• IainAndEsther on June 07, 2012

  The Barbecued pork ribs with star anise (Chheng choum ni chrouk ang) is absolutely incredible - well worth making on an evening barbecue!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Lucky's stir-fried pork and vegetable soup (Samlor korko)

  • LizzieLozza on September 13, 2016

    Ingredients up until chilli are for the curry paste - other half can be used in Cambodian mussel receipe

• Fried fish in ginger sauce (Chien choon)

  • LizzieLozza on September 13, 2016

    skin on whole fish

• Steamed fish curry with coconut, turmeric, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves (Amok trey)

  • JLDuck on October 14, 2017

    This tastes great and definitely works. I found it very rich. Recommend that any accompaniments be plain to the point of bland.

• Barbecued pork ribs with star anise (Chheng choum ni chrouk ang)

  • Frenchfoodie on July 22, 2018

    ‘Best ribs ever’ said my husband - and in 9 years together we have made and eaten a lot of ribs. I misread the recipe and put all the star anise on the ribs to marinade rather than saving some to glaze but who cares - they were great. The slaw was fine, I’ve got better recipes.

  • luluf on June 15, 2020

    I have never cooked ribs before and I think I should have chosen some with more meat on them, but in spite of that, these tasted lovely and I really enjoyed the star anise flavour. We also enjoyed them cold the next day

• Khmer pork, coconut and pineapple curry

  • NikkiPixie on January 21, 2014

    This is the best thing I've ever cooked. Simple as that.

• Khmer-style rice porridge with chilli, coriander, spicy pork and peanuts (Babah)

  • Bronny on February 19, 2014

    I doubled the recipe to serve 5 and then used 500g pork mince as the condiment to use for dinner. I added capsicum, cucumber and lime wedges as condiments.

• Stir-fried noodles with beef and spinach in a sweet and sour sauce (Lort char)

  • Ro_ on October 17, 2023

    I misread the recipe slightly because I didn't clock that fresh noodles were called for, which explains why I ended up with a lot more noodles than I thought, and they were very al dente. But that aside, this was a very nice recipe that I enjoyed a lot. The addition of spinach really livened it up, and the beansprouts gave a nice crunch. I think also a lot probably depends on the "Thai hot sauce" you use.

• Fried fish with turmeric and dill (Cha ca)

  • JLDuck on February 14, 2021

    A recipe that my family adored. I used barramundi and it worked. A slight alternative is to use large lettuce leaves and fold the various components into them.

• Braised catfish in dark caramel sauce (Ca kho)

  • willinzuri on November 13, 2019

    I used pangasius with this, and it was sooo delicious. Salty, sweet, spicy. A great dish. My only problem was making the caramel with the palm sugar in oil. It didn't make sense to me as I have always made caramel with plain sugar or sugar with water but I decided to try something new. It cooked soooo fast that it was a burned mass before I knew it. The directions state that one should pour water over the caramel mass in oil after it is a dark caramel color. Does oil mix with water? I thought not, maybe I am wrong, who knows. The dish was awesome anyway.

  • willinzuri on November 15, 2019

    I would also like to add that the high sodium in 100 ml of fish sauce may be problematic, depending on how you feel about it. Next time I will try it with less and see how it goes.

  • helentaylor24 on January 11, 2020

    For us it was waaaay to salty, not balanced at all. Would make again but use half the oil for both steps, and half the fish sauce

• Stir-fried prawns with mango (Tom sot xoai)

  • JLDuck on December 21, 2019

    Very easy to make. Perfect for a hot day.

• Prawn fried rice with pork, pineapple and coriander (Com dua)

  • LizzieLozza on September 13, 2016

    CAN USE LEFTOVER RICE

• Crisp spring rolls with pork, prawns and dried mushrooms (Cha gio)

  • KIGirl on September 02, 2014

    Total disaster - rice noodle wrappers fell part and filling went everywhere ! Ended up substituting spring roll wrappers...

• Barbecued pork patties with noodles, chicken broth and salad greens (Bun cha)

  • shane.metzke on January 31, 2023

    We had it without the soup, used the noodles for a salad. It was very excellent! I’m sure the soup with it would be awesome as well.

• Turmeric-marinated chicken wrapped in lime leaves

  • Frenchfoodie on May 16, 2026

    I did this with chicken legs on a bed of lime leaves (about 12 leaves for 4 legs) and it was perfect, crispy skin and beautifully fragrant juices to pour over the white rice I served them with. Such a winner I doubt I’ll ever try as skewers.

• Sizzling Saigon pancakes (Banh xeo)

  • JLDuck on October 18, 2017

    The pancakes take some practice but the dish is worth it!

  • JLDuck on October 18, 2017

    May want to consider putting the pancake straight into the serving plate and letting the diners cut it themselves.

• Duck braised in spiced orange juice (Vit nau cam)

  • FJT on June 16, 2012

    Easy to make with no particularly exotic ingredients. The spiced orange sauce is beautiful and the duck so soft. Will definitely be making this again and again.

  • joneshayley on September 16, 2018

    Very nice, but I found the sauce somewhat bitter, I suspect because of the orange juice I used - make sure to taste as you go to ensure the balance is right.

  • PhilM81 on March 20, 2024

    This was really nice, not too sweet which is good and has a gentle warming heat to it.

• Vietnamese hotpot (Bo nhung dam)

  • ian_v1vz1b on February 08, 2026

    Page 76

• Chicken salad with Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts and Vietnamese mint (Ga xe phay)

  • kmattingly on June 12, 2012

    I've also made this without the chicken and it is still delicous

  • Ro_ on August 15, 2023

    I used shredded little gem instead of Chinese cabbage (which I couldn't get). The taste of this salad reminded me very much of the interior of a rouleau de printemps. It was refreshing and tasty. Maybe not special enough to be something I serve regularly, there's another chicken salad recipe in this book (with coconut) that I prefer.

• Stir-fried minced beef with lemongrass, chilli and roasted rice rolled in lettuce leaves (Laab neua)

  • kmattingly on June 12, 2012

    A favourite in our household, especially with the kids. A bit messy but who cares.

  • JLDuck on November 05, 2018

    Truly delicious. Easy to make although it does require time to chop the ingredients and go into the garden to find mint.

  • Ro_ on October 09, 2023

    Very quick and easy to make, and my partner was a huge fan. I thought it would have been even nicer with a sauce drizzled on top - maybe put less chilli into the mince, and a sriracha sauce or similar on top?

• Thai mussaman beef curry (Geng mussaman)

  • Ro_ on May 09, 2020

    Not my favourite massaman curry recipe. Not enough sauce, and lacking a certain tangy zinginess. This is a particularly earthy version of this classic curry, and while nice I gave preferred other recipes in the past which incorporated tomatoes, lime, lime leaves, coriander etc.

  • willinzuri on January 01, 2022

    We enjoyed this tremendously. The spices blended together perfectly, and it was so well rounded. I would follow the spice recipe exactly as stated. The spiciness level I would say is a medium. We only used 1/2 the beef amount, so there was at least 4 dl of sauce. This is the only style of massaman we have ever had.

• Stir-fried green chicken curry (Pat kiowan gai)

  • lucywayman on July 31, 2011

    This is delicious and quick to make, especially if you make the curry paste in advance.

  • JLDuck on November 20, 2014

    Add mushrooms with the aubergines for a variation.

  • shane.metzke on December 27, 2022

    Similar to most green chicken curry recipes but still very yummy. I marinate the chicken in some of the paste and coconut milk and then bbq until three quarters cooked or so, then add it (and the lovely juices) to the curry to finish cooking. Used chopped zucchini instead of the pea eggplant.

  • Ro_ on November 08, 2023

    The paste was a bit sludgy and a tad on the bitter side, but it all balanced out once the other ingredients were added to the dish. My main problem here is that this was too saucy to be a stir fry, but not liquid enough to be a Thai curry - I wanted it to be more one or the other.

• Roasted fish with a hot, sour and sweet sauce

  • JLDuck on May 13, 2020

    Fish timing will vary. If steaming Bok Choy suggest either stir fry at last moment instead. Either way wait until fish almost cooked.

• Pad Thai noodles from the Ghost Gate

  • Ro_ on August 21, 2023

    I used chicken instead of prawns, basil/mint instead of coriander, and a tsp of shrimp paste instead of dried shrimp. Overall this was a really delicious pad thai, which I would make again. As with so many Asian dishes, all the time goes into the prep, and the cooking itself is super fast.

• Thai fish curry, "jungle" style (Geng par pla)

  • Ro_ on October 17, 2023

    I must admit straight off the bat that I did not use the full quantity of chillies stated for the paste. I probably did about half, and actually I wish I'd been braver because I could have gone hotter. I loved the flavours of this curry, and didn't miss the coconut milk the way I thought I would - maybe it helped that I served with coconut sticky rice. I made this with salmon, and would definitely use this again.

• Hainanese chicken rice (Khao man gai)

  • kmattingly on June 12, 2012

    A beautiful lightly flavoured chicken dish. The broth served on the side so little amounts can be added to the rice and chicken throughout the meal is a lovely touch. My daughter's ask for this dish very regularly.

  • sharifah on January 11, 2014

    It's OK, but not as tasty as ones I've had in Malaysia. The rice, chicken and soup lacks something, I'm not sure what. I followed exactly as he said, but the soup was a bit watery, and I prefer roasted Hainanese chicken rather than his poached version. I paired it with chilli sauce from this book http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/848156/chicken-rice-chilli-sauce

• Singapore laksa with prawns and coconut milk

  • luluf on June 22, 2020

    One of my kids described this as “the best thing you’ve ever made”. It was lovely and I made an almost vegetarian version using the paste and veggie stock in place of the prawn stock, which was also very good. The laksa paste recipe makes double what the recipe requires and it might be possible to replace the shrimp paste with something vegetarian. I’ll be making this again

• Devil's curry (Curry debal)

  • JLDuck on February 05, 2021

    This dish is well named. Depending on taste may need to reduce the number of chillies in the paste. I found the heat just on the edge of tolerance. Great dish all the same.

• Amy's spicy Nyonya chicken

  • FJT on September 02, 2012

    So easy to make and packed full of flavour. I couldn't get dried kashmiri chillies so I used dried jalapeño flakes instead - worked well. My spice paste was quite fiery, so I added some coconut milk at the end as suggested in the intro to the recipe. Will definitely make this again!

• Malay lamb korma (Gulai kambing)

  • shane.metzke on October 10, 2023

    Great lamb curry… verging on a rendang but perhaps a little lighter, which is nice. I added some chopped spinach at the end which looked great. I toned down the chilli in the paste… and note the paste takes a little while to make. Worked fine with diced lamb leg.

  • Ro_ on November 20, 2023

    Very nice, and I agree with the previous comment that it's quite rendang-y. I'd potentially add a little more coconut milk than stated next time for more creaminess. The crispy shallots on top are a must!

• Chicken curry kapitan

  • Ro_ on December 13, 2023

    I used chicken breast instead of thigh (since it's what I had) and reduced the cooking time accordingly. Overall I wasn't massively impressed with this recipe: it was a bit sludgy and lacked zing. I think there was too much turmeric in the paste, and I would consider omitting this ingredient next time.

  • Dinovino on November 15, 2024

    Make sure to cook out the curry paste very well, time in recipe too short.

• Beef rendang

  • Bronny on December 14, 2013

    Can substitute desiccated coconut for fresh

  • luluf on July 09, 2020

    I made this as per the recipe and even though the rendang paste contained 6 chilllies and 8 dried chillies, it wasn’t super spicy. It was a good rendang, but I felt the 2.5 hour cooking time reduced the flavour somewhat. I never really like slow cooker meals either because they kind of all end up tasting the same. The cucumber and coconut salad that went with it was lovely though and a perfect accompaniment

  • Ro_ on November 12, 2023

    This was a really good rendang. I did the simmering mostly with the lid half on, which I think was the right call as it did start to catch and burn at one point. My family and I really loved this beef rendang, I've tried a few other recipes and I think this is the best in terms of both flavour and texture (leave it at least a tiny bit saucy rather than letting it dry out IMO)

• Indian-style stir-fried noodles (Mee goreng)

  • luluf on June 22, 2020

    This was quite good, but I left the Hokkien noodles in the boiling water a little too long because they seemed a bit mushy. I think there are better mee goring recipes though

• Indonesian stir-fried rice (Nasi goreng)

  • Frenchfoodie on July 21, 2018

    As good as anything I have easten in SE Asia. Lots of prep but the spice paste can be frozen so you get a second serving with less work. I’ve always done with dried turmeric.

  • luluf on June 15, 2020

    This was quite spicy and making the spice paste was a lot of work and I’m not sure the result was worth it as most Nasi Goreng recipes seem to be a lot simpler. Having said that, you only use half so I will be able to make it again more quickly. It tasted lovely cold the next day. I think it can be hard to really appreciate something you have just cooked and it often tastes better the next day, or maybe the flavours have intensified

  • Deja1 on June 09, 2025

    5/5! I have made so many different versions of nasi goreng and even though there are much easier recipes that are also delicious, I am going to make this again and again. Quite spicy so will use a little less pepper for the kids next time

• Ibu Oka's Balinese slow-roast pork (Babi guling)

  • Ro_ on December 18, 2023

    Where I live it is difficult to get boneless pork shoulder that can be rolled in the way the recipe describes. I bought a cut of bone-in shoulder, not having read the recipe thoroughly, and it wasn't really possibly to debone it without hashing it to bits, so I kind of smushed the spice paste in where I could. Overall I found that the pork ended up a little bit dry, although the taste itself was nice it wasn't amazing. I made a nice sauce from the drippings.

• Green bean and fresh coconut salad with crisp fried shallots, garlic and chilli (Urap buncis)

  • luluf on June 22, 2020

    This one was a winner, except with my son’s girlfriend who grated the flesh of a whole coconut to go in it. It was really refreshing and different. The fried shallots and garlic really added to it. I did a lot more of both and put them in jars for future use.

• Heinz's assorted seafood braised in coconut milk

  • JLDuck on November 20, 2014

    Add chilli.

• Beef satay (Satai sapi)

  • shane.metzke on January 25, 2026

    Great flavours… do it on the hibachi… 8 minutes for the skewers… don’t overcook!

• Chicken satay with kecap manis, lime leaves and cracked black pepper (Satai ayam)

  • shane.metzke on January 26, 2022

    https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/chicken-satay-with-kecap-manis-lime-leaves-and-cracked-black-pepper-satai-ayam-26625370.html

• Baked spiced fish (Pepes ikan)

  • JLDuck on June 21, 2018

    The fish may take longer than the recipe specifies. I used Barramundi fillets and it worked.

  • Bethany57 on January 17, 2021

    Needed a little bit longer to cook through but delicious. Served with pickled Asian veg and lime and coriander rice

• Slow-cooked pork with ginger, chilli and sweet soy sauce (Babi kecap)

  • FJT on July 01, 2012

    Another very simple but fantastic dish. Packed with flavour. This is going to become a staple dish in this house!

  • Frenchfoodie on March 03, 2019

    So good. Left it a bit saucy as that is how we like food plus it is more forgiving for freezing. Really simple to make too. A hit!

  • Ro_ on December 24, 2020

    I liked a lot about this dish. My pork ended up quite dry, but I think this is because I bought an inappropriate cut with not enough fat in it. Other than that, I really liked the sauce though maybe found it a smidge too sweet - probably due to my homemade kecap manis, which I guess I used a bit too much sugar in. I loved the finish of the crispy shallots across the top.

• Chicken braised in coconut milk (Opor ayam)

  • KIGirl on September 02, 2014

    I deep fried this as suggested - v nice!

• Lamb biryani

  • Aly2503 on September 03, 2011

    Easy to cook dish that teenagers and adults all enjoy. Goes well with the Katchkamba Salad that Rick recommends. I substitute more sultanas for the dried plums that I have never been able to find.

• Balinese spice paste (Basa gede/bumbu bali)

  • JLDuck on November 20, 2014

    Do not scrimp on the chilli!

  • LizzieLozza on January 10, 2018

    Made a batch and freeze in ice cube trays. Then put on the top of frozen fish fillets wrapped in foil in oven or the frozen fresh mackerel fillet Waitrose do put under the grill. Great for quick supper and nice with ready made Indian-Asian veg side dish - particularly some black Dahl makhani from Spice Taylor

  • Deja1 on June 09, 2025

    Made this for the nasi goreng and it’s totally worth the effort!

  • emma_wrn9tc on April 19, 2026

    I make big batches of this and freeze into ice cube trays. Then it’s easy to make a quick dinner with coconut milk, as many cubes as I need and chicken or prawns.

• Coconut dal with tomatoes and curry leaves (Parippu)

  • RosieB on April 25, 2016

    This is one of the tastiest dal recipes I have ever made. The fried onion and spices with the tomatoes really liven up the dal which can often be quite bland. This will now be my go to recipe.

  • Ro_ on December 05, 2023

    I found that the lentils didn't need to cook as long as stated in order to become very soft and mushy. The flavours were nice, but I would have liked more of the onion and tomato. I added a squeeze of lime at the end and would do again. Nice with some yogurt on the side.

  • shane.metzke on April 03, 2023

    Easy and tasty. Coconut milk makes it a bit richer.

• Aubergine curry with chilli, tomato and kaffir lime leaves (Terung belado)

  • FJT on July 06, 2016

    Lovely flavour but the cooking instructions are a bit off in my opinion. I cut the aubergine far smaller than indicated and cooked it for far longer .... but the consensus was that it could have done with a bit longer.

  • Dinovino on May 02, 2023

    nicely balanced flavours,don't skimp on the ginger.

  • Ro_ on December 05, 2023

    I basically love all aubergine recipes with Asian/eastern flavours, and this was no exception.

  • rhonda_86pwsq on April 27, 2026

    Great flavours and will repeat cook this recipe , my Indonesian friend said the aromatics needed cooking longer as the sauce should not have distinguishable pieces in it. Will cook longer next time before returning the cooked eggplant to the sauce.

• Aromatic chicken pilau with cinnamon, tomato and nutmeg

  • RosieB on November 29, 2016

    This was an easy tasty mid week meal. I had everything on hand to make this so, no exotic ingredients to source. The rice could have had another 10 minutes but it was okay. It was aromatic but not spicy. Maybe up the chilli next time. I would make this again.

  • Ro_ on December 05, 2023

    I agree with the other comments! This was easy and tasty but not mindblowing and could have done with a bit more zing. My partner really loved it, probably because it's hearty and fills you up.

• Fisherman's layered curry with tomato, chilli and ginger

  • LizzieLozza on February 05, 2017

    Could potentially use frozen fish but not sure...

• Spiced rice with lentils and hard-boiled eggs (Bhuna khichuri)

  • LizzieLozza on February 05, 2017

    Fish is just for frying and placing on top, so could go without, or serve with another fish curry/dish.

• Fish khatta with tomatoes

  • JLDuck on November 08, 2017

    Suggest that you cook the onions considerably longer before adding spices. Found that the recipe had a raw onion taste.

  • luluf on June 17, 2020

    I did cook the onion paste 5 min longer based on JLD’s advice. It was a lovely mild curry enjoyed by my husband and son. I will definitely make again, although I may not be so lucky as to find dory in the fish shop again- it was the perfect texture and flavour

• Stir-fried lamb with sweet peppers, coconut milk and lime (Lamb baduma)

  • LizzieLozza on May 19, 2018

    It was OK, I thought a little of a waste of the lamb, not a favourite

  • JLDuck on October 04, 2019

    I cooked this because I had a small packet of lamb fillets. I can only agree with the comment from LizzieL. OK but not great which is surprising given the ingredients. Unlikely to cook this again.

• Lightly spiced cauliflower, cabbage and carrots (Chachchari)

  • Foodycat on June 01, 2021

    It's a good side dish - I'd add some ginger and garlic to serve it as a vegetarian main course next time.

  • Victoria_from_London on November 13, 2022

    Ingredients per book are actually just panch phoran, veggies, turmeric and chillies; indexer has separated out the panch phoran into the 5 constituents.

  • Ro_ on September 10, 2023

    I just used red cabbage, cauliflower and carrots, taking the recipe blurb at it's word about the precise combination of vegetables not being important. I thought this was really delicious: both healthy and tasty, and I will make again.

  • shane.metzke on February 05, 2023

    Used zucchini instead of squash, added a little ginger/garlic paste (as I note is suggested here), a touch of water to aid the cook and a little garam masala. An excellent vegetarian dish. You could add mustard seeds and curry leaves, even some frozen fresh coconut similar to the recipe in Ricky’s Indian book… if you wanted.

• Stir-fried beef with black beans

  • JLDuck on May 10, 2021

    Delicious but involves a lot of chopping. The actual cooking takes no time at all.

• Pickled carrot and mooli (daikon)

  • Mandalifeboats on March 18, 2023

    P304 (not in book index)

• Moghul chicken korma

  • Ro_ on February 19, 2023

    I didn't have rosewater (so just used water to soak the saffron) and I used black poppyseeds instead of white, but otherwise followed the recipe. This was a really delicious korma, which I will make again (and I think I should add a bit more saffron next time to get more of a colour on it). I added a tiny bit of sugar just because I like a bit of sweetness from a korma.

• Aubergine curry with tomatoes, ginger and fennel seeds

  • Ro_ on September 06, 2023

    I think this would have benefitted from a sweet note somewhere. Also I think I didn't use enough fennel. It was nice but not great.

• Mung bean dal with ginger, chilli and mustard seeds (Moong dal)

  • Ro_ on September 25, 2023

    This was a really nice dal: the ginger is really what makes it so don't skimp on that. I served with a splodge of yoghurt, but a raita would have been even nicer.

• Chilli-spiced cabbage salad (Gova mellum)

  • Ro_ on September 27, 2023

    Really nice cabbage recipe - the balance of flavours was just right, the coconut added a lovely sweetness to a vegetable which can often be bitter. Will make again.

  • shane.metzke on March 07, 2024

    Agree with Ro’s comments… very nice vegetarian side dish for Indian or Sri Lankan, and super quick and easy to mix. Care not to burn the spices - mine stuck a little to the bottom of the pan.

• Chicken tikka masala

  • Ro_ on October 30, 2023

    Best chicken tikka masala recipe I've tried so far. I didn't have red food colouring, but I did have yellow so I added a few drops of that as instructed, and the final colour was very pleasing. The flavours were spot on, though I did add a couple of tsp of sugar at the end for that characteristic sweetness. The only thing I would change if I made this again is that I did end up with some bits of undercooked ginger - presumably because I finely chopped instead of grated (I can't get on with grating ginger) the ginger that was added to the sauce. Next time I would probably omit this ginger altogether, since there is already ginger in the marinade.

• Toovar dal with tamarind, tomatoes and curry leaves

  • Ro_ on November 16, 2023

    I found that the lentils needed a lot more water than stated in order to simmer down to a soft consistency, so be careful with this. The flavours of this were nice but not oh-my-god amazing, I think it could have done with more tamarind and more tomatoes to pack a bit more of a punch.

• Sri Lankan chicken curry

  • Ro_ on November 29, 2023

    This was a delicious curry, with a deep, roasted flavour. I don't know if this came from the roasted spice mix (glad I bothered to do this properly) or the large quantity of caramelised onion, or thhe fact that there is relatively little liquid (tomatos) and it was done in quite a big frying pan so got a really good surface cooking rather than just stewing. Either way, I'll make it again. I wonder if it would be as nice with boned chicken thighs.

• A rich king prawn and coconut curry (Chingri malai kari)

  • etcjm on August 13, 2021

    If you hate chopping anything and have a small food processor, this is the recipe for you. Very easy to do. I must admit I was a little concerned at the quantity of ginger and garlic so reduced it by halfish, then was scared by the chillies so left them out! Was still lovely with a back heat which was enjoyable.

• Thai green curry paste

  • emma_wrn9tc on April 19, 2026

    I make a big batch of this and freeze into ice cube trays. Then it makes a quick dinner with coconut milk, chicken or prawns, veg and cubes.

• Thai yellow curry paste

  • emma_wrn9tc on April 19, 2026

    I make big batches of this and freeze into ice cube trays. Adding extra ginger works just fine and tastes lovely.