Hearty Mushroom & Pumpkin Curry – the Perfect Winter Meal

Date Published: Nov 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: vegetarian, mains, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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If you’re a fan of mushrooms, pumpkin, and curry, this is the perfect recipe for you! Adapted from this New York Times Recipe, this is the ultimate winter comfort dish. It’s savoury, hearty, filling, and packed with flavour! This curry is fully vegetarian & vegan, but for my carnivorous readers, you could easily add in some shredded roasted chicken at the end to amp up the protein, but this robust curry stands well on its own and is guaranteed to be filling.

This recipe is easy and keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of time or meal prep for the week!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1.2kg pumpkin or butternut squash (roughly 1/4 of a pumpkin), peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
Salt and black pepper
6 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), diced
1 tsp (4g) black mustard seeds
1 tsp (3g) cumin seeds
40-50 (10g) fresh curry leaves (feel free to chop it into into halves or thirds if you prefer to eat smaller leaves in the curry)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps (4g) ground coriander
1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
2 tsps of kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
1 long green chilli (jalapeño or serrano), diced and deseeded (keep the seeds in if you want it spicier) (optional)
750g mix of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use mushrooms that will hold its shape well well when cooking – I used a mix of Brown Beech, Baby Bellas, and Oyster mushrooms. Avoid enokis – they will get stringy and too soft in this recipe.)
1 zucchini, diced
1 can (403ml) unsweetened coconut milk
Optional: splash of fish sauce instead of salt at the end for extra flavour
Serve with: cooked basmati rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F.

Place the diced pumpkin onto a baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (soft enough to pierce with a fork but still with some resistance). Set aside until ready to use.

In a pot or a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced shallots. Cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften.

Then add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the minced garlic, 2 tsps ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsps salt, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (if using), and diced green chiles (if using). Cook for another 30 seconds.

Add curry leaves mustard seeds, cumin seeds

Next, add in the mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften, then add in the 1 can of coconut milk and roasted pumpkin (from step 2). Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (5-10 minutes).

Taste and season wth salt (or fish sauce) to your liking. Done! Serve immediately with white rice or let the flavours infuse overnight and serve the next day. Enjoy!

Optional step: Pick out the curry leaves at the end if you’re bothered by the fibrous texture.

Summarized Recipe:

Hearty Mushroom & Pumpkin Curry – the Perfect Winter Meal

Date Published: Nov 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: vegetarian, mains, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

1.2kg pumpkin (roughly 1/4 of a pumpkin), peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
Salt and black pepper
6 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), diced
1 tsp (4g) black mustard seeds
1 tsp (3g) cumin seeds
40-50 (10g) fresh curry leaves (feel free to chop it into into halves or thirds if you prefer to eat smaller leaves in the curry)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps (4g) ground coriander
1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
2 tsps of kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
1 long green chilli (jalapeño or serrano), diced and deseeded (keep the seeds in if you want it spicier) (optional)
750g mix of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use mushrooms that will hold its shape well well when cooking – I used a mix of Brown Beech, Baby Bellas, and Oyster mushrooms. Avoid enokis – they will get stringy and too soft in this recipe.)
1 zucchini, diced
1 can (403ml) unsweetened coconut milk
Optional: splash of fish sauce instead of salt at the end for extra flavour
Serve with: cooked basmati rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F.
Place the diced pumpkin onto a baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (soft enough to pierce with a fork but still with some resistance). Set aside until ready to use.
In a pot or a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced shallots. Cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften then add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the minced garlic, 2 tsps ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsps salt, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (if using), and diced green chiles (if using). Cook for another 30 seconds.
Next, add in the mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften, then add in the roasted pumpkin (from step 2) and 1 can of coconut milk. Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (5-10 minutes). Taste and season wth salt (or fish sauce) to your liking. Done! Serve immediately with white rice or let the flavours infuse overnight and serve the next day. Enjoy!
Optional step: Pick out the curry leaves at the end if you’re bothered by the fibrous texture.

November 13, 2025November 11, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Babička’s Makovec (Czech Poppy Seed Roll)

Date Published: Nov 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 11th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: breads, Czech, dessert, pastry, snacks, vegetarian
Makes: 3 loaves (enough for a party or one Toby 😂) | Prep time: 1.5 hours | Cook time: 1 hour

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This is Toby’s all time favourite food that his babička (grandmother) makes when he visits her in Czech (next to Svíčková, of course!). We’ve been trying to learn this recipe for years, but true to OG-style grandma cooking, she measures nothing and everything is done by eyeballing it. I can usually get away by guessing the amounts she puts in when it comes to savoury cooking but baking requires precise measurements, so finally during our visit this past summer, we bought her some measuring spoons (which was surprisingly quite difficult to find to Czech) and whipped out the kitchen scale. Thanks to Toby’s translating and our diligent watchful eye on her every step (this lady moves fast in the kitchen!), I’m happy to report that we FINALLY learned her secrets and I’m very excited to add her recipe to my collection and share it with you all! 😊

Toby & a fresh tray of makovec that babi has just made for him ❤️

What is Makovec?

Makovec (pronounced: Mah-ko-vets) is a traditional Czech poppy seed roll pastry. It’s made of a light and fluffy bread-like pastry that’s rolled around a sweet filling made of freshly ground poppy seeds.

(Note: Some people use the term Makovec to describe a square poppy seed cake rather than the roll. According to Toby and babi, they’ve always referred to makovec as the roll.)

What makes this recipe so special from the others?

There are many variations of makovec around. Some people make it with raisins in the mixture, others put a lemon icing overtop. The neighbouring countries of Poland call it makowiec and Slovakia calls it maková štrúdla. This recipe is specifically Toby’s grandmother’s version. Call it nostalgic bias, but Toby and I have travelled quite a bit and he always gets super excited when he sees someone selling poppy seed cake, but no matter how many farmers markets and European bakeries we visit, nothing compares to babi’s version. Her version is made with strawberry jam mixed in the poppy seed filling for that extra strawberry flavour, and she finishes it off with a streusel crumb topping (which I’ve never seen anyone else do!). The ratio of bread to filling is also on point 👌 – too many times we find that there’s too much bread and not enough filling – poppy seed is not a robust flavour on its own so if there’s too much bread it drowns out the filling.

Toby & his babička making makovec (May 2025)

Grinding Poppy Seeds – Is it necessary?

Yes! Poppy seeds are the star of this dessert and it is imperative to grind down the seeds for a few reasons:

Flavour: Grinding the seeds releases their natural rich oils and flavours. Eating unground poppy seed on its own is quite flavourless.
Forming a paste: Ground seeds absorb moisture and is essential to form a paste when we’re cooking down the filling. You won’t get the texture we’re looking for unless the seeds are ground.
Texture: Ground seeds are less gritty and provides a smoother texture when eating.

How to Grind Poppy Seeds

The best way to grind down poppy seeds is to use a dedicated poppy seed grinder. It’s usually about $40-$50 and is worth the investment if you’re into poppy seed desserts. We use this one from Tescoma: https://a.co/d/iUgRhGq. We found it to be reasonably priced with good reliability.

If you don’t have a poppy seed grinder, you can use a clean coffee grinder, spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or a food processor.

If you’re lucky and live near a European grocer, check if they have pre-ground poppy seeds for sale. I see it everywhere sold in Czech grocery stores due to the sheer popularity of poppy seed food items, but rarely outside of central Europe. Pre-ground poppy seeds can spoil quickly so sometimes it’s sold out of the refrigerated section.

Some Myths and Truths About Poppy Seeds

Poppy seeds have the notorious reputation of causing people to test falsely positive for opiates on urine drug tests (remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine tested positive after eating a poppy seed bagel?). I always thought that you needed to ingest very large amounts of it to test positive, but on an episode of Mythbusters, Adam tested positive within half an hour of eating a large slice of poppy seed cake and Jamie tested positive 2 hours after eating 3 poppy seed bagels! So if you’re in a situation where they do routine urine testing, you might want to hold off on making this or ask for a blood test instead. 😅

Despite possibly testing false positive for opiates, you won’t actually feel any opiate-related effects or “highs” from eating poppy seeds. Toby has eaten TRAYS of makovec (which is a LOT Of poppy seeds) and seen no ill effects.

How does this happen, you ask? Poppy seeds themselves have no opium content, however the milky white fluid that comes from the seed pod of the poppy called the “latex” is what contains the opium content. There is a possibility of contamination of the latex onto the seeds during the harvesting process, but don’t worry, poppy seeds sold for general use/foods are all washed prior to sale. In fact, there are actually legalities around buying unwashed poppy seeds. In the United States, at least 12 deaths have been reported in association with the use of tea made from unwashed poppy seeds causing lethal opiate overdose! (Here’s a pdf from the DEA if you want to learn more about poppy seeds: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/unwashed_poppy_seed.pdf)

Anyways, if you’re a fan of poppy seed pastries, give this recipe a try! It looks like a long recipe, but it’s not all that difficult, just very wordy to describe.

I’ve had to tweak her recipe a little due to difficulty of obtaining certain ingredients outside of Europe (I’m looking at you, coarse flour 😒), but after multiple taste tests, Toby gave the stamp of approval that it’s just like babi’s! The photos in this post are a mix of photos from when she taught us how to make this dish in Czech and me re-making them in our apartment back in Brooklyn.

Note: To make the most accurate version of this recipe, I would recommend using the grams/mls measurements as this was what I used to measure her recipes, however I’ve also included a cup conversion as well.

I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

*I recommend to use the metric measurements (grams/mls) for accuracy of the ingredients to have it as close to babička’s version as possible.

Poppy seed filling:
- 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
- 250g (1.75 cups) poppy seeds, ground
- 120g (1.25 cups) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 175g (1/2 cup) strawberry jam (or more to taste)
- 4g (1/2 Tbsp) ground cinnamon
- 28g (2 Tbsps) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dough:
- Yeast prep:
  - 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
  - 7g (1 packet) of active dry yeast
  - 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
- 1 large egg, divided into yolk and egg white
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 350g (2.75 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted (+ more for dusting and rolling)
- 175ml (3/4 cup) + 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
Streusel:
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
- 70g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

Directions:

A) Make the poppy seed filling:

In a wide-based pan on MED heat, add in 500ml of milk. When the milk boils, add in 250g ground poppy seeds and mix together. It will thicken as you mix. Once the mixture boils again, turn down the heat to LOW and continue to stir until you get a dry crumbly mixture without any liquid left (see photo) – this can take up to 20 minutes.

Pro-tips:

You can use any type of pan or pot, but a wide-based pan will increase your surface area and quicken the process.
Make sure you don’t have any liquid left in your mixture or else your filling will be too wet.

When you get a dry mixture, turn the heat OFF and take the pan off of the heat. Add in 120g of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt and stir until combined. Set aside to cool completely.

While you’re waiting for the filling to cool, you can start making the dough in the next section.

Once the mixture fully cools, add in 175g strawberry jam, 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 Tbsps cocoa powder, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.

B) Make the dough while the poppy seed filling cools:

Activate the yeast:

In a small bowl, add in 1/4 cup of milk and microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s warmed (make sure it’s not too hot or it will cook the yeast). Add in 7g (1 packet) active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix until well-combined, cover and set aside. The yeast is activated once it gets frothy (5-10mins).

In a separate mixing bowl, add in 50g sugar, 50g softened butter, and 1 large egg yolk. Mix on HIGH speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well-combined and a little fluffy.

To the sugar/butter mixture, add in 1 tsp salt, and the frothed yeast mixture (from step 1).

Mix well then alternate adding in 1/3 amount at a time the 350g sifted flour and the 175ml room temperature milk. Once the mixture gets too thick for the mixer, either use a dough hook attachment (if you’re using an electric mixer) or knead by hand. The dough is complete when you get a formed but sticky dough (see photo below) – this took about 5-7 minutes on an electric mixer.

Once the dough forms, scrape it all together, add a dusting of flour on top then cover with a tea towel and let it rest in a warm place until doubled in size (~45 mins – 1 hour).

If you don’t have a warm place, use my fail-proof oven proofing method here.

You can finish off the poppy seed filling (if cooled) while you wait and make the streusel in the next step.

C) Make the streusel:

In a small bowl, add in 50g of sugar, 50g of butter, and 70g of flour.

Mix/pinch/squish it by hand for 2-3 minutes until you get a crumbly mixture (see photo). Set aside.

D) Roll out the dough & assemble:

Prepare a greased or lined 9×13” baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F.

Once the dough has risen, scrape out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few times to remove the bubbles. Weigh the dough and divide it evenly into 3 portions.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface

Take one dough ball (keep the other two covered with a tea towel to prevent it from drying out) and roll it out onto a floured surface. Flip the dough and roll it out a couple times on the floured surface until you get a rectangle shape about 0.5cm thick (see photo) and roughly the length of your baking tray. Evenly spread 1/3 of the finished poppy seed/jam mixture onto the rolled dough, leaving 1-2cm from the edge of the dough.

To form the roll: Grab the bottom edge and fold the dough up by 1/4, then roll up by 1/4 again, then fold the upper 1/4 edge down over the roll and pinch the edges to seal in the poppy seed mixture (see photos). Gently pick up the roll and place this onto the prepared baking tray. Don’t worry if you have some areas of thinner dough or where some poppy seed filling sticks out.

Repeat steps 4-6 with the other two dough balls. Leave about a 2cm space between each roll on the baking tray so they don’t stick together when they bake.

E) Make the egg wash and add the streusel:

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg white with 1/2 Tbsp of milk and brush this mixture over the top and sides of each roll.

This step creates a moist sticky surface for the streusel to stick better. Babicka actually uses rum but to limit the number of ingredients and to use up the egg white, I’ve elected to use the egg wash method. There is no difference in taste if you use rum or an egg/milk mixture.

Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel on top of each roll. Gently push it into the dough if it seems to be rolling off.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown (~25-30 minutes), turning the pan halfway through the cook time to bake evenly. DONE! Let it cool slightly before slicing then serve immediately.

Storage:

Store in an air-tight container and eat within 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze: slice the makovec and freeze in an air-tight container – mine’s still in the freezer from 3 months ago and still going strong! To reheat: microwave from frozen for 30 seconds at a time until warmed.
Note: once you refrigerate or freeze it, the bread firms up slightly.

Summarized Recipe:

Babička’s Makovec (Czech Poppy Seed Roll)

Ingredients: I recommend to use the metric measurements (grams/mls) for accuracy of the ingredients to have it as close to babička’s version as possible.

Poppy seed filling:
- 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
- 250g (1.75 cups) poppy seeds, ground
- 120g (1.25 cups) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 175g (1/2 cup) strawberry jam (or more to taste)
- 4g (1/2 Tbsp) ground cinnamon
- 28g (2 Tbsps) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dough:
- Yeast prep:
  - 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
  - 7g (1 packet) of active dry yeast
  - 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
- 1 large egg, divided into yolk and egg white
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 350g (2.75 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted (+ more for dusting and rolling)
- 175ml (3/4 cup) + 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
Streusel:
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
- 70g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

Directions:

Make the poppy seed filling:
1. In a wide-based pan on MED heat, add in 500ml of milk. When the milk boils, add in 250g ground poppy seeds and mix together. It will thicken as you mix. Once the mixture boils again, turn down the heat to LOW and continue to stir until you get a dry crumbly mixture without any liquid left (see photo) – this can take up to 20 minutes.
  - Pro-tips:
    - You can use any type of pan or pot, but a wide-based pan will increase your surface area and quicken the process.
    - Make sure you don’t have any liquid left in your mixture or else your filling will be too wet.
2. When you get a dry mixture, turn the heat OFF and take the pan off of the heat. Add in 120g of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt and stir until combined. Set aside to cool completely.
  - You can skip ahead and make the dough in this time while you wait for it to cool.
3. Once the mixture fully cools, add in 175g strawberry jam, 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 Tbsps cocoa powder, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.
Make the dough while the poppy seed filling cools:
1. Activate the yeast:
  - In a small bowl, add in 1/4 cup of milk and microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s warmed (make sure it’s not too hot or it will cook the yeast).
  - Add in 7g (1 packet) active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix until well-combined, cover and set aside. The yeast is activated once it gets frothy (5-10mins).
2. In a separate mixing bowl, add in 50g sugar, 50g softened butter, and 1 large egg yolk. Mix on HIGH speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well-combined and a little fluffy.
3. To the sugar/butter mixture, add in 1 tsp salt, and the frothed yeast mixture (from step 1). Mix well then alternate adding in 1/3 amount at a time the 350g sifted flour and the 175ml room temperature milk. Once the mixture gets too thick for the stand mixer, either use a dough hook attachment (if you’re using an electric mixer) or knead by hand. The dough is complete when you get a formed but sticky dough (see photo above) – this took about 5-7 minutes on an electric mixer.
4. Once the dough forms, scrape it all together, add a dusting of flour on top then cover and let it rest in a warm place until doubled in size (~45 mins – 1 hour).
  - If you don’t have a warm place, use my fail-proof oven proofing method here.
  - You can finish off the poppy seed filling (if cooled) while you wait and make the streusel in the next step.
Make the streusel:
1. In a small bowl, add in 50g of sugar, 50g of butter, and 70g of flour.
2. Mix/pinch/squish it by hand for 2-3 minutes until you get a crumbly mixture (see photo). Set aside.
Roll out the dough & assemble:
1. Prepare a greased or lined 9×13” baking tray.
2. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F.
3. Once the dough has risen, scrape out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few times to remove the bubbles. Weigh the dough and divide it evenly into 3 portions.
4. Take one dough ball (keep the other two covered with a tea towel to prevent it from drying out) and roll it out onto a floured surface. Flip the dough and roll it out a couple times on the floured surface until you get a rectangle shape about 0.5cm thick (see photo) and roughly the length of your baking tray.
5. Evenly spread 1/3 of the finished poppy seed/jam mixture onto the rolled dough, leaving 1-2cm from the edge of the dough.
6. To form the roll: Grab the bottom edge and fold the dough up by 1/4, then roll up by 1/4 again, then fold the upper 1/4 edge down over the roll and pinch the edges to seal in the poppy seed mixture (see photos). Gently pick up the roll and place this onto the prepared baking tray.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 with the other two dough balls. Leave about a 2cm space between each roll on the baking tray so they don’t stick together when they bake.
Make the egg wash and add the streusel:
1. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg white with 1/2 Tbsp of milk and brush this mixture over the top and sides of each roll.
  - This step creates a moist sticky surface for the streusel to stick better. Babicka actually uses rum but to limit the number of ingredients and to use up the egg white, I’ve elected to use the egg wash method. There is no difference in taste if you use rum or egg/milk mixture.
2. Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel on top of each roll. Gently push it into the dough if it seems to be rolling off.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown (~25-30 minutes), turning the pan halfway through the cook time to bake evenly. DONE! Let it cool slightly before slicing then serve immediately.

November 11, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Char Siu: An Authentic Chinese BBQ Pork Recipe

Date Published: Sept 27th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 27th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: overnight | Cook time: 45 minutes

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Char Siu is a staple at any Chinese BBQ restaurant and still remains one of our favourite Chinese BBQ dishes when visiting these joints. Although it seems daunting, making Char Siu is actually quite simple: mix up the marinade, marinate the pork overnight, then bake! This is a great dish to serve when catering for a party since pork shoulder/pork butt is a pretty cheap cut of meat and the delicious flavours of the sticky sauce is easy to impress!

What is Char Siu?

Char Siu is Chinese BBQ pork that’s moist, juicy, and covered in an iconic sweet, savoury, and umami sticky glaze. You’ll find it in any Chinese BBQ restaurant served in slices over rice or chopped up and stuffed inside buns for the classic Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun). Some restaurants add red food colouring to their sauce to make the meat look a little red – I’ve skipped this step in my recipe because I didn’t have any on hand, but feel free to add it in if you want the classic restaurant look.

Restaurant-style Char Siu (note the red tinge)

Char Siu is not to be confused with Chashu!

Char Siu is the Chinese BBQ pork dish whereas Chashu is the Japanese fatty pork belly slices you often see served in ramen. While both are insanely delicious, they are completely different dishes. This recipe is for the Chinese BBQ pork Char Siu, however if you’re looking for a good Chashu recipe, I’ve got you covered in my Tonkotsu Ramen recipe below!

Legit Tonkotsu Ramen from scratch (in an Instant Pot)

A tonkotsu ramen is a beautiful bowl of a rich pork bone broth with noodles, chashu, a ramen egg, and your choice of toppings. This legit restaurant-quality tonkotsu ramen recipe will blow your mind away!

March 3, 2024March 3, 2024

What is fermented red bean curd?

If you are not familiar with this pungent beauty, strap in. Fermented red bean curd (also known as fermented tofu) is a Chinese condiment that is made with cubes of tofu that is fermented in a brine of red yeast rice and rice wine. The end result is an umami flavour bomb that can be a bit overwhelming when eaten on its own. It’s often used in sauces as a flavour enhancer or paired with congee.

At first glance it can definitely look off-putting. If you’ve never had it before, I’d recommend only trying the tiniest amount at first (I’m talking about less than a pea size, maybe just a dab). The flavour profile is very salty but with a creamy/cheesy texture. Even if you’re not a fan of the taste, I’d still recommend using it in this recipe to give it that extra depth of flavour that makes all the difference between this char siu recipe to the next. Be careful when taking it out of the jar – it comes in little cubes and is very soft and easily breaks apart.

When I was younger I hated this stuff and I’d cringe every time my dad took it out of the fridge. The flavour was too overwhelming for me, but as I got older I learned to love it and I can’t think of any better condiment than this to go with my congee (move over, pork floss).

Which cut of pork is best?

Pork shoulder or pork butt is the best and most traditional cut of pork to use to make char siu. You can also use pork belly as well, however I find it too fatty when eaten in slices but works very well when chopped up and used in a BBQ pork bun recipe.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pieces (44g) spicy fermented red bean curd
- 1 Tbsp (22g) honey
- 1 Tbsp (14g) Shaoxing wine
- 1 Tbsp (20g) soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp (20g) oyster sauce
- 1 tsp (6g) dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp (2g) 5-spice powder
- 1/4 tsp (1g) white pepper
- 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
500g pork shoulder (try to get a fattier piece) or slab of pork belly, skin removed (I prefer pork shoulder)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients of the marinade: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 pieces fermented red bean curd, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp 5-spice powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Mix well until there are no clumps.

Put the marinade in a resealable plastic bag along with the pork and squeeze out any air. Let it marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Shake off excess marinade and place the marinated pork onto a wire rack over a tray. Brush extra marinade over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Flip each pork piece over, brush with more marinade and bake again for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 63˚C/145˚F.

While the pork is cooking, pour the leftover marinade into a saucepan and turn the heat on to MED. Let the sauce bubble and simmer while continuously stirring for 3-4 minutes until it slightly thickens (don’t worry about reducing it too much since the sauce will thicken further as it cools).

At the end of the cook time, you should have a nice char/dark brown caramelization over the top of the pork. If you don’t, BROIL for 1 minute on each side until you get get the dark brown char. Remove from the oven and brush the reduced marinade (from step 4) over the top and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately after slicing. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Char Siu: An Authentic Chinese BBQ Pork Recipe

Date Published: Sept 27th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 27th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: overnight | Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pieces (44g) spicy fermented red bean curd
- 1 Tbsp (22g) honey
- 1 Tbsp (14g) Shaoxing wine
- 1 Tbsp (20g) soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp (20g) oyster sauce
- 1 tsp (6g) dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp 5-spice powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
500g pork shoulder (try to get a fattier piece) or slab of pork belly, skin and excessive fat removed (I prefer pork shoulder)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients of the marinade: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 pieces fermented red bean curd, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp 5-spice powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Mix well until there are no clumps.
Put the marinade in a resealable plastic bag along with the pork and squeeze out any air. Let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Shake off excess marinade and place the marinated pork onto a wire rack over a tray. Brush extra marinade over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Flip each pork piece over, brush with more marinade and bake again for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 63˚C/145˚F.
While the pork is cooking, pour the leftover marinade into a saucepan and turn the heat on to MED. Let the sauce bubble and simmer while continuously stirring for 3-4 minutes until it slightly thickens (don’t worry about reducing it too much since the sauce will thicken further as it cools).
At the end of the cook time, you should have a nice char/dark brown caramelization over the top of the pork. If you don’t, BROIL for 1 minute on each side until you get get the dark brown char. Remove from the oven and brush the reduced marinade (from step 4) over the top and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

September 27, 2025September 12, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Quick and Easy Shrimp & Egg Tofu Bites

Date Published: Sept 24th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 24th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: appetizer, snacks, asian, <30 mins, easy, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 1 plate as an appetizer | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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This shrimp and egg tofu bites dish is a super easy Asian appetizer/snack that cooks up quickly and looks impressive. If you’re in a pinch for a dinner party or just feeling snacky, this is the recipe for you! It’s made of homemade shrimp paste and soft egg tofu, finished off with a simple savoury sauce.

A note on egg tofu:

If you’re unfamiliar with egg tofu, it is a soft tofu (not quite silken) that has a yellow-tinge in colour and is often packaged in a plastic tube, like the picture on the right. You can find it in the tofu section of most Asian supermarkets.

Happy cooking!

Equipment you’ll need:

Food processor (optional but it will make your life easier)
Large steaming basket or a metal trivet in a wok with a lid

Ingredients you’ll need:

Shrimp mixture:
- 6 large (140g) raw shrimp, deshelled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp (13g) ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 green onions (white and green parts separated)
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 package egg tofu
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp corn starch

Directions:

Slice the egg tofu into 2.5cm thick rounds and place on a heat-proof plate.

In a food processor, add in your shrimp mixture: raw shrimp, 1 Tbsp ginger, 2 green onions (white part only), 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp ground white pepper, and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend until you get a smooth paste.

Carefully spoon a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture onto each egg tofu round. Place the plate in a steaming basket and steam for 10 minutes until the shrimp is set and cooked all the way through. If you don’t have a steaming basket, you can add a few centimetres of hot water into a wok and place the plate of shrimp tofu on an elevated plate or tray in the centre and add the lid over (as pictured).

Make the sauce: While the shrimp and tofu steams, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients (1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1/8 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp corn starch). Whisk until there are no lumps, then heat the sauce in a small pan on MED heat until it simmers and thickens (3-5 minutes) then turn off the heat.

When the shrimp/tofu finishes steaming, remove the lid and use a papertowel to remove any collected water on the plate. Pour the sauce (from step 4) onto the plate around the shrimp/tofu and garnish with chopped green part of the green onions on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Quick and Easy Shrimp & Egg Tofu Bites

Ingredients:

Shrimp mixture:
- 6 large (140g) raw shrimp, deshelled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp (13g) ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 green onions (white and green parts separated)
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 package egg tofu
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp corn starch

Directions:

Slice the egg tofu into 2.5cm thick rounds and place on a heat-proof plate.
In a food processor, add in your shrimp mixture: raw shrimp, 1 Tbsp ginger, 2 green onions (white part only), 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp ground white pepper, and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend until you get a smooth paste.
Carefully spoon a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture onto each egg tofu round. Place the plate in a steaming basket and steam for 10 minutes until the shrimp is set and cooked all the way through. If you don’t have a steaming basket, you can add a few centimetres of hot water into a wok and place the plate of shrimp tofu on an elevated plate or tray in the centre and add the lid over (as pictured).
Make the sauce: While the shrimp and tofu steams, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients (1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1/8 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp corn starch). Whisk until there are no lumps, then heat the sauce in a small pan on MED heat until it simmers and thickens (3-5 minutes) then turn off the heat.
When the shrimp/tofu finishes steaming, remove the lid and use a papertowel to remove any collected water on the plate. Pour the sauce (from step 4) onto the plate around the shrimp/tofu and garnish with chopped green part of the green onions on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

September 24, 2025September 12, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Green Curry Mussels

Date Published: Sept 21st, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 21st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Asian, <15mins, <30 mins, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

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This Green Curry Mussel recipe has been on the back burner since I started this website during COVID. I’m glad to finally be able to publish it! Back during the lockdown pandemic era (seems like so long ago now!), like many, I was really into experimenting in the kitchen and I had just recently discovered how to make my own Thai Green Curry Paste from scratch! From that recipe, I became more and more adventurous in ways I could use up that curry paste. Toby’s favourite recipe from that adventure is the fried prawn toasts (see the posts below). Mine is this recipe. I would have never thought to pair green curry and mussels together until I saw it on the menu at the mussel stand in Queen Victoria Market one day and it was mind-blowingly delicious!

This is my take on green curry mussels. This recipe uses the bold and rich flavours of a traditional Thai Green Curry paste, cooked together in coconut milk, then tossed together with fresh mussels to give an aromatic and creamy mussel dish. I hope you enjoy!

Thai Green Curry Paste

Brace yourself. There are a BUTTLOAD of ingredients that go into this Thai green curry paste (17 to be exact) but it’s packed with flavour and beautiful aromas. It does…

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by Abby July 29, 2020August 11, 2020

Green Curry Prawn Toast

These prawn toasts are so easy to make! You can serve it as an appetizer or a snack for a party. They make good use of the homemade Thai green…

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by Abby August 27, 2020August 27, 2020

Green Curry Fish Soup

This healthy green curry soup uses soy milk and fresh green curry paste for maximum flavour and minimum calories and fat. It’s so quick and easy to whip this up…

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by Abby February 16, 2022

Thai Green Curry (Chicken, Beef, Fish or Veg)

Although the flavours are complex, making a Thai curry is actually really straight forward and simple as long as you have the green curry paste, which is where most of…

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by Abby August 5, 2020February 15, 2025

This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg live mussels, cleaned and pot-ready
1/2 cup homemade green curry paste
1 can (400ml) coconut milk

Directions:

Heat a large pan or wok on MED heat and sauté the green curry paste in a drizzle of oil until the paste dries out a bit and turns slightly brown (2-3 minutes). Add in the can of coconut milk and mix it all together. Let the sauce simmer until you get a thickened sauce.

Add in the mussels and stir. Put the lid on and let the mussels steam for 4-5 minutes until they all open up. Turn off the heat and serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Green Curry Mussels

Ingredients:

1kg live mussels, cleaned and pot-ready
1/2 cup homemade green curry paste
1 can (400ml) coconut milk

Directions:

Heat a large pan or wok on MED heat and sauté the green curry paste in a drizzle of oil until the paste dries out a bit and turns slightly brown (2-3 minutes).
Add in the can of coconut milk and mix it all together. Let the sauce simmer until you get a thickened sauce.
Add in the mussels and stir. Put the lid on and let the mussels steam for 4-5 minutes until they all open up. Turn off the heat and serve!

September 21, 2025September 9, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Date Published: Sept 14th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 14th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: sides, vegetarian, easy, salads
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Marinate time: 12 hours (overnight)

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I’ve never been a huge fan of KFC coleslaw, but my mom always loved it. Back home in Canada they used to do “Toonie Tuesdays” where you can get a KFC deal of 2 pieces of chicken with a small fries for $2 (our $2 coins are called Toonies, if you didn’t know) and you bet mom always ordered a side of coleslaw with it, so this one’s for you, mom!

This recipe is an adaptation from this copy cat KFC coleslaw recipe at TopSecretRecipes.com. I’ve changed the proportions a little and doubled up on the sauce to make it extra flavourful. Toby and I actually went out of our way to KFC to buy coleslaw and compare the two and hands down this one was the winner (I don’t know what they’re doing in Brooklyn KFC)!

Pair it with this super easy pulled pork recipe.:

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Get ready for the most ridiculously easy pulled pork recipe that’s ready in 75 minutes! You will need an Instant Pot or any pressure cooker for this along with your favourite BBQ sauce.

September 11, 2025September 14, 2025

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Dressing:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice, let it sit for 10 mins until it thickens)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (get the best quality you can)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice
- 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 a small head (~4 cups) cabbage, finely chopped
1 small carrot (~1/2 cup), shredded
1/4 small onion (~1.5 Tbsps), finely minced

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sugar, 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice, 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper.

Add the dressing to the chopped cabbage, carrot, and onion and mix well.

Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Don’t taste it until it has marinated overnight – the cabbage will release its juices and the flavours will come together better the next day. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Ingredients:

Dressing:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice, let it sit for 10 mins until it thickens)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (get the best quality you can)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice
- 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 a small head (~4 cups) cabbage, finely chopped
1 small carrot (~1/2 cup), shredded
1/4 small onion (~1.5 Tbsps), finely minced

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sugar, 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice, 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper.
Add the dressing to the chopped cabbage, carrot, and onion and mix well. Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Don’t taste it until it has marinated overnight – the cabbage will release its juices and the flavours will come together better the next day. Done!

September 14, 2025September 11, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Date Published: Sept 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: easy, mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 minutes + marinating time | Cook time: 75 minutes

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Get ready for the most ridiculously easy pulled pork recipe that’s ready in 75 minutes! You will need an Instant Pot or any pressure cooker for this along with your favourite BBQ sauce.

Why I love this recipe!

Quick and easy – I never knew you could make pulled pork in such little time and without a slow cooker or cooking for hours! It takes 5 minutes to prep the pork and rest is just setting the Instant Pot and forgetting it. No need to watch it constantly as it cooks.
Easily makes a large batch – a 2kg/4 pound pork shoulder fits well into an Instant Pot and serves up to 6 people at once as a main, or even more if you’re using the pork as a side or inside another dish such as pulled pork tacos or sliders. I use this one recipe as meal prep for lunches for the rest of the week. This pulled pork also keeps well in the fridge or freezer so you can also do multiple batches for a large party the day before.
Budget-friendly! Cheap to feed and easy to impress a lot of people – After learning this recipe, I think this will be my new go-to dish for potluck events. Pork shoulder is relatively inexpensive and you should be able to find 2kg/4lbs of it for less than $30 to feed a party small. Just be sure to pick a good BBQ sauce!
Versatility – As you will notice, unlike many pulled pork recipes, this one does not cook the pork in the BBQ sauce. The pork comes out perfectly cooked, but a little on the blander side. This is intentional so it doesn’t overpower the flavours of your chosen BBQ sauce and also gives you more versatility in how you want to use the shredded pork. You can easily store this pulled pork in batches in the freezer and use it on so many things (keep scrolling to see the different dishes you could use this in!).

How much pork to feed a party?

As a rough guide, multiply the number of guests by 0.3 to get the amount of raw pork you’ll need to cook in kilos. To calculate it in pounds, multiply it by 0.6. This calculation is the amount of raw pork you need to serve each person as a main dish. Use less if you’re using this as a side dish or within a recipe.

For example: 10 guests x 0.3 = 3kg of raw pork to cook.

What to do with leftover pulled pork?

Pork shoulder is often on sale at our local Costco and as a result I regularly find myself with 7kg of pork shoulder for $30 and scrambling to find recipes – I just can’t pass up a good deal! Here are a list of dishes you can use with pulled pork before adding on BBQ sauce:

Mixed with BBQ sauce and served in sliders with coleslaw
Pulled pork tacos
Toasted sandwiches
Burritos
Toppings on okonomiyaki
Mixed with any kind of red pasta sauce for a quick pasta dish
Quick added protein to any soups
Pierogi or dumpling filling
Mixed with a fried rice
Quesadilla
Pulled pork nachos

Pair this recipe with a copycat KFC coleslaw!

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

This is a copycat recipe of the famous KFC Coleslaw. It’s quick, easy, flavourful, and delicious!

September 14, 2025September 11, 2025

How to store leftover pulled pork:

To store: Use the leftover liquid from the Instant Pot and submerge the shredded pulled pork into this liquid and keep refrigerated for a few days or freeze. When ready to eat again, reheat with the liquid and strain the pork out before mixing with BBQ sauce.

You can also freeze it flat in a freezer bag with the pork rolled out in a thin layer, then when you need to use it in a pinch, just break off what you need.

Happy cooking!

This recipe was adapted from TatestBetterFromScratch.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Rub:
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru/Korean chilli powder (or substitute for 1/2 Tbsp cayenne) – optional
- 2 tsps smoked paprika
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- 2 tsps onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsps kosher salt
- 1.5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2kg/4 pounds of pork shoulder/butt, or pork loin roast, cut into 4 large even pieces
- This will allow more even cooking rather than one large roast which can get tough in the middle.
1 can/355ml/12 fl. oz of regular Coca-cola (not diet, not zero, not flavoured)
Your favourite bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together: 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 tsps smoked paprika, 2 tsps garlic powder, 2 tsps onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsps salt, 1 tsp black pepper.

Massage the rub mixture into the pork pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour or better if overnight.

Place the marinated pork into the Instant Pot and pour a can of Coca-cola around the pork.

Close the instant pot lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 75 minutes then let it natural release for 15 minutes before carefully venting it.

Remove the cooked pork from the juices into a glass bowl or pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It should be perfectly cooked and very easy to shred. If you’re finding it tough, then cook for a bit longer. Remember, the flavours are meant to be subtle to not overpower your choice of BBQ sauce. Don’t adjust any seasoning the seasoning until after you’ver added your sauce.

Mix with your favourite BBQ sauce poured over top. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

Rub:
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru/Korean chilli powder (or substitute for 1/2 Tbsp cayenne) – optional
- 2 tsps smoked paprika
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- 2 tsps onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsps kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2kg/4 pounds of pork shoulder/butt, or pork loin roast, cut into 4 large even pieces
- This will allow more even cooking rather than one large roast which can get tough in the middle.
1 can/355ml/12 fl. oz of Coca-cola
Your favourite bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together: 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 tsps smoked paprika, 2 tsps garlic powder, 2 tsps onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsps salt, 1 tsp black pepper.
Massage the rub mixture into the pork pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour or better if overnight.
Place the marinated pork into the Instant Pot and pour a can of Coca-cola around the pork. Close the instant pot lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 75 minutes then let it natural release for 15 minutes before carefully venting it.
Remove the cooked pork from the juices into a glass bowl or pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It should be perfectly cooked and very easy to shred. If you’re finding it tough, then cook for a bit longer. Remember, the flavours are meant to be subtle to not overpower your choice of BBQ sauce. Don’t adjust any seasoning the seasoning until after you’ver added your sauce.
Once shredded, mix with your favourite BBQ sauce poured over top. Done!

September 11, 2025September 14, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Beef Bulgogi

Date Published: April 18th, 2025 | Last Updated: April 18th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, asian, quick, easy,
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 12 hours (marinate overnight) | Cook time: 10 minutes

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Bulgogi is a Korean dish that consists of thinly sliced meat (most commonly beef, but you can find pork and chicken variations too) marinated in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Once marinated, this dish is so quick to cook that it only takes a few minutes on the grill, perfect for a busy quick weeknight dinner if you marinate the meat the night before. Serve it over rice, lettuce wraps, or perilla leaves with a side of veggies. This flavourful dish will surely be a hit!

3 Methods for thinly sliced beef:

For best and most uniform results: Freeze the raw steak for 20-30 minutes until semi-firm, then use a meat slicer to slice as thin as possible. I have this model of meat slicer that I chose for the decent price and its relatively small size.

2. Freeze the raw steak for 20-30 minutes until semi-firm, then use a sharp knife to slice as thin as possible.

3. Buy pre-sliced frozen beef from the hotpot section of most asian grocery stores. This will be the easiest method but will also likely be more expensive.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps freshly grated ginger
- 4 green onions, sliced to 4cm pieces
- 1/2 small pear (80g), peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce (Kikkoman is fine)
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang (Korean red chilli paste)
700g/1.5 pounds boneless rib eye steak, sliced thinly (for cheaper options, flank steak or skirt steak will also do)
Garnish: chopped green onion and sesame seeds

Directions:

Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsps grated ginger, 4 green onions sliced to 4cm pieces, 1/2 of a pear, grated (80g), 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce, 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar, 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil, 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang.

Add the thinly sliced steak into the marinade and massage well. Pour the contents into a resealable bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Take out the marinated steak 20 minutes prior to cooking to let the meat come to room temperature.

When ready to cook, use a flat skillet or grill pan on MED-HIGH heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the marinated steak and cook for roughly 2-3 minutes per side until slightly charred and cooked. Done!

Serve with rice. Garnish with more green onion and sesame seeds.

Summarized Recipe:

Beef Bulgogi

Ingredients:

Marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps freshly grated ginger
- 4 green onions, sliced to 4cm pieces
- 1/2 small pear (80g), peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce (Kikkoman is fine)
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang (Korean red chilli paste)
700g/1.5 pounds boneless rib eye steak, sliced thinly (for cheaper options, flank steak or skirt steak will also do)
Garnish: chopped green onion and sesame seeds

Directions:

Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well: 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsps grated ginger, 4 green onions sliced to 4cm pieces, 1/2 of a pear, grated (80g), 1/4 cup (66g) soy sauce, 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar, 2 Tbsps (30g) toasted sesame oil, 1.5 Tbsps (30g) gochujang.
Add the thinly sliced steak into the marinade and massage well. Pour the contents into a resealable bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Take out the marinated steak 20 minutes prior to cooking to let the meat come to room temperature.
When ready to cook, use a flat skillet or grill pan on MED-HIGH heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the marinated steak and cook for roughly 2-3 minutes per side until slightly charred and cooked. Done! Serve with rice. Garnish with more green onion and sesame seeds.

April 18, 2025April 20, 2025

Abby1 Comment

Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Soup)

Date Published: April 12th, 2025 | Last Updated: April 12th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: soup, asian, easy, healthy, low cal, mains, quick
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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What is Soondubu/Sundubu Jjigae?

Soondubu or Sundubu or Soon tofu is an extra soft type of tofu that is very fragile when handled, but has a lovely soft texture.

Jjigae = Korean style stew usually made with meat, seafood, or vegetables. There are a variety different ‘jjigae’ out there, named according to what their ingredients are. This dish is called a ‘soondubu jjigae’ because it’s made with the classic soft tofu.

A Soondubu jjigae is a healthy and easy to make Korean soup made with bonito soup stock (fish based) and kimchi (fermented Korean cabbage) as the main flavours of the dish which results in a savoury but slightly acidic soup. The ingredients of the soup can vary from place to place but commonly you’ll find tteok (Korean rice cakes), seafood or meat (or both in this case), and of course the soft tofu. I’ve also added two types of mushrooms to mine for added texture but feel free to leave them out.

Bonito Soup Stock

Bonito is a type of fish that is in the same family as mackerel and tuna. One of the most common forms of bonito is bonito flakes which are the thin brown flakes sprinkled on top of okonomiyaki or takoyaki. Bonito stock, also known as dashi, is a Japanese soup stock made from bonito flakes, kelp, and other ingredients. It packs tons of umami flavour and is a key component of many Japanese dishes, including miso soup. HonDashi is the most popular brand of bonito soup stock/dashi that you’ll find in most Asian grocery stores and it comes in a powder/fine pellet form packaged in small glass jars (as pictured), or in packets. They usually need to be kept refrigerated once opened.

What are Garaetteok/Tteok (Korean rice cakes)?

Garaetteok/tteok are Korean rice cakes that are made from non-glutinous rice flour and come in skinny long cylinders. On their own they don’t have much flavour so they’re often added to a flavourful saucy dish (such as this dak galbi recipe) or a soup. They have a soft and chewy texture once cooked and make a great textural addition to many dishes. You’ll most commonly see garaetteok/tteok served in a dish called tteokbokki which is a spicy rice cake dish.

You can find these vacuum-sealed in the refrigerated section of most Asian grocery stores. They will be very hard coming out of the package and need to be soaked for at least 10 minutes in warm water to slightly soften before cooking them. If you’re lucky and your Asian grocer have these fresh, you can put them directly into the dish without soaking.

Don’t worry if you can’t find any garaetteok/tteok. Simply omit them from the recipe altogether. It won’t change the flavour of the dish. It’s mainly to add an extra textural component.

A Quick Note on Gochugaru – Korean Chilli Powder

This recipe uses Gochugaru, a Korean chilli powder, which is not too spicy and it gives the dish a deeper orangey/red colour. It can be easily found in most Asian grocery stores, but if you don’t have any, a good substitute is Kashmiri chilli powder (an Indian variety). Do NOT substitute with cayenne pepper which is a MUCH spicier chilli powder. If you absolutely can’t find Gochugaru or Kashmiri chilli powder, then you can substitute with 1 part cayenne powder: 3 parts paprika, or consider skipping it altogether.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

300g chuck steak, sliced into 3-4 cm long strips
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup (~250g) kimchi, chopped with juices
1 Tbsp Korean chili powder
400g button mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch enoki mushrooms (optional)
2.5 tsps Hondashi bonito stock powder
2 cups water
1 handful of tteok (Korean rice cakes), rinsed
150g raw shrimp, deveined and deshelled, cut in half width-wise
2 x 313g/11oz packages of soft soon tofu (extra soft Korean tofu), halved and sliced
For garnish: 1 green onion, sliced fine

Directions:

In a medium sized soup pot (enough to accommodate 6 cups) on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and quickly sauté the steak until just browned on the outside – do not cook all the way through (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot on MED-HIGH heat, add another drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add in the 1 cup chopped kimchi, 1 Tbsp chili powder, button mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. Continue to sauté for another few minutes until the onion softens.

Dissolve the 2.5 tsps bonito stock powder into 2 cups of water and add it to the pot along with the tteok. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the shrimp, tofu, and sautéed steak (from step 1) into the pot and carefully mix it around without breaking the tofu. Let the soup simmer until the shrimp is cooked and the tteok is soft (~another 3-4 minutes), then turn off the heat.

Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed (the amount of adjustment will depend on the type of kimchi you’ve used). Garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy! Serve with a side of white rice.

Optional: crack an egg at the surface while the shrimp is cooking at the same time for 3-4 minutes, or otherwise poach an egg separately and add it to the bowl when serving.

Summarized Recipe

Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Soup)

Ingredients:

300g chuck steak, sliced into 3-4 cm long strips
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup (~250g) kimchi, chopped with juices
1 Tbsp Korean chili powder
400g button mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch enoki mushrooms (optional)
2.5 tsps Hondashi bonito stock powder
2 cups water
1 handful of tteok (Korean rice cakes), rinsed
150g raw shrimp, deveined and deshelled, cut in half width-wise
2 x 313g/11oz packages of soft soon tofu (extra soft Korean tofu), halved and sliced
For garnish: 1 green onion, sliced fine

Directions:

In a medium sized soup pot (enough to accommodate 6 cups) on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and quickly sauté the steak until just browned on the outside – do not cook all the way through (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot on MED-HIGH heat, add another drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add in the 1 cup chopped kimchi, 1 Tbsp chili powder, button mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. Continue to sauté for another few minutes until the onion softens.
Dissolve the 2.5 tsps bonito stock powder into 2 cups of water and add it to the pot along with the tteok. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes then add in the shrimp, tofu, and sautéed steak (from step 1) into the pot and carefully mix it around without breaking the tofu. Let the soup simmer until the shrimp is cooked and the tteok is soft (~another 3-4 minutes), then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed (the amount of adjustment will depend on the type of kimchi you’ve used). Garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy! Serve with a side of white rice.
- Optional: crack an egg at the surface while the shrimp is cooking at the same time for 3-4 minutes, or otherwise poach an egg separately and add it to the bowl when serving.

April 12, 2025February 15, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Dubai Chocolate Bars

Date Published: April 6th, 2025 | Last Updated: April 6th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: snacks, dessert
Makes: 6 chocolate bars (in the specified molds) | Prep time: 15 mins | Total time: 1 hour

Jump to recipe |

My coworker Joe was the one that put me on the viral Dubai Chocolate Bars. I’m not much of a TikTokker so I had never heard of them until he brought it up, and then suddenly within the next two weeks I was seeing these chocolate bars everywhere. An NYC nut shop was importing them from Dubai and was selling them for $16 for 1 bar! It was insane. It was ridiculous, but out of curiosity we got suckered into the hype and bought a bar. Not many things live up to the craze, but this chocolate bar was SERIOUSLY SO GOOD. I’m not sure if it was $16 good, but it was pretty close.

A Dubai Chocolate Bar is a milk chocolate bar with a crunchy pistachio paste filling. After some googling, I found a few vague copycat recipes and decided to try my own hand at it. It was a messy process (when is it ever not when working with melted chocolate 🥲) but after a few tweaks and portioning, it came out perfect! I had some leftover store-bought $16 Dubai Chocolate Bar and compared it with my own homemade version and in a blind taste test, Toby picked my version! 😁 I’d say that’s a pretty big win. So here I am, sharing the recipe with you all!

Some tools you’ll need:

Chocolate mold – you can use any kind of silicon chocolate mold you wish. I used this one from Amazon which makes 6 medium-sized bars at a time. If you choose to use a larger mold to make larger chocolate bars, keep in mind that you will have to increase the portions in the recipe to account for the difference.

Metal rack – to allow for excess chocolate to drip out of your molds. Any kind of rack will do.

A Breakdown of the Ingredients:

Kataifi pastry, milk chocolate melts, and pistachio cream

Kataifi pastry is essentially shredded or spun phyllo dough that gives a lovely crunch and holds its texture even when sitting within a paste for long periods of time. It actually looks just like dried rice vermicelli to me. It’s a common ingredient used in Middle Eastern desserts and can be found in specialty grocery stores. I used the Alkis brand that can be found here.

Pistachio Cream or Pistachio Spread is blended pistachios in a paste form with added ingredients to make it smooth and creamy. I like to use the Pisti Pistachio Cream that’s imported from Italy, but sometimes this can be a bit hard to find so I’ve also shared a recipe to make your own that can be found here. It’s not quite the same but will yield equally delicious results. Whichever kind of pistachio cream you use, make sure it’s good quality that’s strong in pistachio flavour.

Milk Chocolate – whatever brand you choose, treat yourself and get a higher grade milk chocolate. You can use chocolate chips, but I prefer chocolate melts for easier melting. My go-to brand for this recipe is the Ghirardelli milk chocolate wafers – it tends to be more expensive but it’s soooo good 😬.

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. It’s used in this recipe to add extra richness and fluidity of the filling due to the natural oils from the sesame seeds. It can be found in most grocery stores these days but if you can’t seem to find it, you can make it yourself by blending up toasted white sesame seeds with a neutral oil in a 2:1 ratio with a pinch of salt in a high speed blender until you get a smooth paste.

Happy cooking!

Tools you’ll need:

Chocolate mold – I use this one
Cooling rack with a tray below

Ingredients you’ll need:

50g of kataifi pastry – I use this one
20g unsalted butter
400g of milk chocolate – I use this one
Pinch of salt
120g Pistachio cream or spread – I use this one or you can make your own here
7g tahini

Directions:

Prepare the kataifi pastry:

Place the kataifi pastry in a bowl and crush it by hand until you have small pieces, roughly 3mm long.

Melt the 20g of butter in a pan on MED heat and add in the kataifi pastry. Stir and toast the pastry until golden brown (~5 mins). Turn off the heat and place the toasted pastry in a bowl until cooled and ready to use.

Prepare the chocolate mold:

Melt/temper the chocolate by putting it on a double boiler: In a small sauce pan, fill up 1/3 of the pan with water and let it come to a boil. Fit a glass or heat-proof bowl over top the boiling water and add in the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted and it reaches 100˚F/38˚C.

Set up double boiler by boiling 1/3 pan of water

Alternatively, you can also microwave the chocolate 30 seconds at a time until it reaches 100˚F/38˚C.

Pour chocolate into the molds, making sure you cover all edges and the sides as well.

Make sure you cover all the edges with chocolate

Prepare a clean rack over a tray and flip the chocolate-coated mold upside down on the rack to let the excess chocolate drip out. Let it drip for a few minutes then turn back over. Keep the excess chocolate for the final step.

Make sure all the edges are covered and clean up the excess

Let the chocolate set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until solidified.

Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, mix together the pistachio cream, tahini, and a pinch of salt. Then add in the cooled toasted kataifi pastry. Mix thoroughly.

Spoon the filling into the solidified chocolate molds, spreading it evenly to the edges.

Melt/temper the excess chocolate (from step 2) again by either putting it on a double boiler or microwave 30 seconds at a time until it reaches 100˚F/38˚C. Pour it into the mold over the filling and spread out evenly. Lightly bang the mold on the table to release any air bubbles, then refrigerate until solid. (20-25mins).

Once the chocolate has solidified, gently remove them from the molds. Clean up any edges with a knife.

Done! Eat immediately or keep refrigerated.

Summarized Recipe:

Dubai Chocolate Bars

Tools you’ll need:

Chocolate mold – I use this one
Cooling rack with a tray below

Ingredients:

50g of kataifi pastry – I use this one
20g unsalted butter
400g of milk chocolate – I use this one
Pinch of salt
120g Pistachio cream or spread – I use this one or you can make your own here
7g tahini

Directions:

Prepare the kataifi pastry: Place the kataifi pastry in a bowl and crush it by hand until you have small pieces, roughly 3mm long. Melt the butter in a pan on MED heat and add in the kataifi pastry. Stir and toast the pastry until golden brown (~5 mins). Turn off the heat and place the toasted pastry in a bowl until cooled and ready to use.
Prepare the chocolate mold:
- Melt/temper the chocolate by either putting it on a double boiler or microwave 30 seconds at a time until it reaches 100˚F/38˚C.
- Pour chocolate into the molds, making sure you cover all edges and the sides as well. Bang the mold on the table to release any bubbles and to ensure even distribution.
- Prepare a clean rack over a tray and flip the chocolate-coated mold upside down on the rack to let the excess chocolate drip out. Let it drip for a few minutes then turn back over. Keep the excess chocolate for the final step.
- Let the chocolate set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until solidified.
Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, mix together the pistachio cream, tahini, and a pinch of salt. Then add in the cooled toasted kataifi pastry. Mix thoroughly.
Spoon the filling into the solidified chocolate molds, spreading it evenly to the edges.
Melt/temper the excess chocolate (from step 2) again by either putting it on a double boiler or microwave 30 seconds at a time until it reaches 100˚F/38˚C. Pour it into the mold over the filling and spread out evenly. Lightly bang the mold on the table to release any air bubbles, then refrigerate until solid. (20-25mins).
Once the chocolate has solidified, gently remove them from the molds. Done! Eat immediately or keep refrigerated.

April 6, 2025February 15, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment