Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

Be a Wok Star!

cast iron wok

Fast, Easy Assam Prawns in a wok! ONLY 3 ingredients

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My mom’s delicious Malaysian Assam Prawns in a wok is fast and easy. I’m sharing her SECRETS and SIMPLIFYING the dish for maximum flavor with minimum work.  Just 3 ingredients, 10 minutes and you’re done! Assam Prawns is a Nyona dish (the best of Chinese and Malaysian food, also known as Peranakan).

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I think my mom would be happy to see me sharing her Malaysian dishes with you.

You can catch my 5 minute Assam Prawns on Youtube HERE.

I would love if you drop a comment there.
If you enjoy…Like, Subscribe and Ring bell to get notified so you don’t miss my future videos.  

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Do you know assam or tamarind (same thing)? It’s a slightly sour fruit pulp. The sourness is what makes a dish so appetizing. It’s used in many Malaysian and Nyona dishes like Tamarind Pork Rib Curry. It’s another of mom’s dishes that my family loved. I’ll be sharing blog and video soon. 

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I explain in the video which assam pulp to get so you don’t make a mistake like I did!

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The wild caught jumbo prawns were perfectly seared in my cast iron wok and flavored with the 3 ingredient Assam Sauce. You can also make in your cast iron skillet!  10 minutes from start to finish, DONE!

Note: Please no nonstick woks or pans because it cannot handle high heat. 

You’ll find helpful tips in the video to make this Assam Prawns. It will become your favorite Weeknight Dinner the whole family will crave!  

I’ve provided links for hard to find ingredients below. 

Drop me a comment below what you think about Assam Prawns. And use the share buttons at the top to tell friends who you think might enjoy this dish.

More dishes that would go well with Assam Prawns…

Pineapple Fried Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice, click here.

Cucumber, Tomato Pickles, click here.

As always, I’m here to share simple, delicious ways to keep you healthy, happy and have fun cooking together with your family. 

I’m waiting for wok supplies to start reshipping my Wok Star Kit, please click CONTACT in menu bar to send your email so we can let you know when woks become available. Hopefully SOON!

Check my Amazon Store, HERE

Similar Tools I used in this video:
Dinner Plates: https://amzn.to/3hzCN6n
Wide bowls: https://amzn.to/2XjsJaW

Seasonings:
Avocado Oil: https://amzn.to/3CKRdsF
Tamarind Pulp: https://amzn.to/3CKRdsF
Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce: https://amzn.to/3CKRdsF
San-J tamari: https://amzn.to/3CKRdsF

Iwatani Gas Stove, Best for Home Wok Cooking!

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Love Chinese food but never succeeded in getting it to taste like your favorite Chinese restaurant? 

Tried various permutations of woks and stoves and still never figured where you’re going wrong?

IT’S NOT YOU!

There are many reasons why you’ve not been successful in wok cooking at home. HIGH HEAT is one of them, I’ve resolved that with this portable Iwatani VA-30 gas stove, the other three are good ingredients, the right technique and the right wok, that’s why I put together a WOK STAR KIT.

As a cooking teacher and entrepreneur, it’s important to recommend tools that function efficiently and help to solve problems. I remember growing up in Hong Kong, everyone in Asia uses a gas stove for wok cooking, so this was an AHA moment and it will be for those of you who’ve tried every permutation to fry up your favorite Asian dishes at home and not succeeded.

You don’t need a 40,000 BTU gas stove for home cooking, that’s an overkill. If you have a residential gas stove at home, make sure it’s at least 10K or else you won’t be successful. Check this post how to figure out the best burner to fit your wok.

This Iwatani portable gas stove together with my WOK STAR KIT has basically transformed wok cooking at home.

Advantages of this Wok Gas Stove:

FOCUSED HEAT – 2 3/4″ diameter burner where heat is needed most.

TASTY FOOD – high heat gives your food FLAVOR, TEXTURE & COLOR.

TRAVELING KITCHEN – together with my WOK STAR KIT, this stove has its own carry case. It is perfect for boating, RVs, tailgate parties, picnics, entertaining friends poolside or just out on your balcony.

CONTROL – switching to high or low heat is instant.

FIT – snug fit with my 15” lightweight, round bottom, thin walled cast iron wok.

SAFE – good for indoor use, caterers and restaurants use them.

STURDY – steel casing and compact. 

WINDGUARD – prevent flames blowing out when you use it outdoors. 

PRACTICAL – cheaper than piping in gas, it’s light to move around. A stir fry takes very little time, so you will get many meals from one refill. Gas cartridges last about 1 hour and cost about $2-$4.

CONVENIENT – leave out on your counter or on top of electric stove so you’ll use it for cooking everything. Has rubber feet so it won’t scratch your electric stove. You’ll have BEST OF BOTH heat sources, gas for wok cooking, electric for flat pan cooking.

LIFESAVER – during hurricanes and power outages, you’ll rely on this stove to make coffee, lunch & dinners.

Always, always get backup gas cartridges so you don’t run out of gas in your Wok Star moment!

I am an Amazon affiliate, I will get a commission if you use this link to order gas cartridges and I hope you will. 

Here’s a short video how to install a gas cartridge in this stove and a longer, detailed version on Youtube. 

Enjoy! Happy to answer questions in comments below.

How to install gas cartridge in Iwatani VA-30

Induction Wok Stove, Greatest Invention Since Fire!

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As a cooking teacher, I talk about four ESSENTIAL elements to successful wok cooking: a good wok, the right technique, quality ingredients and most importantly, HIGH HEAT.

For the past 20 years,  I’ve recommended the 12K Iwatani butane gas stove. It is the most efficient and practical heat source for wok cooking and the best value. Setting the gas stove on top of your electric cooktop with your wok and you’re ready to go.  A gas stove also comes in handy during hurricanes and power outages. However, there are issues as some buildings prohibit their use (open flame) and you have to remember to order refills so you don’t run out in the middle of a stir fry.

Showing how to install a gas cartridge in the Iwatani gas stove during my cooking class.

My experiences with different heat sources…

GAS

I’ve used both residential and commercial gas stoves. I’ve found the three main issues:

  1. Many residential gas stoves still don’t generate enough high heat. 
  2. The burner rings are too wide since they are designed for flat pans. The heat is not focused on the base of the wok so the sides of the wok and handles become hot.
  3. They’re expensive. Industrial, high end gas stoves cost upwards of $4-6K.

Electric Glass Flat cooktops

These are the most common stoves installed today.   Their “modern and clean” design might be the reason for their popularity, but for me this was NEVER an option.  The surface contact area between the round bottom wok with the flat cooktop is too small to transfer enough HIGH HEAT.   The propensity of the wok to scratch the glass top also makes it impractical and would void the warranty from the manufacturer.  

I solved the problem of not enough heat generated by the electric cooktop with my wok by using an Iwatani gas stove ON TOP of an electric cooktop. Photo: Yanni Georgoulakis

INDUCTION…

Induction means generating a magnetic field which causes the wok to heat. No outside heat is applied to the wok. The heat is generated within the metal.  If there’s no wok on the stove, no heat is generated.

I’ve followed the induction technology over the past 20 years. Cost and size were the biggest obstacles to the technology becoming a consumer item.  The units I experimented with were heavy and bulky (took up too much counter space), noisy (extraction fan),  power challenged (220 voltage required), and expensive (all units priced $1-4K).

Now, there’s a perfect unit for the home kitchen…the Nuwave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove!

It meets ALL my requirements…it’s light, attractive, and retails for under $100.   My 14” cast iron wok fits the unit perfectly and together they have such a small footprint that it’s always out on my counter top.   

I believe so strongly in this product I want to be an affiliate and offer it as an option in my WOK STAR KIT BUNDLE. 

I know many of you have been waiting for this review, so share your concerns and ask any questions in comments below. 

CONCLUSION:

The wok cooking experience is the same whether you’re using the NuWave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove or Iwatani Gas Stove.  I like having both heat sources because gas is a reassuring backup for emergency situations like hurricanes and power outages. 

When I said, “the induction stove was the greatest invention since fire,” I wasn’t exaggerating because many people aren’t allowed to have open flame stoves in their buildings, so induction would be their only choice! 

Update: I know many have already bought the Nuwave Induction Wok Stove with their wok.

You can purchase just the stove on its own HERE! And still get my WOK STAR KIT HERE! Now, you’ve really got the best of both worlds.

I’m trying to be a reseller so you can have the one-stop shop experience. I’ll keep you posted.

NOTE: I was not paid by Nuwave to write this post.  

Different ways I’ve used Nuwave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove…

Stir Fry Chinese Broccoli and colorful bell peppers.
Steaming tamales.
Blanching Yu Choy.
Husband frying omelet.
Frying bacon.