This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Love Asian Food? Give These Tasty Recipes A Go

They will wok your world.
More Please! by Manu Feildel with Clarissa Weeraseena (Murdoch Books)

If you can't get enough of all types of Asian cuisine -- from Malaysian to Chinese -- and you love cooking up a storm at home, these recipes are for you.

These recipes from More Please! by Manu Feildel are easy to make and are packed full of powerful Asian flavours. With Feildel having diverse cultural roots -- French, Chinese, Malay and Sri Lankan -- these dishes are all about classic Asian dishes with a little twist.

From Malaysian fried chicken and fried rice, to Chinese style omelette and hokkien noodles with pork and prawns, these Chinese and southeast Asian recipes have got you covered.

These are the recipes Manu Feildel likes to cook at home.
More Please! by Manu Feildel with Clarissa Weeraseena (Murdoch Books)
These are the recipes Manu Feildel likes to cook at home.

1. Malaysian fried chicken

"All I can say about this chicken is that it's lip-smacking, finger-licking good," Feildel said.

"It is served in all 'mamak' stalls (outdoor food stalls) in Malaysia, which are open until the wee hours of the morning -- perfect for a late supper after a big night out at a club. It's great as an appetiser, but it's usually served as a main with coconut rice."

Serves four.

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
  • 5 small red Asian shallots, halved and skin removed
  • 4cm piece ginger, coarsely chopped
  • 2 lemongrass stems, pale part only, bruised and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus extra to serve (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce, plus extra to serve (optional)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon chilli powder
  • 3 teaspoons curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon whole aniseeds
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 35g (¼ cup) plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt, plus extra to serve
  • 3 teaspoons caster sugar
  • 4 chicken Marylands (leg quarters), skin on, each cut into 3 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
  • Canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying

METHOD

1. Put the garlic, shallot, ginger and lemongrass in a food processor and process to a fine paste, adding canola oil if required to reach a paste consistency. Stir in the lime juice, soy sauce and egg.

2. Combine the spices, flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in the garlic mixture until combined. Add the chicken pieces and mix until each piece is well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for at least one hour.

3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or saucepan to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Working in batches of three pieces at a time (or more, depending on the size of your fryer or pan), carefully ease the chicken into the oil and cook for 7–9 minutes, or until crisp, golden brown and cooked through (smaller pieces will cook in seven minutes, while larger pieces will need an extra minute or two).

4. Drain well on a plate lined with paper towel. Cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining pieces. Before you start each new batch, make sure you have fished out all the bits and pieces floating in the oil.

5. Sprinkle with extra sea salt and serve with extra soy sauce or lime juice, if you like.

This crispy fried chicken has the perfect balance of salty, zesty and sweet.
More Please! by Manu Feildel with Clarissa Weeraseena (Murdoch Books)
This crispy fried chicken has the perfect balance of salty, zesty and sweet.

2. Fried rice

"I know that there are hundreds of versions of fried rice out there but this version, not surprisingly, has a little French influence: butter," Feildel said.

"There is a reason this simple ingredient is a chef's secret weapon."

Serves four.

INGREDIENTS

  • 300g (1½ cups) jasmine or long-grain rice
  • 4 eggs
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 80ml peanut oil
  • 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
  • 3 Chinese sausages (lap cheong), cut into cubes, or 250g streaky bacon, cut into 5mm thick strips
  • 8 medium raw prawns, peeled and deveined, each cut into 3 pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
  • 3 spring onions, pale and green parts separated, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • 20g butter
  • Dash of fish sauce (optional)

METHOD

1. Wash the rice four or five times until the water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add 750ml (3 cups) of water, ensuring the rice is level so it cooks evenly. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about five minutes, or until tunnels form in the rice and most of the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat and set aside, covered, for about 10 minutes to allow the rice to steam through and become fluffy. Remove the lid and run a fork through the rice. (Alternatively, you can use a rice cooker.)

2. Spread the cooked rice on a baking tray lined with baking paper (this will help the rice cool faster and will also soak up any excess moisture). You can do this up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge, if you like.

3. Put the eggs, sugar and a pinch of the white pepper in a bowl and whisk together.

4. Heat a large wok over high heat and add one tablespoon of the oil. When it is smoking hot, pour in the egg mixture. As soon as the egg starts to sizzle, start stirring it as if you are making scrambled eggs. Remove the egg from the wok as soon it's cooked and set aside.

5. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and wait until it is smoking again, then add the onion and stir fry until it starts to become translucent. Add the Chinese sausage or bacon and stir fry for 1–2 minutes.

6. Sprinkle over the remaining white pepper as you are cooking, then add the prawns and cook for a further one minute. Season with salt, then add the cooked rice. Spread the rice around the wok, then let it sit for a few minutes. Don't over stir the rice at this point -- you want it to stick to the wok and crisp up, adding a delicious texture to the dish.

7. Add soy sauce to taste. If the rice looks a little dry, add hot water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Toss through the pale part of the spring onion and the cooked egg, then remove from the heat and scatter over the green part of the spring onion.

8. Quickly mix through the butter to give the rice a flavour boost and a good shine, season with a dash of fish sauce, if you like, and serve.

The key to a good fried rice dish is using slightly dried out rice.
More Please! by Manu Feildel with Clarissa Weeraseena (Murdoch Books)
The key to a good fried rice dish is using slightly dried out rice.

3. Hokkien noodles with pork and prawns

"What's not to like in this crowd-pleasing recipe? Easy to cook and even easier to eat, it's everything you want in a noodle dish," Feildel said.

"As with all stir fries, make sure you have all the ingredients and sauces prepared and close to your wok before you start cooking."

Serves 4-6.

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g pork scotch fillet, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch choy sum
  • 1kg hokkien noodles
  • 100ml peanut or vegetable oil
  • 3 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 12 raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact
  • 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra to taste
  • 1 large brown onion, diced
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 2 fresh long red chillies, thinly sliced (optional)

Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour

METHOD

1. To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Add the pork and stir to coat thoroughly, then cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Wash the choy sum well, then separate the leaves from the stalks and cut into 5cm pieces.

3. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Put the noodles in a colander set over a large heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water to rinse. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

4. Heat a large wok over high heat and add two tablespoons of oil. When the oil is starting to smoke, add the pork and marinade and stir fry for two minutes. Add the garlic and prawns and stir fry for another minute. Add the choy sum stalks and toss to combine, then pour in the chicken stock and half the soy sauce and cook for two minutes. Add the choy sum leaves and stir until wilted. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside.

5. Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat. When the oil is smoking, add the onion and stir fry for 3–4 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Add the noodles, spreading them evenly across the wok, and leave to crisp slightly at the bottom. Drizzle over the remaining soy sauce and stir fry for a few seconds.

6. Add the pork and prawn mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and extra soy sauce to taste, and serve garnished with fresh chilli, if desired.

YUM.
More Please! by Manu Feildel with Clarissa Weeraseena (Murdoch Books)
YUM.

4. Chinese-style omelette

"Every cuisine has its own version of the omelette: the English, the French, the Spanish all have one, and so do the Chinese, and this is it," Feildel said.

"You really can't go wrong with this foolproof recipe. The omelette is usually offered as an accompaniment to other dishes but we also eat it just as it is."

Serves 2-3.

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 60ml (¼ cup) peanut or vegetable oil
  • 1 large brown onion, cut into thin wedges
  • 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong), thinly sliced
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal
  • Sliced fresh red chilli, to garnish (optional)

METHOD

1. Put the eggs, salt, pepper, sugar and soy sauce in a medium bowl and beat until combined.

2. Heat a wok or medium non-stick frying pan over high heat, add the oil and heat until slightly smoking. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until slightly golden. Toss in the Chinese sausage and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until crispy.

3. Spread the onion and sausage evenly over the base of the wok or pan, pour in the egg mixture and tilt the pan to spread evenly, if required. Cook for one minute, then carefully turn the omelette over and cook for a further one minute, or until golden. Slide onto a plate, garnish with spring onion and chilli (if using) and serve immediately.

Don't forget the chilli if you like your food spicy.
More Please! by Manu Feildel with Clarissa Weeraseena (Murdoch Books)
Don't forget the chilli if you like your food spicy.

Click below to follow HuffPost Australia on Snapchat!

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.