Recipes, Tips & Serving Suggestions

A sweet and spicy satay stir fry with sumptuously soft hokkien noodles.

Ingredients

Marinade

2 Tbsp Pattu Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Jimmy's Satay Sauce
1 Tbsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
1 Brown Onion (Cut into wedges)
1 Tbsp Amoy Pure Sesame Oil
2 Tsp Erawan Tapioca Starch
1 Kg Chicken Thigh, (or diced firm tofu)

Stir Fry

1 Tbsp Lion & Globe Peanut Oil
1 - 2 Tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Knob of Ginger, finely chopped
1 Kg Fresh Evergreen Hokkien Noodles
2 – 3 Carrots, sliced into rounds
2 – 3 Bunches Baby Bok Choy, separated
100g Snake Beans, sliced into 4 – 5cm pieces

To Serve

1 Tbsp Pattu White Sesame Seeds
2 – 3 Red Chillies, sliced diagonally
1 Bunch of coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and mix well. Add diced chicken and toss through the marinade until thoroughly coated. Cover and marinate in fridge for 3 hours, or overnight.
2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add Hokkien noodles and boil for 60 seconds. Drain noodles and set aside.
3. Heat peanut oil in a large wok. Add, garlic, ginger, carrots and snake beans and stir fry until tender. Add marinated chicken, including any liquid marinade, to wok and stir fry until brown. Tip: Sprinkle Shaoxing wine into the wok to deglaze if necessary.
4. Add Baby Bok Choy and Hokkien Noodles. Stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes, or until noodles are tender and and thoroughly combined.
5. Distribute among plates. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, sliced chillies and chopped coriander to serve.

Nepali chowmein is great as a hearty snack, or a light meal. It is readily available at tea shops and local restaurants throughout the country, but it's really easy to make at home. If you'd prefer vegetarian chowmein, simply leave out the meat or replace it with firm tofu.

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Onion Sliced
• 1 Tbsp Pattu Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/2 Green Capsicum
• 1/4 Cabbage (shredded)
• 1 Carrot (julienned)
• 2 - 3 Snake Beans (sliced)
• 500g vegetarian stirfry noodles
• 500g Chicken Breast (if using)
• 2 Tsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Thin Soy Sauce
• Frozen Green Chilli chopped (to taste)
• 1 Tsp Shan Cumin Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Method

1. Place Noodles in a glass bowl. Pour boiled water over the noodles until well covered, stir for 1 minute and then drain.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan, then stir fry ginger & garlic paste, cumin and onions until aromatic.
3. Add dark soy sauce and thin soy sauce, then continue to stir fry for another 30 seconds.
4. (if using) stir fry chicken until brown.
5. Add carrot, cabbage and green capsicum and stir fry until the vegetables are tender.
6. Add the fresh vegetarian stir fry noodles (a little at a time) and toss until well combined.
7. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with tomato ketchup or ABC Extra Hot Chilli Sauce.

We just love making stir fries with fresh rice noodles. It's the texture of the fresh noodles as much as the taste that takes a simple dish somewhere special. This version uses just a few basic ingredients -- which you probably already have in your kitchen, or available at The Masala Mill Store :-) -- plus rice noodles to make a dish that's sure to please the whole family.

Note: Unless you rock an enormous wok, you're probably best to cook this in 2 - 3 batches, but don't worry; with some basic preparation done in advance a batch doesn't take long to cook.

Ingredients

Stirfry

• Lion & Globe Peanut Oil
• 1Tbsp Pattu Garlic & Ginger Paste
• 50g Jade Phoenix Assorted Mushroom Mix
• 1kg Fresh Rice Noodles
• 1Tbsp Pearl River Bridge Dark Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
• Shaoxing Rice Wine (to deglaze the wok as necessary)
• 2 Shallots, roughly chopped.
• 1 Bunch of green leafy vegetables like Bok Choy, Choy Sum or Chinese Broccoli chopped or separated.
• 500g of meat of your choice (if using) -- thinly sliced.

Meat Marinade (if using)

• 1Tbsp Pearl River Bridge Dark Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
• 1 Tsp Hengshun Sesame Oil
• 1 Tsp Castor Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Tapioca Flour or cornflour

Method

Preparation

1. Pour boiled water over dried mushrooms. Cover and allow to sit for 20 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.
2. If using meat, combine all the marinade ingredients. Add meat. Stir to coat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
3. Slice fresh rice noodles length ways into 1 - 2cm ribbons. Gently warm the noodles in lukewarm water (never boil!), when soft gently unravel by hand.

Cooking

1. Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. When shimmering, add shallots and ginger garlic paste. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add soy sauce and continue to stir for 30 seconds.
2. Add meat and stir fry until brown (about 3 - 4 minutes). Use a little cooking wine to deglaze the wok if necessary.
3. Add mushrooms and stir fry until tender.
4. Add green leafy vegetables and stir fry until wilted.
5. Add the fresh rice noodles. Toss gently until tender (fresh rice noodles do tend to break up easily - try using 2 spatulas to toss the noodles rather than stirring them).
6. Set aside and repeat if you are cooking in batches.

An explosion of yummy umami flavours! The star of this stir fry is the handpicked local Windellama asparagus, which is so crisp and flavourful from tip to stem that little goes to waste. This dish also features dried Chinese mushrooms for even more umami punch. I think this dish is perfect as it is, but you could add your favourite meat or seafood if you wish.

Ingredients

• 1 - 2 Bunches of Fresh Windellama Asparagus
• 50g Jade Phoenix Assorted Dried Chinese Mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp Lion & Globe Peanut Oil
• 3 - 4 Cloves Fresh Garlic (crushed)
• A small knob of ginger (thinly sliced)
• A splash of Shaoxing Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 Tbsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
• 2 Tsp Pratiptong Shrimp Paste (optional -- omit for vegan variant)
• 2 Tsp Hengshun Sesame Oil

Method

1. Soak dried mushrooms in boiled water for approximate 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove the mushrooms, but reserve the mushroom-infused water. Remove the woody part of the asparagus stem (if any).
2. Heat peanut oil in wok until shimmering, then add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add a splash of shaoxing cooking wine and thin soy sauce.
3. Add shrimp paste and a splash of the reserved mushroom-infused water. Stir until shrimp paste dissolved.
4. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and stir fry until tender. Add a little more cooking wine or reserved mushroom-infused water to deglaze the wok (if necessary).
5. Remove from heat. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with fresh steamed jasmine rice.

Perfect as a quick meal the whole family will love. Apart from marinating the pork overnight, this meal can be prepared in about 15 minutes, which makes it a great option for an evening meal on busy weekdays.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g Evergreen Fresh Egg Noodles
• 1 Tbsp Lee Wonton Soup Base
• 1 Tbsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
• 2 Tsp Kong Yen Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Pattu Garlic Ginger Paste
• 100g Evergreen Fried Puff Tofu
• 1 Tin UFC Bean Sprouts
• 1 Sachet Lobo Roast Red Pork Marinade
• 4 Greenmantle Valley Free Range Eggs
• 4 Green Shallots (sliced)
• 500g Lean Pork
• 1 Carrot (shredded)
• Bok Choy or Choy Sum

Method

• Mix red roast pork marinade according to directions. Add pork and marinate for 2 - 3 hours or overnight.
• The next three steps can be done simultaneously to save time:
• Hard boil eggs in a small saucepan. Peel, slice in half lengthways and set aside.
• Grill pork until cooked through. Thinly slice and set aside.
• Bring 6 cups of water to the boil in a large saucepan.
• Add wonton soup base, ginger garlic paste, soy sauce, and rice vinegar to boiling water. Stir until dissolved.
• Place fresh egg noodles in a large strainer and submerge in boiling soup base for up to 40 seconds (no more than 60 seconds). Do this in batches and swirl so the noodles don't clump together. Remove from soup base, run under cold water. Divide into portions between 4 bowls.
• Top noodles with sliced pork, tofu puffs, sliced egg, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, bok choy and sliced shallots.
• Pour boiling broth over the noodles and serve hot.

Tofu at its best! Grilled until crunchy on the outside, and then seared in sambal paste and served with a side of peanut dipping sauce. Impress your guests with this zesty appetiser.

Ingredients

Fried Tofu

• 650g block Evergreen Firm Tofu
• 1/2 Jar Yeo's Sambal Paste
• 2 Tbsp Lion & Globe Peanut Oil

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 Cup of Mizkan Mirin Seasoning
• 1 Tbsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Hengshun Roasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tsp Kong Yen Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Method

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• Combine all ingredients and mix until ingredients are well combined.

Tofu

1. Heat a heavy based pan.
2. Slice tofu into approx 1.5cm cubes.
3. Toss in peanut oil until well coated.
4. Grill in pan over high heat until brown and crunchy (turn frequently to avoid burning).
5. Set tofu aside, and return pan to heat.
6. Add sambal paste to heated pan and fry until aromatic.
7. Add tofu and toss through sambal paste until well coated.

To serve, pile tofu on plate and garnish with shallots and sesame seeds.

This dish originates from the Sichuan province of China. This recipe uses Lee Kum Kee Ma Po Tofu sauce for an easy dish you can prepare in about 10 minutes. It has a lovely sichuan pepper flavour, but lacks the fire of traditional Ma Po. You could add some additional sichuan pepper corns and small extra chilli if you like it hotter.

Ingredients

• 500g Pork Mince (traditionally made with pork, but can use chicken if you prefer)
• 1 Tbsp Canola Oil
• 250g Evergreen Silken Tofu (sliced crossways into circles)
• 1 Sachet Lee Kum Kee Ma Po Tofu Sauce
• Shallots (to garnish)

Method

• Stir-fry pork mince in canola oil until cooked through
• Mix contents of Ma Po Tofu sauce through mince
• Add sliced silken tofu and toss gently through the sauce mix
• Garnish with sliced shallots and serve with a side of steamed rice

Old is gold! Lee Kum Kee makes recreating all your old-skool restaurant favourites at home a breeze. This recipe is for Sweet & Sour (Chicken/Pork). See below for a vegetarian alternative. Use UFM Crispy flour for extra golden crunchy texture.

Ingredients

• 1 Sachet Lee Kum Kee Sweet and Sour Ready Sauce
• 1 Cup UFM Crispy Flour
• 1/2 Brown Onion (quartered and separated)
• 1 Green/Red Capsicum (large segments)
• 1 Cup of mixed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc).
• 500g diced Chicken or Pork (see below for a delicious vegetarian alternative)
• 1 Tin Pineapple Chunks
• Cooking oil

Method

1. Mix 1 Cup of UFM Crispy Flour with 3/4 Cup of water to make a smooth batter.
2. Coat chicken/pork in crispy flour and dip in batter.
3. Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan and then fry in batches for approximately 4 minutes, or until batter is crisp golden brown. Set aside.
4. In wok, heat 1 Tbsp oil and stir-fry mixed vegetables until tender.
5. Add capsicum and onion, and stir-fry briefly.
6. Add pineapple and Lee Kum Kee Sweet & Sour Ready Sauce.
7. Stir-fry until well-combined then add battered chicken/pork. Mix thoroughly coated in sauce.

Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

The Vegetarian Alternative

Prepare an assortment of mixed vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower should be broken into florets. Carrots, eggplant, etc should be diced. Coat the prepared vegetables in UFM Crispy Flour batter and fry in batches until vegetables are tender and batter is golden brown. Continue as above from Step #4.

Or is it a rendang curry with a twist of Irish stew? In any case, this wholesome meal with spicy overtones is a family favourite of ours. Perfect for a cold winter night.

Ingredients

• 1 Sachet Indofood Rendang Instant Seasoning Mix
• 400ml Kara Coconut Milk
• 1 Tbsp Pattu Crushed Ginger & Garlic
• 1 Medium Brown Onion*
• 3 - 4 Medium Potatoes*
• 1 Medium Tomato*
• 2 Carrots*
• 1 - 1.5kg Blade Steak (or other good stewing/casserole cut) Diced
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• Cooking Oil
• Salt & Pepper to season
• Water

* We have fresh vegetables including these varieties, and more, fresh in store every Wednesday & Friday.

Method

1. Roughly chop all vegetables in bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic & ginger paste and stir-fry until brown.
3. Add contents of Indofood Rendang Sachet (use 1/2 for a milder flavour) and diced tomato. Stir-fry until aromatic. Deglaze the pan with a little water if necessary.
4. Add steak and stir-fry until browned.
5. Transfer contents of pan to the slow cooker and add the vegetables.
6. Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, salt & pepper (season to taste), and top up with water to cover steak and vegetables.
7. Simmer slowly for at least 3 - 4 hours until meat and vegetables are tender. Stirring occasionally.

Serve over steamed jasmine rice, or on a bed of mashed potato.

Teriyaki meatballs are so easy to make. The meatballs are baked not fried, so you can pop them in the oven while you prepare the sauce. And once you know how easy and delicious it is, you'll NEVER buy bottled teriyaki sauce again :-)

Teriyaki meatballs also make an exciting (and moreish!) appetiser served on sticks with a teriyaki dipping sauce.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Meatballs

• 1kg ground meat (chicken, pork or beef)
• 2 Tbsp Pattu Ginger and Garlic Paste
• 1 Tsp Hengshun Pure Sesame Oil
• 1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tsp Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce
• Shallots (thinly sliced)
• Salt & Pepper

Teriyaki Sauce

• 1 Tsp Hengshun Pure Sesame Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1/3 Cup Healthy Boy Thin Soy Sauce or Kikkoman Less Salt Soy Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Mizkan Mirin Seasoning*
• 1/4 Cup Shaoxing Cooking Wine*
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch or Erawan Tapioca Starch
• Cock Sriracha Chilli Sauce (season to taste)

Garnish

• Shallots (thinly sliced)
• Sesame Seeds

Method:

Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together in a large bowl.
3. Form into bite-sized balls and place on a tray, evenly spread apart.
4. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Teriyaki Sauce

1. Heat a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat.
2. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together (except for the starch and water).
3. Simmer over medium heat until boiling.
4. Mix starch and water together in a separate bowl, then pour slowly into the simmering sauce until well combined.
5. Continue to simmer and stir until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes).

To Serve:

Pile meatballs up on a bed of steamed rice, with a side of steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Drizzle with the thickened teriyaki sauce. Garnish with shallots and sesame seeds. Serve steaming hot!

* Alcohol content of the cooking wines will evaporate as the sauce simmers.

Maximise the shelf life of your fruit and vegetables and minimise wastage with these helpful tips:

• IMPORTANT: Remove fruit and vegetables from the cardboard carton as soon as possible. Cardboard retains moisture, which encourages the growth of mould and mildew.
• It's best to store fruit and vegetables separately. Storing them together can cause vegetables to spoil faster.
• General rule of thumb, consider the origin of each item and where it grows, and then store it in similar conditions. 

Fruit

Tropical Fruits

In general tropical fruit, such as bananas and mangoes, don't like the cold and should be stored at room temperature.

If you store bananas and avocados together, be careful -- bananas will help avocados ripen quickly, but will cause them to spoil quickly too if left together too long.

Stone Fruits

Stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots should be stored at room temperature until they ripen, and then in the crisper to prolong their life. They will taste best if eaten at room temperature, however.

Vegetables

Root Vegetables

Potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips are usually best stored out of the fridge in a cool dark place.

Carrots and radish will do better in the fridge, but try to keep the humidity low.

Greens

Hardy greens like cabbage, kale, gai choy and silverbeet are best stored in the fridge and stay fresh longer if the fridge is a bit humid (moist air).

Delicate greens go slimy quickly if there is too much moisture, so are best stored in the fridge wrapped up in a clean, dry cloth.

If you have any other suggestions about how to store fruit and vegetables for a better shelf life, please let us know in the comment section below.