I had never eaten kanom krok (aka Thai coconut cakes or Thai coconut custard) when I attempted to make it during a recent Live Asian Kitchen broadcast. Without a frame of reference as to how it should taste, I found both the recipe I used and the final outcome somewhat perplexing. First of all, it produced a gooey topping that had no chance of » Read More
How to Cook Crispy Squid or Calamari
November 20, 2018 by
My seafood shopping choices are heavily dictated by budget, in the sense that I would pick up something simply because it looks cheap, and figure out how to make it palatable after the fact. This explains why I often use squid instead of the more expensive calamari; contrary to popular opinion, squid can taste pretty tender even when simply » Read More
How to Make Sweet Potato Dumplings with Red Bean Paste Filling
November 20, 2018 by
These sweet potato dumplings are pretty easy to make; you can used ready-to-use red bean paste (in cans or packs at your local Asian grocery store), though in this Live Asian Kitchen, I used the homemade red bean paste I’d made a couple of weeks earlier. Other popular filling options include lotus seed paste or mung bean paste. The » Read More
How to Cook Yee Mein Noodles with Garlic Butter Sauce
November 5, 2018 by
I recently had some crab yee mein noodles at The Good Kitchen restaurant in Hurstville, and they were so memorable I decided to attempt making the dish during my Live Asian Kitchen broadcast (but with prawns due to budget constraints). The noodles were served up with a butter and garlic sauce, and I was told that the secret was to add a small » Read More
How to Make Shanghai-Style Pancakes
November 5, 2018 by
I remember Shanghai red bean paste-filled pancakes being a staple on the sweets trolley at yum cha back in the day, but I have to admit that I haven’t really seen them around in recent years. The good news is that they’re actually pretty easy to make, and apart from red bean paste, all you really need are flour and eggs, and oil for frying. I used » Read More
How to Cook Sihanoukville Cuttlefish
October 30, 2018 by
A Wok Around Asia Recipe from Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort, Cambodia I didn’t get a chance to visit Sihanoukville during my first Wok Around Asia jaunt, but I had the opportunity to taste one of its well-known dishes, Sihanoukville Cuttlefish, at Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort’s Lok Lak Restaurant. This recipe is courtesy of Chef » Read More
How to Cook Steamed Fish with Choy Poh (Preserved Radish)
October 30, 2018 by
I've previously posted a couple of steamed fish recipes with preserved vegetables, and this is a variation on one of them; this time around, I'm using barramundi instead of silver perch (though, really, this would work with most white fish/fish fillets). Since I get asked all the time, I'm also showing you the type of "choy poh" ie. preserved » Read More
How to Make Durian Fritters (Jemput-Jemput Durian)
October 25, 2018 by
I belong to that demographic of Malaysians who turn up our noses at our Singaporean neighbours’ sad attempts to use durian in edgy ways, such as in a pizza, hot pot (ie. steamboat) or chee cheong fun (rice noodle rolls). It seems like a bit of a waste of good durian, which I prefer to eat straight and unencumbered by ingredients that effectively » Read More
How to Make Harm Chim Peng (Savoury Doughnuts) w/Red Bean Filling
October 25, 2018 by
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again… Harm Chim Peng (I’ve spelled the dish the way it’s pronounced in Cantonese; I don’t know of a standard spelling for it), is a type of savoury doughnut sold at street stalls back in Malaysia, and it comes in a number of different varieties - plain, spiralled, filled with sticky rice, etc. My favourite » Read More
How to Make Red Bean Paste
October 25, 2018 by
Red bean paste filling is popularly used in Chinese snacks, from steamed buns to mooncakes; here are some examples of what I’ve been using my most recent batch in, with recipes to follow in my upcoming posts - You can buy canned red bean paste filling at Asian grocery stores, but I like the idea of making my own when I can; it’s » Read More