Ryland Peters - The Asian Kitchen

THE ASIAN KITCHEN THE ASIAN KITCHEN 70 RECIPES FOR POPULAR DISHES, FROM DUMPLINGS AND NOODLE SOUPS TO STIR-FRIES AND RICE BOWLS Designer Paul Stradling Editor Emily Calder Head of Production Patricia Harrington Creative Director Leslie Harrington Editorial Director Julia Charles Indexer Vanessa Bird Proofreader Kate Reeves-Brown First published in 2022 by Ryland Peters & Small 2021 Jockeys Fields London WC1R 4BW and 341 E 116th St New York, NY 10029 www.rylandpeters.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Recipe collection compiled by Emily Calder. Text Valerie Aikman-Smith, Nadia Arumagum, Ghillie Basan, Vatcharin Bhumichitr, James Campbell, Ross Dobson, Mat Follas, Liz Franklin, Tonia George, Brian Glover, Carol Hilker, Atsuko Ikeda, Kathy Kordalis, Loretta Liu, Uyen Luu, Dan May, Louise Pickford, Annie Rigg, Laura Santini, Leah Vanderveldt, Laura Washburn Hutton, Belinda Williams 2022. Design and photographs Ryland Peters & Small 2022 (see for photo credits). ISBN: 978-1-78879-436-7 eISBN: 978-1-78879-461-9 The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. US Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for. Printed and bound in China. NOTES

• Both British (metric) and American (imperial plus US cups) are included in these recipes for your convenience; however it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe.
• All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified.
• All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless otherwise specified. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.
• When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.
• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures.

  We recommend using an oven thermometer. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturers instructions.

CONTENTS The foods of East and Southeast Asia are amongst the freshest, most vibrant, and most flavoursome in the world. Not only are they delicious, healthy, and bursting with taste, but as densely populated regions they provide a huge variety of unique cuisines, including Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean. The geographical and historical influences of the flavours involved means that these recipes provide a melting pot of textures and tastes. The Asian Kitchen prizes tender meats and fiery sauces which make the most of the fascinating local flavours found in the relevant regions. These cuisines are also naturally abundant in vegetables; making many of these recipes ideal for vegetarians and vegans who want to enjoy the lively aromas of Asian food without missing out on flavours.

From creamy curries from Thailand, to rich and hearty noodle dishes from Vietnam, all these dishes are equally delicious. The recipes pack in all of the most distinctive and notable Asian flavours, with tasty notes of miso, fragrant spices and aromatic herbs, the unique essence of lemon grass, peppery tastes, thick noodles, and everything that is delicious, healthy and comforting about these cuisines. This book brings 70 recipes for dressings, pastes and dipping sauces, small bites, soups, noodles and rice, curries and stews, main plates and sweet things which embrace all the classic flavours and key dishes from East and Southeast Asian countries. Those keen to jump into playing with flavours will enjoy whipping up Fresh Curry Pastes and Dipping Sauces from scratch, whilst anyone looking for a nourishing nibble will love classic Spring Rolls, rich Barbecue Pork Bao and crunchy Sesame Prawn Toasts with Pickled Carrot. Cold winter evenings will welcome in the comfort of Chicken Noodle Soup, and satisfyingly-slurpy Peppered Beef Pho, whilst hot afternoons will be perfect for carby classics like Beef Chow Mein, or an Egg-Fried Rice to use up those leftover summer veggies. Dinners with friends will be excellently catered for with flavoursome staples like Green Coconut Shrimp Curry.

Finish off the meal with a variety of sweet dishes, including the Thai staple Sticky Rice with Mango and the much-treasured Hong Kong Egg Tart. GREEN CURRY PASTE TO MAKE A PROPER THAI GREEN CURRY, THE GREEN CURRY PASTE MUST BE AUTHENTIC. THE ONE BELOW IS SIMPLE TO MAKE AND WILL KEEP WELL IN THE FRIDGE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE FOR GREEN THAI SOUP (). 1 teaspoon coriander seeds teaspoon cumin seeds 6 white peppercorns 3 large green chillies/chiles, deseeded and sliced 4 green birds-eye chillies/chiles, deseeded and sliced 4 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2.5-cm/1-in. piece of galangal, peeled and sliced 4 freshly chopped coriander/cilantro stalks, roots included 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed 2 teaspoons shrimp paste 4 teaspoons groundnut/peanut oil MAKES 150 ML/ CUP Dry-fry the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns until they turn golden and begin to release their aroma.

Leave to cool, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder. Put all the chillies, the spring onions, garlic, galangal, fresh coriander, lemongrass, shrimp paste and oil in a food processor or blender and process to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ground spices. Store in a sterilized, screwtop jar in the fridge and use as directed by the recipe. RED CURRY PASTE THIS MAY LOOK LIKE HARD WORK WITH THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS, BUT ONCE YOU HAVE MADE THIS PASTE YOU CAN STORE IT IN THE FRIDGE FOR A WEEK. 2 tablespoons fresh ginger,peeled and grated 6 red fresh chillies/chiles, deseeded and sliced 4 bird's eye chillies/chiles, deseeded and sliced 6 lime leaves, roughly chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons sambal selek (Asian chilli/chile paste) 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 teaspoon shrimp paste freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 1 lime 1 teaspoon palm sugar/jaggery 2 tablespoons vegetable oil MAKES SCANT 180 ML/ CUP Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process to a coarse paste. 2 tablespoons fresh ginger,peeled and grated 6 red fresh chillies/chiles, deseeded and sliced 4 bird's eye chillies/chiles, deseeded and sliced 6 lime leaves, roughly chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons sambal selek (Asian chilli/chile paste) 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 teaspoon shrimp paste freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 1 lime 1 teaspoon palm sugar/jaggery 2 tablespoons vegetable oil MAKES SCANT 180 ML/ CUP Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process to a coarse paste.