Asia Unplated with Diana Chan is back in a second season. Each episode in this 10-part series focuses on a different cuisine, showcasing a variety of traditional and modern dishes from a range of Asian nations.
Diana cooks up simple but authentic, home-style Asian dishes. She also invites friends and special guests into the kitchen to show us their favourite recipes and chat about the unique cooking styles and rich food histories of their favourite Asian cuisines.
Episode 1 | Filipino
Diana is joined by Chef Ross Magnaye who shares his favourite meal Filipino pork and chicken adobo. Ross stays in the kitchen and continues to share his passion and knowledge for Filipino food while Diana prepares sinuglaw, a dish that is often considered to be the marriage of two contrasting dishes, crispy grilled pork and citrusy fish ceviche. Jacob Leung (author and cook) joins Diana for dessert with a dish called Brazo de Mercedes, a sweet meringue roll filled with a rich custard.
Episode 2 | Cambodian
Cambodian cuisine can be overlooked in Australia so Diana enlists the help of chef Jerry Mai (chef and owner behind restaurants Pho Nom, Annam and now Bia Hoi) to explore the vibrant flavours that are integral to Cambodian cooking. Together they prepare a popular breakfast dish nam banh chok- a fish curry vermicelli noodle dish. Diana celebrates Cambodian cuisine with Kampot pepper vongole, showcasing the rare and unique Cambodian pepper. Diana also prepares nhoam krauch thlong, a pomelo salad with prawns, that like all Cambodian food perfectly balances salty, sweet, spicy and sour.
Episode 3 | Malaysian
Diana seeks inspiration from her Malaysian roots, conjuring the sights and smells of food stalls from her childhood. Jacob Leung shares his tips to perfect fried rice at home with his 'mum’s Malaysian fried rice.' Diana is joined by her cousin, Karen Chan, as they explore the traditional flavours used in Nonya cooking in her authentic Nonya laska lemak. Diana prepares her sweet and spicy mee goreng mamak, a dish inspired by the popular mamak stalls where young adults often buy delicious and affordable food.
Nyonya laksa lemak Source: Andrew Dorn
Diana prepares an Indonesian street food favourite perkedel jagung - crispy, deep fried corn fritters. Mike Reid (chef) joins Diana to share his love for Indonesian food with a recipe for a popular Indonesian dish, sate babi. Jerry Mai then showcases Indonesian spices with her Balinese grilled chicken and coconut sambal. Diana finishes the theme with a traditional sweet dessert bubur sumsum - a coconut rice porridge.
RECIPES
Pork satay (sate babi)
Episode 5 | Sri Lankan
As one of the worlds biggest coconut producers, coconut is a staple ingredient in Sri Lankan cuisine. Prominent chef Adam D'Sylva (Tonka and Coda) shares his smoked trout salad with coconut sambol and pomelo, a light dish that’s big on flavour. Jerry Mai prepares a crab curry, with a rich coconut base showcasing popular Sri Lankan spices. For dessert Diana makes watalappan, a baked coconut custard, sweetened with kithul jaggery, a beloved Sri Lankan staple.
Episode 6 | Chinese
Chinese cuisine is flavourful and diverse. Diana shows how easy it is to make a Yum Cha favourite at home as she prepares sesame balls with red bean paste filling. Master Chef alumni and friend, Karlie Verkerk, shares her recipe for three cup chicken - san bei ji - a simple, homestyle Chinese dish. Jacob Leung also joins Diana in the kitchen to prepare a citrusy and aromatic dish of soy, orange and Chinese five-spice braised duck.
Episode 7 | Laotian
Laotian cuisine is packed with bold, balanced flavours. Reflective of surrounding countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, Laotian food also shares a balance of spicy, sour and sweet, however, it is relatively unknown to many Australians. Diana showcases sticky rice, a staple ingredient in Laotian cooking as she shares one of her favourite street food snacks khao jee (grilled sticky rice with egg). Diana explores popular flavours in Laos in a spicy pork sausage sai oua, packed with vibrant herbs and spices. Diana is also joined in the kitchen by Jerry Mai who prepares salt-crust grilled fish: a whole snapper filled with aromatics that celebrates Laos’s fresh and vibrant flavours.
Kerala-style crispy prawns Source: Andrew Dorn
India is a wide-ranging country where cooking varies from region to region, so Diana decides to focus on the foods of Southern India. To celebrate South India, Jacob Leung prepares red onion bhaji with yoghurt dipping sauce, his favourite street food snack. Sarah Todd joins Diana to share her recipe for Kerala-style crispy prawns, a dish she fell in love with while opening a restaurant in India. Diana creates a fragrant vegetarian dish tadka dal, a lentil-based dal topped with tempered herbs and spices.
Episode 9 | Thai
Diana explores the balance of salty, sweet and sour flavours that is fundamental in Thai cuisine. Chef Adam D’Sylva first celebrates this harmony of flavours by making a refreshing dish, seared tuna with nahm jim. Diana then showcases a popular Thai dish of beef massaman curry. Jacob Leung finishes by preparing a fragrant and smoky Thai beef salad called nam tok with sticky rice powder.
RECIPES
Seared tuna with nahm jim
Episode 10 | Vietnamese
Diana delves into the vibrant and fresh flavours of Vietnamese cooking. With the expertise of her flatmate Khanh Ong (owner of the George on Collins) the pair creates cha gio re which is similar to a spring roll but with a delicate, lace-like exterior. Diana shares a simple yet elegant dish banh beo which are delicate, steamed rice cakes that are sure to impress. Jerry Mai also joins Diana to share her expertise in Vietnamese cooking. Jerry demonstrates how easy it is to make your own rice noodles at home which she serves as part of bun cha Hanoi, made of smoky grilled pork patties, with rice noodles, pickled vegetables and an abundance of fresh herbs.
