Vaneshree Rohann Chetty, a Durban-born, Joburg-based food blogger has a passion for developing traditionally-inspired recipes, as well as dipping into authentic tastes from around the world. She shares a collection of her Asian-inspired dishes.
*Honey-Soy Chicken
Ingredients
1 pound (453g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbs cornflour mixed with 2 tbs water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red chilli sliced – or to taste
Method
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides.
Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the garlic, ginger, and chilli to the pan or wok and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the soy sauce and cornflour slurry and stir to combine.
Once the sauce thickens, add the honey and the chicken and stir to combine.
Serve the chicken over rice or noodles with steamed green beans or vegetables of choice.
Tip: You can also add other vegetables to this dish, such as broccoli, carrots, or onions. Just cook them in the pan with the chicken until they are tender-crisp.
*Spicy Ramen
Ingredients
1 packet ramen noodles (I used Samyang – 140g)
1 tsp gochujang paste
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tbs finely diced onion (red onion if you have)
1 tbs chopped spring onion
1 tbs finely chopped coriander
3 tbs soy sauce
black pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
3 tbs sesame oil or any neutral-tasting oil
Method
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
While the noodles are cooking, add the gochujang paste, garlic, onion, spring onion, coriander, soy sauce, black pepper, sesame seeds, and chilli flakes to a heatproof bowl.
Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Pour the hot oil over the ingredients in the bowl, stirring to combine.
Add the cooked noodles and a few tablespoons of the noodle water to the bowl with the sauce. Stir to combine.
Top with spring onion and serve immediately.
*Sichuan tender cumin lamb
Ingredients
500g lamb leg, sliced against the grain
1 tbs cornflour
¼ tsp roasted and ground cumin seeds plus ¼ tsp extra
1 tbs soy sauce
¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced or to taste
1 tbs vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 spring onion
Method
In a bowl, combine the lamb, cumin seeds, soy sauce, salt, pepper and cornflour. Toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over high heat. Add the onion and stir fry for 1 minute. Remove the onion from the pan.
Add the lamb to the pan and sear for 2 minutes per side, or until browned.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until softened.
Stir in the remaining cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns.
Serve with rice or noodles or even on its own.
Tips:
* For a spicier dish, you can add more red chilli peppers.
* You can also add other vegetables to the dish, such as carrots, mushrooms or bell peppers.
* Serve with rice or noodles.
*Chicken fried rice with crispy egg
Ingredients
400g thinly sliced chicken pieces
150g baby bok choy
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 chillies, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup riced (cooked) a day old is best
Eggs as desired
Method
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add the garlic and chopped chillies and stir fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the chicken and stir fry for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.
Add the soy sauce and stir to coat the chicken.
Add the bok choy and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted.
Add the rice and stir to combine.
Serve with a crispy fried egg.
Substitutes:
You can substitute the chicken with eggs or any meat.
You can substitute the bok choy with cabbage, broccoli, spinach, peppers, or 150g frozen vegetables.
You can leave out the soy sauce entirely or substitute with Worcestershire or Maggie sauce.
*Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Teriyaki Lamb Stir Fry
Ingredients
500g lamb shoulder or leg, cut into strips
2 tbs chilli paste
2 tbs sesame oil or any neutral oil
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
160ml Japanese teriyaki glaze
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp finely sliced ginger
1 finely sliced onion
2 cups thinly sliced vegetables (I used green beans and peppers)
1 spring onion, sliced to garnish
1 red chilli, sliced to garnish
sesame seeds, to garnish
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Marinate the lamb with 2 tbs chilli paste, 3 tbs soy sauce, salt, pepper, and about a tbs of cornflour.
Heat the oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Add the lamb and stir fry for about 7-8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan and stir fry for about 1 minute, or until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds more.
Add the vegetables to the pan and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until they are tender crisp.
Return the lamb to the pan and add the soy sauce, teriyaki glaze, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Cook for 1-2 minutes more, or until the sauce has thickened.
Garnish with spring onion, red chilli, and sesame seeds. Serve with rice or noodles.
*Asian-inspired Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients
1kg chicken wings
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
For the glaze:
1 tbs sesame oil
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tbs Worcester sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ground coriander
Method
Wash and pat dry the chicken wings.
In a bowl, combine the chicken wings, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
Air fry the chicken wings at 180ºC for 10 minutes, flip, and air fry for another 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to 200ºC and air fry for another 3-4 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown.
In a saucepan, combine all of the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
Coat the chicken wings with the glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Follow Vaneshree on Instagram