Here at Amazin’ Graze, we’re all about celebrating local culture. Just watch us put goji berries into our blueberry granola! Or use Gula Melaka instead of plain old caramel. It just works!
With Christmas approaching rapidly (is it December already??), we got to thinking. So much of what we think of as “Christmas” food comes from Western culture. Turkey with cranberry sauce? Roasted root vegetables? Figgy pudding? Not something the average Asian easily identifies with.
Image source: NPR
But then again, maybe eating our usual fried noodles or chicken rice seems too ‘every day’ for a magical celebration like Christmas. We may have special dishes for our local celebrations like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and Deepavali, but they don’t always translate into a Christmas celebration.
So we decided to curate a Christmas menu featuring traditional Christmas concepts - but with distinctly Asian flavours.
Image source: Town of Morris
Use them to host your own unique Christmas dinner party, or bring a showstopper dish to a potluck. These recipes are unexpected, delicious, and filled with undeniable Christmas spirit!
Appetizer
Sesame and soy are distinctly Asian flavours, and they come together beautifully in this recipe for a Creamy Sesame Soy Dressing. Think of it as a local take on Western dips and dressings (like ranch or blue cheese). This recipe is versatile and can be used as a topping for salads, or as a dip for chips and sliced vegetables.
Image source: Japanese Cooking 101
Bonus shortcut: To save time (or if you don’t have a high speed blender), you can substitute our All Natural Cashew Butter for the cashews in the recipe! Instant silky smoothness, with minimal effort.
Soup
Christmas menus usually feature creamy soups like butternut squash or French onion. Our selected recipe retains the creaminess, but adds in a whole lot of Asian flavour.
Try this Spicy Chickpea, Coconut, and Tomato soup recipe. Warm, fragrant, delicious – and perfect for adding some pep to your dinner.
Image source: SenhoRita Tours
Main Dish
Now we come to the main event – the Christmas turkey! Most Christmas turkeys are simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and some herbs. But this Turkey with Hoisin Glaze recipe combines local ingredients like hoisin, star anise, and ginger to form a glaze that is packed with Asian flavour. Definitely an unexpected way to jazz up a Christmas favourite!
Image source: delicious.com.au
Side Dish
What better accompaniment to a roast turkey than a steaming pan of roasted vegetables? But our suggestion does away with the traditional root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, parsnips etc). Instead, it turns to an Asian favourite – bok choy.
Image source: Cooking on the Weekends
Try this recipe for Roasted Baby Bok Choy for crispy, tender bok choy with a zesty lemon and herb drizzle! An unconventional, but very effective way to prepare a vegetable we all know and love!
Dessert
And of course, what would a dinner party be without dessert? Pudding is a traditional Christmas favourite, but it is often loaded with sugar and (in some cases) alcohol. Well, we have a solution for you! This Mango Coconut Chia Pudding recipe retains the soft, smooth pudding texture while incorporating fun tropical fruit flavours and all the goodness of chia seeds. A perfect ending to a perfect dinner!
Image source: FitLiving Eats
So there you have it! Traditional Christmas favourites updated to celebrate our local culture. Unexpected, unconventional, and oh-so-unique!
Speaking of updating Christmas favourites, make sure to check out our brand-new Amazin’ Christmas range, where traditional Christmas foods are given a healthy makeover! Ever had fruitcake in granola form? Well, now you can – and it’s pretty Amazin’!