Lesson 1

Origin of Existence of Asian Cookery

“Asian cooking is great cooking”- Gregory Ciotti

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

 Explain the history of Asian Culinary;
 Identify various Asian herbs, spices and ingredients utilize in
Asian culinary and
 Classify the different authentic cooking equipment

Learning the Fundamentals

Origin of Asian Cookery

The delicious flavours of Asian cuisine have become a central part of
their history and culture. Just like the countries within the continent, Asian
food is very varied. However, in general they like to focus on having smaller
portions, using plenty of vegetables and fresh ingredients and very rarely
deep fry any of their dishes.
Cooking is one of the oldest of human activities; indeed it may be the
oldest above basic animal survival. At the wandering hunter-gatherer level of
society, cooking is very simple – kill something, throw it on the fire along
with whatever vegetables and fruits were found that day, eat . No one
specialized in cooking, since every able body was needed to find the food in
the first place. Cooking equipment consists of a few sticks for skewering
meat and vegetables, leaves for wrapping and baking, maybe a hot flat rock.
At the next stage of development of a society, central authority and
trade begin to emerge. Central authority implies castles and palaces, a ruling
class who like to indulge their whims and show off for their neighbors and
subjects. The rulers need professional cooks, not only because they are too
important to do their own cooking, but to provide them with the delicacies
that only skill and experience can produce. Trade implies towns and cities,
specialization of labour ,exotic foodstuffs from far away, and processed food
products.

Taverns appear in the market place, and food is served, creating the
first restaurant. The up-scale restaurants serving the lesser nobility and rich
merchant classes often mimic the cooking of the palace. It is in the kitchens
of the palaces and restaurants that sophisticated combinations of exotic
ingredients are prepared with complicated techniques. It is in these kitchens
that recipes are codified and written down.

The Three Cuisines of Asia

 TheSouth West – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma

 TheNorth East – China, Korea, Japan
 The South East – Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Indonesia ,Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei

East Asian Cuisine

The cuisine of East Asia combines
the tastes of China and
Japan. Chinese food is very well known
for peking duck and their flavoursome
stir fry dishes. China are also extremely
famous for their range of teas which is a
very common drink in the country.
Japanese food is arguably the healthiest
out of all Asian cuisine as they heavily
focus on only using the freshest ingredients in their food. A variety of fresh
fish is very common in Japanese dishes.

South Asia Cuisine

Food in South Asia combines a lot of the

exotic flavours from Indian cuisine. India
are very famous for their street food
and little restaurants. Flat breads and
samosas are common with Indian
dishes. Thailand also contribute to the
flavours of South Asia; Pad Thai is one of
their m
ost well-known dishes that has
now been adopted across the world.

South Western Asian Cuisine

Countries in South West Asia have

borrowed many of the ingredients and
flavours from traditional Middle Eastern
countries. However, they still stick to
the Asian style of cooking by ensuring all of their dishes are freshly prepared
and ingredients are kept simple.

Types of Asian Herbs and Spices and Ingredients

Curry Pastes and Powders

Southeast Asian curries are normally based on curry pastes which are
made from a variety of fresh and dried ingredients ground together in a
mortar and pestle. This is the recommended process if you are cooking
curries daily, but the pastes have a limited shelf life. If you are only cooking
them from time to time it is more convenient to make up curry powders in
advance and add the fresh ingredients at cooking time.

Chili Paste
The chili paste referred to in the recipes can be made at home by
grinding fresh chilies in a mortar and pestle or food processor. A little salt
and vinegar may be added to thin the mixture slightly. Alternately, you may
buy a prepared chili paste, but be sure it contains only chilies (with a little
salt and vinegar as above).

Obviously the color of the paste will depend on the color of the chilies used
to make it. Use red chili paste in a red curry and green chili paste in a green
curry if you can. If you can’t, don’t worry, the color of the finished product
may not live up to the name of the recipe, but the taste will be pretty much
the same.

Coconut Milk
When coconut milk is specified in the recipe, use canned coconut milk
with no dilution. When making curry, the first part of most recipes calls for
you to put about 1/2 cup of coconut milk in a pan and heat it up. It is VERY
important that you not shake the can first. Open the can and skim the top
cream off and heat it until you see the oils starting to separate. Then add the
curry paste/powder.

Tamarind Liquid
The Tamarind Liquid referred to in the recipes can be made as follows.
Take 3 tablespoons of tamarind pulp, and soak in 1/2 cupwarm water for 10
minutes. Knead and rub with your fingers until the pulp dissolves. Strain the
liquid to remove the seeds and fibers.

Tamarind liquid may also be made from concentrate by soaking

1tablespoon of concentrate in 1/2 cup warm water, but the concentrate
tends to be very dark in color, which can adversely affect the color ofthe
dish.

There are a few types of Tamarind available. Some recipes call for
sweet tamarind and others call for the bitter types. If your recipe doesn’t
specify, use the sweet type. If the recipe is too sweet, you can cut it with a
little salt or fish sauce. If you have access to fresh, sweet tamarind, it can be
eated by breaking open the shell and eating the soft flesh. Some prefer the
bitter type, taking the seed covered with the flesh and covering it with a
mixture of sugar and dried red pepper.

Chili
A staple in Asian cooking, the possibilities are endless when cooking with
chilli. Both green and red chillies are sold in markets, and they can be found
either whole or grounded. To incorporate them in your dishes, you may
consider tossing chilli flakes with vegetables, use citrus and chilli-infused oils
to toss your salads, or even blend them with stir-fried Asian greens.

Ginger

Found in all kinds of dishes, from Teriyaki Salmon to assam fish curries,
ginger is another key ingredient you should have in your kitchen. It can be
purchased in both root or powdered form. The Japanese even pickle it to
accompany their sushi.

Star Anise

Well-known as one of the spices in Chinese Five Spice, star anise is a perfect
complement to chicken, duck, beef and pork dishes. Incorporate it into your
menu with dishes like Fried Rice, Mango Biryani, Vegetable Korma, Honey-
Glazed Pork Belly or Chinese Gingered Chicken. The slightly smoky, liquorice-
like flavour of star anise may be an acquired taste, so use it sparingly to
lightly flavour your dishes (so it doesn’t overpower the other flavours).

Cumin

Cumin is the go-to ingredient when preparing rubs for meat, marinades,
soups and slow-cooking meat dishes. If you are an adventurous cook, try
experimenting with black cumin, which has a more complex flavour. Its seed
is smaller and recognisably different from other types of cumin because of its
black hue.

Galangal Root (Thai Ginger)

The galangal root is slightly bigger than ginger and paler in colour. It also has
a more peppery taste. It’s a staple in Thai cooking, along with the all-time
favourite lemongrass.

Saffron
Well-known for its distinct colour and aroma, saffron is one of the most
prized spices in the world. When looking to purchase saffron, look for the
ones with a brighter and more intense colour, as it signifies a stronger
aroma.

Turmeric

An essential ingredient in curry powders, turmeric is extremely crucial in

well-loved dishes like Malaysian Rendang, satay sauces and Indian Dahl

Continue reading on https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.com.sg/en/chef-

inspiration/flavours-of-singapore/8-essential-asian-spices-to-have-on-
hand.html

ASIAN AUTHENTIC COOKING EQUIPMENT

The Wok

The wok is the most important piece of

cooking equipment in SouthEast Asia and
China. A cast iron fry pan will serve in a
pinch, but the rounded bottom of the wok
provides a range of cooking temperatures
in one pan, which can be important in stir
frying.

https://cutt.ly/1k9M7EV
Wok Tools
The most important wok tool is the long
handled shovel-shaved scoop used to stir fry. Other
wok tools include; a ladle, used to transfer liquids to
and from the wok; a strainer with a brass or steel
basket to remove foods from hot oil; a strainer with a
bamboo basket for removing foods from boiling
water or stock; a bamboo whisk brush for cleaning; a
https://cutt.ly/ek99kkv
rack which sits on the side of the wok for draining
fried foods.
Wok Lid
A wok lid paired with a metal steaming rack
enables you to steam foods in your wok. You can also use
the wok lid to braise meats in your wok. Most wok lids are
made of aluminum so they tend to be very light.

Bamboo Wok Brush

A wok brush is all you will need to clean your
wok. Simply rinse the wok under running tap water,
then move your wok brush in a circular motion to
remove any food residue that may be stuck on the
wok surface, then place the wok back on the burner
over medium-high heat to allow it to dry.

Steamers
Large dedicated steamers with multiple
stacking are available in stainless steel or aluminum,
but more common are the stackable bamboo
steamers. These are designed to be used in a wok
over boiling water, and are often used as serving
dishes.
https://cutt.ly/1k9M7EV

Clay Pot
Clay pots – “hot pots”, glazed on the inside
but unglazed on the outside are used for baking
or stewing. They are available in a range of sizes,
and like woks, with either one handle or two.

https://cutt.ly/
Cleavers Ak93ZHr
The oriental cleaver is a very versatile
instrument – it performs all the functions of the
various knives of western kitchens. Light cleavers are
used for general chopping, slicing and carving;
heavier, thicker cleavers are used for chopping
bones.

Rice Cooker
If you are cooking rice often, a rice cooker
is worth the investment . Place rice and water in
the cooker, plug it in and press the button.
Perfect rice very time.
Hand Held Blender or Small Food Processor
Most South East Asian dishes require considerable fine chopping
– a hand held blender with a mincer/chopper attachment or a small food
processor will cut your preparation time in half.