Asian Inspirations

Discover the authentic in Asian cuisine food

Dessert

Korean Red Bean Doughnuts (Chapssal Donuts)

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To Prep
Grease 2 large plates or trays and set aside.
Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix until they are well combined.
Divide the paste into 10-15 equal-sized pieces and roll in to ball shapes. Place them on one greased plate or tray and cover with cling wrap.
Sieve the flours into a large mixing bowl and mix together before adding the butter and hot water and kneading to make one large piece of dough.
Divide the dough into 10-15 equal-sized balls before place onto the second greased plate or tray. Cover with a damp tea towel.
Roll out one ball of dough and wrap it around one ball of the paste and seal the dough around it. Repeat with the rest of the dough and paste.

To Cook
Pour enough oil in a pot to fry the doughnuts and heat it up to 150°C.
Place a batch of the doughnuts into the pot and fry until golden brown in colour. Use a spoon to stir occasionally to ensure that the balls cook evenly and don’t stick to the bottom.
When the doughnuts have cooked, transfer them from the oil to some paper towels to drain while they cool down.
When the doughnuts have cooled down, coat them with caster sugar and serve!

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes

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To Make Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 175°C. Line the cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Sift the dry ingredients into a small bowl and mix well with a whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, pour in the wet ingredients and use a whisk to beat until well combined.
Pour in the dry ingredients in small batches, using the whisk to mix slowly. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the flour off the side and bottom, mix until everything is well combined.
Scoop the batter evenly into the cupcake liners.
Place in the oven and bake for 17 mins. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcake and remove. If the toothpick is not clean, bake for another 5 mins and check again. If it comes out clean, turn off the heat.
Open the oven door slightly to let the cupcakes cool slowly for about 10-15 mins, then remove from oven and let cool on wirerack.

To Make Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and use a whisk to beat until thickened and smooth.
Place whipped cream into a piping bag with a round tip and top the cream onto the cupcakes.
Using a sieve, dust the matcha green tea powder on the cream.

Rice Cooker Pancake

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To Cook
Add eggs, milk and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
Sift over the self raising flour and caster sugar. Whisk through until batter is fairly smooth but with a few lumps.
Grease rice cooker bowl with butter.
Pour over half of the pancake batter.
Cook the pancake using the white rice setting on your rice cooker, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once timer has finished, use a toothpick to test if it has cooked. If still raw, cook again.
Once fully cooked and toothpick comes out clean and pancake springs back when touched, remove from rice cooker and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Repeat with remaining batter. Carefully transfer onto a plate by inverting. Dust over icing sugar, spoon over berries and drizzle with maple syrup, then serve.

Rice Cooker Cheesecake

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To Cook
Beat the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth and lump-free.
Next, add the egg yolks and whisk in until smooth. Repeat with sugar and lemon juice, making sure batter is completely smooth before adding the next ingredient.
Sift over the flour, then whisk through gently until smooth.
Pour in milk and whisk gently until smooth.
In a separate clean bowl, add egg whites. Whisk or beat until stiff peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, add a spatula worth of egg white and beat into the cheesecake mixture to loosen.
Next, gently fold in one third of remaining egg white, making sure not to deflate egg whites. Some egg white streaks are okay. Repeat with remaining egg white.
Grease rice cooker bowl well with butter.
Pour in the cheesecake mixture, then cook using the white rice setting, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your rice cooker.
When fully cooked, the cake should pull away from the sides and spring back when touched. If undercooked, cook again until done.
Once cooked, remove bowl from rice cooker and allow to cool for 10-15 mins.
Carefully remove cheesecake by inverting onto a plate. Allow to cool completely before garnishing with berries and serving.

Musang King Durian Cake

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To Prep
Blend the 120g of durian flesh with the 2 tbsp of milk, making sure the durian flesh are soft.
Lightly grease and flour a loaf cake tin, set aside.
Sift flour and salt, set aside.
Preheat the oven at 170°C.

To Bake
Beat butter and sugar till light, creamy and fluffy at high speed.
Add in eggs one at a time, mix well.
Stir in blended durian and mix to combine.
Divide the sifted flour into 4 portions. Fold in 1 portion into the batter and mix well, scraping from the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
Mix in 2 tbsp of buttermilk.
Repeat again twice, ending with the 4th portion of flour.
Pour a thin layer to the cake pan, sprinkle sliced durian chunks, then pour another layer of batter. Repeat until all batter is transferred to the cake tin.
Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 mins (baking time is longer as this cake contains durian flesh). Test with a skewer until it comes out clean. Let cake cool in mould for about 5-10 mins, before removing onto a wire rack to cool.

Yuzu Sorbet

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To Make
Heat yuzu juice and sugar in a pot gently until the sugar dissolves completely and the liquid becomes clear.
Stir in water. Then, pour the liquid into a bowl. Submerge the base of the bowl into another bowl of iced water to allow to cool below room temperature.
Pour cooled liquid into an ice cream maker and churn for about 90 mins.
Remove and serve. Store remaining sorbet in the freezer.

Warabi Mochi

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To Prep
On a clean and dry baking tray, dust some soybean flour to cover the surface. Set aside.
Combine warabiko, sugar and water into a medium saucepan, mix well.

To Cook
Bring the mixture to boil over medium heat.
Lower the heat, stir fast and hard with a wooden spatula, making sure to stir through the bottom of the saucepan. Stir for about 10 mins or until the mixture is translucent and bubbles popping (boiling).
Remove from heat and transfer the mochi onto the floured baking tray. Dust more soybean flour over the mochi to cover the surface. Let cool.
Add more soybean flour to the baking tray.
Cut the mochi into cubes and toss in the soybean flour to make sure all surfaces are covered.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve with kuromitsu.

Valentine’s Nama Chocolate

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To Cook
Mix cream and honey in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat.
Pour cream and honey mixture over dark chocolate, mix well until it is smooth.
Add butter and mix well.
Pour mixture into a heart shape silicone mould. Put into freezer for at least 3 hrs or until set.
Carefully remove from mould and dust with strawberry powder.

Osmanthus Jelly

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To Prep
Combine gelatin powder with 100ml water, mix well and set aside.

To Cook
Pour 600ml water and dried osmanthus, if using, in a pot and bring to boil, then lower to medium heat.
Optional: use a mesh strainer to remove some of the osmanthus for a smoother texture.
Mix in the rehydrated gelatin and stir until dissolved.
Pour in the rock sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add in the goji berries and osmanthus jam or honey. Mix well and remove from heat. Let cool.
Pour into a mould and refrigerate for at least 4 hrs.

Thai Egg Custard-Filled Pumpkin

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To Prep
Carve out a hole around the stem of the pumpkin.
Scoop out the pumpkin seeds from the hole.
Rinse the pumpkin both outer and inner parts. Dry the pumpkin on a rack.
Repeat with second pumpkin.

To Cook
Add palm sugar, coconut milk and corn flour into a mixing bowl and mix well.
Squeeze the pandan leaves to extract the juice and add into mixing bowl with the pandan leaves.
Add eggs and mix well.
Strain the mixture with a cheesecloth and colander in order to get a smooth custard texture.
Fill ¾ of the pumpkin with the custard batter.
Repeat for second pumpkin
Steam the pumpkins over low heat for 40-45 mins.
Place egg custard-filled pumpkins into the fridge and leave them to set overnight.
When the custard has set, cut each egg custard-filled pumpkin and serve.

Sweet Osmanthus Taro

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To Cook
Boil water in a steamer or wok, place the taros over a rack and steam for about 10 mins. Remove and peel the skin, then cut into 2cm cubes.
In a small pot, boil 1L water and add in the taro cubes. Cook for 1-2 mins and add bicarbonate soda, rock sugar and brown sugar. If you are using the dried osmanthus, add them in too. Stir gently until the sugar are dissolved, about 1-2 mins.
Dilute the lotus root/potato starch in a small bowl of cold water, about 200ml, mix well. Add the solution into the soup, stir quickly for 1 min.
Add in the sweet osmanthus jam or honey, stir to mix well and turn off the heat. Serve in a small bowl, garnish with some dried osmanthus.

Shiratama Dango

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To Prep
In a mixing bowl, mix shiratamako and sugar evenly. Add 2 tbsp water and mix with a spatula until well combined.
Press the mixture with your hand to knead into a ball. Slowly add more water to form the ball or wet your hand slightly to incorporate the water into the dough.
Use the dough to pick up the crumbs and knead until soft and smooth, like “earlobe”.
Roll into a ball and form a log. Pinch off dough to make 2cm balls. Flatten the balls slightly into disks and press to make an indent at the top center.

To Cook
In a pot of boiling water, cook the shiratama dango for 2 mins or until they start to float.
Remove and soak in ice water to let cool.
Serve within 30 mins. Alternatively, store in water and keep in the fridge. To serve, cook in boiling water again to soften.