Night Market Recipes You Can Make At Home
Social distancing at home and hungry? Let’s get cooking with some night market recipes from countries in Southeast Asia! Bonus: a few you might find at our 626 Night Market event in Arcadia, California!
Recipe extracted from China Sichuan Food
Portions: 2
Ingredients:
• 2 cup unshifted all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup water, 1/2 hot boiling water + 1/3 cold water
• 1 tbsp vegetable cooking oil
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cups chopped scallion, use green part only
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder
Sauce
A mix of white vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chiles & white pepper. Eyeball it or wait till your ancestors give you a sign 🤪 it was purely an experiment that turned out relish so I couldn’t tell ya the exact figures
Directions:
1. Mix salt with all purpose flour.
2. Prepare a large mixing bowl. Dig a small hole in center and then pour the hot water in. Wait for 10 minutes and then stir in the cold water and vegetable oil. Grasp everything to form a ball, cover and rest for 5 minutes and then knead until very smooth (around 3-5 minutes). The dough should be quite soft. Cover the rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. After resting, the dough should be quite easy to roll out. Divide the large dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a large around circle. Brush some oil, sprinkle Chinese five spice power and chopped scallion (leave the 1 cm of the edge empty). Roll up the circle into a cylinder. And further roll into the shape of a snail. Cover with wet cloth and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.Roll the snail out to another thin circle.
4. Brush some cooking oil on the pan and move the circle into the pan. Use middle fire to pan-fry until the surface becomes brown around 2-3 minutes. And turn over to fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. Use a spatula to press the circle from time and time especially the central part to ensure the circle is evenly fried.
5. Remove the circle out and cut into wedges.
Portions: 3
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dashi (can be substituted for veg stock if vegetarian)
2 tbsp milk
1/2 head cabbage chopped (1 cm squares)
2 eggs
2 green onions (sliced)
2 tbs pickled ginger (chopped)
5 shiitake mushrooms (diced)
Toppings
Shredded cheddar
Kewpie mayo
Okonomiyaki sauce (can be purchased or made by mixing ketchup, sugar, oyster and Worcestershire sauce)
Bonito flakes
Aonori (seaweed flakes)
Directions:
Whisk flour, salt, baking powder together and stir in dashi. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Add in beaten eggs, ginger, mushrooms and green onion. Mix.
Fold in cabbage, 1/4 at a time.
Heat cast iron with a bit of oil. Put 1/3 of the mixture onto the pan and use a spatula or spoon to shape into a circular shape. If you want pork belly/bacon on your okonomiyaki, this would be the time to add a few slices on top!
Put on a lid for approximately 5 minutes. Ensure the bottom is browned. Flip. Ensure the shape is still circular. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Top with cheese and cover with lid again to melt (2 minutes).
Cover with okonomiyaki sauce and zig zag some kewpie mayonaise on top. Blowtorch (optional but delicious). Add aonori and bonito flakes and any other topping you desire (I used baby onion and some ginger).
Ingredients:
Shrimp or oysters or calamari
Potato starch to water ratio 1:2.5 (3 spoons of starch is good for 1 serving)
Pinch of salt, white pepper, rice wine
1 egg
Handful of greens (any greens that are good in stir fry i.e. think bok choy, bean sprouts)
Sauce
1 spoon ketchup
1 spoon soy sauce
1/2 spoon miso
Sugar to taste
1/4 spoon corn starch
Enough water to cover
Directions:
Combine sauce ingredients in a small pot. Heat over medium until the sauce thickens.
Cut seafood into bite size pieces and marinade 5 min with rice wine, salt and white pepper.
Heat up the pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
Add seafood. Pour starch water over the seafood, stir before pouring because the starch will set.
Add greens to the side of the pan and let it fry. Crack an egg over the starch and lightly mix. Cover the egg mixture with some greens.
Flip when omelette is set. Fry for another minute for a crispier texture.
Serve with sauce.
Note: I didn't have proper ingredients to make the takoyaki sauce, so I anyhow made my own from things in my pantry and I felt like it tasted pretty similar ☺
Portion: Makes enough for 1 tray
Ingredients:
Batter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 ½ cup of stock
Pinch salt
2 large eggs
Oil for frying
Takoyaki sauce
¼ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Bbq sauce (I used delmaine brand)
¼ cup White vinegar
¼ cup White sugar
2 cubes of chicken stock dissolved in
½ cup of hot water
2 Tbsp Cornflour dissolved in
2 Tbsp cold water
Filling
Chopped green onion
Mozzarella
Chopped pickled red ginger
Topping
Takoyaki sauce
Bonita flake
Mayonnaise Seaweed flakes
Directions:
Make the Takoyaki sauce by adding all the ingredients to a pot and boiling on medium heat for 3 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens a little. Then add in the cornflour/water mixture to thicken it up.
Prepare the filling and toppings.
Make the batter by mixing the egg, stock, salt and soy sauce. Now add in the flour and baking powder until there are no lumps.
Heat up the takoyaki pan and brush with oil. Once it is hot enough, not to the point of smoking, add in the batter generously. Add on the fillings and using wooden chopsticks start scraping around the takoyaki holes and squeezing it into the mold.
Turn the takoyaki around until golden brown. Take out from the pan, brush on the sauce and toppings and enjoy!
Recipe via Susan Jung on the South China Morning Post
Ingredients:
For the filling and jellied stock
500 g (18 oz) skin-on pork belly
300 g (10½ oz) slightly fatty minced pork
10 g (⅓ oz) peeled ginger
25 ml (5 tsp) light soy sauce
15 ml (1 tbsp) rice wine
10 ml (2 tsp) oyster sauce
10 ml (2 tsp) sesame oil
1½-2 tsp finely ground white pepper
1½-2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp five-spice powder fine sea salt
200-250 g (7-9 oz) spring onions
For the roux
40 g (1½ oz) lard
65 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
For the dough
520 g (4⅛ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
15 g (3½ tsp) granulated sugar
5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
60 g (2 oz) lard
To finish the buns
A little cooking oil
50 g (¼ cup) dissolved in 50 ml (3 tbsp and 1 tsp) hot water granulated sugar dissolved in 50ml (3 tbsp and 1 tsp) hot water
Sesame seeds
Directions:
Make the jellied stock. Remove the skin from the pork belly and cut it into thin strips. Dice 300 g (10½ oz) of the pork belly meat and fat into 5 mm (¼ in) cubes and set them aside. Cut the remaining pork belly into chunks and place them in a small saucepan with the skin.
Roughly chop the ginger and add it to the pan along with a teaspoon of salt and 200 ml (¾ cup and 1 tbsp) of water. Place the pan over a medium flame and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover partially with the lid and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the pork skin is very soft. Strain the liquid through a colander into a bowl and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until solid, about two hours.
While the stock is simmering, put the reserved diced pork belly meat and minced pork into a bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white and black peppers, sugar, five-spice powder and half a teaspoon of salt. Add this to the pork, mix thoroughly and refrigerate.
Make the roux. Melt the lard in a saucepan, then add the flour and salt. Cook over a low flame for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Put the mixture into a small bowl and leave to cool.
Make the dough. Mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and add the melted lard. Add 280 ml (1 cup and 2 tbsp) of cool water and mix by hand to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a work surface until it is pliable and smooth, but not sticky or dry. If needed, add a little more water or flour. Cover with cling film and leave at rooom temperature until ready to shape the buns.
Chop the spring onions into 5mm (¼in) pieces and put them in a bowl. Heat the oven to 250° C (480°F).
Weigh the dough and divide it into 10 equal portions. Weigh the roux and divide into 10 equal portions. Cut the jellied stock into small chunks, add them to the chilled meat mixture and mix well with your hands, breaking up the jelly and distributing it evenly throughout the meat. Weigh the meat mixture, divide it into 10 equal portions and refrigerate.
Put a piece of dough on the work surface and roll it into a rough 15 cm (6 in) circle. Smear the roux over the circle, leaving a 5mm (¼in) border around the perimeter. Roll the piece of dough into a tight cylinder then fold it into thirds, pressing the right and left sides over each other. Roll the dough to stretch it slightly, then again fold it into thirds. Put the dough on the work surface while shaping the remaining pieces. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Take a piece of dough and roll it into a 15 cm (6 in) circle, making the edges slightly thinner than the centre. Place a portion of the meat mixture onto the centre of the dough circle and top with a small handful of spring onions, pressing them into the meat – add as many as you can handle. Lift and stretch the edges of the dough over the filling and press together tightly to seal. Lay the bun sealed-side down on the work surface and shape the remaining buns. You might have some spring onions left, but you should have used most of them.
Put some sesame seeds in a bowl. Rub two 28 cm (11 in) skillets very lightly with oil, then place over a high flame on the stove and heat to 300°C (570°F) - use an infrared thermometer to check that it is evenly heated. Brush the entire surface of the buns with the sugar and water mixture then dip into the sesame seeds so the top is coated. Place the buns sealed-side down into the skillet (you should be able to fit five into each pan). Cook the buns on the stovetop for about a minute, or until you smell it starting to char, then slide the skillets into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through. Use a metal spatula to remove the buns from the skillets and allow to cool briefly before eating.
These taste best fresh, but leftover buns can be reheated for 10 minutes in a oven preheated to 250°C (480°F).
Ingredients:
Fresh chopped pineapple
1 medium onion, finely chopped - some prawns or a type of protein
2 eggs, beaten
Day old rice
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp of white pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce - chopped spring onions - some chopped veg (I used peas)
Directions:
Scramble the egg first and roughly break apart when cooked, and add in the onion.
Add in the rice and mix thoroughly.
Add in prawns or your choice of protein.
Add in the vegetables, pineapple, the spices & sauce.
Mix and combine everything and add in spring onions at the end.
Optional: be really extra and carve a pineapple bowl to serve it in so that you convince yourself you’re somewhere on holiday 😂
Easy peasy but soooo freaking delicious. I don’t usually add curry powder to fried rice but this totally works! Also a great dish to use up leftover bits in your fridge.
Portions: 2-4
Ingredients:
12 rice paper sheets, cut
Dry toppings
12 quail eggs, hard-boiled 4 mins, peeled
1 green mango, peeled and julienned
1 cup beef jerky, shredded 1 cup dried shrimp, washed, dried, pounded
1 cup Tây Ninh shrimp salt, or just salt
1 cup fried shallots
1 cup fried garlic
1 cup chilli flakes
1 cup peanuts, roasted and crushed
1 bunch laksa leaves
Wet toppings
4 tbsp chilli oil
4 tbsp spring onion oil
8 kalamansi or 4 limes, juiced
Dressing
250 ml light soy sauce
250 ml warm water
1/2 tbsp sugar
2-4 limes
Directions:
Cut rice paper sheets into quarters, then 1cm-wide strips.
Prepare all dry and wet toppings in separate bowls.
Grab a bunch of rice paper strips and add as many or as few toppings, as much or as little, as you desire.
Combine all ingredients for dressing into a bowl, spoon over individual salad portion to your liking, mix well till rice paper strips soften and enjoy 😀😍!
The candy coating is hard and crunchy, and kind of shatters when you bite into it. It’s just made with sugar and water in a ratio of 1 cup sugar to 1/4 cup water. Some recipes use corn syrup too - if you make the coating without it, you need to work quickly and watch the temperature carefully. After they were dipped in the sugar coating, I put them on a sheet of parchment paper and they were dried within a minute or two.
This was my first time making them all by myself at home, and they were sooo good! The only thing I would have done different is maybe use strawberries that were a little more under-ripe or sour next time, as this was almost too sweet with all the sugar and the very juicy ripe strawberries.
Directions:
Place one sheet of rice paper on a pan at low-medium heat. Heating it beforehand will help it lay more flat (I also placed my cooking spoon on top to press it down when it wrinkled up)
Mix one egg with your desired toppings: I added green onion, parsley, and onion
Pour the egg mix on to the rice paper and immediately spread it to the edges. It won’t spread off the sheet if it is laying flat
Let the egg cook for a bit and then rotate the pizza every so often on the pan
Add any additional toppings: I added cooked shrimp, cheese, chilli flakes and swirled on some sriracha (+ extra green onion hehe). I think the cheese and its oil helped crisp the bottom up. Other common toppings: mayo, sausage/spam, pork floss, bacon
Wait until the bottom is nice and crisp and fold it over! Wipe off excess oil and serve 🙂
Alternatively, if you cook it for less time, you can roll it up. This is basically an easy to hold omelette with an added crunch 🙂
Note: I typically season everything by taste, so I can't really give you an exact measurement of each thing.
Buns: (2x)
Bring water to a boil.
Throw in 1 brick of instant ramen noodles for 3 minutes (I tried this with fresh straight ramen noodles which didn't turn out too great - needs to be curly).
Strain and place in a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg and then mix it with the noodles.
Season with salt, pepper, sesame oil, tiny bit of sugar, chicken seasoning powder.
On a clean plate, place cling wrap on the plate and then into a circular mold. Fill the mold with the noodles and use the cling wrap to flatten the top.
Freeze for 15-30 minutes (until you are able to remove the noodles without it falling apart).
Fry both sides on medium/high heat with a neutral oil.
Burger
Make the patty with ground beef, bread crumbs (to counter the moisture), finely diced shallots, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken seasoning powder, and some mushroom seasoning (MSG substitute) for umami flavor (FYI don't buy from amazon, they're super cheap in an Asian market).
Optionally, you can thinly slice and mix in the soft green part of a scallion. Save the lighter crunchier part for later to slice and sprinkle on your burger.
Shape and fry on a pan.
Garlic Miso Aioli
Mayonnaise, garlic, equal parts red and white miso paste.
Bacon
Use thick cut bacon.
Make a mixture of brown sugar and equal parts of soy sauce & mirin (sweet Japanese cooking sake).
Make sure the mixture is just a paste so slowly add in your wet components.
Apply paste to both sides of the bacon and bake at 400 degrees.
Alternately, if you want the bacon crispier, bake the bacon first half way through (applying to early may cause the sugar to burn).
Toppings
Thinly sliced cucumber
Pickled carrots and daikon, recipe can be found here
Sunny side up egg
Thinly sliced scallion (crunchy side, closer to the root)
Ingredients:
1 pack of white rabbit sweets 180 g
200 ml milk
200 ml heavy cream
Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Cut sweets into small cube size pieces (1 sweet into 3 pieces).
Heat milk in a small pot over low heat.
Add sweets into warm milk and melt them by stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl whip the cream. Add vanilla extract.
Sieve the sweetened milk into the whipped cream mixture.
Mix and chill overnight in a container.
Written by Holly Nguyen (@tableflipemoji on Instagram and Twitter), PR & Marketing Manager at 626 Night Market.