Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

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Molten Salted Egg Yolk Lava Mooncakes

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To Prepare Salted Egg Yolk Filling
Prepare steamer and steam salted egg yolks for 10 mins. Allow to cool then mash into fine crumbs.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-3.jpg
In a medium bowl, whisk together salted egg yolk crumbs, butter, condensed milk, milk and custard powder until it becomes a smooth paste-like texture.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour or until set.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-9.jpg
After the mixture has set, use a teaspoon to divide the filling into 15 equal portions (about 11g per portion). Scoop salted egg yolk cream and drop it onto a lined tray. Freeze for 1hr or until ready to assemble.

To Prepare Custard
Prepare steamer and steam salted egg yolks for 10 mins. Allow to cool and mash into fine crumbs (can steam together with the salted egg yolks used for the Salted Egg Yolk Filling).https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-3.jpg
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and cake flour until pale and fluffy with no visible lumps.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-10-1.jpg
In a saucepan, heat and stir the heavy cream and butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the cream starts to bubble but not boiling, carefully pour it into the egg mixture parts at a time and whisk as you pour.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-13.jpg
Add in milk powder, salted egg yolk crumbs, granulated sugar and vanilla one by one, mixing well.
Once well mixed, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat stirring with a spatula continuously but not vigorously. Scrape the side and bottom of the pan to avoid custard from burning.
Continue to scrape and fold the custard for about 10-15 mins until the custard slides easily from the spatula, then remove from stove.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-19.jpg
Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool about 10 mins then cover bowl with cling wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1hr.
Divide custard into 15 equal portions (about 25g per portion) and roll into balls onto a tray. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.

To Prepare Pastry
Prepare pastry only when both salted egg yolk and custard balls are well chilled/frozen.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together honey, condensed milk and softened butter until well combined.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-22.jpg
With a spatula, fold in cake flour and cornflour until it forms a dough. Using your hands, gather the dough and form a square block.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-25-1.jpg
Divide into 15 equal portions (about 32g per portion). Roll each portion into a ball and place onto a tray, cover with cling wrap until you are ready to assemble. Do not chill.

Assembling Salted Egg Yolk Mooncake
Prepare a 50g mooncake punch mould.
Take one ball of custard and flatten it. Then place a frozen salted egg yolk ball inside and close the edges to seal. Roll into a ball. (Tip: you can freeze for 1hr or overnight as this will help when wrapping with pastry).https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-34.jpg
After the custard and salted egg yolk ball ball has been frozen, place inside a flattened pastry ball and seal well. With both of your palms, roll the pastry and custard ball into a cylinder and slot it into the mooncake punch.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-38.jpg
Arrange completed mooncakes onto a lined tray. Chill for 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 220°C.
For the egg wash, lightly beat 1 whole egg and brush over the top and sides of the mooncake just before baking.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LM-42-1.jpg
Bake for 3 mins then take out the mooncakes and brush a second coat of egg wash over the top and sides, before sending them back into the oven for another 10 mins.
Serve warm for best results.
Note: Test bake 2 or 3 mooncakes to familiarise the hot spots in your oven to prevent burning the mooncake

Creamy Custard Mochi Mooncakes

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To Prepare Custard Filling
In a small saucepan, add milk and half of the sugar. Heat and stir over medium-low heat and cook until it reaches about 49°C or no more than 65°C. Do not overheat. Leave in saucepan while you complete the next steps.
In a large bowl, mix corn starch, all-purpose flour and the remaining sugar.
Add egg yolks to a separate small bowl, stir to break up the egg yolks, then pour it into the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Next, add warm milk to the egg mixture ¼ cup at a time. Whisk continuously until milk is fully incorporated and the mixture is thin and smooth. Repeat until all the warm milk is mixed.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook under medium heat until the mixture thickens (about 5 mins). Tip: Keep a close eye on the mixture as it will thicken suddenly.
Remove from stove and give it a few stirs. Then add in butter and vanilla extract and mix well.
Strain the custard through a strainer into a dish lined with cling wrap. Press with a spatula to remove any lumps. Cover custard surface with another layer of cling wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill custard for 1 hr.
After chilled, take custard and scoop about 1 tbsp and roll into a small ball onto a lined tray. Cover and chill or freeze for 30 mins or until it is easy to handle.

To Prepare Mochi Dough
Prepare a large steamer pot with a steaming basket or trivet and turn on stove to begin heating.
In a small bowl, mix milk, oil and vanilla extract together.
In a medium bowl, add glutinous rice flour, rice flour and cornstarch and mix well. Then sift in icing sugar to break up any lumps. Pour in the milk mixture gradually and mix until well combined and a watery batter is formed.
Strain the batter into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Steam the mixture in the prepared steamer (water should be bubbling) for 20 mins. At 15 mins, check to see how the dough is cooking by poking through the middle with a fork. If any dough is uncooked, break through the dough and steam for a further 5 to 8 mins. The dough is ready when it is stiff. Once cooked, remove from steamer and let it cool for about 10 mins.
Once the dough has cooled down, tip it over onto a clean surface (do not oil or flour the surface). Knead the dough for 5 to 8 mins until soft and smooth.
Use a kitchen scale to divide 3 or 4 equal portions. Tint each portion with your chosen food colouring by kneading together. Keep dough wrapped up or covered while you work. Roll each portion into logs and divide the logs into 5 or 6 portions. Roll each of these portions into balls, then cover so they do not dry up.

Assembling the Mochi Mooncakes
Prepare a 50g mooncake punch mould.
Flatten a mochi ball with a rolling pin, pinch the edges to make them thinner. Place a chilled custard ball in the middle and close the outer layer edges until the custard ball is completely concealed. Roll with both palms until you get a round ball.
Dust some corn starch on and insert into mooncake punch and press until compact before releasing.
Serve.

Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)

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To Make Yudane
In a bowl, mix bread flour with boiling water. Mix well until well combined.
Cover with cling wrap and set aside or refrigerate for 4-8 hours. This is best prepared the day before you intend to make the bread.
Remove yudane from the refrigerator and set aside for about 30 mins or until it reaches room temperature before using.

To Make Shokupan
Add all ingredients (except butter) into the stand mixer bowl. Tear yudane into small pieces and add into the bowl as well.
Using a dough hook, knead the dough for 3 mins on low speed to bring all ingredients together.
Add in butter and continue to knead for another 20-25 mins, stopping a few times in between to scrape down the dough from the sides of the bowl and dough hook to make sure everything is evenly mixed and kneaded.
To see if the dough is ready, do the windowpane test. Pinch a small amount of dough and hold it between both your thumbs and first two fingers, and gently stretch the dough apart. If the dough is properly kneaded, it should stretch (without tearing or breaking) into a thin membrane that you can see through.
Place the kneaded dough into greased bowl and cover for first proofing. Set aside to let it rise for 45-60 mins or till double in size.
Use your knuckle to make a depression in the middle of the dough. Then, remove dough from the bowl and transfer to a floured surface. Divide into 3 portions and roll them into balls.
Roll out one dough ball with a rolling pin into a long strip and roll it up like a “Swiss roll” and seal the seam. Roll out the dough again vertically to another long strip and roll dough up like a “Swiss roll” again. Seal the seam at the end and place the sealed seam at the bottom of the bread pan. Continue with the other 2 dough balls.
Let the dough rise again for another 50-60 mins or until it reaches the pan’s rim.
Preheat oven at 190˚C for 15 mins prior to baking.
Brush beaten egg on dough surface before baking bread for 30 mins or till the top turns golden brown.

Lemon Mochi Chicks

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To Make Lemon Mochi Chicks
Combine all ingredients except cornflour in a microwave-safe mixing bowl.
Stir the mixture till no lumps remain. Scrape away any excess liquid that has been sloshed around the bowl.
Microwave the mixture on high for 2 mins. Remove and stir well. Return to microwave and microwave on high for another 2-3 mins. The mixture will turn into a sticky dough.
Sprinkle cornflour generously on the cutting board. Scrape dough from the bowl and pat some cornflour on the top of the dough.
Let the dough cool for a minute or two before flattening with your fingers or with a rolling pin.
Cut dough into 12 to 14 portions.
Lift up a portion and pinching the corners together till you form a round ball. Place seam side down.
With a clean pastry brush, brush away excess cornflour from the surface.
Decorate with beaks, flower sprinkles and nonpareils.

Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bao (Liu Sha Bao)

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To Make Salted Egg Yolk Custard Filling
In a large mixing bowl mix salted duck eggs and sugar and beat with an electric mixer till smooth.
Add in all the other ingredients and beat till everything is well combined.
Refrigerate overnight.
Scoop up about 25-30g onto a cling wrap and shape into a round ball. Keep chilled.

To Make the Dough (Using a Breadmaker)
Add all ingredients except the dry active yeast into the bread machine bowl. Add yeast last.
Set bread machine to dough mode.

To Make the Dough (Without Breadmaker)
Mix all ingredients together to form into a smooth dough about 20 mins. Let it proof for an hour or till it rises double in size.

To Shape the Custard Baos
Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bread bowl and divide the dough into 10 portions. Roll dough into balls and cover with a damp towel as you work.
With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into 1cm thickness but thinner on the edge before filling with a salted egg yolk custard ball. Holding the dough on your palm, start to pleat the edges of the dough together to seal the salted egg custard ball in.
Place completed bao onto baking paper squares,
Arrange completed bao into a bamboo steamer with adequate space around.
Steam bao on medium heat for 12-15 mins. Do not steam on high heat as it will cause the custard to erupt. Remove from steamer and serve immediately.

Pandan Soft Steamed Bao

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To Make Kaya Filling
In a large heat-proof mixing bowl add eggs and sugar, and stir with a balloon whisk till well combined.
Prepare a pot of boiling water and place mixing bowl on the pot to double boil. Continue to whisk.
Toss pandan leaf tied into a bundle into the egg mixture, stir under medium heat till sugar dissolved.
Add in coconut cream and keep stirring to avoid overcooking on the sides of the bowl.
When the mixture starts to curdle, add in cornflour slurry and mix well.
In a separate saucepan, heat up sugar till it caramelises.
Pour in caramelised sugar into the mixture and mix till all well combined.
When the mixture turned into a thick paste, remove from heat and set aside to cool. Discard pandan leaf.

To Make Pandan Juice
Cut pandan leaf into small sections.
Blend leaf with water and filter using a fine sieve. Squeeze as much of the juice out.

To Make the Dough (Using a Breadmaker)
Add all ingredients except salt into bread machine bowl.
Set bread machine to dough mode.
Once dough is formed, add in salt and let it continue to work in the bread machine.

To Make the Dough (Without Breadmaker)
Mix all ingredients except salt into a big bowl and knead for about 10 mins, add in salt and knead till dough is smooth.

To Shape the Pandan Baos
Once dough is ready, remove from bread bowl and pinch 30g of dough for the crosses and divide the balanced dough into 15 equal portions.
Roll dough into balls and cover with a damp towel as you work.
With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into 1cm thick but thinner on the edge before filling with a big tablespoon of kaya paste.
Holding the flatten dough on your palm with kaya in the centre of the flatten dough, start to pleat the edges of the dough together to seal.
Place completed bao onto cut out baking paper.
Divide the 30g of dough into 30 portions to roll out into strips for the crosses.
Let bao proof for 20 mins or until double the original size.
Arrange completed bao into a bamboo steamer. Leave enough room around each bao as it will expand when steaming.
Steam bao on medium heat for 15 mins.

Matcha Soft Steamed Bao

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To Make Red Bean Filling
In a pot of boiling water enough to cover red beans and boil for 5 mins.
Drain and return rinsed red beans back into pot, cover with enough water and boil for 1 hour till they are soft and mushy.
Drain red beans again and return to pot on medium heat. Add in sugar and cook beans till they form into a paste. Set aside to cool.

To Make the Dough (Using a Breadmaker)
Add all ingredients with dry yeast as the last item into the breadmaker machine bowl.
Set bread machine to dough mode.

To Make the Dough (Without Breadmaker)
Simply add all ingredients into a big mixing bowl and mix till all ingredients are well combined.
Remove onto floured surface and knead for 15 to 20 mins till dough is smooth and non sticky. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it proof for 40 mins to an hour.

To Shape the Matcha Baos
Once dough is ready, remove from bread bowl and roll out into a round disc on a floured surface.
Cut dough into 8 equal pieces or weigh with a scale for accurate measurement and form them into balls. Cover with a damp towel as you work.
With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into 1cm thickness but thinner on the edge before filling with a big tablespoon of red bean paste.
Holding the flatten dough with the red bean paste with your palm, start to pleat the edges of the dough together to seal.
Place completed bao onto cut out baking paper.
With some excess dough, pinch a small amount of dough and roll it into a long strip. Arrange a ‘+’ strip onto bao.
Arrange completed bao into a bamboo steamer. Leave enough room around each bao as it will expand when steaming.
Steam bao on high heat for 18-20 mins.

Creamy Red Bean Popsicles (Kacang Merah Potong)

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To Make
Rinse red beans and soak with 250ml water overnight.
Strain away soaking water and put into a soup pot. Cover soaked red beans with 5 cups of water.
Boil on medium heat till bubbling and turn to low and let it simmer for 45 mins.
Strain cooked red beans into a bowl and set aside to cool.
In a milk pot, heat up coconut milk and sugar till it starts bubbling. Set aside to cool.
Keep ¼ cup of cooked red beans aside and toss the rest into a blender.
Pour in cooled coconut milk mixture into blender and blitz till fine and creamy.
Toss in the remainder ¼ cup of cooked red beans into the blender and blitz for 2 secs.
Fill the mixture into popsicle moulds and spoon the bigger chunks of red beans into mould with a teaspoon.
Freeze overnight.

Asian Banana Bread

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To Make
Preheat oven to 160°C.
Sift plain flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate powder, set aside.
Beat butter, brown sugar and caster sugar with a mixer till light and fluffy.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GMBC-4-Large.jpg
Add in beaten eggs in 4 additions.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GMBC-5-Large.jpg
In a small sauce pan heat up water and shaved palm sugar (Gula Melaka) to melt.
Add in mashed bananas into the egg mixture, followed by melted palm sugar (Gula Melaka).https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GMBC-7-Large.jpg
Fold in flour in 3 additions.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GMBC-8-Large.jpg
Pour batter into lined loaf pan and bake for 70 mins on the second lower rack of the oven. Check for doneness with a cake tester before removing from oven.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GMBC-10-Large.jpg
Let cool and serve.

Vietnamese Banana Bread Pudding (Banh Chuoi Nuong)

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To Make
Peel bananas and cut some into coins and some into halves length wise. Marinate them with sugar and rum for at least 8 hours or overnight.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VBP-3-Large.jpg
In a big mixing bowl, mix together coconut cream with milk, condensed milk, egg, salt, vanilla extract and melted butter. Stir till well combined.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VBP-13-Large.jpg
Add the bread chunks together with the rum infused bananas into the custard mixture and let them sit for 20 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VBP-17-Large.jpg
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grease a 9”x5” loaf pan and gently layer the bread and bananas custard.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VBP-18-Large.jpg
Arrange the halved bananas on top.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VBP-19-Large.jpg
Bake for 70 mins until the bread and bananas surface turned golden brown and well caramelised. Cover with an aluminium foil if any parts are starting to burn.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VBP-21-Large.jpg
Let it cool and keep in the fridge overnight before serving.

Crispy Panko Banana Fritters

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To Cook
Heat up oil to 170°C in a pot for deep frying.
Mix all purpose flour, rice flour and salt together. Add in vanilla extract and followed by cold milk. Mix all into a thick batter.
Cut bananas into halves. From about 2.5cm from the tip, slice each piece into 3, and slightly spread out to make into fan shape.
Set up breading station consisting of sliced bananas, batter and panko bread crumbs.
Coat bananas in batter then panko. Press the panko slightly to ensure panko stick onto banana securely.
Deep fry till golden brown, about 4-5 mins with medium heat.

Steamed Banana Cupcakes (Apam Pisang)

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To Make
Sift plain flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate powder, set aside.
Heat up steamer with enough water and wrap the cover with a kitchen cloth to absorb water droplets from dripping onto cupcakes.
Blend sugar, egg and condensed milk in a blender for about 2 mins till pale and fluffy. Transfer to a big mixing bowl.
Add cooking oil and mashed bananas. Beat with a whisk for 2-3 mins till smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and beat a further 3 mins.
Add in flour mixture in a few additions till batter is well combined.
Grease cupcake moulds with oil before filling to ¾ full with batter, then place a slice of banana on top of each cupcake.
Steam banana cupcakes on high heat for 20-25 mins. When cupcakes are cooked, remove the steamer’s cover and let it continue to steam for 3 mins to help dries up the surface.
Let cool on cooling rack and serve.