12 Adam Liaw hawker-style recipes to make at home

Hawker food is fast, flash and fabulous - which suits Adam's style of cooking down to a tee.

Hawker-style oyster omelette Source: Ben Ward

--- Join Adam Liaw on an inspiring journey to highlight Australia's bushfire-affected food producers on Adam Liaw's Road Trip for Good Wednesdays 8.30pm on SBS Food and SBS On Demand. ---

 

As we venture across NSW, Victoria and South Australia watching Adam Liaw's Road Trip for Good, it's fair to say we're getting hungry. Not only is Adam sourcing some of the most luxe produce imaginable, he's also whipping up recipes with ease. Could it really be this easy to eat so well?

The answer, of course, is yes. We live in a country abundant with fresh ingredients that require little in the way of cooking, or even prep, to make very tasty indeed. This is demonstrated so well in the hawker-style food that Adam is creating in makeshift kitchens across the regions.

Could it really be this easy to eat so well?

Street food is generally cooked in tight spots on the sides of busy roads. There's very little time or even space for lavish recipes, so simple food that gives plenty of bang for your buck is where it's at. The key to this magic is in ensuring your ingredients are the freshest you can possibly lay your hands on. The rest is all down to fire in both kitchen and belly.

Here are a few brilliant Adam Liaw street-style dishes you can fire up tonight.

Roast pork banh mi

Banh mi is mainly eaten for breakfast or a mid-morning snack and can be found in street stalls across the country. Source: Adam Liaw

An iconic Vietnamese street food that is fast becoming Australia's favourite sambo. The roast pork takes a bit of marinading and slow-cooking time, but once you've cracked that, the rest comes together with ease.

Beef satay

In Singapore, these little flame-seared morsels are a popular and affordable street snack enjoyed at all hours of the day and night. Source: Adam Liaw

Satay is sold in streets across Asia, but Adam's beef version hails from Singapore. This recipe is easy enough to make, but good enough to take you straight to Lau Pa Sa.

Prawn laksa

Australia’s Top End makes for some fascinating foods - saltwater crocodile, anyone? Source: Adam Liaw

Adam makes his prawn laksa with added crocodile... not even joking. In true accessible Adam-style, should you happen to not be able to get your hands on fresh croc, he does suggest a substitute. Good old chicken.

Hawker-style oyster omelette

A big hit of chilli sauce served over your oyster omelette is basically mandatory. Source: Ben Ward

Oyster omelettes are a staple street food in many Asian countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, South China and Malaysia. They use big, heavy-based iron pans set to a super-high heat to achieve a crispy base with a soft and gooey centre.

Okonomiyaki

Once you've made your first okonomiyaki, there's no going back. Source: Getty Images

Okonomiyaki ("stuff you like") is one of Japan's favourite foods for good reason: it's cheap, fast and absolutely delicious. Don't skimp on the condiments as they make the dish.

Wonton soup

Wonton soup is Shanghai's breakfast of champions. Source: Adam Liaw

Plump dumplings swimming in a steaming broth, wonton soup is everything warm and nourishing in a single bowl. Should you happen to find yourself cold on the streets of Shanghai, seek this out.

Popcorn chicken

The crunchy texture of the sweet potato flour coating is incredible. Source: Steve Brown / Hachette

Taiwanese food is a great mix of local dishes with influences from China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Popcorn chicken – yan su ji – is a popular street food in Taipei, and once you try it you’ll see why.

Hokkien fried noodles

This flavoursome version of Hokkien noodles is packed with shitake mushrooms, pork belly, green prawns and squid. Source: Adam Liaw

Hokkien noodles are a style of noodle dishes made by Hokkien people who travelled throughout Southeast Asian from the Fujian province of China. You'll therefore find Hokkien noodle dishes across most of Asia, all of them good.

Chicken curry puffs

Make a double batch. Source: Adam Liaw

Deep frying makes for some of the most delicious street foods, and the curry puff is king. Bold flavour wrapped in thick, crisp pastry layers and fried until golden deserves such a title. Adam's recipe makes about 40 of these, which should be just enough for one person...