Zaru Soba 日式蕎麥涼麵

Let’s slurp the simplicity of chilled soba noodles with just a handful of ingredients and minimal cooking time. It’s a light and refreshing delight that’s simply delicious!

Curious about the term “Zaru (ざる)”? It’s a nod to the traditional bamboo tray or strainer used to serve these chilled noodles. This handy tool allows excess water to drain away, ensuring your noodles stay cool and perfectly textured. (While I may not have a bamboo soba strainer, I’ve found an easy-cleaning alternative that helps me recreate this perfect cold soba dish.) And stay tuned for more refreshing cold noodle content! ✨

INGREDIENTS
- 1-2 bundles of soba noodles
- Seaweed flakes for garnish
- Ice cubes to serve (optional)

TO MAKE DIPPING SAUCE
-3 tbsp soy sauce
-2 tbsp mirin
-1 tbsp sake (or cooking wine)
-12 tbsp cold water

OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR DIPPING SAUCE
- Grated ginger
- Spring onion
- Sesame seeds

METHOD
1. Cook soba noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes (according to packaging instructions). Once cooked, drain and rinse under running cold water to get rid of the excess starch.

2. Transfer the rinsed soba noodles to a large bowl of iced water and let them chill for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Prepare the dipping sauce by combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, and cold water.

4. Serve soba noodles with dipping sauce on the side. Add ginger, spring onion, and sesame seeds to the sauce. Dip soba noodles into the sauce and enjoy!

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Hainanese Chicken Rice 海南雞飯

Originating from the Hainan province in China, Hainanese Chicken Rice features tender, juicy poached chicken and fragrant rice cooked in a flavourful chicken stock. While it's a staple in Hainan, it's also widely enjoyed across Southeast Asia, with each region adding its own unique twist to the recipe.

I'm excited to share my homemade version with you here. While it may seem complex, it's actually quite straightforward to make at home. The key lies in careful preparation. Once you have all your ingredients ready, the cooking process comes together seamlessly! I couldn't resist devouring all three chicken thighs in one sitting - the flavours were just that good! 😋

 

INGREDIENTS

- 3 chicken thighs (about 580g)

- 3g lemongrass

- A few pieces of Lime leaves (or pandan leaves if you have)

- 5 slices of ginger

- A pinch of sea salt

- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine

- 2 tsp dashi powder

- 3 tbsp chopped spring onion

- 1 tbsp Turmeric powder

- 1 tsp Galangal paste

- 1200ml water

- Sliced cucumbers (optional)

 

METHOD

 

1. Fill a large pot with water and add spring onions, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger slices, salt, galangal paste, dashi powder, turmeric powder, and Shaoxing wine. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

 

2. Once boiling, gently submerge the chicken thighs into the water, lifting them in and out a few times. Once the water starts bubbling, cover with a lid and simmer on the lowest heat for 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 30 minutes.

 

3. After 30 minutes, transfer the cooked chicken thighs to an ice bath for 10 minutes to halt the cooking process and give the skin its desired texture. Reserve the poaching liquid (chicken stock) for later use.

 

To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the drumstick; if the juices run clear, it's cooked through.

 

4. Remove the chicken from the ice bath and drain well. Use a sharp knife to debone the chicken thighs.

 

5. In a rice cooker, combine jasmine rice with the reserved chicken stock (maintaining a ratio of 1 part rice to 1.25 parts liquid) and cook according to the rice cooker's instructions.

 

6. While the rice is cooking, prepare the dipping sauces.

 

7. Once the rice is ready, serve the sliced chicken alongside the cooked rice, accompanied by cucumbers (optional) and prepared dipping sauces. Enjoy your Hainan Chicken!

 

GINGER & SPRING ONION SAUCE

- 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

- 3 tbsp finely chopped spring onion

- Salt for seasoning

- 5 tbsp hot oil

 

Combine the finely chopped ginger and spring onion in a heatproof dish. Heat the oil in a small pan until hot. Pour the hot oil over the ginger and spring onion mixture, season salt and stir well to combine.

 

CILLI SAUCE

- 1 tbsp finely chopped chilli

- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

- 1 tbsp chicken stock with oil layer (from poaching chicken)

 

Combine the above ingredients and mix thoroughly.

 

SWEET SOY SAUCE

- 1 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

- 1 tbsp chicken stock (from poaching chicken)

- 1 tsp sugar

 

Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat, add dark soy sauce, chicken stock, and sugar. Stir until combined.

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Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles 花生麻醬冷麵

This is one of my popular posts on instagram and I know you all love it! SAVE this mouthwatering cold noodle recipe to chill out this summer.

INGREDIENTS

-1 pack Asian noodles of your choice

-Cucumber strips (optional)

-Sesame seeds to garnish

 

FOR THE SAUCE

-1 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)

-1 tbsp sesame seeds

-1 tbsp chopped spring onion

-1 tbsp chopped garlic

-2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

-2-3 tbsp soy sauce

-1 tbsp white vinegar

-2 tbsp peanut sesame paste

-2 tbsp water

 

Feel free to adjust the ratio for your liking.

 

In this recipe, I used Taiwanese peanut sesame paste (花生麻醬). You can easily find other similar peanut sesame paste options in most Oriental supermarkets. Alternatively, regular peanut butter can be used as a substitute. Not recommend using Tahani as I feel its flavour is quite different.

 

 

METHOD

1. In a heatproof bowl, combine Gochugaru, sesame seeds, spring onion, and garlic.

2. Heat 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat until it shimmers, then pour the hot oil over the spice mixture.

3. Add soy sauce and white vinegar to the spice mixture, stirring well until thoroughly combined.

4. In a separate bowl, mix peanut sesame paste with water until smooth. Adjust the water amount to achieve the desired sauce consistency.

5. Combine peanut sesame sauce with spice mixture sauce together.

6. Cook noodles until al dente, then rinse them in ice-cold water to halt the cooking process. Drain the noodles and place them in a noodle bowl.

7. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Top the dish with cucumber and sprinkle additional sesame seeds before serving. Enjoy!

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You can also pour this mouthwatering sauce over steamed vegetable like this. It's an ultimate sauce!