Hom - Simple Asian Cookery

Contents

In Simple Asian Cookery, Ken Hom expands the culinary horizon with the food of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

The increasing popularity of Indian, Chinese and Thai food has led many cooks to explore further afield, and here Ken presents 40 simple, healthy and delicious dishes from the Far East.

The cuisines of these countries are characterized by a variety of flavours and cooking techniques: the fresh, sweet and sour flavours of Indonesia (Hot and Sour Indonesian Prawns); the fragrant curries (Malaysian Fish Curry) and spicy grilled meats of Malaysia; the fast fusion food of Singapore (Fragrant Singapore-style Prawn Curry); and the delicate and aromatic cooking of Vietnam (Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls).

With a menu planner, step-by-step instructions and a guide to essential ingredients and equipment, Simple Asian Cookery will tempt cooks everywhere.

Ken Hom is widely regarded as one of the worlds greatest authorities on Oriental cooking. He has made several series for the BBC including Chinese Cookery, Hot Wok, Travels with a Hot Wok and Foolproof Chinese Cookery, and his many books are worldwide bestsellers. He is a consultant to Noble House Leisure Limited, which includes the Yellow River Cafs and signature restaurants. He lives in Paris, south-west France and Thailand.

To my godson, Christian Eliott Mingde Oei, a true bec fin

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Version 1.0

Epub ISBN 9781473530133

www.randomhouse.co.uk

Food photography by Jean Cazals

Published by BBC Books,
BBC Worldwide Ltd,
Woodlands, 80 Wood Lane,
London W12 0TT

First published in hardback as Foolproof Asian Cookery in 2003

This paperback edition first published in 2006

Reprinted 2006

Copyright Promo Group Ltd 2003

The moral right of Ken Hom to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted.

Food photography Jean Cazals 2003

ISBN-13: 9780563493686

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Commissioning editor: Vivien Bowler

Project editor: Sarah Lavelle

Copy editor: Jane Middleton

Art direction and design: Lisa Pettibone

Production controller: Arlene Alexander

Home economist: Marie Ange Lapierre

Stylist: Sue Rowlands

The publishers would like to thank the following for supplying items used in the photographs: Kara Kara, David Mellor and William Levine

Ethnic cuisines Indian, Chinese and Thai have enjoyed increasing popularity throughout the West. Now more than ever, our cooking is being revitalized by an openness to outside influences, drawing upon foreign ingredients, flavours and techniques.

The growing Asian influences on Western cooking have aroused curiosity about other cuisines in the Far East too. Thus we are turning our attention to the lesser-known but equally delicious food of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Most of the ingredients for these cuisines are available in ordinary supermarkets and we can now profit from restaurants offering native dishes and menus. The result has been an expansion of culinary horizons for all of us.

What are the characteristics of these exotic cuisines? They are as varied as their individual cultures and history. Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and is home to the worlds fifth largest population. Its rich culinary history has been influenced at various times by the Chinese, Indians, Dutch, Portuguese and even the English. Many Indonesian dishes have a pungent, spicy taste balanced by sour, sweet and salty flavours, and tempered by fragrant lemon grass, chillies, fresh herbs and coconut milk.

The Malay peninsula enjoys a tropical climate and geography. No doubt this has had an impact on its cuisine as well. Malaysian cooking has heavy Chinese and Indian influences, which blend with Malay tradition to produce a very distinctive style. It is a fusion of stir-fried dishes with curries, tasty fried dishes and grilled marinated meats.

Singapores unique position as a cosmopolitan crossroads is exemplified by its cuisine. Heavily influenced by Chinese food, mixed with Malay and Indian touches, Singaporean cooking is the ultimate fusion food. The tropical climate makes eating an outdoor affair. Stir-fried dishes, grilled meats, even steamed dishes are served all day and night on the streets and in the food courts that are such a feature of Singaporean dining. Vietnam borders China and Southeast Asian nations such as Laos and Cambodia. Its cuisine reflects the influences of its neighbours but is unusually delicate at the same time: soups are light yet complex, and full of herbaceous flavours; many dishes are complemented by dipping sauces that are salty, spicy and sour all at once.

Our knowledge of these four important cuisines not only enriches our culinary enjoyment but is a natural development of our interest in Chinese and Thai cooking, which we all love so much. I wish you a happy voyage on this exciting culinary adventure.

The cuisine of Southeast Asia Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore has recently grown in popularity with home cooks and master chefs alike. Asian ingredients have become valued staples in the pantries of both home and restaurant kitchens. This is partly in response to health concerns, as most Asian cooking is light and clean, with little added animal fat such as cream, cheese or butter. Furthermore, with global connections now commonplace, many formerly exotic ingredients have become familiar and readily available. And, as Asian emigration has expanded throughout the West, Asian cooking has cross-pollinated with that of other cultures.

Below is a brief guide to Asian ingredients used in this book.

Also known as tofu, beancurd is highly nutritious and rich in protein, with a distinctive texture but bland taste. It is made from yellow soya beans, which are soaked, ground, mixed with water and then cooked briefly before being solidified. Beancurd is readily available in two forms as firm cakes or as a thickish junket and may also be found in several dried forms and in a fermented version. The soft, junket-like variety (sometimes called silken tofu) is used for stir-frying, braising and poaching. Solid beancurd cakes are white in colour and are sold in supermarkets and Chinese grocers shops, as well as in many healthfood shops. They are packed in water in plastic containers and may be kept in this state in the refrigerator for up to five days, provided the water is changed daily.

To use solid beancurd, cut it into cubes or shreds with a sharp knife. Do this with care, as it is delicate. It also needs to be cooked carefully, as too much stirring can cause it to crumble.