Asia Unplated with Diana Chan

Diana prepares an Indonesian street food favourite - perkedel jagung - crispy, deep fried corn fritters, while chef Jerry Mai showcases Indonesian spices with her Balinese grilled chicken.

As one of the worlds biggest coconut producers, coconut is a staple ingredient in Sri Lankan cuisine. Prominent chef Adam D'Sylva (Tonka and Coda) shares his smoked trout salad with coconut sambol and pomelo, a light dish that’s big on flavour. Jerry Mai prepares a crab curry, with a rich coconut base showcasing popular Sri Lankan spices. For dessert Diana makes watalappan, a baked coconut custard, sweetened with kithul jaggery, a beloved Sri Lankan staple.

Chinese cuisine is flavourful and diverse. Diana shows how easy it is to make a Yum Cha favourite at home as she prepares sesame balls with red bean paste filling. Master Chef alumni and friend, Karlie Verkerk, shares her recipe for three cup chicken - san bei ji - a simple, homestyle Chinese dish. Jacob Leung also joins Diana in the kitchen to prepare a citrusy and aromatic dish of soy, orange and Chinese five-spice braised duck.

Laotian cuisine is packed with bold, balanced flavours. Reflective of surrounding countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, Laotian food also shares a balance of spicy, sour and sweet, however, it is relatively unknown to many Australians. Diana showcases sticky rice, a staple ingredient in Laotian cooking as she shares one of her favourite street food snacks khao jee (grilled sticky rice with egg). Diana explores popular flavours in Laos in a spicy pork sausage sai oua, packed with vibrant herbs and spices. Diana is also joined in the kitchen by Jerry Mai who prepares salt-crust grilled fish: a whole snapper filled with aromatics that celebrates Laos’s fresh and vibrant flavours.

India is a wide-ranging country where cooking varies from region to region, so Diana decides to focus on the foods of Southern India. To celebrate South India, Jacob Leung prepares red onion bhaji with yoghurt dipping sauce, his favourite street food snack. Sarah Todd joins Diana to share her recipe for Kerala-style crispy prawns, a dish she fell in love with while opening a restaurant in India. Diana creates a fragrant vegetarian dish tadka dal, a lentil-based dal topped with tempered herbs and spices.

Diana explores the balance of salty, sweet and sour flavours that is fundamental in Thai cuisine. Chef Adam D’Sylva first celebrates this harmony of flavours by making a refreshing dish, seared tuna with nahm jim. Diana then showcases a popular Thai dish of beef massaman curry. Jacob Leung finishes by preparing a fragrant and smoky Thai beef salad called nam tok with sticky rice powder.

Diana delves into the vibrant and fresh flavours of Vietnamese cooking. With the expertise of her flatmate Khanh Ong (owner of the George on Collins) the pair creates cha gio re which is similar to a spring roll but with a delicate, lace-like exterior. Diana shares a simple yet elegant dish banh beo which are delicate, steamed rice cakes that are sure to impress. Jerry Mai also joins Diana to share her expertise in Vietnamese cooking. Jerry demonstrates how easy it is to make your own rice noodles at home which she serves as part of bun cha Hanoi, made of smoky grilled pork patties, with rice noodles, pickled vegetables and an abundance of fresh herbs.