Hospitality Management (Asian Cuisine - Recipe Example)

Asian Recipes Example

Southeast Asia

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Appetizer

Bánh Xèo – Crispy & Savory Vietnamese Crêpes

Ingredients

Batter

• 9 oz rice flour
• 3 oz all-purpose wheat flour
• 2-3 tsp turmeric
• 3.5 c water
• 1 can coconut cream (14 oz / 400 ml) if unavailable, use coconut milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sprig green onion ~6-7 leaves, chopped about 1-2 cm long

Filling

• 1 lb shrimp without heads sized 45/50 or 60/70
• 1.5 lb pork belly
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 1-1.5 lb bean sprouts
• 1/2 c dry mung beans optional

Vegetables

• 1 head mustard greens caỉ xanh
• 1 bunch mint
• 1 bunch cilantro optional
• 1 bunch Vietnamese perilla tía tô, optional

Dipping sauce

• Vietnamese fish sauce

Instructions

Prepare Batter

1.      Combine all batter ingredients except scallions in a large bowl for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Add scallions only right before making the crêpes.

Prepare Fillings

1.      Steam or soak mung beans in water until soft

2.      Boil pork until cooked through. Slice thinly.

3.      Wash bean sprouts and veggies

Making Banh Xeo - Each crêpe takes about 5-7 minutes

1.      On medium-high heat add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and some onions

2.      Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing until very lightly browned.

3.      Pour in some batter and quickly tilt & rotate the pan so the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it wasn't enough to cover the pan.

4.      Add some mung beans, bean sprouts, and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes, or until bean sprouts are slightly cooked. The batter should also be slightly cooked and transparent around the edges.

5.      Remove the lid, lower heat to medium and wait for the crêpe to become crisp. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

Salad

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3 (600g) chicken breast fillets
• 1/2 large wombok (Chinese cabbage), finely shredded
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1 quantity Vietnamese dressing
• 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped

Vietnamese dressing

• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 4 small red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Method

1.      Make dressing: Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, chilli and sugar together in a jug until sugar has dissolved.

2.      Place chicken in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer, turning once, for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan. Cool. Shred.

3.      Place cabbage, carrot, mint, coriander and chicken in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve.

Soup

Vietnamese Pho Soup

Ingredients:

• 8 cups beef broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly minced
• 3 whole star anise (optional if you don’t like the flavor)
• 3 whole cloves (talking about the spice, “cloves”)
• 1 (3-inch) knob of ginger, sliced into coins
• 1 cinnamon stick
• (optional: 2 Tbsp. fish sauce)
• salt and black pepper
• 1 package pho rice noodles (look for the word “pho” on the package)
• 12 ounces steak, very thinly sliced against the grain (I used flank steak)
• Garnishes: bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, fresh ginger slices, lime wedges, thinly-chopped green onions, thinly-sliced jalapenos, Thai basil

Directions:

Stir together beef broth, water, onion, garlic, star anise, cloves, ginger, cinnamon stick (and fish sauce, if using) in a large stockpot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. (If your package of noodles — like mine — did not have instructions, simply bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then cook the noodles until al dente, about 3 minutes.) Immediately drain the noodles, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the soup, fill the serving bowls about halfway full with noodles. Then cover with the hot broth, and immediately stir in the steak so that it cooks. Top with your desired garnishes.

Main Dish

Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)

Ingredients

Beef Marinade:

•  1.5 lbs beef sirloin, or any cut you like cut into 1" cubes
•  2 tbs minced garlic
•  1.5 tbs sugar
•  2 tbs oyster sauce
•  1 tbs fish sauce
•  1 tbs sesame oil
•  1 ts thick soy sauce

Vinaigrette:

•  1/2 cup rice vinegar
•  1.5 tbs sugar
•  1/2 tbs salt

Dipping Sauce:

•  1 lime juice
•  1/2 ts kosher salt
•  1/2 ts fresh cracked pepper
•  1 red onion, thinly sliced
•  2 bunches of watercress, long stems trimmed
•  2 to matoes, thinly sliced
•  Cooking oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Prepare marinade by combining garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, thick soy sauce and sesame oil with the beef for at least half an hour, preferably 1-2 hrs.
2. Prepare vinaigrette by mixing rice vinegar with salt and sugar. It should be a balance of sour, salty and sweet.
3. Thinly slice the red onion and use about 3-4 tbs of the vinaigrette to pickle and set aside covered in fridge for about 10 minutes. Prepare bed of watercress and tomatoes in a serving platter and set aside.
4. Heat a large wok or pan over high heat. Add about 2 tbs cooking oil and when it begins to smoke, add an even layer of beef and allow to sear for about 2 minutes, before "shaking" to sear the opposite sides for about another 1-2 minute more to brown all the sides. Do this in batches to cook all the beef if necessary.
5. Transfer beef to bed of watercress and tomatoes. Drizzle another 3-4 tbs of vinaigrette over the beef and greens and top with pickled red onions. Lastly, squeeze lime juice over salt and pepper in a small ramekin.

Side Dish

Vietnamese Pickled Mustard Greens – Dua Chua Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb large head of gai choi (Asian mustard greens)
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 16 cups water
• 4 tbsp. salt
• 10 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. vinegar

Instructions

1.      Break the gai choi leaves apart and clean thoroughly under running water. Dry on the counter for 10-16 hours or in the sun for 6-8 hours.

2.      Cut the leaves and onions to desired size, about 1" pieces.

3.      Combine water, salt, sugar, and vinegar in a pot and bring almost to a boil. Turn off heat and wait until water cools. It should be hot, but you can touch it without burning yourself.

4.      Add all the vegetables into the pot, making sure everything is submerged. You can also add all of this into a jar instead of the pot. Leave your container in a warm place (window sill, or oven with the oven light on) so it can pickle. Taste a piece every 24 hours until it gets sour enough for your taste, then transfer to the fridge.

 

Dessert

Vietnamese Banana, Coconut & Tapioca Dessert (Chè Chuối)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ripe Vietnamese bananas or plantains
• 4 ounces sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons small tapioca balls
• 4 pandan leaves or a few drops of pandan flavoring if leaves aren't available
• 1/2 can coconut creme Savoy brand

Topping

• 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds lightly crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Soak the tapioca balls in warm water for about 20 minutes, then drain.
2. Peel and cut bananas then marinate it in 4oz sugar to sweeten them. Make sure all sides of the bananas are covered in sugar, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 days. The longer you can marinate, the better.
3. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil with 2 knots of pandan leaves. Turn the heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes to extract the pandan flavor.
4. Add the remaining ingredients into the pot (banana, coconut creme, tapioca, salt), simmer on medium for about 15-20 minutes more until bananas reach desired softness.
5. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle a bit on top of each individual serving

 

 

Thailand

Appetizer

Crispy Fried Pork Ribs With Thai Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 pounds pork ribs (chopped into 2 to 3-inch segments)
• 7 to 8 cloves garlic
• 3/4 cup fresh coriander (leaves and stems, chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sherry (cooking sherry may be used)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 to 2 cups oil (for deep-frying; high-heat such as coconut or canola)

Instructions

1.       Gather the ingredients.

2.       Place garlic, coriander, fish sauce, and sherry in a mini chopper or food processor.

3.       Blitz to create an aromatic green marinade.

4.       Place prepared pork ribs in a mixing bowl. Add the marinade and toss well to mix. Set in the refrigerator to marinate at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.

5.       In another bowl, combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Gently turn or "roll" the ribs in the flour mixture until well coated. Place on a clean plate, leaving on as much of the paste as possible for the greatest flavor.

6.       Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat (it should be at least 1-inch deep). To test if oil is hot enough, dip one corner of a floured rib into the oil. If it begins to sizzle and cook immediately, the oil is ready.

7.       Carefully place the first batch of ribs in the oil, being sure not to disturb them for the first minute of frying. Reduce heat to medium, or just hot enough to keep ribs frying nicely.

8.       Using tongs to turn, fry the ribs 5 to 6 minutes each side, or until they turn a deep golden brown. To see if they are cooked, remove one from the oil and slice it open close to the bone, it should be white or very light pink inside.

9.       Remove from oil and drain on a clean tea towel or paper towel. Serve immediately with Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping.

10.    Enjoy!

 

Salad

Thai Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs (cut into thick strips)
• 1 pound salad greens
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1/2 to 1 cucumber (chopped)
• chopped tomatoes and cucumbers)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil and coriander (lightly chopped)
• For the Chicken Marinade:
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime juice)
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• For the Salad Dressing:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemongrass (finely minced)
• 1 kaffir lime leaf (cut into thin strips with scissors) or 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (available in tall bottles at all Asian/Chinese food stores)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (finely chopped)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce (to taste), or 1 fresh red chili (minced)

Instructions

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a cup except for the pepper. Slather over chicken, ensuring all parts are equally covered with marinade. Then sprinkle ground pepper all over the chicken's surface.
2. Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 15 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
3. If using the oven: Set oven to broil and place chicken on a broiling pan or a foil-lined baking sheet (turn out the sides of the foil to prevent juices from spilling into the oven).
4. Place chicken on the second-to-highest rung of your oven, allowing it to cook 5 minutes each side, then turning.
5. Continue broiling and turning until cooked (chicken will be lightly charred around the edges). Use the leftover marinade to baste chicken the first time you turn it.
6. If using a grill: Place chicken over a hot grill and cook until well done. Use leftover marinade to baste chicken when you turn it the first time.
7. To make the dressing: place water, lemongrass, and lime leaf strips in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute (this will soften the lemongrass and bring out the flavor of the lime leaf or zest). Remove from heat.
8. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and mix well.
9. Taste the dressing. It should be tangy, or a balance of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. Adjust it to your taste by adding more fish sauce if not flavorful or salty enough, more lime juice if too salty or sweet, more sugar if too sour, or more chili sauce if not spicy enough for your taste.
10. Toss the salad with the dressing. Portion out the salad among individual plates, and top with the fresh herbs, then strips of the hot chicken.
11. Serve immediately, while the chicken is still warm. 

 

Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 1 square tofu (fresh, if possible)
• 2 ounces pork tenderloin (cooked)
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
• 2 tbsp. black fungus (Wood Ear, or Cloud Ear fungus, or 3 to 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms or fresh mushrooms)
• 1 small handful lily buds (dried)
• 6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup Campbell's chicken broth)
• 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp. sugar (granulated)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar (red, white rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch (dissolved in 1/4 cup water)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 green onion (finely chopped)
• White pepper to taste (no more than 1 tablespoon)
• Optional: chili oil (hot, to taste)
• For the Marinade:
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. tapioca starch (or cornstarch)

Instructions

1. Shred pork. Mix marinade ingredients and marinate the pork for 20 minutes.
2. Cut tofu into small squares. Cut bamboo shoots into thin strips and then into fine slices. To reconstitute the fungus, soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Rinse, and cut into thin pieces. (If substituting Chinese dried mushrooms, soak to soften, then cut off the stems and cut into thin strips. If using fresh mushrooms, wipe clean with a damp cloth and slice.)
3. To reconstitute the dried lily buds, soak in hot water for 20 minutes or until softened. Cut off the hard ends.
4. Bring the water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the bamboo shoots, fungus or mushrooms, and the lily buds. Stir. Add the tofu. Bring back to a boil and add the marinated pork.
5. Stir in the salt, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar, and sesame oil.
6. Test the broth and adjust the taste if desired. (If using chicken broth, you may want to add a bit more rice vinegar).
7. Mix the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from the stove.
8. Slowly drop in the beaten egg, stirring in one direction at the same time. Add the green onion and the white pepper to taste. Drizzle with chili oil if desired. Serve hot.

Main Dish

Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger (fresh, or use ginger paste)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• Optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or to taste)
• 2 carrots (thinly sliced, about 1/8-inch thickness)
• 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup snow peas
• Garnish: fresh chopped cilantro
• Hot, cooked rice (to serve)

Instructions

1.       Gather the ingredients.

2.       Add the chicken stock to the Instant Pot along with the coconut milk, fish sauce, ginger, curry paste, lime juice, and lime zest. Add the chicken pieces to the pot.

3.       Turn the steam release vent to the sealing position and choose the pressure cook function, high pressure (manual on early models). Set the time to 5 minutes (7 minutes for boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks).

4.       When the time is up, carefully move the steam release vent to the venting position (for other brands, follow your pressure cooker's instructions for a quick release). Cancel the pressure cook function.

5.       With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces to a bowl or plate and set aside. To the pot, add the thinly sliced carrots, red and yellow peppers, and snow peas. Choose the sauté function and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

6.       Add the chicken back to the pot and heat through. Cancel the sauté function and ladle the chicken curry into a serving bowl; garnish with cilantro.

7.       Serve the curry with hot cooked rice. Enjoy!

 

Side dish

COCONUT CREAMED SPINACH

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small red onion--peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• One ½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 8 cups spinach
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1.      In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.

2.      Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time, stirring until it wilts before adding more. Continue until all the spinach is added.

3.      Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about four to five minutes. Season with the cayenne pepper, curry powder, paprika and salt, and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Dessert

Dairy-Free Mango Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 medium to large​ ripe mangoes
• 1 packet gelatin (3 tsp.)
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup good-quality​ coconut milk

Instructions

1.      Gather the ingredients.

2.      Make sure your mangoes are ripe—the fruit should be bright orange or yellow and fairly soft.

3.      Scoop out the fruit, including around the stone. Place the fruit in a food processor or blender and blitz to create a smooth mango puree. Leave the mango in the processor/blender. 

4.      In a saucepan, heat up the water until it reaches a rolling boil. Remove from heat. While stirring the water with a whisk or fork, sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and stir briskly in order not to have any lumps.

5.      Add the sugar to the hot water/gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve.

6.      Add this mixture to the mango in the food processor/blender. Add the coconut milk. Blitz briefly until ingredients are combined.

7.      Pour into dessert bowls or cups and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 if making ahead of company coming).

8.      Serve cold on its own, or with some fresh fruit.

9.      Enjoy!

 

 

Korea

Appetizer

KOREAN CANDIED SWEET POTATOES (GOGUMA MATTANG)

Ingredients

• 500 g sweet potato (1.1 pounds), you can use any sweet potatoes that are suitable for deep-frying or roasting (e.g. beauregard‘ variety). FYI, I used Korean sweet potatoes.
• Some cooking oil for deep-frying, enough to cover the sweet potatoes in a pot
• Some crushed nuts or roasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Caramel sauce

• 3 Tbsp raw sugar
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil , I used rice bran oil

Instructions

1. Wash the sweet potato, peel the skin and cut it into small chunks (not too thick as it will take longer to cook through). Soak them in cold water for 30 minutes to reduce the starch.
2. Drain away the water and thoroughly wipe off the water from the sweet potatoes with kitchen paper.
3. Pour the deep frying oil into a large pot and heat it up until it reaches 180 C / 356 F (or boiling). Add the sweet potatoes and cook them until cooked through (about 5 to 8 minutes).
4. Take out the fried sweet potatoes and place them onto some kitchen paper to soak away the excess oil.
5. Add the cooking oil in a well heated pan and scatter the sugar around. Melt it over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves then quickly reduce the heat to low. Add the sweet potatoes into the pan and mix well with the sauce (for 1 to 2 minutes).
6. Move the sweet potatoes onto non stick baking paper to cool down for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve. (You can garnish with some crushed nuts or sesame seeds for extra savory taste.)

 

Salad

Spicy Korean Coleslaw

Ingredients

• 1 small head cabbage (shredded into thin strips) or bag of shredded cabbage for coleslaw
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage (optional)
• 1 sweet onion (thinly sliced)
• 4 or 5 scallions (chopped)
• 1 carrot, julienned (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. crushed red pepper (kochukaru)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.      Mix all of the dressing ingredients together.

2.      Pour over the cabbage, onions, and scallions.

3.      Mix to combine.

4.      You can eat the Korean coleslaw immediately or wait a few hours for the flavors to deepen and combine.

Soup

Kongnamul Guk (Soybean Sprout Soup)

Ingredients

• 8 ounce kongnamul soybean sprouts
• 6 - 8 medium to large size dried anchovies for broth
• 1 plump garlic clove thinly sliced or minced
• 1 scallions chopped
• salt and pepper - See note
• 6 cups of water

Instructions

1. In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups of water with the anchovies and garlic to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium high and boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove the anchovies and garlic from the broth.
2. Rinse the soybean sprouts a couple of times, discarding any skins floating.
3. Add the bean sprouts and 1 teaspoon of salt and boil, covered, Bring it to a boil, and continue to cook for 4 - 5 minutes over medium high heat. Do not open the lid while the bean sprouts are being cooked, or the raw bean smell will linger even after cooked. Once kongnamul is cooked, taste for salt and pepper. The amount of salt needed at this point will depend on your salt and taste. Add the scallions and serve.

Main Dish

Beef short ribs soup (Galbitang) 

Ingredients

• 1 kg (about 3 pounds) beef short ribs
• 1 small Korean radish (or daikon), about 2 cups
• 1 medium size onion
• 12 cups water
• Starch noodles (optional)
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 4 to 6 green onions, chopped
• ground black pepper

Extra ingredients needed for the spicy version:

• Hot pepper flakes, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
• Extra ingredients needed for optional yellow egg paper strips:
  Called gyeran-noreunja-jidan (계란 노른자 지단) in Korean, they are a colorful garnish for the nonspicy version.
• 2 egg yolks
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil

Instructions:

Prepare the beef & broth:

1.      Rinse the beef short ribs in cold water a couple of times to remove any residual blood and bone fragments. Soak in cold water.

2.      Drain the ribs and blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

3.      Strain the ribs. Wash each one thoroughly and remove any visible fat. Clean the pot, too.

4.      Put the clean ribs back into the pot and add radish, onion, and 12 cups of water.

5.      Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 1 hour, and then lower the heat to medium and boil for another 1 hour.

6.      Remove from the heat. Discard the onion and put the ribs and radish into a stainless steel bowl.

7.      Strain the broth through a cheesecloth in a strainer. Put the clear broth back into the pot and remove any floating fat with a spoon.

8.      Add about 1 cup of starch noodles and the minced garlic. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the noodles are cooked. Taste a sample to check: they should be soft yet firm, with nothing hard inside.

9.      Turn off the heat.

Make optional yellow egg paper strips:

1.      Separate 2 egg yolks from the whites. Remove the white stringy stuff from the yolks. Mix with a pinch of salt.

2.      Add cooking oil to a heated nonstick pan. Swirl the oil around so it covers the pan, and then wipe off the excess heated oil with a kitchen towel so only a thin layer remains on the pan.

3.      Lower the heat to very low heat. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan and tilt it so the mixture spreads thinly. Turn off the heat and let it cook on the hot pan for about 1 minute. Flip it over and let it sit on the pan for 1 more minute.

4.      Slice it thin strips and set aside.

Put the soup together:

1.      Slice the radish into bite size pieces and put some into 2 large, shallow bowls.

2.      Add 2 or 3 ribs to each bowl.

For spicy galbitang:

1.      Add 2 teaspoons of hot pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to each bowl. Mix well.

2.      Reheat the soup and add some broth and noodles to each bowl.

For nonspicy galbitang:

3.      Reheat the soup and add some broth and noodles to each bowl.

4.      Add the gyerannoreunjajidan on top and sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Serve:

1.      Put a bowl of salt and a bowl of chopped green onion on the table, as well as a pepper grinder. Diners can add salt, green onion, and pepper to taste. Serve with rice and kimchi. You can also serve with some other side dishes if you want to.

 

Side dish

Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-fried Zucchini)

Ingredients:

·         1 medium zucchini (about 10 – 12 ounces)

·         2 or 3 teaspoons saeujeot (or fish sauce or salt to taste)

·         2 garlic cloves minced

·         1 teaspoon sesame oil

·         1 teaspoon sesame seeds

·         1 scallion, finely chopped

·         1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

Instructions:

1.      Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise (I cut mine into quarters because mine was round). Then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.

2.      You can use saeujeot as is or finely chopped. This is very salty, so use 2 teaspoons first and add more if needed.

3.      Heat a pan with the oil over medium high heat. Add the zucchini, garlic and saeujeot (or fish sauce) to the pan. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring well.

4.      Add the remaining ingredients and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook for another minute or two, stirring, until the zucchini is softened and turns translucent.

Dessert

Yaksik – Korean sweet rice dessert

Ingredients:

·         4 cups sweet rice

·         2 cups water

·         1 1/2 cups sugar (+ 3 T honey OR, 1 1/2 C dark brown sugar)

·          4 tablespoons soy sauce

·         4 tablespoons sesame oil

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (optional – not in my MIL’s recipe)

·         13 ounces chestnuts (or 1 1/2 C peeled chestnuts, uncooked)

·         1 cup dried jujubes (aka dried red dates)

·         2 tablespoons pine nuts

Instructions:

1.      You need: a pressure cooker (pressure rice cooker works best), 8×8 cake pan or 12 or more cupcake liners or remekins.

2.      Measure the sweet rice and soak in cold water for 1 hour (soak 5 hours if you are cooking in the microwave instead of a pressure cooker).

3.      Measure and prepare the pine nuts, chestnuts and jujubes. Drain the syrup from the canned chestnuts and set aside. Canned chestnuts work best but you can also use uncooked peeled chestnuts.

4.      Wash the dried jujubes, making sure the dust in between the wrinkles are completely washed away. Dry them with a towel. If they are seeded, cut around the seed. If they are seedless, one less thing to do! Cut the flesh into small squares (1/2 inch) or strips.

5.      Save the seeds and make some jujube water by boiling and then simmering the seeds in 2 cups of water for 10 min. Now you have jujube tea (대추차 daechucha) which you can drink with some honey and also use some to cook the rice later. Jujube water adds much more flavor.

6.      After the sweet rice has soaked for an hour, drain the water from the rice. Cook the rice in a pressure rice cooker by adding 2 cups of water (use 1/2 cup of the jujube water from earlier if you can) and follow the instructions for cooking regular white rice. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook the rice in the microwave – add about 1 cup of water and cook on high for 10 minutes.

7.      When the rice is cooked (the rice will be very sticky but should not be too mushy), add the sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and cinnamon powder. Mix the rice well but not too much because it will become too starchy. Stir only until the rice is evenly seasoned.

8.      Add the jujubes, chestnuts and pine nuts. Fold them into the rice.

9.      Put everything back in the pressure cooker and if you have a ‘steam’ option, steam for 20 minutes. If you don’t have a ‘steam’ option, just choose the shortest rice cook time and cook it again.

10.  You are ready to serve Yaksik now (or later). Fill a 8×8 cake pan with the Yaksik and let it cool. Once it’s cool to touch, cover it to keep it from drying. Cut it into small squares or 2/3 in thick slices and serve. You can also spoon them into cupcake cups or ramekins. Again, when it’s cooled, cover with some plastic wrap.

 

Malaysia

Appetizer

Malaysian Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1/2 inch fresh tumeric

·         1 tsp curry powder

·         3 Tbsp Lingham's Hot Sauce

·         5 bird's eye chilies

·         1 onion

·         1 Tbsp peeled, grated ginger

·         2 stalks lemongrass

·         2 lbs ground chicken

·         1 egg

·         cilantro and grated onion for garnish

Instructions

1.      In a food processor, combine garlic through lemongrass. Process until smooth.

2.      In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, 3/4 of sauce mixture and egg. Mix until well combined. Scoop into meatballs and place on baking sheet lined with foil.

3.      Bake meatballs at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining sauce mixture from step one. Garnish with chopped cilantro and grated onion.

Salad

KERABU TIMUN (SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD)

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup dried shrimps (rinsed and drained) (25g)

·         1 large cucumber

·         1 tsp salt

·         3 shallots (peeled and thinly sliced)

·         1 tbsp sambal belacan

·         ½ lime

·         ¼ tsp salt

·         1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1.      Soak dried shrimps in hot boiling water in a small bowl for 5 minutes. Drain and pound in a mortar and pestle until all shrimps are smashed. Dried shrimps can also be coarsely chopped on the cutting board. Set aside.

2.      Peel cucumber with a vegetable peeler. Cut into quarters lengthwise. Cut off the entire strip of seeds. Then cut cucumber strips at a diagonal into ¼ inch thick slices.

3.      Mix cucumber with a salt in a bowl for 20 minutes to draw out the juices. Rinse and drain.

4.      Place cucumber, shallots, prepared dried shrimps, sambal belacan, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the ingredients. Toss to get everything well mix.

5.      Transfer to a smaller bowl and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Soup

Malaysian Coconut Curry Soup

Ingredients

·         4 C (1 L) Chicken Broth, or Vegetable Broth, prepared

·         1 can (14 oz/398 ml) coconut milk

·         2 kaffir lime leaves

·         2 tsp (10 ml) Curry Seasoning

·         1 Tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste

·         1 carrot, thinly sliced

·         soy sauce, to taste

·         1 green onion, thinly sliced

·         2 C (500 ml) thinly sliced Chinese greens (bok choy, Chinese cabbage or Chinese broccoli)

Instructions

1.      Combine Bouillon, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves in Multipurpose Pot - 8 C. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

2.      Combine Madras Curry and tomato paste in a small mixing bowl. Add to soup along with carrots. Simmer for 3 minutes.

3.      Season to taste with soy sauce. Discard kaffir lime leaves.

4.      Stir in onion and Chinese greens and serve immediately.

Main Dish

BEEF RENDANG

Ingredients

·          1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into cubes

·          5 tablespoons cooking oil

·          1 stick cinnamon, about 2-inch length

·          3 cloves

·          3 star anise

·          3 cardamom pods

·          1 lemongrass, cut into 4-inch length and pounded

·          1 cup thick coconut milk, coconut cream

·          1 cup water

·          2 teaspoons tamarind pulp, soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds

·          6 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced

·          6 tablespoons kerisik, toasted coconut

·          1 tablespoon sugar or palm sugar to taste

·          salt to taste

Spice Paste:

·          5 shallots

·          1 inch galangal

·          3 lemongrass, white part only

·          5 cloves garlic

·          1 inch ginger

·          10-12 dried chilies, soaked in warm water and seeded

Instructions

1.      Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.

2.      Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.

3.      Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.

Side dish

NASI ULAM (NYONYA HERB RICE)

Ingredients

·         2 rice cooker cups long grain rice (1½ cups/300g)

·         ½ cup grated coconut (50g)

·         4 oz snapper fillet (113g)

·         ¾ tsp ground pepper (divided)

·         1½ tsp salt (divided)

·         5 shallots (thinly sliced)

·         1 lemongrass (white part only), thinly sliced

·         5 turmeric leaves (thinly sliced)

·         5 kaffir lime leaves (thinly sliced)

·         1 cup daun kesum / polygonum / Vietnamese mint, thinly sliced (10g)

·         1 cup mint leaves (thinly sliced) (10g)

·         ¾ tsp sugar

Instructions

1.      Wash and drain rice 3 to 4 times in rice cooker pot. Add 2 cups (480ml) water or until the 2 cup mark. Wipe the exterior of the pot dry and place in the rice cooker. Press the cook button.

2.      Prepare kerisik (fried coconut paste). Please refer to this tutorial for full instructions.

3.      Pan fry fish in a non-stick pan with ¼ teaspoon ground pepper and ½ teaspoon salt until it flakes, about 10 minutes. Break up the fish with your spatula.

4.      Transfer cooked rice to a big bowl. Add fish flakes, kerisik, shallots, lemongrass, turmeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves, daun kesum, mint leaves, ground pepper, salt, and sugar. Stir to get everything well mixed.

5.      Serve warm with main and side dishes.

 

Dessert

Malaysian Roti Canai

Ingredients

·         1-1/2 cups ( 10oz or about 300 gms) all purpose flour

·         1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

·         1/2 cup water, give or take few tbsp.

·         salt to taste

Instructions

Method - for making the dough

1.      Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl.

2.       Now add 1/4 cups of ghee into a hole made in the dough.

3.      Mix well and gradually add enough water to bind the dough.

4.      Next knead the dough on a greased counter top for 5-8 minutes.

5.      It takes time and little muscle, but this step is necessary to make a pliable dough.

6.      Place it back in the bowl and let it rest for at least 2 hours. This helps the dough to stretch well.

Method 1 - The Professional ( and traditional ) Method - Takes skill

7.      Take a small ball of the dough.

8.      With the hands, press it with the hands and lightly stretch it.

9.    Now start doing as depicted in the video.Looks easy doesn't it? Oh well, looks can be deceiving sometimes. If you tried it and you found yourself cursing that man in there for misleading you, then 

 Method 2 - Mostly Traditional Method - No skill set required

10.  Take a small ball from the dough.

11.  On a very well greased counter top, place the dough and using a rolling pin, roll the dough as much as you can.

12.  Then slowly using your hands, pull at one end of the dough. You can rest one hand in the middle of the dough and using another hand pull at the ends. Be gentle to avoid the dough getting torn ( not that it really matters that much ). Slowly do this at all the ends, until you can see through the dough.

13.   Now fold one end of the dough, by bringing the top end to the middle

14.   Repeat with the bottom end.

15.  Now bring the right end and then the left.

16.  Now slowly using your hands, stretch the dough a bit on all the ends.

17.  In a greased skillet, cook the prata for 1-2 minutes until browned

18.  Turn and then repeat.

Method 3 - for making spirals/ round shapes.

The first 2-3 steps are the same. Take a small ball of dough and using a rolling pin roll it as much as you can until they are see through ( same as method 2)

19.  Now start with the longer end. Start pleating the dough.

20.  Do this until you reach the end.

21.  Hold both ends of this dough rope. Slowly twist and turn it in the air, lightly. It will start stretching between your hands. Make it as long as you can.

22.   Now slowly circle the dough, starting from one end, until you reach the other end. BTW keep your hands greased throughout this process. The dough should not stick anywhere

23.  Once twisted completely, press it lightly with your hand to make a flatbread.

24.   Using a rolling pin, roll the dough as much as you can and to desirable thickness.

25.  Cook in a skillet greased with ghee for 1-2 minutes until browned.

26.  Turn and repeat.

27.  Serve warm. They go very well with any spicy gravy based dish. They are very flaky and soft.