[Edited 6/12/2023]
Our favourite season is finally here! If you are looking for something different besides the usual ham and barbequed seafood spread for this year’s special celebration, you have come to the right spot.
Our team have gathered and shared some of their favourite tried and tested recipes that will sure to impress your guests during your Christmas party.
Our entree recipes are easy and quick to cook, making them perfect for serving as finger foods at parties and gatherings. You can also prepare them in advance, which will save you heaps of time to celebrate with friends and family.
There’s nothing more traditional than prawns for Christmas in Australia. We believe it’s really worth making your own dipping sauces when you’ve invested in fresh juicy prawns. The jarred stuff lacks the fresh flavour of homemade seafood sauces. They just don’t do prawns justice!
First up is our Seafood Dipping Sauce With Cocktail Prawns
Sharing similar ingredients between Thailand and Vietnam, this dipping sauce is one of the most versatile items in Southeast Asian cuisine. It has it all- the sour taste from lime juice combines with the fish sauce’s tangy flavour, which cuts through to the sweetness of palm sugar. A hint of spiciness is crucial to bringing an added kick to the scrumptious blend.
This seafood dipping sauce can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for a maximum of 2 weeks, long enough to last you through this holiday season!
Cambodians love everything grilled! Cambodians know how to bring out the unique flavours of their grill. It’s no surprise Pot Ang, a super addictive grilled corn dish with coconut sauce, makes the list.
For barbecue lovers, grilled corn is a must-have. Easy to make, easy to serve as finger food, and goes well with skewers. Pot Ang is no exception. The glazing mixture (coconut milk, salt, sugar and spring onions) adds the savoury-sweet flavour to grilled corn.
Coconut sauce can be reserved in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to a week. Freezing can make the sauce last a little longer, but it won’t be able to retain the coconut sauce’s delicate flavour.
Did you know that coleslaw originated from the Netherlands? Koolsla in Dutch literally means “cabbage salad”. While the variations of coleslaw are diverse, the common dressing is usually mayonnaise-based.
Our Crunchy Asian Slaw’s asian inspired dressing is a refreshing twist to the traditional Dutch dressing. It is umami rich and has really hits all the flavour notes- sweet, tangy, sour and spicy! Best of all, it is really simple to prepare.
It’s hard to have a discussion on Asian entrees without someone mentioning spring rolls. Thus, it is strange to believe that spring rolls were primarily served to only to the aristocracy and royalty back in the 19th century.
Our Vietnamese Fried Spring rolls (nem rán or chả giò) recipe is a keeper that will pare so well with the crunchy Asian Slaw. You can prepare them and freeze them ahead of your party. Just remember to allow them to thaw in room temperature until soft before frying the frozen rolls.
None of us is completely sure about the origins of skewered meat but yet many stories point to either Turkey or Persia, modern Iran. In Turkish, the term we call “Shish Kebab” means meat on the sword. This term was formed during the war when soldiers had to eat grilled animal meat off their swords.
Nowadays, skewered barbecue meats are found right across Asia, from the soy rich yakitori skewers in Japan to the herb and spice marinated satays in Indonesia that we are so familiar with.
Called sach ko ang in Khmer, Cambodian Beef Skewers are typically eaten with pickled vegetables and are a classic late afternoon or early evening snack in Cambodia. Some locals slide the meat off the skewer into buttered baguette to make a meal out of them. You can mix them up with some Viet Grilled Pork Skewers.
If you like some sauce with your skewers, then try out our Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce. There’s nothing more addictive than the flavour combination of spices and peanuts!
Asian desserts are severely overlooked here in Australia. It is quite a pity as many Asian desserts are healthy and refreshing, which makes them perfect to counter Australia’s hot summer months!
Thai people just adore their sticky rice! You can find them having sticky rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert. The sensational balanced combination of sweet, sour and creamy really hits all the right spots! For most of us, it’s hard to pass on a good old serving of Mango Sticky Rice when it comes to ordering dessert at your local Thai takeout, so why not try your hand at making your own?
Next on our list is Thai Red Rubies, which tastes as good as it sounds and looks! Did we also mention that it is simple and easy to make? Your guests are guaranteed to ask you for the recipe.
When the mercury levels rise, shaved ice desserts are lifesavers! What better way to spend a lazy Australian summer day then indulging in a sweet Thai Shaved Ice (Nam Kang Sai)?
If you are looking for something chewier and more savoury, try your hand at making some Mochi ice cream. Invented back in the 1980s, mochi ice cream has really taken the world by storm in the recent years.
If you are a deft hand at making your own drinks, why not try these thirst quenchers at your next Christmas party? The refreshing Matcha soda is a sure crowd pleaser. If you have kids, get them involved in making a Thai Pink Milk and Magic Galaxy Squash. It will definitely be a hit! Lastly. the Viet Egg Coffee will impress even the most jaded barista.
Prepping for the holidays doesn’t have to be stressful or hectic. We hope you have found our roundup of recipes useful for the silly season. If you do try some of them, send them to us or tag us on Facebook and Instagram!, we’d love to see your Christmas spread!
