Traveling Asia with Asian Street Food to Make at Home
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Street food in Asia is among the best… if not the best in the world. Intoxicating, the tantalizing aroma of spicy and savory food fills the city’s air. Foods one can almost become addicted to. The good news is, these delicious and classic Asian street foods can be made at home.
And we’ve gathered the recipes for you.
From Singapore to Malaysia, Korea and Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia, these are street food recipes you’ll want to make at home.
RELATED: 27 Malaysian Street Foods to Try in Penang
1. Chicken Curry Puffs – Singapore
An all-time favorite of mine. I first had curry puffs made at my Malaysian friend’s home. Truly magnificent!
“Passed on to him by a Hainanese sailor he met when he was a young man, Uncle Tham’s curry puffs are a hugely popular snack in Singapore. All handmade and bursting with flavour, they perfectly represent the melting pot that is Singaporean cuisine. The chicken can be substituted with sardines, or a vegetable.”
2. Kimberly Street Duck Koay Chiap – Penang, Malysia
“Most Penangites would have heard or tried the famous night-time Duck Koay Chiap in Kimberley Street, Penang. It is a stall by the roadside located just a few shops down from Restaurant Goh Huat Seng. The proprietor, Mr Por has been been serving Koay Chiap for almost twenty-nine years in this usual selling spot. For over the span of three decades, Mr Por has insisted on using local ingredients, while preparing everything himself. Ranging from the Koay Chiap to the stewed duck to the chili sauce, everything is prepared by him and has remained his trade secret all this while.”
3. Spicy Pork Noodles – China
“This is a version of the classic spicy Beijing noodles, but I’ve reduced the pork and increased the vegetables. Make sure you use free-range pork mince – your best bet might be to source it from your local farmers’ market.” Matthew Evans, For the Love of Meat
4. Hotteok – Korea
“Learn to make popular Korean winter street food – Hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes). It’s crispy outside and inside is filled with sweet gooey indulgence!”
5. Thit Bo Nuong La Lot – Vietnam
“Grilled beef in wild betel leaf. They’re fragrant, fun, and delicious. They’re a favorite Vietnamese snack. When the rolls are cooking, the perfume of the leaves, called la lot (“lah loht”) in Vietnamese, mesmerizes. The fragrance is uncommon and distinctive. You know it when you smell it.”
6. Bulgogi – Korea
“The most delicious beef bulgogi recipe! Finally! I’m so happy to share my Bulgogi (불고기) recipe today. Well, over the years I have shared a couple of bulgogi recipes on my blog but I have been wanting to share the most classic, authentic and ultimate Bulgogi recipe for a very long time (for almost 9 years)! So here’s it is!”
7. Banh Cu Cai Bot Chien – China/Vietnam
Crisp Daikon Rice Cakes with Egg and Scallion: “I spotted a man making bot chien (literally fried dough, which sounds utterly blah but it is darn good) on a flat top. He was doing a brisk business and having a good time chatting with customers. His sizzling cart emanated fabulous fragrance.”
8. Korokke – Japan
“Potato croquettes, or Korokke as they are called in Japanese, are a delicious fried food made from panko crumbed mashed potato with carrot and onion and mince. This is typical Japanese home cooking and also a tasty street food. They’re a great dinner or lunch because they’re like one meal all in one little croquette, so they’re especially great for lunch on-the-go! They’re also a delicious way to change up kids lunches from just the regular sandwich. The croquettes, or korokke, taste best when they’re fried but you can bake these too.”
9. Traditional Cantonese Mooncakes – China
“Mooncakes, the banner dessert of the Mid-Autumn Festival, are by far my favorite Asian treat. Like a Chinese cheesecake, they’re rich, decadent, and altogether too indulgent. This homemade version is a little lighter but just as delicious, so you can have your (moon)cake and eat it, too.”
10. Quick and Easy Takoyaki – Japan
“Cook up this hot and tasty Japanese snack in minutes with just one chopstick. Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, it’s easy to make your own Quick and Easy Takoyaki at home. Now to spice them up with secret topping combinations found in Hyuga, Japan.”
11. Roti Canai – Malaysia and Singapore
“Roti canai (roti paratha) originated from southern India but was modified and made famous by the mamak (Muslim-Indian) hawkers in Malaysia and Singapore. In Malaysia, this crispy and buttery (actually made with ghee) flat bread is called roti canai but across the straits in Singapore, they are commonly known as roti paratha.”
12. Pork Satay with Chilli Dipping Sauce – Thailand
“It is believed that satay is an interpretation of Middle Eastern kebabs and was introduced to Southeast Asia by way of Arab traders. There are countless regional variations; this version is made of pork, grilled over charcoal and served with chilli vinegar sauce rather than traditional peanut sauce.”
Pin It