To Cook
Heat up oil to 170°C in a pot for deep frying.
Combine plain flour, rice flour, salt and bicarbonate soda powder, mix well.
Add mashed bananas into flour mixture.
Once oil has reached 170°C, add sugar into banana mixture.
Using two dinner spoons, scoop and drop banana mixture into oil.
Use a spatula to gently move banana fritters and fry till golden brown, about 4-5 mins.
Dessert
Durian Sticky Rice (Khao Niew Durian)
To Prep Thai Glutinous Rice
Soak Thai glutinous rice in cold water for 3 hrs.
Prepare the coconut cream mixture by combining the coconut cream, sugar and salt into saucepan.
On medium heat, stir the coconut mixture to dissolve the sugar without bringing it to boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
After 3 hrs, drain off excess water from glutinous rice. Steam the rice for 15 mins. Half way through steaming, you may open the steamer to turn the rice once.
Put the cooked glutinous rice into a large mixing bowl, add the coconut cream mixture and stir to mix well. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, after 5 mins stir the rice mixture once more and cover again with tea towel then set aside.
To Prep Coconut Cream with Durian
Add 500ml of coconut cream, palm sugar and salt into saucepan.
Turn on the heat and bring coconut mixture to simmer till sugar dissolved. Remove from heat. Set aside till cooled down to room temperature.
Add fresh durian into coconut mixture. Break durian flesh into chunk piece. Ready to serve.
To Serve
Place glutinous rice portion size into serving bowl, then top with durian coconut mixture, making sure some durian chunks are on top of the rice.
Serve immediately.
Wasabi No-Churn Ice-Cream
To Cook
Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until all are mixed completely and becomes hard, like whipped cream.
Scoop a few tbsp of cream into a bowl and add 1-2 drops of green food colouring. Mix well.
Pour the white mixture into a freezer safe container, and then the green mixture over the top. Use a stick to twirl and mix slightly. Cover and freeze until solid.
Before serving, allow the ice-cream to thaw slightly and remove the block from container. Cut into cubes and serve with berries.
Tip:
Line container with baking paper or plastic wrap before filling the ice cream will ease the process to remove the ice cream from the container.
Mango Coconut Pudding
To Make
Blend mango, maple syrup and ½ cup coconut cream, in a blender, until smooth.
In a small saucepan combine the other ½ cup of coconut cream and water, until it just simmers. Remove from heat.
Whisk gelatin through coconut cream and water mixture making sure there’s no lumps.
Combine gelatin liquid with mango.
Pour into cups and allow to set for 2-3 hrs.
To Serve
Optionally serve with diced mango, shaved coconut flakes and a sprig of mint. Enjoy!
Mirin, Mint and Black Sesame Ice-cream in Coconut Soba Birds’ Nests
To Make the Ice Cream
Combine cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks, palm sugar and mirin till the mixture is pale and the palm sugar has dissolved.
Slowly add the heated milk mixture to the egg yolk, sugar and mirin mixture while beating on a slow speed. Once combined, transfer the liquid back into the saucepan and stir constantly with a spoon over a low heat.
Once the custard mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, turn off the heat and allow to cool in the refrigerator. When the mixture is chilled, add the fresh mint and black sesame seeds and transfer to an ice-cream maker. Follow the instructions for the ice-cream maker.
To Make the Birds’ Nest
Heat the coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan to a simmer. Add the soba noodles to the simmering coconut milk and allow to soften for 4-5 mins.
Using a sieve, drain the coconut milk from the noodles.
Pre-heat an oven to 180°C (fan-forced).
To create the bird’s nests, take the noodles and spread them in a network fashion on the outside of 7 or 8 rounded silicone muffin moulds.
Bake in the oven for about 20 mins or until the noodles have dried and have a light brown crispy texture.
Allow the nests to cool and carefully separate them from the mould.
To Serve
Once the ice-cream has fully set, place a scoop or two into a crispy coconut soba birds’ nest.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serve and enjoy!
Japanese Matcha Cotton Souffle Cheesecake
To Prep
Line a 15cm cake pan (non loose base) with baking paper.
Pre-heat the oven at 100°C.
To Make Cheese Batter
Fill a small pot with hot water to half full and turn on medium heat.
In a glass bowl, add in cream cheese, butter and milk, then place the bowl over the pot to heat the cheese with the steam. Gently and slowly whisk the ingredients until it becomes a smooth batter.
Remove pot from heat and let cool until 50°C or below, then mix in the egg yolks until smooth.
Add in cake flour and matcha powder and continue to mix well until no clump left. Pour into a big bowl and set aside.
To Make Meringue
In a separate bowl, pour in the egg white and brown sugar, use a electric beater to beat the mixture until it has a soft firm peak.
To Make Cheesecake
Add half the meringue into cheese batter and gently mix them together, then add the remaining half and mix gently again. Use a spatula to make sure the bottom and sides are mixed thoroughly. Don’t over mix the batter but enough that the mixture is well mixed through.
Pour the batter into the lined cake pan. Bang the cake mould on benchtop once to remove any big bubbles.
Line a deep, larger baking tray with cloth and place the cake mould onto it. Pour warm water into the baking tray up to 2cm high.
Place the cake mould with water bath into the oven and bake for 1 hr, then 17 mins at 160°C.
Once the top of the cake is slightly golden brown, remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
To remove the cake from mould, place a baking paper and a flat plate on top, then turn it upside down. Gently remove the mould and the liners. Place another flat plate on the bottom of the cake and gently flip it back upright.
If serving immediately, dust the cake with icing sugar and matcha powder for garnish (optional).
Otherwise, let chill overnight in fridge for a cold cheesecake (do not dust icing sugar and matcha powder).
Vegan Matcha Pound Cake
To Make Cake
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Line baking paper on a 18cm loaf pan.
Sift the plain flour, baking powder and matcha powder into a bowl and set aside.
In a bigger bowl, add oil, maple syrup and soy milk. Mix well, then add the sifted flour, baking powder and matcha powder.
Mix everything together until the batter is smooth.
(Optional) Add red bean paste and mix slightly and gently.
Pour batter into loaf pan.
Bake for 35-40 mins. Let cook on a wire rack.
(Optional) Dust some matcha powder on top before serving.
Japanese Matcha Steamed Cake (Matcha Mushi Pan)
To Make Steamed Cakes
Place a steamer over medium heat.
Place paper cupcake liners onto a cupcake pan.
In a bowl, sift the matcha powder, baking powder and the plain flour. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and sugar together with an electric beater until fluffy.
Slowly add the milk and oil, continue to beat until well combined.
Add in the sifted ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Pour batter into the cupcake liners about ½ to ¾ full each.
(Optional) Drop ½ tbsp red bean paste to the center of each cake, then press down slightly for the batter to cover it.
Steam the cupcakes for 12 mins then turn heat off. Let the cupcake rest in the steamer for 5 mins before serving.
Tips
Line the steamer lid with cloth to prevent water dropping onto the cakes.
Depending on your desired finish, a fuller batter will create a cracked top after rising. Else, opt for less batter in each liner for a smooth, round top.
Banana in Coconut Milk (Kluay Buat Chi)
To Prep
Cut banana in half with the skin off, then cut into 6 pieces.
To Cook
Bring the water to the boil in heavy-based saucepan. Add bananas and bring to boil again. Transfer to a bowl.
Combine the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a large heavy-based saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add banana and cook until the coconut milk returns to the boil again. Serve.
Dalgona Coffee
To Cook
In a medium size bowl, add the instant coffee, sugar and boiling water. Use a hand mixer to mix them until real thick and dark golden brown.
Separately prepare 2 glasses with crushed ice. Pour the cold milk evenly into the glasses. Scoop the mixture into the glasses.
Enjoy your drink with a nice book!
Japanese Matcha Green Tea Shaved Ice
To Prep
In a large bowl or container, combine the sugar, matcha powder and water and mix until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Cover and set the mixture in to a freezer until it has fully frozen.
To Serve
Place the frozen mixture in to an ice shaver and shave off the desired amount. Alternatively, cut the ice in to smaller chunks and add it in to a food processor until it has become small granules of ice.
Transfer the shaved ice in to a serving bowl and top with anko, shiratama dango, condensed milk and, or any toppings of your choice!
Cherry Blossom Rice Dumpling (Sakura Mochi)
To Prep
Pour the rice in to a rice cooker bowl and rinse off the extra starch. Cover the rice in water and let soak for at least 1 hr.
Strain the water out of the bowl and let dry for a bit before returning back in to the rice cooker bowl.
Measure out the water add it in to the rice cooker bowl along with the red food colouring. Mix well to ensure that the colouring is evenly distributed.
Cook the rice until just finished and then use a spatula or a rice spoon to lightly mash the grains. Continue to mash the grain until the rice becomes sticky and clumps together. Try not to mash the rice too hard as you still want grains to be visible.
To Form
Spoon out a serving of the red bean paste and mould it in to a small ball.
Roll out a section of cling wrap and set it out on your work space. Wet the spatula to make working with the mochi easier, and spoon a small serving on to the cling wrap.
Flatten the mochi and place 1 on the red bean paste balls on to the centre. Roll up the ends of the cling wrap and mould the mochi in to a ball shape. Set the mochi aside and then repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Serve topped with pickled cherry blossoms and enjoy!