forms. Gradually add castor sugar. Continue to whisk till firm peak stage. Gently fold in egg white mixture to the yolk mixture in 4 batches. Mix till all is well combined.
Gently pour batter into the 8-inch cake pan. Shake cake pan from side to side till the batter is level, tapping the pan against table top. Place on lower rack of the oven bake till golden brown, about 20 mins or till a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven. Leave to cool. Using a butter knife gently slice through the side of the cake pan to loosen it. Unmould cake to a cake board and remove parchment paper. Peel off the top skin layer of the sponge cake.
Repeat twice, so you get 3 layers of pandan sponge cakes.

Preparing Pandan Juice
Slice off 5cm from the roots. Trim into 4cm lengthways. Grind in a juice blender with 40g of water until fine. Pour through a sieve into a container.
Pandan juice can be stored in a refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Preparing Pandan Kaya Layer
Use a 8-inch round removable bottom loose cake pan (not spring form pan).
Place water in a small pot that retains heat well. Add sugar, unsalted butter, pandan juice and salt till the butter and sugar melts. Turn off heat.
Place coconut milk in a bowl. Add hun kwee flour. Stir thoroughly. Add coconut milk mixture to the pandan mixture through a sift and stir thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add pandan paste and mix well. Add agar-agar powder and stir thoroughly.
Turn on heat to medium-low. Cook and stir mixture till thick enough to coat sides of pot thinly. Turn off heat. Stir till residual heat dissipates. (Mixture should now be thick enough to coat sides of pot thickly but thin enough to flow smoothly).

Preparing Gula Melaka Kaya Layer
In a saucepan, bring water, butter, gula melaka and salt to a boil while stirring until completely dissolved. Turn off heat.
Pour coconut milk into a bowl. Add hun kwee flour and stir thoroughly. Add coconut milk mixture to the gula melaka mixture through a sift and stir thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add agar-agar powder and stir thoroughly.
Turn on heat to medium-low. Cook and stir mixture till it is thick enough to coat sides of pot thinly. Turn off heat. Stir till residual heat dissipates. (Mixture should now be thick enough to coat sides of pot thickly but thin enough to flow smoothly). This mixture thickens faster than the pandan kaya.

Assembling cake and pandan kaya layer
Pour a thin layer of pandan kaya into the base of the cake pan. Tilt pan from side to side and swirl kaya to form even layer. Wait till the kaya layer has cooled slightly, about 60 secs (less if it’s cold where you are).
Place 1st layer of sponge cake in the middle of the cake pan. Make sure there is a little space in between the entire edge of the cake and the cake pan to allow the pandan kaya mixture to flow smoothly around the sides.
Pour a thicker, even layer of pandan kaya on top of the 1st sponge cake into the sides of the sponge cake. Wait 30 seconds or so.
Place 2nd sponge cake layer and pour thick, even layer of pandan kaya on top and into the sides of sponge cake. Wait 30 seconds or so. Place 3rd sponge cake layer. Do not apply any pandan kaya layer for this 3rd layer as it is for the gula melaka layer.
Leave assembled cake to cool down.

Assembling Gula Melaka Layer to the 3rd Sponge Cake
Pour gula melaka layer onto the 3rd layer of sponge cake, flowing to the sides.
Leave the cake to cool to room temperature before storing into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, unmould cake by pushing the base of cake pan upwards carefully. Place a cake board on top of the cake. Flip it over. Now the pandan layer is at the top. Use another cake board. Flip it over again so the gula melaka layer is right back on top.
Slice and serve chilled.

Additional Notes:
Ensure each kaya mixture is cooked till thick in texture but not overly thick, otherwise it will not set completely even after refrigeration. If kaya is too thin, your sponge layer will start floating. If kaya is too thick it will not flow evenly.

Bubur Cha Cha

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To Cook
Steam diced yam, golden and purple sweet potato in a wok over high heat, until softened, about 20 minutes. Test with a sharp knife or toothpick. They should be very easy to prick through.
Use a large deep pot. Add 1 litre of boiling water with the rock and fine sugar. Bring it to boil. Add pandan leaves. Reduce heat to simmer for 10 min.
Pour in coconut cream. Once it boils again, drain up and discard the pandan leaves.
Add the sweet potatoes. The rock and fine sugar should dissolved completely.
Taste and add more sugar if needed. Served hot. Or let it cool down and chill in fridge if you like it served cold.

To Make Tapioca Flour Cubes
Sift tapioca flour if lumpy flour is found in it. Then, place tapioca flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir-in hot boiling water and combine well until mixture turns dough-like texture. When mixture is cooled, form it into dough on a well-floured table top.
Dust some flour on your palm and divide dough into 4 parts. Mix each portion with 3 different colouring prepared and leave one portion as ‘white‘ original colour (no colouring added).
Knead to combine well and until it becomes a non-stick dough. Then, roll and shape each portion out into long and squarish thin stripes. Thereafter, dice into small cubes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. When boiled, reduce heat, and put in tapioca flour cubes to cook for about 30 min, or until all the cubes float up. Texture of cooked tapioca flour cubes should be chewy, bright in colour with a little translucent appearance.
Dish up and plunge cubes into a bowl of iced water for few seconds. Drain and remove cubes from iced water. Reserve for later.

Chia Later Alligator Pudding Tropical Chia Seed Pudding

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To Cook
Cook’s note: This recipe should be made at least two hours in advance, or the night before.
Empty contents of TCC Light Coconut Milk into a medium sized bowl.
Spoon 8 tbsp of chia seeds into the light coconut milk. Mix well until all of the seeds are coated.
Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs.
Prior to serving, slice the mango, lychee and young fresh coconut.
Remove the chia seed and light coconut milk pudding from the refrigerator give it a quick mix with a spoon.
Spoon chia seed and light coconut milk pudding into individual bowls.
Top with tropical fruit and serve.