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Ajad (Thai Pickled Cucumber) 4 tbl vinegar 1 tsp sugar 2 tbl sliced cucumber 2 tbl shallots, sliced 1 tsp chopped green chilies Mix, bottle and keep for a few days before using. Top
Bean Sauce 4 tbl fermented yellow bean sauce 4 tbl chicken broth 1 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 1 tbl prik dong 1 tbl minced garlic 1 tsp palm sugar This is mixed and tasted, if required you can add extra sugar, and some of the vinegar used to pickle the jalapenos, for balance. Top
Bpeek Kai Yat Sai Koong (Stuffed Chicken Wings) This recipe was a popular one at the restaurant that my wife was working in, located in Merrimack New Hampshire. The original was available in two strengths "normal" and "five flames" - so you can suit yourself as the heat by simply increasing and decreasing the amount of chilis and curry paste that is added to the stuffing mixture. As for the question "how many does it make" the answer is that it depends on how well you stuff the wings. These little morsels can be eaten as a starter, as a snack, as a side dish with a large Thai dinner. 12 chicken wings Marinade 1 tsp fish sauce ¼ cup takhrai (lemon grass), very finely sliced 2 tbl minced garlic 1 tsp freshly ground prikthai (black pepper) ¼ cup chopped pak chi (cilantro) Stuffing drained nam jim wan (see method) drained khing dong (see method) 1 cup shrimp, pureed or finely chopped 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), minced 1 tbl prik nam pao (chili paste in oil) 1 tbl red curry paste Chop the chicken wings in half. Combine the marinade ingredients and marinade the wings overnight. Then separate the meat from the bones by gripping one end of each piece and jerking the meat and skin from the other end back to your hold). Drain about one tbl of the ginger from a bottle of khing dong and 1 tbl of the chili/garlic mixture from a bottle of nam jim wan. Combine all the ingredients of the stuffing to form a fine paste and then stuff the wing portions with it. The mini drumsticks can now be barbecued or deep fried until golden brown. Serve with khing dong and nam jim wan. Footnote: if you choose to make some wings hotter than others, then you can dip the hot ones in a little red food coloring diluted in water to turn them red ... as a warning to the unwary! Top
Bu Ja (Crab And Pork) This is traditionally made from whole fresh crabs. The fresh (read that as alive) crabs are killed by dropping them in boiling water, then the shells are split, and the meat extracted for the recipe. However, you can simply buy crab meat and if you don't have crab shells, you could easily use ramekin dishes (though the shells are nice and showy for party food). The food should be steamed in a bamboo steamer to avoid condensation dripping onto the cooking food. Alternatively if you use a metal steamer cover the food with a paper towel which is not in contact with the food, or simply steam the crab in a microwave on medium or low heat. If you use a microwave, let the dish stand for one minute after each three minutes cooking, and check for "doneness" by probing it with a fork. If you prefer to omit the pork, use extra crabmeat, or chopped shrimp, instead. 1 duck egg (or large hen's egg) 2 tbl chopped garlic 2 tbl chopped coriander (including the root if possible) 4 oz. crabmeat 4 oz. ground pork 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl light soy sauce Pinch of sugar Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and then spoon a quarter of the mixture into each of four crab shells or ramekin dishes, and steam for about 15 minutes until cooked. Garnish with slivered red and green chills and coriander leaves. Note: if you want the dish to be a little more spicy, add a little grated ginger and sliced jalapeno (prik chi fa daeng). Top
Bu Lon (Crab Dip) 1½ cups coconut milk 1 cup crabmeat, shredded 4 tbl hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 2 tbl nam makham piak (tamarind juice) 1 tbl prink chi fa daeng (red Thai jalapenas), sliced 1 tsp nam som paep (palm sugar) salt and pepper to taste bai chi (cilantro leaves), for garnish In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a simmer, and add the crabmeat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the sugar, salt and pepper, and continue to simmer until it thickens to a sauce-like consistency. Taste and add the sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve in individual small bowls, garnished with cilantro leaves. Will keep 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator. Top
Bu Pad Phom Kari (Curried Crab Claws) This is a mild curried dish, usually served as a counterpoint to a more intense curry or garlic dish. It can be prepared with crab claws, or with a cup of crab meat, or a mixture of crab meat and shrimp. Since it is often eaten with chop sticks, you might consider removing the meat from the claws, as this makes it easier for the spice flavours to penetrate and easier to eat the food. Thai curry powder (phom kari) is unlikely to be available outside Thailand. Use a mild Indian curry powder instead. Prik yuak is a sweet green chili, if not available use green bell peppers or canned jalapenos to taste. 2 spring onions (scallions/green onions), sliced thinly 1 cup crab meat 1 tbl garlic, sliced thinly 2 tbl fish stock 1 tsp phom kari 1 tbl light soy sauce 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl shallots, sliced thinly 1 tbl julienned prik yuak pinch of sugar Heat some oil in a wok, and stir fry the garlic and onions. Add the fish stock, soy sauce and fish sauce, and stir fry the crab until nearly cooked, then add the remaining ingredients. Line a serving dish with lettuce and pour the crab over it, garnish with coriander leaves, lime leaves, and slices of cucumber. If using crab claws, then steam the crab claws, and combine the remaining ingredients separately, and reduce them to form a dipping sauce. This dish is of course served with the usual Thai table condiments, and personally I like to add quite a bit of prik dong (red chilis in vinegar) to it. As always with this type of tropical seafood dish, you can serve it hot, at room temperature, or chilled. Top
Bu Pad Hom Yai (Crab & Onion) This is a simple stir fry, that shows that not all Thai dishes are laden with spices and chili! In Thailand we buy a large crab and a bag of "baby" crabs - about an inch across), still alive, and take them home to make this dish. Since baby crabs are not common in western supermarkets, and most people have an aversion to killing them by dropping them into a hot wok, this version of the recipe may be preferred. This is a "one plate" dish, served on its own as a light breakfast or luncheon dish, or with other items a part of a Thai dinner. Western celery can be used if Chinese celery (celeriac) is unavailable. Top
Curry Without Tears You can of course make the curry with any meat, poultry, fish or vegetables you wish. This is for a simple kaeng phet kai (chicken curry). 1 portion of red curry sauce 1 cup diced chicken 1 cup bamboo shoots, julienned 2 tbl lime leaves Heat the sauce. Add the bamboo shoots and cook for three or four minutes, then add the chicken and lime leaves and cook until the chicken is cooked through. (If you choose to make this with beef instead you will need to cook the meat for longer, so add it first, and cook until it just begins to be tender, then add the bamboo). Top
Gaeng Leung This curry is *hot*, as a complement to it I suggest the Kai Yang Isan recipe. This is a curry that is best if you have an angler in the family. You can probably prepare it with anything that you catch that doesn't eat you before you get it on the plate. I particularly like it done with catfish. If you don't have access to fresh caught fish, you can use any shop bought fish. Mackerel is a good staple. 1 lb. filleted fish (catfish or mackerel) ¼ cup fish sauce ½ cup shallots ½ cup crushed garlic ½ cup prik ki mu 2 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 5 cups water 2 tbl palm sugar 1/3 cup tamarind juice ½ cup long beans ½ cup bamboo shoots If using mackerel discard the head and tail, cut the fish in half along its belly, discard the backbone. If using catfish just chop it into chunks, and warn the diners about the bones. Briefly fry the kapi to bring out it's flavor. In a blender or food processor, place a cup of water, the fish sauce, shallots, garlic, thinly sliced prik ki nu and fermented shrimp paste. Blend to a coarse paste, and add to 4 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the fish, palm sugar, tamarind juice, sliced long beans and sliced bamboo shoots. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat until it is just boiling and the fish is cooked (about 5 minutes). Serve over Thai Jasmine rice. Top
Gaeng Massaman Kai (The Curry Paste) The "massaman" indicates that the recipe is of a "musselman" or Islamic origin, and it probably owes something to early Portuguese influences, and is similar in concept to the "sour and hot" Goan style vindaloo dishes. By Thai standards this is usually a fairly mild curry. First you must prepare a massaman curry paste. This can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge in a preserving jar for several weeks or even months. 10-20 dried red chills 1 tbl ground coriander seed 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground cinnamon (from fresh bark) 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground star anise 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp ground white pepper 4 tbl chopped shallots (small red skinned onions) 1 tbl kaffir line skin 1 tbl kapi (preserved shrimp paste) 4-6 tbl chopped garlic 1-2 tsp fish sauce ½" cube galangal root, roughly chopped 2 2" pieces of lemon grass, sliced into thin rounds The galangal is roasted before use. The ground spices should preferably be fresh, in which case you should briefly toast them in a wok without any oil to bring out the flavor before grinding them. The ingredients are blended to a fine paste (traditionally in a heavy granite mortar and pestle, but you can use a food processor just as well, and with far less effort). Note if you can get fresh red chills you can usefully use them instead of the dried ones. Top
Gaeng Massaman Kai (The Curry) 1 lb. chicken (pork or beef), in bite-sized pieces 3 cups coconut milk. 2 tbl roasted peanuts (unsalted of course) 5 peeled, but whole, small onions. 5 small potatoes, peeled and partly boiled. 3 bay leaves 5 roasted cardamom fruits (i.e. the whole pod) 1 small piece of roasted cinnamon bark 3 tbl palm sugar 3 tbl tamarind juice (use white vinegar if you can't get tamarind juice) 3 tbl lime juice 1-3 tbl Massaman curry paste 1-3 tsp crushed garlic. (optional) Allow the coconut milk to separate and you will have about 1 cup of thick "cream" and two cups of thin "milk". In a small saucepan bring the milk to a simmer and add the chicken or pork. If you are using beef you will need another two cups of milk. Simmer the meat until just tender. Put the coconut cream in a wok and bring to a boil, add the massaman paste and "stir fry" until the flavor is brought out and maximized. The coconut oil will separate out and can be skimmed off with a spoon or ladle. (this makes the dish much less trouble for those watching their weight or heart). Add the remaining cream and curry paste to the meat. Add the peanuts. taste and adjust the flavor until it is (just) sweet, sour and salty (by adding sugar, tamarind juice, lime juice and fish sauce). Add the remaining ingredients and cook until cooked. Note: the potatoes we use are a yellow fleshed sweet potato sometimes called a yam in the US. Western style potatoes can be used, but absorb less of the sauce and flavour. Serve it on a bed of rice, or double the amount of potatoes and serve it alone. Accompany with a dressed green salad, a bowl of pickled cucumbers, and strong lager (Singha is traditional) or robust red wine. The traditional Thai table also offers chills in fish sauce (Phrik nam pla) chilies in vinegar (phrik nam som or phrik dong), powdered chile (phrik phom), sugar, and often MSG. You can add about a tsp. of MSG to the above recipe to bring out the flavor. Top
Gaeng Som Pla (Sour Soup) This is a popular fish soup that is quite common in Thailand, where it is usually prepared using a local fish known as pla chon. However for the purpose of this recipe, I suggest using tinned herrings packed in brine. It can also be prepared just as successfully using chicken and chicken stock (when it is known as gaeng som kai). If you can't find krachai (lesser ginger) then use ordinary ginger. 1 ½ lbs. fish fillets. 4 cup fish stock 3 tbl chopped garlic 3 tbl chopped shallots 3 tbl krachai (lesser ginger), thinly sliced 3 tbl mixed red and green prik chi fa (jalapenos), thinly sliced 1 tsp kapi (shrimp paste) ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup tamarind juice 1-2 tbl palm sugar (to taste) 2 cup very coarsely chopped green vegetables Heat the stock to simmering point, and add all the ingredients except the fish and return it to the boil. Add the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked through. This dish can be eaten as a soup course, but as I have remarked before in Thailand soups are normally eaten with the other dishes of the dinner, rather than before them. Therefore you should use a slotted spoon to remove the fish and serve it in individual bowls to the diners, the soup liquor is then placed in a large serving bowl, from where they can help themselves (you can use a fire pot of fondue cooker to keep it hot if you wish). Top
Gai Pad Khing This is one of a pair of recipes that cause some confusion because of their similar names: gai = chicken; pad = stir-fried; khing = ginger. So this dish is chicken stir- fried in ginger. This is a simple, quick meal that could equally be made with pork or beef, or even shrimp, or for the vegetarians, tofu marinated in a mixture of dark soy and fish sauce for flavor. 2-3 red chilies (prik ki nu), slivered 3 tbl peanut oil 1 tbl chopped garlic 1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces 1 cup mushroom, sliced 3 tbl grated ginger 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl dark soy sauce 2 tbl oyster sauce 3 tbl chopped onion 3 tbl scallion/green onion, cut into 1" pieces 1 cup prik chi fa (a variety of jalapeno; optional) A pinch of sugar Ground prik thai (black pepper) Bulbs of 3 to 4 scallions, and cilantro leaves for garnish Mix the fish sauce, soy and oyster sauce ready for use. Bring the oil to the smoking point in an adequately large wok, and add the chicken and garlic, and stir fry until the chicken begins to change color (this is quite quick, so don't overcook). Add the sauce and stir until it returns to a bubbling consistency, then add the remaining ingredients, and stir until the chicken is cooked. Serve with steamed rice, and garnish. The recipe for pork is identical, beef if it is used should be marinated in a mixture of 2 tbl of whiskey and the fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce, which should be retained after marinating to be added to the cooking. Top
Gai Pad Prik Khing (Chicken And Veggies) This is the second of my pair of confusing recipes: consider the literal meaning: gai = chicken; pad = stir-fried; prik = chilli; khing = ginger; so it's chicken stir-fried with chillis and ginger, right? Unfortunately, in this case, its wrong. How the name came about I don't know, but the dish is essentially chicken stir fried with veggies. Even more puzzling it doesn't have either ginger or chilis in the ingredient list! Unlike gai pad khing, which is cooked at smoking point, this dish is cooked at medium high - any more heat and the vegetables will be cremated! As with gai pad khing this dish can also be made with pork or beef. This is a good dish for those who don't like really hot food, as it can easily be prepared with less curry paste. Finally, if you can't find Thai red curry paste, you could use a little Indian curry powder, blended in some coconut cream. Though the flavour is undoubtedly different, it is quite acceptable. 3 tbl peanut oil 1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces 1 cup veggies (either swamp cabbage, long beans, or broccoli, or a mixture of beans and broccoli) 3 tbl red curry paste 4 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl sugar Stir fry the curry paste for a short while, until the mixture becomes aromatic, and a little oil is driven out of the paste by the cooking process. Add the chicken and stir fry briefly, until it just begins to turn whitish. Add the remaining ingredients, stir until it is heated through, and taste for flavour balance. Serve with steamed rice, and garnish with lime and basil leaves. Special thanks to - Muoi Khuntilanont. Top
Gratiem Dong (Thai Pickled Garlic Or Shallots) 4 tbl vinegar 1 tsp sugar 4 tbl garlic or shallots Top
Haw Mukh (Fish Custard) Haw mukh is a rarity: a dish intended as an appetizer or snack. It is essentially a custard made from curried steamed fish. A non curried set of ingredients is included as an "afterthought", though to avoid repetition I won't repeat the method - I leave that to the experience and imagination of the lovers of bland food. In Thailand this is steamed in little cups made from banana leaves, pinned together with tooth picks, but you could just as well use ramekin bowls. 2 eggs 1 lb. white fish (cod), cut into small bite sized chunks 5 tbl finely chopped phak bung (swamp cabbage) 6 tbl red curry paste 6 tbl finely chopped, freshly toasted peanuts 3 tbl finely chopped bai makrut (kaffir lime leaf) 6 tbl thick coconut milk 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl corn starch 2 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) julienned Mix all the ingredients but the peanuts, julienned chilis, phak bung and fish in a food processor. Line the bowls with the phak bung, then put the fish in the bowls. Stir the peanuts and chilis into the sauce mixture and pour over the fish. Leave a little expansion space at the top of the dish. Place the filled bowls in a steamer, and steam for 15 to 20 minutes (until the fish is cooked and the sauce has set into a custard like consistency). Either serve the dishes 'as is' with the usual Thai table condiments, or for a more formal occasion, whip some thick coconut milk, and garnish each bowl with a couple of teaspoons of the whipped coconut milk and a slivered red chili. Top
Haw Mukh (Fish Custard, Non-Chile Version) Haw mukh (fish custard, non-chile version) 4 egg yolks 2 cups coconut milk 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl corn starch Follow the instructions for Haw mukh, the normal version. Top
Hoi Tohd (Fried Mussels) Just the thing if you're in a hurry: and a tasty party food, or between meal snack as well. For a light snack, the mussels are eaten alone, using a convenient half shell as a spoon/knife. For a more substantial meal, the mussels are transferred to a platter, and the beans, bean shoots etc to another, then the veggies can be eaten with rice or noodles, accompanying the mussels. In many cases the mussels are eaten with the fingers, as this makes it easier to dip them in the chosen, and usually fierily hot, dipping sauce, such as nam prik kapi, nam prik kiga, or nam prik narok. 1 kilogram mussels 1 cup tua phak yao (long beans), cut into 1" pieces (optional) 1 cup tua ngok (bean sprouts) (optional) ½ cup hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced 1 tbl nam prik pao (toasted chilis in bean oil) 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 1 tsp nan tan sai daeng (brown granulated sugar) 1 tsp prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground Clean the mussels, carefully removing the beards. In a wok or skillet over medium heat, sauté the shallots and garlic until aromatic. Add the mussels, stir fry on high heat for 1 minute, add the remaining ingredients (except the beans and bean sprouts) and cover the pan, reducing the heat to medium, for a further 5 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to move the mussels around and ensure even cooking. Check the cooking: discard any unopened mussels. If you want a substantial meal, add the beans and stir fry until heated through, then remove from the heat and add the bean sprouts, stirring briefly, then transfer to the serving platter. Top
Hot And Sour Fish Soup This is a simple hot and sour soup, made with the fish of your choice. In Thailand the vegetable is generally phak bung (swamp cabbage), but if you don't have that cabbage, kale, or even broccoli can be substituted. For chili paste: 3 tbl sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye or dynamite chilis) 3 tbl finely sliced shallots (purple onions) 3 tbl crushed garlic 1 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) a dash of fish sauce. For the soup: 10 small tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and diced 1 lb. fish, diced 2 lb. vegetables 3 tbl lime juice 3 tbl fish sauce 3 tbl tamarind juice 3 tbl prik chi fa (green jalapenos) thinly sliced 1 tbl a sour hot sauce (such as Tabasco) Combine the ingredients for the chili paste to a fine even consistency. Wash and dice the fish. Place the fish in a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind juice, Tabasco and chili paste, and leave to marinade for at least an hour. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan or wok, and add the liquid from the marinating fish, then add the vegetables and boil for about two minutes. Adjust the flavour to taste (it should be a little salty and a little sour, and as hot as you desire it at this stage). Add the tomato and bring back to the boil. Add the remaining ingredients, return to the boil, and stir occasionally until the fish is cooked. Top
Hot Thai Meatballs These spicy meatballs may be eaten hot or cold. Tempura-style batter: 1 egg yolk 1 cup cold water (preferably ice cold) 1 cup plain flour 1 tsp prik pon (freshly ground dried chili) 1 tsp mustard powder Meatballs: 6 tbl ground pork 2 tbl chopped onions 1 tbl chopped prik ki nu (birdseye or dynamite chilis) 1 tbl freshly grated root ginger 10 prik ki nu daeng (red chilis), with the stalks attached. Mix the egg yolk and water, then stir the flour to break up any lumps, and then dump the flour in the water and egg and stir to combine: it should be slightly lumpy and floury-looking in appearance. Add and combine the chili powder and mustard. Mix the ingredients for the meatballs, and make 10 meatballs. Into each insert a chili so that just the stalk protrudes, then dust them with flour, coat with batter. Deep fry in medium hot vegetable oil until the batter is a golden brown (about 3 minutes). Drain the excess oil and serve. The protruding stalk makes a convenient method of picking them up and eating them. Top
Iscrem Kathi Sai Khing Wan (Coconut Milk Ice-Cream With Candied Ginger Topping) This I suppose is what everybody wants when most of the web is situated in lands where winter is starting, and there is probably snow on the ground... Still I had to wear winter clothing this morning - the temperature was down to 24C (75F) when I left for work and my teeth were positively chattering. In order to get the correct effect in the ginger it is 'distressed' a little first. We do this by rolling it through a heavy roller designed to tenderize dried squid. However you should be able to get a similar effect with a pasta roller or even a rolling pin. The slices should be of uniform thickness so I suggest a sharp kitchen slicer rather than a hand held knife. For restaurant presentation the slices of ginger are cut to uniform pretty shapes using small confectioners' biscuit cutters, or the type used to cut out cake decorations. Preparation of the candied ginger: 1 cup sliced ginger 2 cup water 1 ½ cup palm sugar baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) lime juice If you are using tender young ginger you may leave the skin on. Older ginger should be peeled. This may be easier after it has been sliced. Slice the ginger into uniform roundels about an eighth of an inch thick, and then roll them until they are half the original thickness. Dust the ginger lightly with the baking soda, and leave to stand for about 10 minutes. Remove the baking soda by vigorously brushing with a stiff bristled brush to produce a slightly matte texture to the surface, and then immerse in lime juice for an hour. This has the effect of heightening the flavor, and also giving the ginger a delicate pink color. Bring the water to a boil, and stirring continuously add the sugar a little at a time until all is dissolved and forms a sticky, syrupy consistency. If necessary add a touch more water to ensure all the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to very low and add the ginger slices and simmer, very gently, for 10 minutes, then turn off the stove and allow the ginger to cool naturally. Remove the ginger from the liquid and drain it (you don't have to be overly enthusiastic about this, but it shouldn't be too wet either), and put it in a sterile preserving jar, and keep in the refrigerator for at least a week before use. Reserve the ginger syrup in another sterilized jar, to pour over the ice cream. Ice Cream: Ice cream is clearly not "authentically Thai" in the sense that it has been served for hundreds of years (Thailand is a tropical country and without modern refrigerators it is very difficult to make ice cream), but it is now widely available and very popular. However two things are uniquely Thai: firstly it isn't made with animal milk, but with coconut milk, and secondly it is not usually flavored with fruit, but rather with savories such as corn, sweet potato, or herbs. 1 pineapple 2 cup coconut milk 1 cup water 1 cup corn kernels, pureed 1 tsp vanilla or rosewater (optional) 2 tbl shredded coconut (see below) ½ to 1 cup sugar. pinch of salt In a dry wok or skillet, over medium heat, toast the coconut 'meat' until golden brown, and set aside to cool. Split the pineapple in half lengthwise, and scoop out the woody heart of the fruit and then place the two halves in the refrigerator to cool. Combine the coconut milk and water, and warm it, then stir in the sugar, and stir until dissolved. In a blender, puree the corn kernels (or use a can of creamed corn), and then stir it into the coconut milk, combining thoroughly. Add the rosewater if you are using it, and a dash of salt and taste for flavor balance. Transfer to a mixing bowl and, with a hand beater, whisk to thoroughly to incorporate air. Pour the mixture into the two hollows in the pineapples and transfer to the ice box, and chill until set. Any extra ice cream can be cooled in ramekin dishes or similar. Slice the pineapple into horizontal slices, and serve to the diners with any excess ice-cream also shared out, decorating each slice with pieces of candied ginger. Fold the fried coconut into the reserved ginger syrup, and pour over the slices of ice cream, decorate with mint and lime leaves. Top
Jao Bong (Anchovy Dip) This is a traditional Isan [North East Thailand] dip for barbecued meals, steamed fish and vegetable dishes. The traditional method of cooking the anchovies is as shown below: if you prefer you can wrap them in aluminum foil and roast them in a medium oven for 15 minutes. You can also remove the heads and backbones first. You can also use tinned anchovies (drain and use - they are already cooked). 5 bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded ½ lb. anchovies ¼ cup lemon grass ¼ cup shallots, chopped ¼ cup kha (galangal) chopped 3 tbl prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), sliced ¼ cup tamarind juice (or rice vinegar) 3 tbl garlic, sliced Wrap the anchovies in banana leaves, and place on the embers of a charcoal brazier until the leaf blackens. Remove from the fire and unwrap. Discard the heads and backbones of the fish. Combine all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor. Will keep for about 3 weeks if refrigerated. Top
Kaeng Djuut Wunsen Kai (A Chicken Soup) The word kaeng (pronounced 'gang') means two different things: one is a stew like dish, usually a curry or a chili, and the other is a soup. In Thai these are different words, and it is the bane of having to transliterate them into latin characters that reduces them to sameness. Some writers spell the curry word kaeng and the soup-word gaeng, others try to reflect the slightly more aspirated sound of the soup by spelling it 'khaeng'. Whatever: this uses the light semi-transparent vermicelli style noodles known as wunsen in Thai. You should also note that there are two types of soup in Thai cuisine: one type the Toms (tom kha kai, tom yam etc) are designed to be eaten with a meal. The other style, known collectively as kuiteao nam (pronounced roughly "gw-eye-tee-ow nam") or "wet noodle dishes", are a popular form of fast food in Thailand. They form a full meal and are regularly eaten for everything from breakfast to early dinner, costing only about 50 cents for a large helping in stalls and shops across Thailand (perhaps a bit more in Bangkok itself). This kaeng djuut is a kuiteao nam style "luncheon" dish. (In parallel with the kuiteao nam dishes there is a wide range of kuiteao haeng (dry noodles) dishes). The recipe calls for a small amount of tangchi (preserved chinese radish), which can be obtained from Chinese stores. If you can't get it feel free to leave it out entirely. You will also need a chicken stock. In Thailand they eat all of the chicken except the feathers and the beak - and yes they do eat the feet. However the bones are left over, and stock is made from the bones. Take about a kilogram of bones, and break them roughly with a large mallet or the pestle of your mortar and pestle (also widely used by Thai chefs to keep their husband's in line - made of granite it makes a handy weapon :-) To each kilogram of bones add about a tbl garlic, a tbl ginger and a tablespoon of coarsely chopped coriander/cilantro. Cover with water and boil up your stock. Filter well, cool and then skim off any fat that accumulates on the surface if you want a low fat variant. 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 1 tbl coarsely chopped fresh garlic 1 tbl coarsely chopped fresh ginger 1 pint chicken stock (about). 1 tsp coarsely chopped tangchi ¼ lb. chicken cut into bite-sized pieces 2 oz. wunsen (vermicelli) 1-2 tbl fish sauce 1-2 tbl light soy ½ cup mushrooms (shitake is traditional, but western style button mushrooms are fine). 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves as garnish. a couple of green onions sliced lengthwise as garnish palm sugar to taste (about ½ tsp should be sufficient) Soak the wunsen in water at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften it, then drain it thoroughly. Heat a little oil in a wok and stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger briefly. In a saucepan add the tangchi to a pint of stock and bring it to a gentle boil. Briefly stir fry the chicken to seal it, then transfer the chicken and onion, garlic and ginger to the stock, add the remaining ingredients, except the garnish and the wunsen, and simmer until the chicken is just about cooked through. Increase the heat to bring the pan to a rolling boil, add the noodles, and immediately turn the heat off. Pour the soup into a serving tureen, sprinkle with the garnish, and deliver to the diners. Each diner should have a bowl with some fresh boiled rice. Traditionally each takes a spoon of soup from the communal serving bowl, picks up a little rice and then eats it. You may prefer to ladle portions of soup over the diner's rice bowls. Normal table condiments would be chilis in fish sauce (prik nam pla), chili powder (prik phom) and sugar, you might want to add dark sweet soy as well. Special thanks to - Muoi Khuntilanont. Top
Kaeng Hanglay (Northern Style Beef Curry) This is a curry in the northern style. It could also be made with pork or chicken, in which case the cooking time must be shortened. Since the beef is simmered it is possible to use cheaper (tougher) cuts of meat. If necessary extend the cooking process until the meat is tender. 1 lb. beef, cut into bite sized pieces 2 cups coconut milk The curry paste: 3 tbl very thinly sliced lemon grass 3 tbl palm sugar 2 tbl yellow bean sauce (tao jiao) 2 tbl garlic, minced 2 tbl prik ki nu haeng (dried red birdseye chilis), crumbled 2 tbl shallots, thinly sliced 1 tbl ginger, grated 1 tbl shrimp paste 1 tbl coriander seed 1 tbl cumin seed ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup tamarind juice pinch turmeric Simmer the beef in the coconut milk for 30 minutes in a covered saucepan. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, and grate. Combine all the curry paste ingredients and process to a fine paste. After the beef is cooked until tender, add the curry paste, stir to combine, and continue to simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Serve with white (Jasmine) rice, and the usual table condiments. Top
Kaeng Jued Wunsen This can be made with a variety of ingredients, but the most interesting are probably pork (as here), beef, chicken, shrimp, meat balls, fish balls, shrimp balls, or "monkey balls" (a mixed meat ball - not actually made from monkey meat!), or one of the various Thai sausages, as well as vegetarian options (try marinating some tofu in dark sweet soy sauce for about 3 hours and then using that instead of the pork). For the Soup: 2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the green 8 oz. ground pork 1 tbl chopped garlic 4 cup soup stock 2 oz. wunsen (cellophane noodles) ¼ cup fish sauce 1 cup sliced phak bung (swamp cabbage, substitute cabbage or kale) ¼ cup phak chi (cilantro including root), chopped 1 tsp prik Thai (black pepper) For the marinade: 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl Maggi sauce 1 tbl minced garlic 1 tsp prik Thai (black pepper) 1 tsp rice flour (or cornstarch) Mix the marinade ingredients, mix with the ground pork, and make the pork into small meat balls, then set aside and leave to rest for 3 or 4 hours. Soak the noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain. Bring the stock to a boil and add all the ingredients except the noodles. Boil until the meatballs are cooked through (when they will float). Remove from the heat, pour into a serving bowl and add the noodles. The immersion in the near boiling soup is enough to cook the noodles). Serve with the usual Thai table condiments: nam pla prik [chilies in fish sauce], prik dong [chilies in vinegar], sugar, prik phom [ground chilies], and ground peanuts. Top
Kaeng Kanun (Jackfruit Curry) According to my sister-in-law, this is a Karen (hill-tribe) recipe. Like many Northern recipes it is generally eaten fiendishly hot, but I have toned it down a little, mainly because the high heat is to mask the strong taste of the local "game", to which the obvious answer is that it is best not to ask! It can be made with pheasant, venison, wild boar or alligator meat (close to one local ingredient). The sweet jackfruit and coconut shoots make this less hot than it might seem, but I still advise caution. The original recipe called for plumping the raisons and sultanas in a local "white spirit" made from fermented rice -substitute Thai whiskey, sake or bourbon to taste. 2 bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 1 cup jackfruit or lychees 1 cup coconut or bamboo shoots 1 cup "game" meat, cut into bite sized pieces, ½ cup [blonde] sultanas ½ cup [dark] raisins ½ cup coconut cream (thick milk) 3 tbl red curry paste 3 tbl prik chi fa daeng (red Thai jalapenos), julienned 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), finely chopped. 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl bai kaprao (holy basil), finely chopped 1 cup nam sup (chicken stock) Blanch the jackfruit for about a minute in boiling water, then immediately cool, peel, pit, and cut into bite sized pieces. Soak the sultanas and raisins in whiskey for about an hour. The meat is sprinkled with fish sauce and freshly ground black pepper and left to marinade for an hour. The whiskey or sake is then discarded (or drunk). Heat a little oil and sauté the garlic, remove it, and reserve. Sauté the red curry paste until the aroma is brought out, then add the coconut cream and stir to combine and warm until the oil just separates. Skim off any excess oil, then add the meat and stir fry until it just begins to change colour, then stir in all the other ingredients except the jack fruit, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the meat is tender. Remove the lid, stir in the fruit and stir until the fruit is heated through, and the meat and coconut shoots are fully cooked. Top
Kaeng Khua Saparot (Prawn And Pineapple Curry) The pineapple adds a touch of tart sweetness to this dish. It has a rich creamy texture, and a red coloration that is an attractive complement to the shrimp. If you want to be a little fancy you can serve it in pineapple skin bowls. 16 prawns about 3" long 3 bai makrut (lime leaves), slivered 15 bai kaprao (holy basil leaves) 1 tbl kratiem (garlic) finely chopped 2 tbl red curry paste 2 tbl chopped tomato 2 cups coconut milk 1 cup pineapple (cubed or pulped) 4 tbl fish sauce 2 tsp palm sugar 1 tsp lime juice 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) slivered Peel, devein, and behead the shrimp, leaving only the small tail shells on. Drop two tomatoes into boiling water for about a minute, then remove to cold water, peel, quarter, discard the seed pulp, and chop the flesh. You want 2 tbl of chopped tomatoes. In a little oil in a medium hot wok, briefly sauté the garlic and basil, removing it and reserving it when the aroma is fully developed. Cook the curry paste briefly to develop the aroma, then add half the coconut milk, the fish sauce, tomatoes, pineapple, lime juice and sugar, and stir to combine fully. Add the prawns and cook until they turn slightly pink and opaque. Add the remainder of the coconut milk, the lime leaves and slivered chili, at the same time returning the sautéed garlic and basil to the pan. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with steamed jasmine rice. Top
Kaeng Liang (Vegetable Soup] As opposed to tom jabchai, this *is* a vegetarian dish. Though normally included in Thailand, the curry paste and chili beans in oil can be considered optional for those who are looking for something with a little less heat. You can use any vegetables available, but typically in Thailand it would be made from one of the gourds (buap liam (sponge gourd), phak dumleung (gord gourd), phak nam tao (bottle gourd)) or from phak wan (a forest tree, latin name melientha suavis - the leaves and flowers are used, and are slightly sweet) or banana flowers. If one of the gourds is used it is cut into bite sized chunks first. Spice mixture 10 prik Thai (black pepper corns) 10 hom daeng (shallots - purple onions) 1 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 3 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) ½ cup dried shrimp Other ingredients 5 stems of bai horapha (sweet Thai basil) 1 tbl red curry paste 2 tbl nam prik pao (chilis paste in oil) 1 tbl fish sauce 5 cups vegetables 4 cups vegetable stock In a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind the spice mixture ingredients to a smooth paste. Bring the stock to a boil and add the spice mixture, curry paste, and prik nam pao, and stir until thoroughly mixed. When it is again boiling, and mixed, stir in the fish sauce. add the vegetables and basil, stir until cooked. The vegetables should be minimally cooked - especially gourd, which will become soft and unpalatable if overcooked. Taste and adjust the saltiness by adding more fish sauce if required. Top
Kaeng Paa Kai (Jungle Curry With Chicken) Before you rush out to try this, you need a heavy and very sharp knife and a degree of skill if you are not to have a messy accident - spilling the contents of the coconuts all over the kitchen may well be the least of your problems. You can open the coconuts some other way, and serve the dish in more conventional tableware! For the curry paste ¼ kachai (lesser ginger), peeled and chopped 8 prik chee fa daegn haeng (dried red jalapenos), crushed 2 tbl takrai (lemon grass), bruised, thinly sliced 3 tbl shallots, coarsely chopped 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), chopped 1 tsp green peppercorns 1 tsp kapi (fermented shrimp paste) a dash of fish sauce For the curry 10 bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 4 coconuts 4 cups chicken, cut into bite sized pieces. ¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce) 3 cups chicken stock (or water) ½ cup makhua pro (Thai Eggplant), quartered ½ cups prik che fa (green Thai jalapenos), julienned ½ cup bai maenglak Prepare the curry paste by grinding everything to a paste. Pierce the coconuts and reserve the juice. Using a machete chop off the top of each, just above the mid-point. Scoop out the coconut 'meat' with a spoon (or a melon baller). Mix about ½ cup coconut for every 2 cups of juice and refrigerate. Reserve ½ cup of coconut meat. Heat a wok over medium high heat, and then add a little oil and stir fry the curry paste until aromatic. Add the chicken, fry briefly and add the remaining ingredients, except the lime leaves and the chicken stock. Stir fry until the chicken begins to change colour. Add the stock, cover, and simmer until the chicken and the eggplant are cooked. Serve in coconut shell bowls, garnished with the lime leaves, and accompanied by rice in the tops of the coconut shells along with the chilled coconut nectar as a refreshing cool drink. Top
Kaeng Pladuk Chuchi (Dry Curried Catfish) Chuchi is a quick curry style that can be made with more or less whatever is on hand. Certainly this recipe could equally well be prepared with obvious minor variations, with jumbo shrimp or lobster tails. My wife tells me that it can be made with pork or beef, and indeed it can be made with snake meat or crocodile (not to mention frogs and a number of exotica that I won't go into here lest I put people off their food)! 2 lbs. catfish, cut into bite-sized chunks. 1 cup coconut milk 2 tbl red curry paste 1-2 tbl finely sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) 1 tbl shredded bai makrut (lime leaves) 1 tbl fish sauce palm sugar, to taste In hot oil, stir fry the fish chunks until crispy. Drain and set aside. Heat a little of the coconut milk, but don't allow it to boil, stir in the curry paste, and continue to stir until a thin film of oil forms on the surface of the milk. Skim off, and discard the oil. Add the fish, chili, and lime leaves, and a little more of the milk, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until reduced, and add more of the milk, continuing until all the milk has been added and reduced to a thick sauce. Taste, and add sugar to balance, stir until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved in the sauce, and then turn the heat to high and reduce the sauce until it is almost dry. Serve with steamed white [jasmine] rice, and garnish with bai chi (coriander leaves), lemon and lime wedges, and red chilis cut into thin strips. Add a plate of cucumber slices and tomato wedges, and the usual table condiments (prik phon [powdered red chili], prik nam pla [chilis in fish sauce] and sugar. Top
Kaeng Sai Mai Rong Hai (Curry [Or Stew Or Soup] WITHOUT TEARS) If we have some prik kaeng (chili paste), and some basic ingredients, then we can make curries, stews and soups easily and with a wide variety of foods from the market. The common thread of all these is to prepare a sauce base. Similar sauces can be made from any Thai curry paste: the basic method is simple: the paste is fried, dissolved in coconut milk, and a colorant, taste extender and flavor element are added. 1 tbl fried garlic in oil 1 tbl fried shallots in oil 4 tbl red prik kaeng (chili paste) 1 cup coconut milk 2 tbl prik chi fa daeng (red jalapenos), sliced fine 2 tbl 'ginger' 2 tbl fish sauce a pinch of sugar In a wok heat (or cook) the garlic and shallots, and add the prik kaeng, and stir until combined and aromatic. In a wok push it up the side of pan away from the heat. If you are using a saucepan remove and set aside. Heat the coconut milk until nearly boiling and lower the heat. Add the chili paste, a quarter at a time, and stir until dissolved. Now add the remaining ingredients, and stir until heated through. You can increase or reduce the shallots/garlic and chili paste together by a factor of two. Similarly the jalapenos, ginger and fish sauce can be adjusted by up to a factor of two to give the flavor balance you want. Gingerroot gives the dish and afterburn. You can use any mixture of khing (common green ginger), kha (galangal), or kachai (lesser ginger) you wish. Top
Kaeng Som Kai Wan (Sweet & Sour Chicken Soup) Note that this can also be prepared as a stir fry still dish (whence it becomes pad som kai wan) by simply omitting the chicken stock. (If it is a little dry, then add a couple of tbl of stock to the wok). This is a variant of kaeng som, which is a popular fish soup that is quite common in Thailand. Kaeng som is quite sour, and this dish has been given a degree of sweetness in keeping with making it from chicken. This dish can be eaten as a soup course, but as I have remarked before in Thailand soups are normally eaten with the other dishes of the dinner, rather than before them. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and serve it in individual bowls to the diners, the soup liquor is then placed in a large serving bowl, from where they can help themselves (you can use a fire pot or fondue cooker to keep it hot if you wish). If you can't find krachai (lesser ginger) then use ordinary ginger. 1 ½ lbs. chicken, cut into bite sized pieces. 4 cups chicken stock 3 tbl sesame oil 1 tbl ginger, freshly ground 3 tbl chopped garlic 3 tbl chopped shallots 3 tbl krachai (lesser ginger), thinly sliced 3 tbl mixed red/green prik chi fa (jalapenos), sliced 1 tsp kapi (shrimp paste) ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup tamarind juice 1-2 tbl palm sugar (to taste) 2 cups very coarsely chopped green vegetables 1 cup pineapple chunks (preferably fresh) Prepare the chicken and then add three tbl of sesame oil and one tablespoon of freshly ground ginger, mix, and leave to marinade for one hour. Heat a wok, and then stir fry the chicken in the marinade until it just starts to change colour. Heat the stock to simmering point, and add all the ingredients except the chicken and pineapple, and return it to the boil. Add the chicken, and the marinade and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Add the pineapple, bring to the boil and then serve. Top
Kaeng Som Phak Bung Phrik Sod Kab Pla (Sour Fish Soup) This is a simple hot and sour soup, made with the fish of your choice. In Thailand the vegetable is generally phak bung (swamp cabbage), but if you don't have that cabbage, kale, or even broccoli can be substituted For chili paste: 3 tbl finely sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye or dynamite chilis) 3 tbl finely sliced shallots (purple onions) 3 tbl crushed garlic 1 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) a dash of fish sauce. For the soup: 10 small tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and diced 1 lb. fish, diced 2 lbs. vegetables 3 tbl lime juice 3 tbl fish sauce 3 tbl tamarind juice or rice vinegar 3 tbl prik chi fa (green jalapenos) thinly sliced 1 tbl sour hot sauce (such as Tabasco) Combine the ingredients for the chili paste to a fine even consistency. Wash and dice the fish. Place the fish in a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind juice, Tabasco and chili paste, and leave to marinade for at least an hour. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan or wok, and add the liquid from the marinating fish, then add the vegetables and boil for about two minutes. Adjust the flavour to taste (it should be a little salty and a little sour, and as hot as you desire it at this stage). Add the tomato and bring back to the boil. Add the remaining ingredients, return to the boil, and stir occasionally until the fish is cooked. Top
Kai Hanglay Ob (Spicy Chicken) Yesterday was my wife's day off (it's a public holiday in Thailand - okh pansa: the end of Thai Lent). We were sitting watching TV, and as a 5 minute filler rhe local cable station transmitted a recipe for "spicy chicken", demonstrated by a chef from one of Bangkok's restaurants (this series isn't usually of interest to us as the dishes are usually pastiches of european food). This time it was a Thai dish. It was amusing to watch the demonstration and listen to the commentary - the chef put a large scoop of curry sauce in the wok (probably half a cup), and the commentator said "put a tablespoon of curry paste..." similarly the chef added a splash of nam sup, splash of coconut milk - perhaps 2-3 tbl of each, and a good shake of the fish sauce bottle and the commentator said "add a quarter of a cup..." There is no doubt that if you followed the commentary and the listed ingredients you'd get a rather wet, bland result. My wife watched in fascination - she knew the chef as they'd trained together, and after the show she rummaged through our files and found her college notes and found the same recipe. This curry is cooked partially in the wok, and then, in Thailand, completed by packing it in a bamboo stem, plugging the ends with bamboo leaves or sticky rice, and roasting it over a charcoal brazier. This allows the residual water to be driven off to yield a dry result. As lengths of bamboo stem aren't that easy to acquire in the west the method below is equivalent. 1 cup chicken, cut into ½" cubes 3 tbl coconut milk 3 tbl nam sup (chicken stock) 3 tbl hanglay (or red) curry paste 2 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 2 tbl bai kaprao (holy basil leaves), shredded 2 tbl bai manglak (sweet basil leaves), shredded 1 tbl bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 1 tbl palm sugar Warm a little cooking oil in a medium hot wok, and gently fry the curry paste until aromatic. Add the chicken and stir fry until it just starts to chage colour, then add the remaining ingredients (except the leaves), and stir, continuing until the liquid is mostly evaporated. Transfer to an oven proof dish, and add the shredded leaves, mixing thoroughly, then cover with aluminum foil, and pierce a few times to allow steam to evaporate. Transfer to a medium oven and bake for about 15 minutes (until the liquid is evaporated). Serve with steamed long grain (jasmine) rice, and the usual table condiments. Top
Kai Kaeng (Chicken Casserole) This is a "Thai-ised" version of a recipe from Delia Smith's cooking course, called Chicken with Whole Spice, which is a mild pastiche on Indian food. This version is set up for a slow-crock cooker, but it could be prepared as a conventional casserole by simmering it on the stove top for about 30 minutes or in an oven at about 180 C for 30 minutes or so. In either case check occasionally for "doneness" as I have lost my notes on oven cooking of this dish (not owning an oven it is of little interest to us...) 4 cups chicken, cut into bite sized pieces. The marinade: 1 tbl garlic, crushed 1 tbl fresh root ginger, grated 1 tbl shallots, thinly sliced 1 tbl peanut oil a pinch of turmeric, and salt & pepper to taste The sauce 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cardamom pods 1 tbl fermented shrimp paste 1 cup shallots, finely sliced (or use red onions) 1 tbl prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), sliced 1 cup coconut milk Mix the ingredients of the marinade, and marinade the chicken in a cool place for about 3 hours. Toast the cumin, coriander, and cardamom in a dry heavy skillet or wok, until aromatic, and grind to a fine powder. Blend the ingredients of the sauce together. Transfer the chicken and marinade to a wok or sauté pan and stir fry until the chicken just starts to change colour. Transfer to a slow-crock cooker, and add the sauce, and then simmer, covered on low heat for one to one and a half hours (until the chicken is tender and the pieces fall apart at the pressure of a chopstick.) Serve with steamed white rice. Top
Kai Pad Ki Mao There are a number of lines of thought about ki mao dishes in Thailand. They are widely served as bar snacks, in much the same way that Spanish bars serve tapas. Other dishes described in this way are eaten as a stomach liner before embarking on a serious nights drinking or by the patient wife of the wandering husband who crawls back hung over in the middle of the night only to realize that he has to get up for work before 5 the following morning! I hadn't heard of a noodle "ki mao" dish, but when I discussed it with my wife, she came up with the following. As is often the case it could equally well be prepared with beef or pork. 1 coriander plant, chopped 2 bulbs pickled garlic, thinly sliced (garnish) 3-4 red jalapenos, julienned (garnish) 6 oz. wide rice ribbon noodles (sen yai) ¼ cup chopped shrimp ½ cups chopped chicken ¼ cup firm tofu, cut into small cubes 1 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl chopped shallots (purple onions) 1 tbl yellow bean sauce 1 tbl white (rice) vinegar 1 tbl fish sauce 4 tbl palm sugar 1 tbl lime juice 1 tbl prik phom (ground red chills) ¼ cup bean sprouts 1 tbl chopped red and green prik chi fa (jalapenos) 1 cup bai gaprao (holy basil leaves) Soak the noodles in water for about 15 minutes; then cut 1/3 into short pieces (about 2" long). Cook the remaining in boiling water until "toothy". Remove and set the serving plate. If desired the tofu can be marinated in some dark soy to which a couple of sliced chills are added. Fry the remaining noodles crispy in hot oil. The remaining ingredients, except the pickled garlic, are stir fried in a medium hot wok until cooked through (if you want the sauce thickened add a little rice flour or corn starch) and then poured over the boiled noodles. The fried noodles and the pickled garlic are then added as a garnish. Top
Kai Pad Med Mamuang Himaphan (Cashew Chicken) There is a little confusion in the name of the dish: mamuang is mango, but in the full formal Thai language mamuang himaphan is a cashew nut; the logic is as follows: himaphan refers to the Brahministic equivalent of the Garden of Eden, and the bean in which the cashew nut grows is similar to a small mango, hence the cashew is the "mango of paradise". However this leads to one of those delightful double recipes, which is a sort of culinary pun, which the Thais seem to be particularly fond of. To add an element of piqancy to the dish you can include a small amount of shredded mango - it is however quite optional if you prefer to leave it out. The sauce includes honey as a sweetener, again the connotation is of the land of the dawn paradise - but if you prefer you could use sugar (preferably palm sugar), though the sauce won't have quite the same flavour. Further the sauce is flavoured with "sweet soy", which is freely available in Thailand, and is effectively a dark soy to which a little sweetness has been added. However you can easily substitute Maggi's Seasoning Sauce if you cannot find Thai sweet soy. Finally there is the matter of the cashews themselves. You have a variety of strategies available for cooking these: you could simply buy roasted cashew nuts (unsalted of course), or you could prepare your own. Their is no doubt in my mind that the flavour of freshly prepared cashews is far better than any pre- cooked nuts bought in the supermarket. If you choose to cook them yourself you may simply fry them in a wok or skillet over medium heat. This however tends to lead to localised burning and neven cooking unless you keep them constantly on the move. You could deep fry them (and some people choose to add a few dried red chillies to the oil for flavour), but this in my opinion makes them a little too oily for the balance of the dish. Better then to cook them as indicated below. 1 lb. chicken, cut into thin slices, and into bite sized pieces. 1 tbl kratiem (garlic), thinly sliced 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red bird's-eye chillies), thinly sliced 1 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 1 tbl si-ew wan (sweet soy), or Maggi's Seasoning Sauce 2 tbl oyster sauce 1 tbl honey 1 tbl nam prik pao (chilli paste) 1 tsp prik thai (black pepper), freshly cracked 3 tbl nam sup (stock) 2 tbl rice wine ½ cup cashew nuts 2 tbl mango, shredded 3 tbl ton hom (green onions) 3 tbl prik yuet (sweet Thai chillies), or green bell pepper, julienned Mango, green onions, chiles, and cilantro shredded for garnish First roast the cashews: this is best done in a convection oven at 300 C until golden brown. In a wok, over medium heat, saute the garlic and prik ki nu, until the garlic is golden and the whole is aromatic, then remove and reserve the chillies and garlic. Add the chicken and all the ingredients except the cashews, stock and wine to the pan and stir fry until the chicken just begins to cook. Add the stock and continue over low heat until the chicken is cooked, then using a slotted spoon remove the chicken from the sauce and set aside. Add the rice wine, and reduce the sauce until a slight glaze appears (if necessary add 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, dissolved in a little tepid water). Return the chicken, chillies and garlic to the sauce, and add the cashews. Make sure they are heated through. Garnish and serve with steamed white rice. Top
Kai Pu Khao ("Volcano Chicken") This was a request from a correspondent, and my wife was somewhat surprised to discover that this is still offered in restaurants. "Rather complex" was the family opinion. This for once isn't one of my wife's recipes: My mother-in-law was kind enough to demonstrate this one to us. 1 chicken, about 2 lb.s or a little more. 1 cup whiskey The marinade: 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced ½ tsp prik thai (black pepper), freshly ground ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup whiskey ¼ cup honey ¼ cup coconut milk 1 tbl red curry paste 2 tbl nam prik pao (black chili paste in oil) Mix the marinade ingredients, then clean and prepare the chicken, and thoroughly coat with the marinade, and leave to stand in a wok for 12 hours. Remove the chicken from the wok, allowing to drain thoroughly, then over medium heat reduce the marinade to form a thick sauce. The chicken should be stood upright on an ovenproof plate (in Thailand a metal disk with a vertical peg attached is used) and cooked in a medium oven until the skin just begins to change colour. Remove the chicken and place it on a flame proof but table-ready plate and bring to the table. Pour whiskey through the interior of the bird, and then ladle it over the outside so the bird is thoroughly coated, then ignite and allow the whiskey to burn itself out. Carve the chicken, and serve with khao suay (steamed white [jasmine] rice), and stir fried green vegetables, and the usual Thai condiments and the reduced sauce. Top
Kai Sai Takrai (Chicken And Lemon Grass) This dish has a nice poetic name, as the three words of the name rhyme. Those who don't like chili can always leave it out. 1 bai makroot (kaffir lime leaf), shredded 1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces. 2 tbl lime juice 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl chicken stock 1-2 tsp prik phom (freshly ground dried red chilis) 1 tbl thinly sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) 1 tsp sugar 1 tbl sliced shallot (purple onions) 1 tbl thinly sliced garlic. 2 tbl sliced lemon grass 2 tbl diced 'spanish' onion 1 tbl spring onion (scallion/green onion), thinly sliced Mix the lime juice and fish sauce, and marinade the chicken for about an hour. Pound the lemon grass with a mallet and then very thinly slice it. Heat a little oil in a wok or skillet to medium high heat, add the shallots, onions, garlic, prik phom and lemon grass, and stir fry until aromatic. Add the chicken and marinade and stir fry until it starts to change color. Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with steamed [jasmine] rice. This dish can also be made with shrimp (kung sai takrai). Top
Kai Tam (Simple Chicken Soup) This is the chicken soup my wife calls "mother's all-purpose sickness cure" - I guess mothers the world over are the same, and figure that sending a sick child to bed with a bowl of chicken soup cures most things - well at least it cures "plumbum pendulensis academica" (being sick of school). It is made with a small chicken. Alternatively you could make it from a couple of chicken wings and a couple of drumsticks. 1 small chicken (about 2 lbs.) 4 cups stock 1 cup sapparot (pineapple), cut into chunks 1 cup phak thong (pumpkin), cut into chunks 1 tbl hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 2 tbl nam manao (lime juice) 2 tbl nam makham piag (tamarind juice) 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng haeng (dried red chilis), crumbled 1 tbl kratiem (garlic), crushed Prepare the chicken: wash it carefully, then cut off the drumsticks and the wings, and then with a sharp knife cut down either side of the centre line, and remove the two breasts. The wings are reserved for other dishes, and the bones are set aside to make more stock later. Bring the stock to a boil and add everything except the chicken, and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken breasts and legs, bring the mixture back to the boil, then remove from the heat, and allow to stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and place it on a serving platter. Put the soup in a tureen and serve with a selection of dipping sauces, (and with white rice if more sustenance is required). Garnish the soup with coriander leaves. Top
Kai Tam Mamuang (Chicken And Mango Soup) Another simple, chili-less soup. 4 cups stock 1 cup mamuang (mango), diced small 3 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 2 tbl khing (ginger), julienned finely 1 tbl nam tan paep (palm sugar) 1 tbl hom daeng (shallots), chopped 1 tbl phak chi (cilantro), chopped [including the stems and roots] 1 tsp prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground 1 tsp kapi (fermented fish paste) bai chi (cilantro leaves), for garnish ton hom (spring onion), sliced thinly, for garnish Bring the stock to a boil, and add the fish sauce and sugar. Add the chicken, half the ginger, the shallots and the pepper, and simmer for 3 minutes, covered (or until the chicken is tender). Add the remaining ingredients, simmer for a further 10 minutes. Garnish with the coriander leaves and spring onions. Top
Kai Yang Isan Kai yang is literally "barbecued (or grilled) chicken", and is peasant food. As such there are as many recipes as there are cooks in Thailand. There are however two main styles: kai yang khrung thep (Bangkok Style) which is slightly more elaborate, and the basic kai yang isan (North East style), which this is. Originally the chicken was cut open along the belly, and opened out, then knocked flat with a couple of judicious blows from the back of a cleaver, marinated, pegged in a split stick to hold it and then grilled over a charcoal brazier. Faced with the needs of restaurant cooking, my wife adapted the classic recipe for an industrial rotisserie by adding a stuffing. You can do this in a broiler oven or rotisserie. If you want a barbecue version, take two flattened chickens, place them face to face with the stuffing between them, and hold them in a pair of barbecue tongs, or one of those wire frame things, and barbecue the sandwich. Thai chickens tend to be quite small. You can use a 2 pound bird, or a couple of Cornish game hens, or other small poultry. Marinade the bird overnight in: ½ cup fish sauce ½ cup sweet dark soy sauce 2 tbl crushed garlic 2 tbl freshly ground ginger root 1 tbl freshly ground black pepper Stuffing: ½ cup@grated gingerroot and galangal, thinly sliced lemon grass, cilantro (including the roots, if you can get it), mushrooms. Add the marinade left over from the night before, and heat in a small saucepan to bring out the flavour if you are doing the mock kai yang (see below). Stuff the body of the bird[s] Bake or broil until cooked, and the skin is crispy brown. This is served with Thai sticky rice, and nam prik jaew (see below), some more fresh ground gingerroot and the usual Thai condiment. You can also serve it with a simple green salad Top
Kanom Muoi - Thai Style Starters This started life, long ago and far away (oops, sorry, that's another genre!) as two traditional Thai starters - a toast and topper called kanom paeng mu and an equally traditional Thai version of shrimp tempura. The name of the toast item is interesting: kanom paeng (bread) literally translates as "expensive cakes" which shows what the Thais think of bread! However over the years my wife has developed these canapés, and this is the current version. Here in Thailand we can't get maple syrup, so we use honey. This works just as well, but we prefer the taste of the maple syrup, so feel free to experiment. The only bread available here in Thailand is white bread, but again we find this tastes best with a stone ground whole-wheat bread. If you want to avoid the moderate chilis suggested, you could use bell peppers, but frankly we find they taste a bit bitter, and anyway they are a bit large for canapés! 6 slices of bread 1 egg yolk 3 tbl fresh grated ginger, 3 tbl chopped garlic 3 tbl prik phom (ground red chilis) 3 tbl crushed toasted peanuts 3 tbl khao koor (ground toasted rice) 2 med. duck eggs ½ cup cooked crab meat, cooked & chopped pork, minced mushrooms 3-4 dozen prik chi fa (or jalapenos) 2 tbl powdered peanuts 1 tbl khao koor 1 tbl prik phom 1 cup flour 1 tsp prik phom 1t. black pepper Rice flour Maple syrup Melon Mango Pineapple Oil for deep frying Ice water First toast 6 slices of bread. Cut off the crusts and cut the pieces of bread into four parts. Grind the crusts into dry very dry crumbs. Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, chiles, peanuts and khao koor. Sauté, discarding most of the oil, and combine with the eggs. Divide this mixture in three, and combine each portion with one of the half cups of mushrooms, crab or pork, to form three topping pastes. Put about two teaspoons of paste on each of the toast pieces, and then take 2 dozen prik chi fa (a chili about finger length and as thick as your finger, that is the Thai equivalent of a jalapeno - you can use jalapenos instead if you wish), Cut off the tops of the chilis and discard the seeds. Put about two teaspoons of the paste mixture in each chili. With a melon-baller prepare 16 balls of melon, 16 balls of mango, and 16 balls of fresh pineapple. [if you are using jalapenos, slice the fruit and use a sharp knife to cut plugs for the tops of the chilis). Place a ball of fruit on each piece of toast and secure by piercing it through with a tooth-pick. Plug each of the chilis with a fruit ball, and secure by piercing through the sides of the chili and the fruit ball with another tooth pick. Prepare another batch of fruit balls, and wash 16 prik ki nu (birdseye chilis), and pat them dry. Mix the powdered peanuts, khao koor, prik phom, and a little rice flour (or cornstarch), to make a dusting powder. Dip each of the pieces of toast, each of the stuffed chilies, each of the fruit balls, and each of the birdseye chilis in maple syrup, and then dredge them in the dusting powder. Prepare a thin batter from the egg yolk ice water and flour. Add the prik phom and black pepper. Dip the canapés in the batter a few at a time, and deep fry until crisp. Serve on a platter with the dipping sauces used for satay, and some uncooked fruit balls, and cucumber slices. Footnote: Thais eat the tempura prik ki nu with considerable gusto, but farangs should probably be warned that these are almost literally diabolical! (Of course if you are taking food to a bachelor party you might omit to warn the groom-to-be! :-) Top
Kao Soi - Chiang Mai Curry Noodles This is a noodle dish, prepared in a creamy curry sauce, that is traditional in Northern Thailand. Ba mee are a medium yellow egg noodle. If you are using dried noodles then 2 ounces of dried noodles should be soaked for about 15 minutes in room-temperature water before being drained for use. This dish can also be prepared quite effectively using Italian spaghetti. Phom kari is a yellowish orange curry powder, but if you can't get it you could use a reasonable moderate Indian curry powder such as Madras. 4 oz. ground pork 4 oz. fresh ba mee 1 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl red curry paste ½ cup coconut milk 1 cup stock 1 tbl phom kari 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tsp lime juice a pinch of turmeric powder a pinch of sugar Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil, then place the ba mee in a wire basket or strainer and dip the noodles in the water for a few seconds (no more), and then drain them and transfer them to the serving plate. In a wok, heat the coconut milk and then stir in the curry paste until the aroma is brought out and a thin film of oil separates out, then add the garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients except the pork, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the pork and continue to stir until the meat is cooked through. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Garnish with spring onions, sliced shallots, pickled cabbage (phak kaat dong) and lime wedges. Top
Kha Mu (Pork Hocks With Galangal) This is a popular "snack", but it can form a course in Thai style dinner. It could be made from any fairly fatty cut of pork, but is normally made from the hocks and shanks of pork. 2 lbs. pork hock 4-5 tbl chopped garlic 4-5 tbl kha (galangal), julienned 4-5 tbl pak phak chi (the stems and roots of cilantro, chopped) sweet soy sauce 1-2 tbl palm sugar soy sauce to taste 2-3 pieces of star anise Cut the hocks into chunks the size of a small fist. Grill or barbecue or braise them to seal the meat and crisp the outsides. Finely chop the garlic, galangal, and other ingredients (except the star anise and soy sauces) in a mortar and pestle or food processor, so they are easily integrated into the gravy. Put the other ingredients in a large pot, add the pork, then add enough pork stock to cover the meat, and then add enough dark soy to produce a rich coloration. Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to a light simmer, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add sugar or light soy to adjust the flavor. Continue to simmer until the meat is tender enough to fall apart when probed with a chop stick (about 45 minutes). Add additional stock if the pot begins to dry out, but allow the sauce to reduce to a thickish gravy. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Transfer to a large serving dish and serve with rice (warn the unwary not to eat the star anise!) Note: the pot should be large enough that when the ingredients and stock are assembled at the start of boiling the pot is about half full to prevent it boiling over. Top
Khai Hoh Bai Toey - Chicken In Pandan Leaves You should be able to get fresh pandan leaves from an Asian market. They are used both as a flavorant here and also as a bio-degradeable packaging - much better for the planet than styrofoam. ½ lb. chicken breast, cut into pieces Marinade: 1 fresh pandan leaf, chopped small. 2 tbl oyster sauce 2 tbl coconut milk 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl sesame oil 2 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl chopped ginger 2 tbl rice flour (if not available use cornstarch) a large pinch of freshly ground black pepper Marinade in the sauce for about 2-3 hours. The pieces of chicken are then wrapped in pandan leaves: this can be done in several "elegant" ways, but the simplest is to form a square of leaf, put the chicken in the center, pick up the corners and secure with a wooden toothpick (if you want to be real basic, but highly authentic, use a stapler to secure the ends - but don't forget to warn your guests to remove the staples!). The wrapped chicken is steamed (in any available steamer) for about 10 minutes, after which time the leaves should be soft, and then deep fried in hot oil until the chicken is fully cooked (takes a couple of minutes). Sauce The sauce is a variation on the popular prik dong (pickled chilis): mix 2 tbl of sugar in 5 tbl of rice vinegar and in a small saucepan reduce this to about half its volume. Add a pinch of salt and a couple of tbl of finely sliced mixed red and green prik ki nu (dynamite or birdseye chilis). Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool. This is essentially Thai finger food: you can eat it by holding the pandan leaf and taking the piece in your mouth, or use the toothpick to pick it up, or of course use chopsticks or western style table utensils. You can if you prefer keep the steamed parcels in the fridge till you want them and then heat them on the table in a small deep fryer or fondue pot. Top
Khai Luk Koei (Son-In-Law's Eggs) This dish is traditionally made from quail's eggs, and the name is literalistic euphemism. The story goes that if a young man is being less than kind to his wife, then on a regular visit to his mother-in-law, she will give him a salutary reminder that his behavior has been noted by serving this dish. The message is plain, straighten up and fly right, or his wedding tackle will take the place of the similarly sized eggs in a dish of khai luk koei. Mrs. Bobbit was not an original. Thai wives with errant husbands have for centuries taken a singular solution to their woes; the husband returns home with too much alcohol in his belly and lipstick on his collar to be pacified with a blow from the granite sakh (pestle) and relieved of his offending glands which are typically fed to the pigs or geese so they cannot be restored -- a step Mrs. Bobbit omitted. :-) Seriously though, this dish is delicious and easy to make. If you don't have quail's eggs, then use 8 hen's eggs. You can also use the sauce to go with fried eggs or simple omelets. The recipe serves 4. 24 quail's eggs 4 tbl shallots, (purple onions), thinly sliced 3 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 2 tbl honey ½ tsp prik phom (ground red chills) The eggs are hard boiled then shelled. If you are using hen's eggs, cut them in half. They are then stir fried in a little oil on medium heat until they are beginning to crisp and then removed from the pan and placed on the serving platter. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté until they are beginning to crisp. Remove about half of the shallots and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients of the sauce, and add them to the wok or skillet and stir until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce over the eggs; then sprinkle the reserved shallot flakes on top. Top
Khai Pad Gaprao - Chicken With Holy Basil This is a quick and easy dish to make. The holy basil has a "hot peppery" taste, but if you can't get it then the standard european basil is a reasonable substitute, though you should add a little freshly ground black pepper in this case. Prik chi fa - called the Thai jalapeno is the best chili to use, but if you can't get it standard Mexican jalapenos will do very well as a substitute. Canned jalapenos are comparatively bland however. 2 tbl chopped garlic 2 tbl chopped shallots 2 tbl chopped mixed red & green jalapenos (prik chi fa) 1 tsp green peppercorns, whole. ¼ cup fish sauce 2 tbl palm sugar 1 cup coarsely chopped holy basil leaves (bai gaprao) 1 med. onion, quartered and sliced (optional) 1 lb. ground or minced chicken The garlic, shallots, peppers and peppercorns are ground together in a mortar & pestle or a food processor. In a hot wok, with a little cooking oil, briefly stir fry this paste to bring out the flavour and aroma. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir until the chicken is cooked through. For luncheon pad bai gaprao can be served over plain rice, or over a fried egg or egg crepe, placed on the rice. For dinner it goes well with the hot and sour tom yum soups, as well as curries and other Thai food. Add the usual Thai condiments (chilis in fish sauce (prik nam pla), ground chillis (prik phom) and sugar), as well, perhaps as ground black pepper. Variants It can be made with chopped pork, or even a chopped beef base, though of course the flavours arequite different. You can also experiment with replacing the meat with hard tofu marinated in a mixture of sweet soy, fish sauce and ground ginger, say, or a vegetable mix of your choice (I like to mix broccoli and cauliflower florets, with julienned carrots and wing beans), to make a vegetarian pad bai-gaprao. Top
Khaifu Sai Ahahn Farang Paeng The title of this snack is my Sister-in-Law's idea of a joke -- in Thai it means "an omelet made from expensive foreign food" -- the expensive food in question being Hormel brand Spam and Fray Bentos brand corned beef. -- these are however grossly expensive in Thailand, costing several dollars a can (this meal would cost a laborer several days wages. 3 duck eggs 1 tin Spam 1 tin Corned Beef 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl sweet soy 1 tbl prik phom (powdered red chili) 1 tbl garlic 1 tbl gingerroot 1 tbl shallots 1 tbl red prik chi fa (jalapenos) 1 tbl green prik chi fa 3 tsp fish sauce Take a tin of corned beef and break it up with a fork. Take a similar sized tin of Spam, and cut it into small dice. Combine. Add a tbl fish sauce, dark sweet soy, and prik phom (ground red chilis). Leave to marinade for about an hour. Beat 3 duck eggs, with three teaspoons of fish sauce. In a wok sauté garlic, gingerroot, and shallots. Add the marinated meat, and stir fry until the meat begins to turn brown. Add chopped red and green prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos) Stir the meat mix, and add freshly cracked black pepper to taste. In a 10" omelet pan, fry half the egg mix. When it is set on the pan side, spoon half the meat mix neatly into the center in a rectangular shape, and fold the edges of the omelet over the meat to form a parcel. Flip it over and fry until sealed and the egg is cooked through. Similarly cook the other half of the mixture. Cut each omelet in two, and serve with other snack/lunch foods (such as pad Thai, pad mi Korat, som tam...) Top
Khanom Pad Ka (White Radish Cake) This is a "collected" recipe, that we picked up from an elderly aunt. The "white radish" in question, known in Thai as phak ka hua or sometimes as hua chai thao, is also known as mooli, or Chinese Radish, and resembles nothing quite so much as an albino carrot! The resultant snacklets can be eaten on their own, or used as a base for prawn or pork 'spread' and fried to form a canapé served with prik nam som or other Thai dipping sauce. 2 lbs. white radish 1 ½ cups rice flour 2 tbl 'strong' wheat flour 2 tbl water Trim, peel, and dice the radish, then in a food processor reduce it to a fine puree (you may well have to do this in batches). Combine with the flour and water, and mix thoroughly. Turn into a shallow baking tray or heat proof dish, at least 8 inches square to form a thin layer. Place in a steamer, and steam for about 30 minutes. It is cooked when a knife slipped into the mixture comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, and then cut into 1" squares. Top
Khao Krok Kapi (Shrimp Paste Rice) This is a dish made from cooked rice. It is one of the many ways in which 'left over' rice is utilised in Thailand. Also, since the essential point is that this is a dish eaten whilst a group of friends talk, or carry on with other tasks (preparing the ingredients for the main meal of the day, for example), it is usually presented with the various ingredients in separate serving bowls. The diners then take whatever takes their fancy as the meal progresses. 4 cups cooked long grain rice 2 eggs (preferably duck eggs), beaten ½ cup small dried shrimp ½ cup mango, shredded ¼ cup ribbon noodles 3 tbl hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 3 tbl kratiem (garlic), thinly sliced 3 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 3 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) Shred the mango, or finely slice it, and place it in a serving bowl. Place a wok over medium heat and warm enough oil for deep frying. Briefly saute the shallots and garlic until golden. remove with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. Deep fry the shrimp briefly (about 30 seconds), then remove from the oil and place in a serving bowl. Cut the noodles into short pieces, and stir fry until crispy. Remove and place in a serving bowl. Remove nearly all the oil and then, combine the shrimp paste with the cooked rice (it is the process of mixing in with the fingers that is implied by the Thai word krok) and then stir fry it until heated through. Remove and place in a serving bowl. Finally the egg is cooked. The Thai technique is to drizzle it into the hot wok whilst making a chopping motion with the spatula to break the cooked egg into fine ribbons and pieces. You may find it easier to make a thin crepe, then roll it and slice it into half inch wide ribbons. Arrange the bowls on the table, and give each diner a plate, and a slice of lime. The dish is finally seasoned to the diner's taste from the usual table condiments. Top
Khao Man Kai - Chicken And Rice Anybody who has spent any length of time in Thailand -- indeed who has progressed beyond the International airport transfer lounge, will be aware that Thailand is awash with streetside vendors who serve everything from snacks and desserts to wholesome, nutritious meals. These basically fall into three groups: 1) khao gaeng (literally curry and rice) stalls, sell a wide variety of "single plate" meals; 2) kuaitiao (pronounced "gw-eye-tea- ow", and meaning "noodles") sell a variety of noodle soups and stir fried noodle dishes; 3) khao man kai and mu daeng stalls, which sell chicken and rice and "red pork" and rice (some stalls specialize in only one of these meals). To watch a khao man kai chef at work is often to be dazzled by the virtuoso performance -- and nothing goes to waste. The chef takes a steamed chicken and quickly cuts of the head and neck, then trims off the wings, which are set aside to be deep fried (wings in a tempura style batter sell for 1 baht each or perhaps 2 for 3 baht - 4 to six cents American each - throughout Thailand), and the legs are chopped off and set aside (Thais in general don't relish dark meat, but you can request a drumstick if you want - otherwise they'll also be deep fried and sold for 5 baht each - 20 cents). The chicken is quickly slit down the breast bone and the two breasts are removed, and the carcass and neck tossed in the stock pan. The breast is placed on a cutting board, smacked with the flat of the cleaver blade and quickly sliced into bite sized pieces, served on a bed of rice that has been steamed in chicken broth, and delivered to the customer with a cupful of chicken and pumpkin soup, and a couple of little bags containing bean source and fresh ginger. A local stall sells this meal for 15 baht a plate (60 cents), and 20 baht (80 cents) for a "jumbo" portion. Once a week, when we are feeling lazy, my wife and I buy two jumbo portions and two deep fried chicken breasts, for a total of 60 baht ($2.40). So the process is continuous: bones are boiled to make stock, the stock is used to cook the chickens and rice, and to make soup, and the bones from the chickens are used to make more stock, and so the cycle continues. Since I am sure most of my readers are not contemplating continuous production, you have two options: you can make it with water the first time and then store stock in the fridge for future use, or you can buy some bones and make some stock. Please do not use commercial stock or stock cubes, as it almost all has rather a lot of salt, and often MSG, in it, and the cooking of the rice will certainly concentrate this to the point that it will be unpleasant to eat. Finally in this preamble, let me say that the commercial sellers nearly all sell simple yellow bean sauce, bought commercially, and Thai purchasers may either eat it like that, or trick it up themselves at home. 1 large chicken 8 cup unsalted chicken stock or water 1 cup winter squash (phak thong), sliced 1 ½ cup ric Coriander, cucumber, and grated ginger for garnish Place the chicken in a large casserole, and cover with the stock. Add the squash to the pot, and simmer or poach over a low heat until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Remove and drain the chicken, then when it is cool enough to handle, cut off the wings and legs and reserve them for other dishes, remove the two chicken breasts, and smack them with a cleaver to dislodge the skin, which may be discarded if you are watching you weight. Cut the breasts into strips about half an inch wide, and cut the strips into bite sized piece. Place the rice in a saucepan, and add 2 ½ cups of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken. Cook over moderate heat until the liquor is absorbed, and the rice is cooked (the finished rice should be slightly moist). Serve the chicken on a bed of the steamed rice, garnished with coriander leaves, and accompanied by a good supply of sliced cucumber, grated ginger and bean sauce. Put the broth in a cup with a few pieces of squash as an accompanying soup, garnished with coriander leaves. Top
Khao Mu Daeng - Red Pork With Rice Mu daeng is a complement to khao man kai. Indeed in Thailand vendors that sell one very often sell the other, but nothing else. Like khao man kai a good lunch time meal can be had for half a dollar or so. An interesting style for two people is to buy a portion of khao man kai and a portion of khao mu daeng, and to share the meals. Traditionally the pork was marinated in a highly complex mixture of herbs and berries to turn it sweet and red. Today the marinade at most street vendors stalls is water to which a little artificial red food die and a dash of sugar is added. What follows is my sister-in-law's recipe, and she got it from her father. Father-in-law used a very traditional recipe, but this version is somewhat simplified. In Thailand the food is cooked by placing it on a grating in an iron bowl hanging from a tripod over a charcoal brazier, the whole being covered with a large metal drum, such as a 55 gallon oil drum, to trap the smoke and enhance the flavour of the meat. If you have a domestic food smoker, or can improvise one with a barbecue, then go ahead, otherwise, add a little "Liquid Smoke" and cook the dish as follows. 1 lb. pork loin or chops Marinade: 2 preserved chinese plums, chopped ¼ cup chopped tomato, peeled & seeded 4 tbl fish sauce 4 tbl honey Sauce: 1 cup water 2 tbl honey 2 tbl dark sweet soy 2 tbl rice vinegar Cornstarch Mix the marinade in a blender, and thoroughly paint the meat with it. Let stand for several hours. If you cannot cook in a suitably smoky atmosphere, add a little Liquid Smoke to the marinade. If you want it a little redder use cochineal food colorant. Place the meat, and the marinade, in a casserole, and add about a cup of water or pork stock. Bring it to a boil on the stove top, then reduce to low heat and cover, and continue to cook slowly until just about cooked. The meat is then removed from the liquor in which it has cooked, and drained, then placed under a grill or broiler on high heat and browned. Allow it to cool and then slice it into strips, and the strips into bite sized pieces. Bring the cooking liquor back to the boil, and add two tbl of dark sweet soy, and 2 tbl of honey and two tablespoons of rice vinegar, and reduce to a thick sauce like consistency, adding a little cornstarch or rice flour if necessary to thicken it. Serve the pork on a bed of rice, garnished with coriander leaves, with a supply of cucumber slices, and place the gravy in a small bowl, so the diner may take as much as they choose. Note that the meat and sauce may be served cold. Top
Khao Pad Phak (Fried Rice And Vegetables) This is a recipe from a vegan restaurant that has (re)opened near my home in Korat. The monks from one of the local wats run it, and they are so careful with their ingredients that they even press their own soy beans to make oil. This recipe relies on the fact that a wok doesn't need much oil (but you could just as easily use a non-stick skillet), and that both the yellow bean sauce (sometimes called fermented soy beans in oil), and the nam prik pao (roasted chilis in oil) are oil based. 2 cup cooked rice ¾ cup cauliflower ¾ cup baby corn ¾ cup mushrooms, sliced ¼ cup shallots (purple onions) 3 tbl yellow bean sauce 1 tbl nam prik pao (roasted chili paste in oil) 1 tbl garlic You can use leftover steamed rice, but the restaurant makes it from rice that has been steamed in a broth consisting of three parts vegetable stock, and one part pineapple juice. Whichever is used the rice should be left to dry in an uncovered bowl for 24 hours. Remove the florets from the cauliflower, and then slice the stalks thinly. Slice the baby corn lengthwise into four. Slice the shallots and garlic finely . In a wok or skillet over medium heat, warm the yellow bean sauce and chili paste, and then use it to sauté the shallots and garlic for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn them. Stir in the corn, and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables and stir until warmed through and coated with the sauce. Add the rice and stir to mix until the whole is warmed through. The vegetables should retain a crispness, pieces of the cauliflower stalk snapping when bent in the hand. Taste for seasoning, and if you prefer it a little hotter add a little more nam prik pao. Salt can be added in the form of soy sauce at this stage if desired. Top
Khao Pad Sapparot (Stir Fried Rice And Pineapple) This is an unusual recipe for Thai food because it is essentially a vegetarian dish - they are not common in Thailand, where even nominally vegetarian dishes often have quite a large amount of meat. This one has a little dried shrimp, and the true vegetarian could easily leave that out. It is also unusual in that it is rather a theatrical dish: though the theatricality comes from a Thai habit of frugality, and perhaps a desire to have less dishes to wash! For two people you need a medium sized pineapple: choose carefully it should be sweet and juicy. 1 pineapple 2/3 tbl chopped shallots (purple onion) ½ tbl grated ginger 4-5 red chilis, finely julienned. 1 tbl chopped cilantro 2 tbl dried shrimp 2/3 tbl garlic, coarsely chopped 1-2 tbl fish sauce (or ½ dark soy/ ½ fish sauce) 1 tsp sugar 2 cups cold cooked rice the green of 2 spring onions, coarsely chopped Cilantro for garnish Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, and scoop out the fruit (my wife uses a curved "grapefruit knife", but any knife will do.) then chop it into bite sized chunks. Put the fruit in a bowl and add the shallots, chili, ginger, scallion and coriander, mix and set aside. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the juice. In a wok, heat about a tablespoon of oil, and stir fry the shrimp until crispy, and the oil is aromatic. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and drain, then set aside. Add a further tbl oil, and stir fry the garlic until golden brown. Add the rice, and stir thoroughly. Add the fish sauce and sugar, and continue stirring. When the rice is heated through, add the pineapple mixture and cooked shrimp, and stir until thoroughly heated through. Pour the mixture into the pineapple shells, garnish and serve. Variation: Do not cook the fruit mixture. Instead put the fruit mixture and the stir fried rice in the fridge (separately) and chill all the ingredients, then just before serving mix them and put them in the pineapple skins. If you are serving cold then you can also add a few maraschino cherries as garnish. This cold variant makes an excellent counterpoint to hot curries and spicy chilli dishes on a hot day (and it gets *hot* here I can assure you, with the shade temperature topping 40 celsius on many a day.) Top
Khao Tom Koong (Rice Soup With Shrimp) Khao tom is a staple in Thailand, being widely eaten as a breakfast dish, as well as an accompaniment to lunch and dinner. It can be cooked plain (without the shrimp), or as here with shrimp. It can also be made by simple substitution with chicken, pork, or any combination of seafood that you have to hand, fresh or leftovers. It is almost always made from pre-cooked rice. Made with chicken it is a popular meal for recovering patients who still feel a little queasy. Cooks in Thailand make this in a wok - but I'm not convinced that it is entirely safe to balance this much fluid in a round bottom wok on a skimpy western stove-hob. So perhaps for safety you should use a large saucepan. I make no apologies for also posting this to the chile heads mailing list: it is one of the best cures I know for the fire of an over hot chili dish! 2 cups water 1 cup cooked white rice 1 cup thinly sliced Chinese celery (including the leaves) 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl Maggi seasoning 1 tbl garlic, thinly sliced 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground (or to taste) ½ lb. shelled, deveined and butterflied shrimp In a very small amount of oil sauté the garlic until golden brown and beginning to crisp up, then pour in the water, and bring to the boil, next add the celery, Maggi sauce, and fish sauce and pepper, and stir until it boils again. Now add the rice and return to the boil, continuing to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to "fall" and the water turns a milky white. Now add the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink. Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro leaves. Top
Khing Dong (Pickled Ginger) This is a simple pickling recipe for ginger. The resultant pickle can beaten with meats and poultry. It is also eaten on its own as a snack, and even on ice cream (!) 2 lbs fresh ginger 2 cup water 2 cup vinegar (preferably rice vinegar) 1 ½ cup sugar ¼ cup salt ½ tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) Peel the ginger and then slice it thinly, cutting larger slices into smallish pieces. Rub with the baking soda and allow to stand whilst preparing the pickling liquor. Boil the water, and stir in and fully dissolve the sugar. Next dissolve in the salt, allow to cool, and add the vinegar, stirring thoroughly. Place the ginger in a one quart preserving jar, and fill with the liquor, seal and keep in a cool place for at least two weeks before using. Top
Kraphong Khao Priao Wan - Sweet And Sour Fish This is prepared from steaks of kraphong khao (sea bass), but you could easily use another fish (it works very well with shark steaks). You can cook the fish in a electric deep fryer if you wish (high heat is not required). The sweet pepper (prik wan) is a Thai equivalent of the bell pepper, but is slightly less bitter. If you can't get rice wine, use a drinkable dry sherry. 4 ½" thick fish steaks Marinade: 2 tbl rice wine 2 tbl light soy sauce 2 tbl wheat flour 2 tbl rice flour Sauce: 1 onion, chopped, 1 sweet pepper, chopped 1/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup tomato catsup ¼ cup rice vinegar (or other white vinegar) 4 tbl rice wine ½ cup fish stock (or water) ½ cup pineapple pieces Oil for deep frying Dredge the fish in the marinated, and leave to stand for about an hour so that it is infused with the flavour. Heat oil for deep frying in a deep skillet or large wok over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the fish, turning once, until cooked through. Remove the fish, drain the excess oil, and place on the serving platter. In a small pan sauté the onion and sweet pepper, add the remaining ingredients, except the pineapple, and simmer until slightly reduced. Add about a tbl cornstarch or rice flour to thicken the sauce, then add the pineapple and heat through. Pour over the fish, and serve with steamed jasmine rice. Top
Kuaitiao Neua (Beef Noodle Soup) This soup is a popular light meal in Thailand, and often sold by "stop me and buy one" hawkers who pedal tricycles around the streets. The traditional form is made from beef offal, and contains cow's blood. However the dish can be made quite satisfactorily from any cut of beef, and the blood can be omitted, or replaced by red wine. The noodles can be cut into handleable pieces The Thais don't bother and eat soup with chop sticks (not used for any other type of food). 2 coriander roots, chopped 2 onions, with skin, quartered 4 bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 10 cups water 4 cups beef bones 1 tbl ginger, grated. 1 cup red wine (Bull's Blood or similar) 2 cups beef (any cut), cubed. 1 cup celery (preferably Chinese celery), sliced 1 cup mushrooms (any variety) ½ cup shallots, sliced 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), sliced 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 cup ribbon noodles, soaked Break the bones with a hammer, and roast them for 15 minutes in a hot oven. Bring the water to the boil, and add the vegetables, and the bones to the pot, Boil gently for an hour. Boil vigorously to reduce to about half the volume you started with. Allow to cool, skim off the fat, filter through a fine sieve. Soak the noodles for 15 minutes, and then chop them into 2-3" long pieces for ease of eating. Heat the stock to a gentle simmer, and add the wine, and all the other ingredients except the beef, mushrooms and noodles. When the stock is again boiling add the beef and simmer until the beef is tender. Add the mushrooms and noodles, and cook for a further one-two minutes. Garnish with a few coriander leaves and serve with the nam jim. Top
Kuaitiao Pad Kai (Chicken And Noodle Stir Fry) This dish can be made either with or without the sauce. Without, it makes a good contrast dish to hotter curries and dishes such as laab. With, and possibly accompanied by a bowl of sticky rice (formed into balls to sop up any excess sauce), it makes a most satisfying one plate meal for lunch or dinner. Any hot chili sauce could be used, but avoid vinegar based sauces if possible. If using Italian noodles (pasta shells are very suitable) instead of rice noodles, it should first be boiled until half cooked. For the sauce: 1 cup chopped tomato, peeled and seeded 1 cup nam sup (chicken stock) 1 tbl Maggi Seasoning 1 tbl hot chili sauce 1 tsp prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground pinch of sugar For the stir fry 1 duck egg (or large chicken egg) 1 cup chicken, cut into fine slices 1 tbl kratiem (garlic), sliced 1 tbl khing (ginger), julienned 1 tbl red curry paste 1 tsp tang chi (preserved radish) 8 oz. sen lek (narrow ribbon rice noodles), soaked 1 tbl Maggi Seasoning 1 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 1 tsp prikthai (black pepper), ground Bring the stock to a boil, and add all the sauce ingredients, simmer until reduced slightly. Season to taste. Chill the chicken, slice thinly and pound with a meat-pounder to further thin them. Sauté the garlic, ginger and curry paste until aromatic. Add the chicken and stir fry until it starts to become opaque. Add the egg and whisk vigorously with a to-and-fro action to break into long strands. Add all the remaining ingredients, and continue cooking until the egg and the chicken are done. If served without sauce, transfer to a serving platter lined with lettuce leaves garnished with slivered spring onions and cilantro leaves. If serving with the sauce, transfer to a serving bowl and ladle half the sauce over the dish, reserving the remainder to be added at the table. Top
Kuaitiao Radna (Wide Noodles In A Creamy Sauce) This dish is traditionally made in Thailand from phak khana, variously translated in English as "Chinese Broccoli" and "Chinese Kale" (botanical name Brassica oleracea).This is hard to find in the West, and so this recipe uses conventional broccoli. This is widely available now in Thailand (albeit rather expensive). However the variety available here has rather a lot of stalk and leaves when you buy it, and the Thais are not inclined to waste food, so this is the conventional preparation here. The bai magkroot and bai kaprao can be considered optional. The prik yuet is a mild sweet chili often called the Thai bell pepper, and if it isn't available then bell peppers may be substituted. The thickening agent used is arrowroot, but you could easily use cornstarch or rice starch instead. Finally let me say that kuaitiao dishes are common 'hawker' food in Thailand and are usually prepared fairly blandly. The bowl of noodles is then seasoned to taste from the seasonings on the table. As a rough guide I include my wife's final preparation at the end of the method. 1 cup pork loin, thinly sliced, and cut into bite sized pieces 1 cup sen yai, softened in warm water (10 minutes). 1 ½ cup broccoli ¼ cup bai magkroot (kaffir lime leaves), shredded ¼ cup bai kaprao (holy basil leaves), shredded ¼ cup mushrooms 1 cup water or pork stock 3 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 2 tbl Maggi seasoning 2 tbl sugar 2 tbl arrowroot powder, mixed in a little water 1 tbl garlic, thinly sliced 1 tsp MSG (optional) 1 tsp freshly milled black pepper Combine the Maggi sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce, and add the pepper and MSG, and marinade the meat for about one hour, before draining, reserving the marinade. While the noodles are soaking to soften them, prepare the broccoli, by cutting up 3/4 of a cup of florets, and peeling then slicing the stems, and chopping the leaves, to form 3/4 of a cup of thinly sliced stems and leaves. Shred the basil and lime leaves. In a large skillet or wok, over medium heat, sauté the garlic in a little oil, and then stir fry the noodles until they begin to turn brown. (Stir continuously, as they are likely to stick in a glutinous mass if you are lax at this point). Remove them, and turn the heat to high, and briefly stir fry the pork to seal it. In a large saucepan, heat the water or stock, stir in and boil briefly, the marinade, and add the arrowroot to thicken, then add the meat, and other ingredients except the noodles, and stir occasionally until the meat and vegetables are nearly cooked to your taste. Add the noodles and continue to cook for about 3-4 minutes to complete the dish. Serve in individual bowls. At this stage the chef's contribution is effectively done. The following however is my wife's procedure at this stage: Add 1 tbl prik phom (powdered prik ki nu daeng - red birdseye chilis), and a tbl prik dong - red chilis marinated in rice vinegar, and a little more sugar. Then taste, and if necessary add fish sauce, sweet soy, and additional red chilis and pickled chilis. If available you might also add a little pickled ginger and pickled garlic. The obvious cautions apply to following this last stage blindly: at this point the clear sauce has turned fiery red and the heat of the chilis is accentuated by the vinegar... The general method however is appropriate, but you might care to proceed more cautiously! Top
Laab Ped (Spicy Ground Duck) I am very fond of laab in all its forms, and duck seems to especially lend itself to this style of cooking, which can be both simple and elegant. I recently watched a neighbor cook this and I am strongly tempted to start with an explanation of how you make the dish "from scratch", but decided that I didn't care to be accused of putting people off their food. Suffice it to say that the duck for this dish should be exceedingly fresh. Note that traditionally laab is a very hot dish. You can virtually add as much powdered chili, and sliced fresh chilis as your palate can stand. Do bear in mind however that it is easier to add spice at the table than remove it, so please prepare the dish to a reasonable degree of heat and rely on the diners adding spice as desired. 1 cup minced duck meat 2 tbl lime juice 2 tbl fish sauce 3 tbl duck stock 1 tsp prik phom (powdered red chili) 2 tbl shallots, very finely sliced 2 tbl lemon grass, bruised, and very finely sliced 1 tbl bai magkroot (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 2 tbl spring onion/green onion, thinly sliced 1 tbl prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), thinly sliced. In a dry wok or skillet, carefully toast 2 or 3 tbl long grained (uncooked) rice, until light brown, then allow it to cool and grind to a coarse powder. Chop the duck meat to a fairly fine consistency (you can use a food processor but this tends to reduce it to a paste). Put the minced duck in a small bowl and allow to marinade in the lime juice and fish sauce for about an hour. In a hot wok or skillet, briefly stir fry the meat until it is just cooked, then remove to a mixing bowl, and combine with the other ingredients, using about one tbl the toasted rice. Taste and if necessary adjust the seasonings. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves, garnishing with mint and lime leaves, and putting cucumber slices, water chestnuts and radishes (or slices of fresh white radish [mooli]) around the plate. Add small dishes of sliced red and green chilis, and the usual Thai table condiments. Top
Lab Kai (Spicy Ground Chicken) Lab is an easy, quick to make "spicy" dish (it can be, and often is fierily hot). I have seen it on Thai restaurant menus in America and Britain described as "chicken salad Thai style", which might be the best description for this dish. It can be made with beef (lab nuea) or pork (lab muu) instead of chicken, and it can be made with precooked left-over poultry or meat instead. It can even be made with chopped up luncheon meat or something like SPAM (tm). I leave it to your imagination. However in the part of Thailand I live in it is almost always a chicken recipe. 1 [kaffir] lime leaf shredded, or 1 tsp lime zest 3-4 shallots (purple onions) chopped 1-2 scallions, thinly sliced 2-3 tbl lime juice 2-3 tbl chicken stock 2-3 tbl fish sauce (nam pla) 4-6 tsp prik phom (ground dried red chilis) 1 tbl khao koor (ground toasted rice) ½ stalk lemon grass very thinly sliced 1 tsp powdered galangal (kha phom - available in most oriental supermarkets) 4 oz. chicken lettuce, parsley, sliced radish and mooli, coriander leaves for garnish Line a serving dish with the lettuce leaves. Chop the chicken (in a food processor, or with two cleavers, or get the butcher to do it for you.) In a fairly high wok, with a very small amount of oil, stir fry the chicken until it just starts to turn whitish, then add all the remaining ingredients (if using precooked meat, simply add everything to a hot wok together), and stir until heated through and the chicken is cooked. Serve on the bed of lettuce leaves and garnish to taste. Serve with steamed sticky rice (if you prefer you can use jasmine rice) and a dish of mixed [raw] fresh vegetables, and the usual Thai table condiments (prik nam pla, prik dong, prik phom and sugar). The usual way to eat this is to take a small ball of sticky rice in the fingers and use it to pick up a little lab, then eat it with the raw veggies. You can also use a fork and spoon as a lot of Thais do. Top
Mee Krob (Crispy Stir Fried Noodles) Mee krob is an easy dish that makes a pleasant snack, or a useful accompaniment to hotter foods. The tangy sweet & sour sauce is optional though certainly normal, and hardened vegetarians could easily leave out the pork and shrimp. 2 eggs, beaten 6 oz. sen mee (rice vermicelli noodles) 3 tbl kratiem dong (pickled garlic), thinly sliced 3 tbl shallots (purple onions), sliced thinly 4 oz. belly pork, cut into small dice 4 oz. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined The sauce: 1 tomato 2 tbl tamarind juice 2 tbl lime juice 2 tbl palm sugar 1 tbl citrus zest (preferably kaffir lime) 1 tbl fish sauce Garnishes: thinly sliced green onions, and red and green chilis julienned. ½ cup hard tofu, cubed Heat about 3 cups of peanut oil until very hot (preferably smoking), then whilst it is heating, crush the noodles in a large plastic bag. Drop the noodles, a small quantity at a time, into the hot oil. They immediately puff up and turn golden brown. Remove at once with a slotted spoon. When all the noodles have been cooked and set aside to drain on kitchen paper, drizzle the egg into the oil to form a ribbon of cooked egg, then take it from the oil and chop it up. Finally deep fry the pieces of tofu until golden brown and set aside. Now pour off all but a little of the oil, and stir fry the garlic pickle and shallots. Next stir fry the pork until the fat is firm and the meat cooked. Stir fry the shrimp briefly until they turn pink. Mix the cooked ingredients, except the tofu, and transfer to a serving platter. Combine the ingredients of the sauce, and place it in a small bowl so the diners may ladle it over the food as required. Garnish the mee krob with the green onions, chilis and cooked tofu. Top
Mock Kai Yang. Wondering what to do with the left over turkey? well its a bit late now I guess, but next time you have the problem try this: Shred some pre-cooked poultry, to make about 4 cups of shredded meat. Add about half a cup of kai yang marinade (above) and mix well, and leave for the meat to absorb the marinade. Make up about a cup of kai yang stuffing, moistening it with a tablespoon of the marinade mix, and heat it in a saucepan to bring out the aroma, then mix thoroughly with the marinated meat. Serve cold with a salad and the other ingredients. (If you prefer you can mix the meat in with the stuffing and heat the whole thing, then eat it hot or cold to suit yourself). Top
Moo Maw Fai (Pork Hot Pot) This is a hot a spicy soup, part of a tradition of what might be called "poacher's food," specifically a hearty simple production using "game" style animals. Recent monsoon floods had made some wild pigs a nuisance on a friends farm, and the result was three "suckling pigs" as well as an adult boar and sow, neatly dressed out and looking for a recipe. The pork is pre-cooked, but diners may drop pieces into the soup to warm them, as well as absorbing the flavour of the stock. Usually ingredients are simply thrown into the pot and then scooped out when cooked, or placed in small bronze-wire baskets and dipped in the steaming stock. This traditional preparation uses pig fat as the cooking oil for the meat, however you can omit the belly pork, increase the amount of tenderloin, and fry it in vegetable oil. However the traditional way gives a fuller and richer flavour. Top
Mu Yang Takrai (Bbq Pork With Lemon Grass) This is essentially a hawker food: meat (usually pork) is threaded on skewers or satay sticks and cooked over a charcoal brazier, and then served along with a dipping sauce in a small plastic bag. It makes an easy recipe for a summer afternoon's barbecue. Alternatively you can make it with pork chops or even with spareribs or chicken pieces... it even makes a barbecue sauce for hamburgers and hot dogs... 1 lb. of pork cut into bite sized pieces The marinade 10 tbl palm sugar 10 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 10 tbl dark soy sauce 10 tbl takrai (lemon grass), sliced very thinly 5 tbl whiskey 5 tbl hom daeng (shallots), sliced very thinly 5 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced 5 tbl coconut milk 3 tbl sesame oil 1 tbl prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground Mix the marinade ingredients, except the coconut milk and in a saucepan or wok, simmer until reduced to about half the original volume. Allow to cool, and add the coconut milk, stirring until combined. Marinade the meat for 1-3 hours in a cool place, then drain well, and thread onto skewers. Barbecue the meat until cooked. Heat the marinade until simmering, stirring for 1-2 minutes and serve as a dipping sauce for the meat. Top
Muoi's Salad Talay Talay means seafood, and salad is the Thai word for, well, salad, actually. 2 cup mixed salad greens 1 cup bean sprouts, green onions 2 cup steamed shellfish 2 cup parboiled yams or sweet potato The Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup ketchup 2 tbl oyster sauce 1 tbl Worcestershire sauce 2 tbl sirracha sauce Cut the potato into bite sized chunks, then deep fried in an electric fryer for a couple of minutes (Thai potato floats when it is cooked, and you scoop it out and place it on paper towels to drain the oil). Toss the veggies, potato and the shellfish together in a salad bowl and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the dressing. Add enough of the dressing to the salad to coat it thoroughly when tossed. The remaining dressing is placed on the table as a dipping sauce, together with a few plates of raw sliced veggies (cucumbers, carrots, etc). Top
Nam Jim Muoi (Muoi's Hamburger Relish) Hamburgers have become popular in Thailand, but the relishes available - mainly imported products - are bland, and sweet, and not to local tastes (they are however sometimes eaten like jam...) This is my wife's recipe for a spicy relish. It consists of four components, and the first - the mayonnaise - can be used on its own as a salad dressing or crudite dip. To mellow the flavor, and get a more interesting variety of flavors, the chilis used are from the normal table condiments of prik dong (red birdseye chilis in rice wine vinegar) and nam pla prik (green birdseye chilis in fish sauce), drained before use. The liquor can of course be recycled to make more prik dong and nam pla prik. If you don't have these items to hand, you should prepare some about a week in advance to give the flavors a chance to develop. Similarly the "three gingers" - khing (green root ginger), kha (galangal), and kachai (lesser ginger), are sautéed in a little oil. They can be kept in a jar with enough oil to cover the ginger, and if they don't dry out will keep almost indefinitely. If you do not have these ready, peel and cut the ginger into slices about an 1/8" thick, sauté the slices in peanut oil over medium heat, then julienne and chop the slices. 1 batch Thai Mayonnaise 3 tomatoes, peeled and seeded 6 tbl drained prik ki nu 6 tbl drained prik ki nu daeng 2 tbl sautéed khing (ginger) 2 tbl sautéed kha (galangal) 2 tbl sautéed kachai (lesser ginger) 1 cup onions, sautéed Combine everything to form the relish. This gives about 4 cups. The ingredients other than the mayonnaise will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, but containing uncooked eggs the mayonnaise has limited keeping capacity. You might prefer to make mayonnaise fresh and combine it with the other ingredients as required. You might also prefer to put the four ingredients in small bowls, and let the diners mix the relish to suit themselves. Top
Nam Jim Pae (My Father's Dip) This is a recipe for a hot and spicy dip for fried fish and meats. At a family party yesterday, my wife prepared this, saying it was her father's recipe. At the subsequent dinner I was only offered some when I specifically asked for it. I found out why... this turned my lips to fire. But oh what a feeling! 3/4 cups prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), chopped ¼ cup prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), chopped ¼ cup garlic, chopped ¼ cup lime juice 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl khing (root ginger), chopped 1 tbl horseradish, chopped 1 tbl palm sugar Grind the garlic, ginger and horseradish to a fine paste in a mortar and pestle. Add 3/4 of a cup of red chilis, and a ¼ cup of green chilis, and lb. until thoroughly integrated. Add the lime juice and fish sauce and sugar, and continue to lb. until fully combined into a slightly liquid consistency. If not sufficiently liquid add more lime juice and fish sauce, keeping the proportions the same. Allow to stand for 1 hour before serving. This will keep for two or three days in a well stoppered container in the refrigerator, but does not lend itself to freezing. Top
Nam Jim Polamai (Fruit Dip) First make the "dressing" 2 tbl minced garlic 2 tbl kapi (shrimp paste) 2 tbl lime juice 2 tbl [palm] sugar 2 tbl fish sauce Lightly fry the shrimp paste to bring out the aromas, and discard any oil that is forced out by the heat. Mix the ingredients with half the fish sauce in a food processor and taste add more fish sauce until it is just salty enough for you. Variation: add [up to] 6 finely sliced red chilies. Once you have your dressings, you are ready to make one of a number of Thai dips: 1: Nam Jim Mamuang Prepare 1 cup shredded green (i.e. unripe) mango, and combine it with the dressing. Variation instead of shredding the mango just julienne it. If you use the chilli variation of the dressing the result is a Som Dam Mamuang (an Isan variant - the normal som dam is made with papaya). 2: Use a cup of coarsely chopped pineapple (nam jim sapparot). 3: Try a cup of any chopped fruit. 4: A variation my wife calls Nam Jim Luk Koei (kai luk koei is "son in law eggs") It is done with fried hard boiled [quails] eggs in a caramelized onion sauce). Take a cup of mixed "round things" (maraschino cherries, cherry tomatoes, cocktail olives, hard boiled quails eggs). Mix with the dressing[s] and serve on cocktail sticks. 5: A variation my wife calls "devil's finger food" Take about 2 tbl of shrimp paste, and fry it. Mix in about 1 tbl of sliced red chillis. Use this mixture to stuff pitted olives (instead of the usual bland pimento) and serve it with a hot version of the chilli dressing from above. Top
Nam Jim Rod Dedt (Chili Vinegar With Garlic) This sauce will keep indefinitely. ½ cup water ½ cup fish sauce 3 cups rice vinegar 3 tbl [palm] sugar 6 cups prik ki nu daeng (red birds eye chilis), sliced 6 tbl garlic, minced 6 tbl ginger, grated 6 tbl phak chi (coriander/cilantro, including roots), chopped Heat the water, fish sauce and vinegar, and dissolve the sugar. Allow to cool, and then add all the ingredients to a food processor and process to a smooth paste. If you prefer a thinner consistency you can increase the amounts of water, fish sauce and vinegar. Top
Nam Jim Satay (Peanut Dressing) This is my favorite variation. If you have red or Massaman curry paste that is preferred, but you can use curry powder to taste if you prefer. Also you can if you wish use peanut butter rather than fresh peanuts. 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped 4 oz. freshly roasted (unsalted) peanuts 1 oz. chopped onion 1-2 tbl red or Massaman curry paste 1 tsp fish sauce 8 tbl coconut milk 4-6 tsp lime juice (to taste). 2-3 tsp brown sugar. First grind or crush the peanuts to a fairly fine powder. Then combine them with the remaining ingredients (except the lime juice), to form a smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it with a little chicken stock. Now add the lime juice, tasting as you progress to check the balance of flavors is correct. Note: use red curry paste with beef or pork satay, Massaman with chicken. If you are doing shrimp satay then use half the quantity of Massaman paste. Top
Nam Jim Sate (Satay Peanut Sauce) one can of coconut milk (14 ounces) ½ cups chicken stock ½ cups uncooked peanuts 1 tbl garlic, crushed, 1 tbl red curry paste 1 tbl nam prik pao ([roasted] chili paste in oil) 1 tbl palm sugar 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl lime juice In a wok or large heavy skillet, dry roast the peanuts until they start to turn toasty brown. Bite one to check that it is cooked through (careful - they're hot). Discard any brown peanut "skins" and put the peanuts in a liquidiser/blender or food processor. Separate the coconut milk by letting it stand until the lighter cream rises. Pour this off and use the thick cream remaining. Add a cup of thick coconut cream to the blender, and process until smooth. Add the garlic, curry paste, nam prik pao, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and process until mixed thoroughly. Combine the remaining coconut milk with the chicken stock, and then slowly add this to the running blender until a suitable consistency is achieved. Top
Nam Jim Viet ('Vietnam' Sauce) This is a popular dipping sauce in Thailand, though exactly why it is called 'Vietnamese' nobody seems able to tell me. The sauce may be thickened with gelatin or any of the typical vegetable gelling agents sold for preserve making: simply use them to thicken the sugar syrup as if it were water. Some commercial versions of this sauce puree the chills but home made versions are usually made from paper thin slices of chilli. A tablespoon of vinegar can be substituted for the tamarind paste. 1 ½ cup water ½ cup white granulated sugar ¼ cup kratiem (garlic), chopped very fine ¼ cup prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos), sliced paper thin 1 tbl tamarind paste 1 tbl nam manao (lime juice) 1 tsp fish sauce gelling agent (optional) Warm the water, and soak the tamarind paste in it for an hour, then squeeze it thoroughly to extract as much juice as possible, and then pass it through a chinois or other very fine sieve to remove the pulp. Bring the water to a gentle boil, and stir in the sugar, dissolving each addition thoroughly, and continuing until have added it all, then continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to thicken it, by reducing the mixture to about 1 cup. Slice the chills and chop the garlic, then when the sugar syrup is reduced, add the lime juice, and fish sauce (and the gelling agent if you are using it), and allow to cool. When the mixture is down to a warm room temperature, stir in the chills and garlic, and leave to stand for about 30 minutes, before tasting and if necessary adding a little more lime juice or fish sauce to taste. Store in a well sealed preserving jar. It will keep 6-8 weeks in a refrigerator. Top
Nam Jim Wan (Sweet Dipping Sauce) This is a simple dipping sauce usually used with deep fried items such as spring rolls and the stuffed chicken wings I shall post shortly. 3 cups water 3 cups sugar 1 cup vinegar (preferably rice vinegar) 3 tbl Chinese pickled plums 3 tbl thinly sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) 2 tbl garlic, very thinly sliced 2 tbl ginger, julienned or grated 1 tsp salt Boil the water, and add the pickled plums (sometimes sold as 'salted plums'), and simmer for five minutes. Remove the plums to a food processor and puree them. Continue to boil the water, adding and dissolving the sugar, then adding the vinegar and salt. If any sugar is still undissolved, add a little more water until it dissolves. Return the plums to the mixture, and then pour over the other ingredients in a sterilized preserving jar, and keep in a cool place for at least a week before using. Top
Nam Phet (Hot Sauce) Make as much or as little as you like: this is generally used as an additive in cooking, but some people like to pour it over omellettes or burgers. 7 parts prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) 2 parts khing (ginger) 1 part kratiem (garlic) 4 parts nam makham piag (tamarind juice) 4 parts nam manao (lime juice) 2 parts nam pla (fish sauce) Process to a sauce consistency in a food processor or blender. Keeps 3-4 weeks in a refrigerator. Top
Nam Prik Jaew ¼ cup yellow bean sauce ¼ cup lime juice ¼ cup minced garlic ¼ cup minced ginger 2 tbl thinly sliced prik ki nu ¼ cup light soy sauce ¼ cup palm sugar Mix everything and store. Serve with Kai Yang Isan. Top
Nam Prik Jao (Spicy "Young Fish" Dip) Some of the ingredients (marked *) in this are charbroiled. You could always use a hand held butane torch for ease. Note the charred ingredients are measured after cooking. It is a common dip for barbequed meats. Pla jao is a Thai generic phrase used to describe "young fish" - effectively the same as "whitebait" in western terminology. Alternatively it is often used here to describe small freshwater shrimp. However traditionally this is made with whitebait, often freshly caught. 2 cups water 1 cup pla jao (whitebait or very small shrimp) ½ cup nam makham piak (tamarind juice) ¼ cup takhrai (lemon grass)* ¼ cup hom daeng (shallots)* ¼ cup kha (galangal)* ¼ cup prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis)* 3 tbl kratiem (garlic), chopped 2 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) Charbroil the marked ingredients, until the skins are blackened, peel, then chop coarsely. Boil the water in a saucepan, add the whitebait, and cook for 5 minutes, though don't allow it to boil away to less than half a cup of stock. Mash the fish into the water and squeeze it through a fine muslin bag to strain it, allow to cool, and add to the ground charbroiled ingredients. Finally add the garlic, tamarind juice and fish sauce, and grind to a paste. Will keep for about 4 weeks in a refrigerator. Top
Nam Prik Kapi (Universal Thai Dip) This is the staple dipping sauce eaten with almost anything, and almost universally added to the table setting of any but the most casual dinner. It is traditionally the one dish, other than desserts, cooked by the mistress of the house, as opposed to the servants, and is often extremely intricate in its preparation. There are probably as many recipes as there are Thai women, and this is but one example. The eggplants used - makheua phuang are very small - the size of green garden peas, and are often added to curries as a crisp morsel that pops in the mouth. You could substitute the golf ball sized makheua pro, but the best alternative to the real thing is probably to omit them. 1 tbl kratiem (garlic) chopped 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng ( red birdseye chilis), chopped 1 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 3 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 3 tbl nam makrut (kaffir lime juice) 1 tbl sugar 2 tbl makheua phuang In a wok, lightly fry the shrimp paste until aromatic. Crush all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor, except the makheua phuang which is coarsely chopped and added to the paste after mixing it. Serve with vegetable crudities, or other dishes. Top
Nam Prik Kiga (Chili Sauce) This is a common dip for barbecue style foods. 6 tbl prik ki nu (green birdseye chili), sliced thinly 6 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chili), sliced thinly 4 tbl hom daeng (shallots), sliced thinly 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), sliced thinly 3 tbl phak chi (coriander plant including root), chopped 1 tbl nam makrut (lime juice) 1 tbl fish sauce Sauté the chilis, shallots and garlic in a little hot oil. After cooling puree the mixture in a food processor of mortar and pestle. If the coriander and shallots are added at the last minute the mixture will keep for several weeks in a refrigerator. Top
Nam Prik Makham Ong (Young Tamarind Dip) This is made from "green" or immature tamarinds. These contain soft seeds, and are often eaten raw as a snack in Thailand. You should discard the skins, but the seeds can be left in. 1 cup makham lek (young tamarind) ¼ cup kung haeng (dried shrimp) ¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce) 3 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced 3 tbl nam som paep (palm sugar) 2 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 2 tbl nam manao (lime juice) Place the dried shrimp, tamarind, garlic, and shrimp paste in a mortar and pestle or food processor, and process gently to a coarse paste. Add the fish sauce and lime juice, and stir to combine. In a wok or skillet over medium heat, stir fry the mixture in a very small amount of oil, until the paste thickens and becomes aromatic. Will keep about a week in a refrigerator. Top
Nam Prik Makham Piag (Sour Tamarind Dip) This dip is made from mature, or brown, sour tamarind. This should be peeled before use, and the fibrous strands within the pod, and the seeds of the fruit discarded. You may also buy tamarind in a compressed block, and this is equally suitable. This recipe is an example of Thai unwillingness to let anything go to waste: tamarind water is used as an ingredient of many dishes, and is prepared as shown below. Yet this dip is something to use the tamarind paste that otherwise might be discarded. In general we make tamarind juice (nam makham piag), when we need to use it. All that is required is to store the paste in a jar until you have enough to make the dip. However don't make the mistake we did once of using a Tupperware container to store the paste - the tamarind stained it and we were never able to get it clean. Use a glass preserving jar and keep it in the refrigerator. 1 cup makham piag (sour tamarind) paste ¼ cup kung haeng (dried shrimp) ¼ cup hom daeng (shallots), chopped 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), chopped 2 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 1 tbl prik ki nu haeng daeng (dried red chilis) 1 tsp kapi (fermented shrimp paste 1 tsp nam tan paep (palm sugar) Place two tablespoons of tamarind paste (3 if the seeds are still in place) in a jug, and pour 1 cup of boiling water over it. Leave to steep for 15 minutes, then mash thoroughly and leave to steep for a further 15 minutes. Pour the mixture through a muslin bag, and squeeze thoroughly to extract as much juice as possible. The juice is nam makham piag (tamarind juice), and may be used in other recipes. Ensure that you discard any remaining seeds or fibrous material from the pulp and reserve it. You need 1 cup of "exhausted" tamarind pulp for this recipe. Pound the shrimp in a mortar and pestle. Dry fry the chilis until aromatic, then crush. Place the shallots and garlic, unskinned, under the grill or broiler, and toast until aromatic and the skins begin to discolor, then peel and chop. After preparation you should have the quantities listed. Fry the shrimp paste in a very small amount of oil until aromatic. Combine the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste in a mortar and pestle (or food processor), then fold in the tamarind paste. Accompanies fish dishes or vegetable crudités. Will keep 2-3 weeks in a refrigerator. Top
Nam Prik Mamuang (Green Mango Dip) This dip is made from "green" or unripe mangoes, and goes well with fish and also with vegetanle crudités. 1 cup mamuang lek (green mangoes), shredded ¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce) 3 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced 2 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 2 tbl nam manao (lime juice) 2 tbl nam som paep (palm sugar) Whilst this dish can be made in a food processor, the authentic texture is difficult to achieve this way, and I reccomend a mortar and pestle. Grind the sugar, garlic and shrimp paste in the fish sauce and lime juice to form a fairly fine paste. Put the paste in a mixing bowl, then, in the mortar and pestle, lb. the mango until it is broken down and bruised, but not reduced to a paste, then add it to the other ingredients and fold to form a uniform mixture. Keeps about a week in the refrigerator. Top
Nam Prik Na-Rok (Literally Dipping Sauce From Hell !!!) 2 lbs. fish fillets, freshwater (any good fish you like) 1 cup Thai green dried chills ½ cup garlic cloves, unpeeled ½ cup shallots, unpeeled whole 2 tbl shrimp paste ¼ cup fish sauce 3 tbl palm sugar oil for deep-frying (approx. 2 cups/500ml) Heat the oil in a large skillet to 375F (190C). Deep-fry the fish fillets until golden and very crisp. Charcoal-broil/grill the chills, shallots and garlic until charred. Remove the skins from the shallots and garlic. Mash the fish, chills, shallots and garlic with a pestle and mortar until smooth. (You CAN use a blender if you have to, but it DOES taste better with a mortar). Place the shrimp paste, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small sauce-pan and simmer on medium-high heat until reduced to a paste, about 15 min. Mix the mashed with the paste thoroughly. If you don't use all at once, you can store it in the fridge (in a jar with a TIGHT- fitting lid) for up to 5 days. Top
Nam Prik Pao 4 tbl oil 3 tbl chopped garlic 3 tbl chopped shallots 3 tbl coarsely chopped dried red chiles 1 tbl fermented shrimp paste 1 tbl fish sauce 2 tsp sugar Heat the oil: add the garlic and shallots and fry briefly, remove from the oil and set aside. Add the chilies and fry until they start to change colour, then remove them and set them aside. In a mortar and pestle lb. the shrimp paste, add the chiles, garlic and shallots, blending each in before adding the next. Then over low heat return all the ingredients to the oil, and fold into a uniform paste. The resulting thick, slightly oily red/black sauce will keep almost indefinitely. If you wish you can add more fish sauce and/or sugar to get the flavour you want. Top
Nam Prik Tha Daeng (Red Eye Sauce) Whilst this nam prik is used as are the others as an accompaniment to raw vegetables or cooked snacks, it is also often converted into a meal by the addition of a bowl of rice or noodles, especially sticky rice, which is formed into balls and used to sop p the dip for a convenient and tasty snack when travelling. Whilst it can be made from virtually any fish, I would recomend a firm fleshed white fish, such as cod. 1 cup fish, flaked ½ cup prik ki nu daeng (dried red chilis) 4 tbl hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 2 tbl kratiem (garlic) sliced 2 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 1 tbl phak chi (the stems and roots of cilantro), chopped 1 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 1 tbl nam som paep (palm sugar) 1 tbl nam manao (lime juice) 1 tbl nam makham piak (tamarind juice) Stir fry the chilis until aromatic. Set aside. Stir fry the shalots, garlic, and cilantro root, until crispy. Set aside. Stir fry the shrimp paste over low heat until aromatic. Combine the ingredients, except the fish, in a mortar and pestle or food processor to form a coarse paste (adding a little water if the mixture is too dry). Steam and flake the fish, and fold into the prepared mixture, tasting and adjusting the seasoning, adding additional lime juice, fish sauce or sugar as required. The finished dip should be sweet, salty, and a little sour. Will keep 2 to 3 days in a refrigerator Top
Nam Sup (Thai Chicken Stock) Nam sup is the basic stock which is used instead of water in almost all food preparation. It is used to steam the rice for khao man kai, and as a basic ingredient in hundreds of other dishes. It is generally made from chicken bones, but they may be omitted (to form nam sup phak) or replaced by pork or beef bones (nam sup mu or nam sup nuea). If beef bones are used they should first be baked. Vegetarians in Thailand generally flavor rice by cooking it in nam sup phak. This imparts a richer flavor. In general stock (rather than water) is used in cooking, to enhance the flavor of the food. 2 coriander (cilantro) roots, chopped (if unavailable use the stalks) 4 kaffir lime leaves, or 1 tsp lime zest 2 cups chicken bones 8-10 cups water ½ cups celery, sliced ½ cups onion, coarsely chopped 1 tbl ginger, julienned pinch of salt pinch of black pepper Bring to a rolling boil and boil for ten minutes, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 50 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve or chinoise, then keep refrigerated in a well stoppered bottle. Will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days or can be frozen and kept indefinitely. Top
Neua Pad Prik (Beef With Chilis) This is a quick, and fairly mild preparation for beef. It can also be prepared with pork. The prik chi fa used are a mild chili, about the length of a finger, often called a "Thai Jalapeno" and "ordinary" jalapenos make a reasonable substitute. The seasoned fish sauce is the fish sauce from nam pla prik, found on any table in Thailand. If you don't have any then take 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, add a tbl green prik ki nu ('birdseye chilis'), sliced thinly, store in a stoppered jar for a week in the refrigerator, then it is ready to use. The excess can be used as a condiment for this dish. 2 lbs. of beef The marinade: 2 tbl seasoned fish sauce 2 tbl cornstarch 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper The sauce: 2 tbl garlic, chopped ½ cups shallots (purple onions) finely sliced ½ cup prik chi fa (green Thai jalapenos), sliced ½ cup prik chi fa daeng (red Thai jalapenos), sliced 5 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 2 tbl sugar 2 tbl sesame oil Slice the beef, and lb. the slices thin. Mix the marinade ingredients and combine with the beef, and marinade for about 2 hours. In a large skillet or wok, heat some oil, and sauté the beef, marinade, garlic, shallots and chilis for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes until cooked. Serve over jasmine rice, and garnish with a fried egg. Top
Neua Pad Prik (Beef And Chilis - A Hamburger Variant) With BBQ season, here is an old standby from our recipe book. Some years ago, my wife and I were living near Oxford in England. One day she went to the Asian market to buy the groceries, and disaster struck: no Thai chilis. She managed, with poor grace, to buy some jalapenos and some 'Scotch Bonnet' peppers, and what follows is our dinner that night. We have since converted it back to Thai ingredients and methods. For the burgers: 1 egg 2 lbs. of beef 1 cup diced shallots 2 tbl seasoned fish sauce 2 tbl cornstarch 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper The sauce/relish: 2 tbl garlic, chopped ½ cups shallots (purple onions) finely sliced ½ cups sweet chilis, sliced ¼ cup hot chilis, sliced ¼ cup ginger, grated ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup dark sweet soy sauce ¼ cup sugar syrup Dice the beef, and combine with the burger ingredients (except the egg). Marinate for three hours. Beat and add the egg. Form the mixture into 12 patties. In a wok heat 3 tablespoons of oil, and sauté the garlic, onions, ginger and chilis until aromatic. Remove from the heat, add the remaining ingredients, and process to a coarse chop. Take 6 pieces of banana leaf (or aluminum foil), and on each place 2 tablespoons of the sauce and spread it into a disc the size of the meat patties. Add a patty, add 2 tablespoons of relish, add a second patty, and then add 2 tablespoons of relish. Seal the package by folding it and clipping it with a small wooden skewer. Form 6 packages. Place these on the ashes of a brazier (or on a medium hot grill) and cook until done. Open the packages, add a couple of tbl of cooked rice, and a fried egg. Top
Neua Sawan ("Heavenly Beef") "Heavenly Beef" (sometimes also known as neua wan, or "sweet beef"), is a northern specialty, that in Thailand is sun dried between stages, but in more moderate climes, can be prepared as described below. One lb. of good quality steak. 3 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 3 tbl honey 1 tbl coriander seeds In a hot skillet or wok, dry fry the coriander seeds until they start to "pop" and become aromatic. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder. Place the steak in a freezer for about an hour to stiffen it, then slice it very thinly diagonally to the natural grain of the meat. Combine the sauces, honey and coriander powder, and marinade the meat for about 10 minutes, then in a medium hot wok, quickly stir fry the mixture until the marinade thickens slightly, then place the meat on a wire rack to cool and dry. In a wok or suitable pan (or electric deep fryer), deep fry the marinated and "tacky" slices of beef, until slightly crisp. Serve with sticky rice. Top
Nine Flavoured Salad It has been remarked that most recipes in Thai cuisine are fast to cook, and only require moderate preparation. In fact that does apply to most foods except desserts. Traditionally a middle or upper class lady would employ a number of khunchai -- household servants -- who would do the "grunt work", including the cooking. The lady of the house would only cook desserts, and having much leisure time could prepare amazingly intricate and time consuming confections. There is another exception: traditionally Thai households made their own sauces. Fish sauce could take months, even years to mature to full flavour in a clay pot buried in the garden. This recipe doesn't go to such extremes, but it does take a long time for some stages to mature before you can continue. This consists of a dressing that combines all four of the basic flavours: salt, hot, sour, and sweet. The final salad uses nine flavour ingredients, that are matched against each other in three groups. As presented here the first of these groups, let us say the "protein group" consists of a fin, fur and feather, that is to say a fish, poultry and meat selection. This is offset by three "veggies" and three fruits. You could however choose to use three more closely related flavours in the protein group: three different sea food flavours, three poultry flavours, or three meats. The salad dressing calls for two Thai chillis: prik chi fa is a mild chilli, about finger sized, that is the Thai equivalent of the Jalapeno. Prik Ki Nu (birdseye chilli) is a fiercely hot little morsel, that can be replaced by Habaneros if you find them easier to obtain or handle. Finally the basic components of the salad dressing: the sweet soy component, the fish sauce component and the chilis in vinegar, can all be used as basic table condiments. Thus, though this recipe is for the quantity needed for this dish, you could easily make more, and use them with other foods. The dressing: 1 cup prik nam siyu wan 1 cup pak nam pla 1 cup Prik dong 1 cup peeled, seeded & chopped tomatoes ¼ cup palm sugar ¼ cup lime juice The salad: 1/3 cup of: Steamed (or cooked) chicken Deep-fried catfish Cooked pork Chinese greens Bean sprouts Mushrooms Pineapple Mango Orange segments Combine all the ingredients of the dressing. Now, if you wish the dressing to have a smooth sauce like consistency, put it in a blender until smooth. If you want a more salsa like consistency, simply omit this step. Place the combined ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer until reduced to suit your tastes (you need about two cups of dressing). Combine the salad ingredients, add enough dressing to coat thoroughly, and serve. Additional prepared dressing, prik nam siyu wan, pak nam pla, and the usual Thai table condiments of prik dong, powdered chili and sugar complete the presentation. The dish can be served on its own "between meals", with sticky rice for lunch, or as part of a multi-course dinner. Top
Nua Yang Nam Tok (Waterfall Beef) If you've got a broiler/grill you can cook this one anytime, otherwise wait for the barbecue season. In Thai nua is beef, yang means broiled (over a charcoal burner), and nam tok is a waterfall. The name comes from the sound the juices dripping from the beef onto the open charcoal brazier make. 1 lb. thick steak Marinade: 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl tamarind juice 1 tbl lime juice 1 tbl chopped red birdseye chilis (prik ki nu) Mix the marinade, coat the steak with it and marinade it for at least 3 hours. The steak is then barbecued, broiled or grilled until on the rare side of medium rare, cut into half inch thick strips and the strips cut into bite sized pieces. The meat can be kept cool until just before you want to eat. Sauce: 1/3 cup fish sauce 1/3 cup lime juice 2-3 tbl chopped shallots 2-3 tbl chopped cilantro (including the roots) 2-3 tbl chopped mint leaves 2 tbl khao noor (see the pad thai recipe for this) 1 tbl freshly roasted/fried sesame seeds 1-3 tsp freshly ground dried red chilis. In a wok, bring a little oil to medium high heat, and add the strips of beef, immediately followed by all the remaining ingredients, stir fry until heated through (about a minute). Serve with Thai sticky rice. (Alternatively I rather like it as part of a meal with pad thai and a soup such as tom yum ghoong (hot and sour shrimp soup)). Top
Nuea Pad Nam Man Hoy This is a simple stir fry dish: nam man hoy is oyster sauce. 2 tbl garlic 2 tbl purple shallots 2 lbs. beef steak, cubed Oil Sauce: 1 cup oyster sauce 3 tbl of Worcestershire sauce 1 tbl fish sauce Finish: 1 tbl prik phom 1 tbl pepper 1 tbl Grated gingerroot Green onions to taste Sauté the garlic in shallots in oil, add the beef, fry, then add the sauce. Stir it until it begins to simmer. If it is a little dry, add a little water. Cover and leave to simmer for five minutes. Then add the finishing ingredients and stir until heated through. Serve it with the basic condiments (green chilies in fish sauce [prik nam pla], red chilies in vinegar [prik dong], ground chilies [prik phom], and sugar), together with pickled cucumber [ajad], pickled shallots, pickled garlic. You could also use any other vegetable pickles. Top
Pad Mi Korat Phet (Hot Stir Fried Noodles In The Korat Style) The route to this recipe started with a couple of requests for a "hot" version of pad Thai. Unfortunately for those that asked, whilst you can add anything you like to pad Thai -- including chilis -- the result is not authentic. Pad Thai is quite an elaborate dish. The style usually found in Thai restaurants outside Thailand is particularly elaborate, referred to somewhat insultingly by Thai housewives as "pad Thai Krungthep" -- that rich people in the capital do it that way to show off. There is a local, very simple variant of the dish, known as pad mi Korat. My wife prepares a more elaborate version, which is also fairly hot that I will call pad mi Korat phet. The original of this dish is made with sen mi (Thai egg noodles), but if you can't find them I find it works very well with a spaghetti or the little shell shapes. It also uses swamp cabbage, but any greens will do. 1 large duck egg 1 cup sen mi noodles ½ cup green vegetables ½ cup prik chi fa (Thai jalepenos) or bell peppers 2 tbl tamarind juice Sugar Chiles Coriander leaves Sliced cucumber Nam pla prik Prik dong Prik siyu wan Khin ki mao Gratiem dong Place the noodles in water to soak for about 15 minutes. Place two tbl of the liquor from the five condiments together with the tamarind juice, in a small saucepan and simmer to reduce it to half its volume. When this is done heat a wok, and stir a teaspoon of the fish sauce from the nam pla prik into the egg, and beat it lightly. Drain one tablespoon of the pickle from each of the five condiments. Add all the ingredients except the egg and the reduced sauce to the wok and stir fry until the noodles are just "toothy" in texture. Add the sauce, turn the heat to as high as possible, and when the sauce has come to a vigorous boil, gently drizzle the egg into the mix, which will cook it. Serve immediately, with the listed condiments, together with sugar and prik phom (powdered red chili), and decorate with the garnishes. Top
Pad Ped Mu (Stir Fried Pork) This dish is made with belly pork. There are a number of reasons for this: on the pragmatic level the Thais tend to use all of an animal, and this is a way of using the rather fatty belly pork. Secondly the style of cooking means that the dish is cooked in the pork fat itself, which enhances the flavor, and thirdly, the fatty meat absorbs the additional flavors and so tastes better. The pork tends to stick, and so it is quite a difficult job cleaning up afterwards. I suggest that you use a non-stick stir fry pan or sauté pan for this dish if available. The wok or pan should be quite hot, so as to sear the pork and render the fat quickly. If the pan is too cold it will tend to become leathery and "chewy". The sliced chilis are 'optional'. You can also reduce the amount of red curry paste used quite substantially without too much adverse affect on the authenticity of the dish. 1 pound of belly pork, cut into small dice. 2 cups long beans, cut into 1" pieces ½ cup prik yuat (green Thai bell peppers), sliced ½ cup prik yuat daeng (red Thai bell peppers), sliced 3 tbl red curry paste 3 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl nam prik pao (roasted chilis in oil) 1 tbl garlic, minced 1 tbl [palm] sugar 1 tbl prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground Heat a wok (see above), and add the belly pork and stir fry until it turns brown, and the fat crispens and reduces. If it becomes too dry add a very small amount of peanut oil. Add the curry paste, and stir fry to combine, then add the fish sauce, chili oil, garlic, sugar, chilis and pepper, and stir fry for about two minutes stirring continuously to combine the flavors and mix well. Add the bell peppers and stir fry until they just begin to soften, then add the long beans and stir fry until heated through (about 30 seconds). Serve with steamed white [jasmine] rice. Top
Pad Ped Pla Dhuk (Spicy Catfish) Ever wondered what to do with a catfish? This traditional Thai recipe is useful if you have a fisherperson in the family. Note the oil for cooking should be *HOT*. In view of this it is probably a good idea if the slightly nervous stirfry chef cooks this in a skillet with a lid! Lesser Ginger (called krachai in Thai) is a thin tuberous cousin of normal ginger, which will do if you can't get krachai. normal ginger should be grated rather than sliced. 1 lb. catfish steaks 1" - 1 ½" thick Oil Sauce: 2 stalks lemon grass (about 2-3" long), bruised ½ cup thai eggplant (small round green eggplants) 6-10 cloves garlic, crushed, chopped or mashed ¼ cup very thinly sliced lesser ginger ½ cup sweet basil, chopped ¼ cup fish sauce 1 tbl palm sugar Sliced chiles Combine the sauce ingredients. In a wok get enough oil to shallow fry the fish smoking hot. Add the fish and stir until thoroughly coated with oil, then add the prepared sauce (caution, it can splash - you may want to wear eye-protection, or make judicious use of a splatter guard). Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes, ensuring the fish doesn't stick to the pan and the pieces are all thoroughly sauced. Remove to a serving dish and serve with steamed jasmine rice. The usual Thai table condiments apply (i.e. red chillis in vinegar, green chillis in fish sauce, powdered red chilli and sugar) Final caution: this cooks quite quickly - don't over cook it or the fish will become rather hard! It is cooked when yu can pry the flesh from the central bone stem of the steak using the tip of a table knife without undue effort. Top
Pad Phak Ruam Mitr (Stir Fried Vegetables) Ruam mitr means "everything in together", and literally this refers both to the cooking style, where all the ingredients to be cooked are added together, and the selection of ingredients, which most typically consists of selecting a little of all the veggies in your store cupboard. 1 cup chinese leaves, sliced 1 cup broccoli florets ½ cup carrots, sliced ½ cup cauliflower florets ½ cup prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos), mixed red and green, julienned ¼ cup snow peas ¼ cup mushrooms, sliced ¼ cup shallots, sliced 2 tbl lime juice 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 tbl palm sugar 1 tbl nam prik pao (roasted chili paste in soy bean oil) 1 cup bean sprouts Heat a little peanut oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat, and stir in the nam prik pao and soy sauce. When mixed and aromatic, add all the other ingredients except the sugar and bean sprouts. Stir fry until just cooked (the vegetables should still be crispy), tasting for balance. Add sugar to taste. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little water. If it remains too wet, add a little arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat, stir in the bean sprouts, and serve with steamed white rice Top
Pad Phak Taohu (Stir Fried Vegetables And Tofu) This is a basic vegetarian stir-fry. 2 tbl kratiem (garlic), sliced thinly 2 tbl khing (ginger), julienned thinly 2 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), julienned 2 tbl prik ki nu (green birsdseye chilis), julienned ¼ cup hom daeng (shallots/purple onions) sliced thinly ¼ cup bean sprouts ¼ cup snow peas ¼ cup mooli (chinese white radish), sliced thinly ¼ cup water chestnuts, sliced ¼ cup prik yuet (Thai sweet chilis), sliced ¼ cup sliced mushrooms ¼ cup cauliflower florets ¼ cup broccoli florets ¼ cup asparagus tips 2 cups fried tofu 2 tbl light soy sauce 2 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 2 tbl mushroom soy sauce 1 tbl corn starch, dissolved in a little water freshly ground black pepper to taste Take two cakes of hard tofu, and cut them in quarters, then divide the squares in half diagonally, then divide each piece in half "height-wise" to yield 32 bite sized pieces. Place a little peanut oil in a hot pan and stir fry the tofu pieces until they turn golden brown. Next sauté the garlic, ginger and chilis (if used) in a little oil, and then add the soy sauces and then all the other ingredients except the bean sprouts, and stir fry for about a minute, then add the cornstarch and continue to stir fry for a further minute. Add the bean sprouts, stir very briefly to warm them, but not cook them, and then serve with steamed white rice. Top
Pad Si-Iew Si-iew (pronounce approximately "see yew") is the name for sweet dark soy sauce in the dominant local Chinese dialect. pad si-iew is a favorite lunch dish, a Thai version of fast food (and if you are on a diet and omit the coconut milk, not as fattening as a beefburger!) 8 oz. beef, sliced very thin Marinade: 3-5 cloves of garlic minced 1 medium duck egg, beaten (use chicken eggs if you can't get duck eggs) 1 tbl cornstarch 1 tbl rice wine 1 tbl fish sauce 3 tbl sweet dark soy sauce 2 tbl oyster sauce 1 tbl palm sugar 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbl freshly ground ginger 1 tbl chopped green onions 1 tbl chopped shallots 1 tbl thinly sliced red prik ki nu (birdseye chilis - optional). Noodles: 8 oz. sen yai (wide rice noodles) 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl palm sugar 2 tbl oyster sauce 2 tbl sweet dark soy sauce 1 cup broccoli florets ½ cup coconut milk (optional) Marinade the beef in the marinade for about an hour. Cook the noodles until tender in plain water, then put in cold water to halt the cooking process. Heat a wok and using a little oil stir fry the marinated beef until it just begins to cook (because it is cut very thin, this is quite quick, so be careful not to overcook). Add the noodles and the remaining ingredients, and stir until blended and heated through. Taste the sauce for balance of flavours (it should be just on the sweet side with a salty tang). Serve with rice and the usual Thai table condiments (prik dong [chilis in vinegar], prik pom [ground red chilis] and sugar). Top
Pad Thai Pad Thai is often called the signature dish of Thai cuisine. There are several regional variations, indeed it has been said that Thailand has a different curry for every day of the year, but a different pad thai for every cook in Thailand! This is my wife's variation. It uses a small amount of khao koor (powdered fried rice), which occurs as an ingredient in several other Thai recipes. You can make a small amount and keep it almost indefinitely in a jar with a tight lid. Get a medium sized wok fairly hot, and add a couple of tablespoons of uncooked rice, and keep in movement until the rice starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Grind to a fairly coarse powder in a spice mill (a pepper mill works quite well) or a mortar and pestle. (I find that a coffee grinder doesn't really do the job as it tends to grind too fine - the powder should retain some "texture".) You also need a cup of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts. We roast them in their shells on a charcoal brazier, but you can do it just as well in an oven, or even in a skillet. However, they should be freshly roasted to bring out the full flavor for this dish. 1 medium egg, beaten 5-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped. 8 oz. rice vermicelli (sen mee or the sen lek style) 2 tbl chopped shallots ¼ cup dried shrimp (roughly pounded in a mortar) ¼ cup fish sauce ¼ cup palm sugar 2-3 tbl tamarind juice 2-3 tbl chopped, pickled radish (mooli) ¼ cup chopped chives ½ cup roasted peanuts, very coarsely broken up 1 cup bean sprouts Either ½ cup of fried tofu marinated in dark sweet soy, coarsely chopped pork or chicken. Soak the noodles for a short while (perhaps 30 minutes to an hour) until soft. Heat a little oil in a wok and add the garlic and shallots, and briefly stir fry until they just shows signs of changing color. Add the remaining ingredients except the egg and the bean sprouts, and stir fry until the protein ingredient is nearly cooked. Continuing to stir with one hand, slowly "drizzle" in the beaten egg to form a fine ribbon of cooked egg (if you don't feel confident with this make an egg crepe separately, and then roll it up and slice it into ¼ inch wide pieces, which you add to the mix at this point). Finally add the bean sprouts and cook for no more than another 30 seconds. Remove from the pan to a serving platter. Garnishes: Mix a tbl lime juice with a tbl tamarind juice and a tablespoon of fish sauce, and use this to marinade ½ cup of uncooked bean sprouts, half a cup of chopped chives, and half a cup of very coarsely ground roasted peanuts. Sprinkle this mixture on the cooked pad thai. Cut several limes into segments and also slice up some cucumber into rounds then halve the rounds. Put the lime segments and cuke segments around the serving platter. You can also sprinkle a quarter of a sliced up banana flower and some Indian pennywort leaves over the top as edible decoration. Pad thai is served as above, but Thais add copious amounts of the four basic condiments (chilis in fish sauce, ground dried red chili, sugar and crushed peanuts) at the table, to suit their individual predilections. Top
Pak Bung Loy Fa (Stir Fried Greens Aka "Flying Greens") *** THIS IS A RECIPE FOR INCIPIENT PYROMANIACS *** Following a number of postings asking for tips on how to prevent stir frying oil from smoking, I offer this as a counterpoise. Pak Bung is a common green leafy vegetable in Thailand that has the unlovely western name of "swamp cabbage" (botannically it is ipomoea aquatica). You can however substitute other vegetables (see variants below). This dish is cooked over *very* high heat in Thailand, and usually catches fire at some point in the proceedings - indeed it is meant to. The Thai chef then casually removes the wok from the fire, and tosses the contents in the air, in a manner similar to a western chef tossing a crepe. This extinguishes the flames, and the wok is returned to the fire, to repeat the process. The story goes that in Phitsannaluk (a small town in Thailand) two brothers opened streetside restaurants on opposite sides of a street and found the cooking of this traditional food attracted crowds if they threw the dish extra high. They developed this until they started tossing the dish from one side of the street to the other. When the greens had completed two passes over the street they were cooked and served to the customers. The flaming of the dish is important, and it combines stir frying with flame broiling. This dish can be cooked as a pure vegetarian dish, or as here with some meat to make it a complete "plate meal" - that is to say that unlike normal Thai dishes that are served in a serving bowl with a bowl of rice for the diner to help themselves, this one is served over the rice on a dinner plate. *************************************************** And now, since this USENET spool is read in America and American civil law claims a universal application, and I don't want to be sued, a legal disclaimer. This recipe is presented as an example of Thai cuisine and culture. Users who attempt to follow this recipe do so at their own risk, and the author accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury to the users real estate, cooking equipment, person or other property. *************************************************** Now back to the story... This dish is usually cooked on a charcoal brazier with a forced draft (bellows) in the open air, because of the high flames associated with it. Because of the high heat required, this dish should be prepared in a round bottom wok. Since using a small wok increases the risk of spills, I suggest a 16" wok as the minimum size - if you can beg, borrow or steal a 20" or 24" restaurant wok that is better. The high heat suggests that you use a barbecue. Arrange to support the wok on a wok stand or ring. The ring should be at least half the diameter of the wok (ie 8" for a 16" wok), and you should ensure that the wok doesn't tip or slide when you stir fry in it. You also need a second wok stand away from the fire, and a lid to fit the wok. The high heat will seriously discolour stainless steel, possibly distort aluminium, and possibly damage the surface of a non-stick wok - in any case the high heat precludes the use of plastic or wooden spatulas. Use a basic iron or steel wok. Unless you live in a baronial mansion with 20 foot high ceilings made of granite blocks, do as the Thais do, and cook this outdoors. We are not talking about western style flambe in which alcohol is ignited at relatively low temperature and quickly burns itself out: this recipe calls for boiling oil at about 450-500 celsius to be ignited. It burns solidly, and very hot. It can do a lot of damage if you have an accident. Unless you are an expert professional juggler or have an emergency medical team and the town fire brigade on hand, don't try to juggle burning oil and food in the Thai style! Safety: There is a possibility of spitting or splashing oil. You could also accidentally spill oil when moving the burning wok. Consequently I strongly advise that you wear eye protection: my wife wears safety goggles, I suggest you do too. Cover your hair. Do *not* use a nylon hair net - nylon melts and the result will be painful. My wife wears a leather baseball cap, and I suggest you do the same. Do not wear nylon - either a shirt or stockings, as nylon melts and the resulting burns are very painful, and hard to treat, often requiring plastic surgery. I suggest you wear a denim work shirt, a pair of jeans, and cover them with a cotton lab coat or long chefs apron or butchers apron. Wear safety shoes (something like Dr. Martens). Finally like most Thai chefs my wife's hands are covered with little scars caused by splashing oil or particles of hot food. To avoid this (and the possibility of dropping the wok in pain) wear flame and heat resistant gloves. As a last resort have a fire blanket and a first aid kit ready. OK we've got the warnings and caveats out of the way... 5-6 cloves of garlic roughly chopped 5-6 chopped prik ki nu (birdseye or dynamite chilis) 12 oz. pak bung (or cabbage, spinach kale, broccoli or cauliflower) ½ lb. steak, cut into thin strips, then into bite size pieces 1 tbl chopped fresh ginger 1 tbl oyster sauce 2 tbl crushed yellow bean sauce 2 tbl stock ½ cup oil First arrange the cooker, place the lid of the wok on the side of the second wok stand away from the fire. Prepare the meat, and clean and dry the vegetables. Mix everything, except the oil and stock in a small bowl ready. Don protective clothing. Put the wok over very high heat: if using gas the flames should overlap the edges of the wok and rise 3-4 inches above it, a charcoal burner should be very hot (white hot). Add the stock and bring it to the boil. Add the remaining ingredients except the oil and stir fry until the mixture is almost dry. Add the oil and bring it to smoking point, stir frying vigorously, then ignite the oil (if it doesn't ignite on its own, I suggest you use a small butane blow torch). Without hurrying transfer the wok to the second wok stand and cover with the lid. This will extinguish the flames. Return the wok to the barbecue and reheat to smoking point, ignite and extinguish as above. The dish is now ready to serve. It can be served with rice, or as a component in a Thai or oriental style buffet... Top
Penaeng Curry Penaeng is a dry curry, probably originally "imported" from Malaysia. It can be prepared with any meat, and many fishes. 2 lime leaves, finely shredded 10-15 holy basil leaves, finely shredded 1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces ½ cups coconut milk 1 tbl chopped garlic 2-3 tbl penaeng curry paste 2 tbl fish sauce Sugar to taste Place a wok over medium high heat, and warm the coconut milk, but don't let it boil. Add the curry paste, and stir it until the oil begins to separate out and form a thin film to bring out the maximum flavour. Add the remaining ingredients except the lime and basil leaves, and simmer until the sauce is absorbed and thickened. Then add the leaves and stir fry briefly before serving. Garnish with julienned red chills, with steamed white rice, and the usual table condiments. Note if you particularly like your curries hot, then replace the fish sauce in the cooking with nam pla prik (chills marinated in fish sauce), that has had at least a week to mature. Top
Penaeng Curry Paste You can buy prepared curry pastes in many shops, but for the full flavour you should seriously consider the little effort involved in making your own. This was a back breaking chore when the pastes were prepared in a heavy mortar and pestle, but these days you can come very close to the same result using a food processor. You can reduce the number of chills used if you want a milder curry, but I don't recommend going to less than 10 chills. 25-30 dried red chills, discard the excess seeds 2 tbl chopped shallots (purple onions) 2 tbl chopped garlic 2 tbl finely sliced lemon grass 1 tbl grated galangal (use ginger if you can't find galangal) 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds 2 tbl chopped coriander root 1 tbl kapi (shrimp paste) 2 tbl chopped freshly roasted peanuts. Mix together to a fine paste in a food processor. This paste will keep under refrigeration. You can also freeze it; I suggest placing it in an old ice cube tray to make into curry paste cubes for ease of measurement later. The prepared paste should be allowed to mature for two or three days before use to bring out the full flavour. Note that it is better to make the paste milder than to use less than about 2 tbl in the final recipe. Top
Pet Palo (Steamed Duck With Chinese Influence) This recipe is to steam a 4 pound duck. As described here it is best cooked in one of the combination electric steamer/pans popular in Thailand: these have a largish pan that can be used as a frying pan/skillet or as a sauce-pan, and on this a steamer large enough for the duck sits. The whole is plugged into the mains electricity and is elegant enough to place on the table. I leave it to the ingenuity of the reader to work out how to do this in other equipment. Maggi Sauce (a thick black sauce made by the Swiss company Maggi) is now a traditional ingredient in many Thai dishes. Base Sauce. Mix equal parts of Maggi seasoning sauce, mushroom soy sauce, Oyster sauce, and dark sweet soy sauce, varying the quantities slightly according to taste, to make up three cups of base sauce. Sauce (additional ingredients). 8-12 cloves garlic, crushed or minced 6 cup water ¼ cup chopped cilantro (including the roots) 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp fish sauce (this is the "salty" flavor) to taste 3 cup base sauce (above) ½ cup palm sugar. Place the water in the base of the steamer and bring to a boil. Add the other ingredients, and stir until it is boiling then reduce heat to simmering point. Put the duck in the top container and steam for 35-40 minutes, at which point the duck should be nearly cooked. Turn off the heat, and allow the duck to cool until you can handle it (professional chefs with asbestos hands probably don't need to let it cool at all), remove the legs and wings, then fillet the duck. Place all the meat, the wings and the legs in the sauce, and keep the bones to make soup stock. Place the base pan on the table with the lid in place, and about 15 minutes before you want to eat switch it back on. This will complete the cooking and allow the meat to absorb the flavor of the sauce. Provide a pair of chopsticks so the diners can serve themselves. You will also need a small ladle to serve the sauce. Serve with chillis marinated in dark sweet soy and fresh ground ginger as condiments, and either steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice. Footnote: this is how we serve it to an adult table - when children are present we serve the meat to each diner and decant the sauce into a sauceboat: it prevents fights over the legs! Top
Phak Tom Kati (Vegetables In A Coconut Sauce) The name literally means 'vegetables boiled in coconut milk'. Makheua phuang are very small eggplants, that resemble crunchy garden peas. If they are not available near you, use tender garden peas, raw. If you can only get frozen peas, then drop them in hot, not boiling water, until defrosted, then transfer to ice water to stop the cooking and then strain thoroughly. If swamp cabbage is not available substitute spinach. Thai long beans (also called yard beans or yak's tails), can be replaced with ordinary western long beans. Green peppercorns are sold in Thailand on the stem, making them easy to discard before serving, but if you can only get loose peppercorns, that you put them in a small muslin bag or 'spice ball' 1 cup coconut milk ½ cup makheua phuang (Thai eggplant) ½ cup tua phak yao (long beans), in 2" pieces ½ cup mushrooms, sliced ½ cup phak bung (swamp cabbage), shredded ½ cup phakat khao (Chinese cabbage) 2 tbl hom daeng (purple shallots), sliced finely 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 tbl [palm] sugar 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), finely sliced 1 tbl prikthai ong (green peppercorns) 1 tsp bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves) shredded, or ½ tsp lime zest In a saucepan bring the coconut milk to a gentle simmer and mix in the sugar and soy sauce, and stir in the lime leaves. Add the shallots and pepper, and gently simmer for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Taste for the balance of sugar and salt, and adjust if necessary. Add the vegetables, and return to the boil. Simmer gently until just cooked (If using garden peas, do not add them until the other ingredients are almost cooked, and then serve as soon as they are warmed through). Serve with either rice or noodles. Top
Phraram Long Song (A Robust Version. Meat In A Peanut Sauce.) There are a number of possible translations of the title of this dish, which is from the milder "Royal Thai" tradition. Phraram is the name given in Thai to the God Rama, or the title of the King. The title can be translated by those of a poetic nature to mean food so good it makes the king cry. Typically this is a mild 'Royal Thai' dish, but this method, with virtually the same ingredients, differing only in adding a marinating period, is fuller bodied. This dish can be made with pork, beef, chicken or shrimp. 1 cup pork, cut into bite sized pieces 1 cup phak bung (swamp cabbage), shredded (substitute spinach or kale) 1 tbl garlic, finely chopped 1 tbl ginger, finely chopped 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), sliced 1 tbl red curry paste The sauce: 1 tbl garlic, very finely chopped 2 tbl red curry paste 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup pork stock 1 tbl sugar 1 tbl lime juice ½ cup raw peanuts, crushed pinch of salt Heat a wok, and add 3 tbl peanut oil, add the garlic, ginger, chilis. Stir fry for 1 minute. Remove the flavorants and save, and use the oil to fry the peanuts for 5 minutes. Remove the peanuts, and when cool, grind to a fine paste. To the oil, add the curry paste and fry until aromatic. Cool, and with the flavorants, process to a fine paste, adding a little of the pork stock to thin it. Marinade the meat in this overnight. Reheat and add the remaining curry paste, and stir until thoroughly mixed, then add the coconut milk, and stir until it simmers. Add the remaining stock. When the sauce returns to a boil, add the remaining ingredients, except the vegetables. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the vegetables and boil vigorously for 1 minute. Serve with rice. Top
Pickled Shallots 4 tbl vinegar 1 tsp sugar 4 tbl sliced shallots Top
Pla Jian (Fried Fish) This is another simple traditional treatment for fish: this time it is deep fried. The recipe includes some minced pork: this can easily be omitted. It is included in this case only to reproduce the traditional taste, as in the past this dish was deep fried in pork fat, which transferred the pork flavour to the fish. Today it would more typically be fried in vegetable oil, hence the small quantity of pork. Equally traditionally this dish is deep fried in a wok: the tiny shallow woks foisted on western buyers by name-brand suppliers are frankly border line dangerous for this, so unless you have a traditional fairly deep wok, preferably a 20" wok or larger, I would recommend that you follow the dictates of caution and fry it in a deep sided skillet. Finally the fish is normally fried with the head on: this does, I believe, contribute to the flavour, but if you can't bear the fish staring accusingly at you as you cook it, feel free to behead it first. 1 small to medium pomfret or flounder Marinade ingredients: 1 small carrot, julienned 1 tbl chopped garlic 3 oz. minced pork (optional, see above) 1 tbl grated ginger 2 tbl black mushroom, soaked for 15 minutes before slicing 1-2 tsp yellow bean sauce 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp kapi (shrimp paste) 1 tsp palm sugar 4 tbl fish stock 2 tbl chopped onion 1 tbl sliced prik chi fa daeng (red jalapeno) 1 tsp prik thai (ground black pepper) Sauce: 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl prik chi fa daeng (red jalapeno) 1 tbl grated ginger Oil for deep frying Slash the sides of the fish. Mix the marinade, rub into both sides of the fish, and leave it to stand, covered, in a cool place, in the marinade for at least an hour. Remove the fish from the marinade, and allow it to drain. Transfer the remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and add the sauce ingredients, and then simmer to reduce to a sauce like consistency. Heat enough oil to deep fry the fish in a suitable pan over medium heat, and slide the fish into the hot oil, turn once, and cook until the fish is cooked through. Serve on a platter, pouring the reduced sauce over the fish. Top
Pla Kapong Kimao (Deep Fried Fish With Garlic Sauce) In Thai "kimao" means drunk. However unlike the Chinese "drunken" dishes, which are marinated in alcohol, Thai "kimao" dishes are eaten by drunks - i.e. they are traditional bar food. Sometimes, like this one, they are believed to "put a lining on your stomach" to allow you to drink more. Whatever the origin this is an interesting treatment for a whole fish. You can use any sort of fish. You want one weighing about a pound. Thais leave the head on. The chillis used in this are a large chilli called prik chi fa in Thai. Jalapenos are probably the nearest equivalent if you can't get the Thai chillis. The fish is cleaned, the sides slashed and the fish is either dredged in flour or coated with a light batter, and then deep fried in fairly hot oil for about five minutes each side. The fish is then removed to a large plate or serving platter. Sauce: 8 cloves garlic, chopped finely 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn (or about 1 tsp lime zest) ¼ cup coarsely chopped green prik chi fa ¼ cup coarsely chopped red prik chi fa ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions ¼ cup chopped cilantro including the roots 1/3 cup fish sauce 3 tbl palm sugar 3 tbl lime juice 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup chopped sweet basil leaves 3 tbl oil In a medium skillet on medium heat, heat the oil, then add the blended ingredients, stir continuously for about 3 minutes. add the lime leaves and the basil, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish to serve. Top
Pla Kung (Thai Sushi) In the Isan (Northeast Thailand), this dish is sometimes prepared with raw shrimp This variant is known as pla kung lao (ie shrimp prepared in the Laotian style). In essence the shrimp are "cooked" in the lime juice, which induces chemical changes in the shrimp meat. However the dish has a Thai variant (pla kung korat or simply pla kung) in which the shrimp are "blanched" in the manner typically used for vegetables. Bai chaphlu are the leaves of a tree with the latin name piper sarmentosum. In the highly probable situation that you can't find them, garden mint makes a reasonable substitution. Tamarind juice is made by adding tamarind pulp to a little water, and allowing to stand for an hour, then squeezing it through a cheesecloth to filter it. 1 lb. medium shrimp 2 tbl takrai (lemon grass), pounded and thinly sliced 1 tbl bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 2 tbl bai chaphlu leaves, shredded 2 tbl bai pak chi (cilantro leaves), chopped 2 tbl hom daeng (shallots), sliced thinly 2 tbl hom (spring onion/scallion) sliced thinly 1 tsp. phom prik (ground dried red chili) ¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce) ¼ cup lime juice 1 tbl tamarind juice 2 tbl prik dong, drained 2 tbl nam pla prik, drained Drop the shrimp, still with their heads and shells, into boiling water and blanch for no more than 30 seconds. De-head and de-vein the shrimp, and discard all the shells but the tails. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add the fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind juice and chili powder, and leave to marinade for about an hour. Toss with the remaining ingredients to combine. Garnish with cucumber slices and lime wedges and serve with sticky rice. Top
Pla Lat (3 Flavoured Fish) A traditional treatment for fish that simply contrasts sweet, hot, and sour flavour elements. Again this is traditionally cooked in a large deep wok, though unlike pla jian it is cooked at very high heat. Therefore, I caution you to use a large skillet or an electric deep fryer (though I have yet to see one of them that gets the oil hot enough for the full effect of this recipe). 1 lb. mackerel or whiting (with heads preferably) Oil for deep frying Sauce: 2 tbl chopped shallots (purple onions) 1 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red "birdseye" chills), sliced 2 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl palm sugar 2 tbl lime juice 2 tbl fish stock First the simple part; deep fry the fish, smoking hot peanut oil until the skin is crisp. In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic and shallots in a little oil, then remove and set aside. Pour off the oil, leaving only a thin film on the pan. Return half the shallots and garlic to the pan, and add the other ingredients. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then simmer to thicken the sauce. Add the remaining shallots and garlic, stir until heated through, then pour it over the grilled fish. Top
Pla Nung Khing Sai Het (Steamed Fish With Ginger And Mushrooms) Traditionally this is prepared with the fish known in the West as a pomfret, but any similar (flat) fish will do. This is steamed, and as such is best done in a bamboo steamer, because in a metal steamer condensation on the lid drips onto the food, and marks it, spoiling the appearance, and also possibly affecting the cooking process (fish is best steamed in "dry" steam). If you use a metal steamer you should cover the fish with a paper towel which is not in contact with the fish. Alternatively you can cook this dish in a microwave, using low to medium power. The traditional recipe calls for phak kaat dong (pickled chinese cabbage). In the highly likely event that you don't have this to hand, the best substitute is probably pickled red cabbage. 1 whole pomfret Marinade: 2 green onions, finely sliced 1 large field mushroom, thinly sliced 2 tbl grated ginger 2 tbl phak kaat dong, thinly sliced 1 tbl prik chi fa daeng, sliced (red jalapeno) 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 tbl kapi (shrimp paste) 1 tsp prik thai (ground black pepper) 1 tbl whiskey (or 1 tbl fish stock) Score the sides of the fish with several cuts to allow the marinade to penetrate. Mix the marinade ingredients and rub them into the fish, leaving it to marinade for about an hour in a cool place. Transfer the fish, and the marinade, on a dish large enough to hold it, to a bamboo steamer (see note above), and steam for about 20-25 minutes (if microwaving, cook until the flesh adjacent to the bones is cooked, allowing it to rest for 1 minute after each 3 minutes cooking before testing). Top
Pla Pao This is about as simple a treatment for fish as you could wish. Traditionally the fish is wrapped in banana leaves, and then the bundle is placed in the embers of a charcoal brazier and allowed to cook slowly. (For example if you have prepared some other dishes, then without adding extra charcoal, you place the bundle on the embers, cover with ash, and simply leave until experience tells you its cooked.) More practically, you can wrap it in aluminum foil and barbecue or braze it -- it won't quite have the flavour it acquires from the charcoal smoke and the wrapping leaves though. Any sort of fish could be used, but I personally like it done with sea bass; mackerel and whiting are also good. While your grill is getting warm, prepare the stuffing for your fish: 4 tbl chopped coriander (including the roots if possible) 2 tbl chopped garlic 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper In a food processor, mix to a coarse paste. Rub this into the fish and pack any that is left inside the fish; then wrap it securely, and grill/broil for about 5-6 minutes per side. While it is cooking, prepare the dipping sauce: 3 tbl lime juice 1 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl sliced prik chi fa (jalapeno) 2 tsp sugar This is mixed and served by giving each diner a small bowl of sauce. The fish is served with a simple green salad. Top
Pla Rad Prik (Fish In Chili) This can be made with any fish. Personal choices would be catfish, sea bass or salmon. Thai preference would be to gut and clean the fish, but leave the head on. You may remove the head or even to use fish fillets... a fish, about 1 lb white wine (preferably rice wine) plain flour oil for deep frying ¼ cup bai horapa (sweet basil leaves), chopped The sauce: 3 tbl kratiem (garlic), finely slivered ¼ cup prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos), thinly sliced ¼ cup prik chi fa daeng (red jalapenos), thin sliced ¼ cup hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced ¼ cup bai phak chi (cilantro), chopped ¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce) 1 tbl palm sugar Cut three or four slashes in the sides of the cleaned fish, and sprinkle with the rice wine. Dust liberally with the flour, and deep fry in hot oil until crispy. Meanwhile, add a little oil to the hot pan, and stir fry the chilis and onions until fragrant. Add the fish sauce, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the sugar and continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved. add the coriander leaves, and stir occasionally until the sauce is slightly reduced (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat, and transfer to a sauce jug. Add the basil leaves when cool. The fish, on a serving platter, and accompanied with a basket of khao niao (sticky rice), and the jug of sauce is presented to the diners, with the usual Thai table condiments (notably nam pla prik - chilis in fish sauce). Normally diners break off small pieces of the fish with chopsticks and transfer them to their plate, make the morsel into a ball with a little sticky rice and dip it into the sauce before transferring it to the mouth with the right hand. Left handed diners and those feeling more comfortable could of course use a fork and spoon. Top
Plamuk Pat Phet (Curried Squid) This dish is supposed to be hot. However as always you can reduce the heat in cooking it (diners can always add more chili later, but they can't take it out!). Thai eggplants (makheua pro) are a yellowish green fruit the size of a golfball. If you can't get them, then you could substitute common purple aubergine. 2-3 bai makrut (kaffir lime leaves), shredded 1 cup calamari rings, cleaned. 1 cup makheua pro, quartered. 2 tbl chopped garlic 2 tbl red curry paste 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 tbl julienned prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis) 2 tbl chopped bai kaprao a pinch of sugar Heat a little oil in a wok and stir fry the garlic, then add the curry paste, and stir until aromatic. Add the squid, and stir fry briefly. This cooks very quickly and becomes rubbery if overcooked. You may prefer to lift the wok from the stove to stir in the squid. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir until the flavors are combined. As soon as the squid is cooked transfer to a serving dish. Note: because the squid cooks so quickly, you might prefer to steam the squid, and to combine and reduce the other ingredients to form a dipping sauce. You could also add a mild satay sauce as a contrasting dip. Those who prefer a hotter dip might also use nam prik narok (literally "the dipping sauce from Hell") Top
Po Pia Taud (Spring Rolls) Though today spring rolls, like 'pad Thai', are virtually signature dishes of every Thai restaurant in the world, it is no surprise that, like pad Thai, they are essentially Chinese food adapted to a Thai style. Typically they have a "wrapper" of thin pastry similar to a Chinese spring roll, and these wrappers are generally purchased pre-made (and partially cooked). If you prefer a smaller hors d'oeuvres size roll, you can divide the spring roll wrapper in 4 or use the smaller wrappers intended for wontons. Alternatively you could use the Vietnamese rice paper wrappers (which need to be soaked in water first), or a thin egg crepe, or even the "Thai rice sheet" - essentially uncut rice noodles. You can also experiment with using thinly rolled puff pastry of even filo dough! Whatever wrapper option you select Thai spring rolls are made of a firmer, more sausage like, texture than the essentially open, loose texture of Chinese or Vietnamese rolls. This is a consequence of the fact that the meat is prepared in a mortar and pestle and reduced to a fine, sticky, paste-like texture. Before moving on to the detailed description, a word on cooking: spring rolls are deep fried and if the oil is too cool, will be oily and soggy. On the other hand if the oil is too hot, they will cook so fast that the wrapper will be crisp and begin to burn and the center of the roll will still not be cooked. The answer is to return to tradition and use pork lard or dripping as the cooking oil: this reaches smoking point at a much lower temperature and hence can be made hot enough not to make the rolls greasy while imparting the unique flavour of the oil and also ensuring that the rolls are cooked all the way through. Finally this is a simple traditional presentation: it is possible to embellish po pia by adding a variety of ingredients, such as julienne carrots, mooli, celery, shredded cabbage, even mushrooms and shrimps, but at heart this dish is meant to be a simple snack not a gourmet feast! Incidentally in Thailand, vendors selling po pia are rated more on the quality of their dipping sauce than the quality of the rolls! Po pia are becoming quite expensive at 5 baht each (20 cents US)! 1 package spring roll wrappers 1 egg beaten Oil Filling: 1 cup prepared wunsen (mung bean) noodles, soaked, drained, and chopped 1 cup bean sprouts 1 cup ground pork 1 cup ground chicken 1 tbl kratiem (garlic), chopped ½ tsp sugar 2 tbl nam pla (fish sauce) 2 tbl si-iew khao (light soy sauce) Prikthai (black pepper), freshly cracked, to taste * Nam jim wan for dipping * Cover the noodles with tepid water and soak for 10-15 minutes, then drain thoroughly (preferably in a salad spinner, or similar device), then cut into short lengths. (This is easiest done with a pair of kitchen scissors.) In a food processor reduce the pork and chicken to a fine mince, then transfer them to a mortar and pestle, add the garlic, pepper, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce and pound to a very fine, moist paste. Fold in the bean sprouts and noodles. Place a wrapper flat on your work surface, and form a 'sausage' of the mixture along a diagonal, extending slightly over half the length of the diagonal. Fold over the ends of the square, to enclose the ends of the filling 'sausage', and then bring up one side to cover the mixture, and then roll over to complete a parcel, applying a little egg wash if necessary to persuade the wrapper to stick together and seal. When you have sufficient rolls prepared to start cooking, heat the oil. This is typically done in a wok in Thailand, but is probably easiest done in an electric deep fryer. The oil should be close to its smoking point in order to prevent the rolls being oily. This is generally tested by inserting the end of a clean dry chopstick and if the oil is hot enough, a brisk bubbling action ensues. Fry the rolls two or three at a time. When cooked they will come to the surface of the boiling oil. Remove to a draining rack and pat dry with a paper towel. Depending on personal preference you can either 'grasp the nettle' and pick up the roll in its entirety and dip it in the sauce, eating with the hands, as most folk in Thailand do, or you can be more elegant, slice the rolls into 1-inch segments, and serve on small plates with hors d'oeuvres forks, and individual bowls of dip. Uncooked rolls can be kept in the refrigerator, but are at their best for only about 2 days. Cooked rolls can be reheated in the microwave and will keep for up to 48 hours. (In each case the limiting factor is the bean sprouts which become unappetizing if kept too long. Top
Pra Nuea (Beef 'Salad') This dish is similar to the common laab dishes, except that the meat is not cooked (or only very lightly cooked). It originated in Laos (hence the alternative name of laab lao), and is the common form found in rural parts of the Isan (North East Thailand). Today, because of concerns of the sanitary conditions in Thai slaughterhouses, the official government line is that the meat should be cooked, and it certainly doesn't make a great difference to the flavour of the dish if it is lightly cooked. It could also be made with pork or chicken, and I have successfully made it with [jumbo] shrimp, crayfish, crab and lobster. 3 bai magrut (kaffir lime leaves), torn ½ lb. good beef 2 tbl fish sauce 2-3 tbl freshly ground prik pon (dried red chilis) 1-2 tsp prikthai (freshly ground black pepper) ½ cup shallots, very thinly sliced 1 tbl lemon grass, bruised and sliced paper thin 1 tbl khao koor lime juice chopped spring onions, coriander/cilantro leaves Place the ground meat in a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix with fresh lime juice, and leave to marinade for an hour. Take the meat and knead it, squeezing thoroughly to drive out as much blood and other juice as possible, either in a muslin bag or a very fine sieve. Drain thoroughly, and return to the mixing bowl, marinade again in fresh lime juice. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times, then set aside, covered in a cool place to marinate a final time (it is not kneaded after the final marination). At this stage you may stir fry the meat very briefly (it should still be very rare). Finally combine the meat with the other ingredients: it should be hot and spicy, but not inedibly so, so add the chili powder in stages, tasting as you go. Allow to stand for an hour before serving. To serve turn it onto a lettuce leaf on a serving platter along with raw vegetables and sticky rice. In Isan, diners usually add prik pon and nam pla prik (chilis in fish sauce) or prik dong (pickled chilis) to make the dish even hotter! Top
Prik Kaeng Kiao Wan (Green Curry Paste) This is a paste for a green curry, and the 'wan' indicates that it should be slightly sweet as well as hot. 1 cup prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis) 5 tbl lemon grass, finely sliced 10 tbl shallots (purple onions), chopped 10 tbl garlic, minced 5 tbl galangal (kha) grated 5 tbl coriander/cilantro root, chopped 2 tbl coriander seed 1 tbl cumin seed 1 tbl freshly ground black pepper 2 tbl shredded bai makroot (lime leaves) 4 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) 1 tbl palm sugar If you can't get prik ki nu, you can use ½ pound of habanero chilis or one pound of jalapeno chilis. If you use the latter dewed them before use. Note that if you use a substitute you will get a different volume of paste, and that you will need to use different amounts in subsequent recipes. If you can't get kha use ginger. If you can't get bai makroot use lime zest If you can't get coriander root, use coriander leaves. Coarsely chop the chilis. Toast the dry seeds in a heavy iron skillet or wok, and grind them coarsely. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Place in tightly stoppered jars, and keep in the fridge for at least a week for the flavors to combine and develop before use. Top
Prik Kaeng Massaman Massaman is a mild hot and sour dish equivalent to the Indian vindaloo. 1 cup red chiles, toasted 3 tbl coriander seed 1 tbl cumin seed 1 tbl cinnamon 1 tbl cloves 1 tbl star anise 1 tbl cardamom 1 tbl freshly ground black pepper 10 tbl shallots, chopped 10 tbl garlic, chopped 2 tbl lemon grass, sliced thinly 1 tbl galangal grated 3 tbl bai makroot (lime leaves, or lime zest) 3 tbl kapi a small amount of salt (pinch) a small amount of turmeric (just a pinch as a colorant). Coarsely chop the chiles, toast the seeds, and blend everything in a food processor to a fine paste. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for a week before using. Top
Prik Kaeng Panaeng (Red Curry Paste) This is a paste for a 'dry chili' 1 cup dried red chiles, toasted 10 tbl shallots, chopped 5 tbl garlic, chopped 10 tbl lemon grass, finely sliced 5 tbl galangal, grated 1 tbl coriander seeds 1 tbl cumin seeds 5 tbl coriander root. chopped 1 tbl kapi 5 tbl freshly toasted peanuts, crushed Coarsely chop the chiles, toast the seeds and grind everything into a paste. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for a week before using. Top
Prik Kaeng Phet (Red Curry Paste) This recipe calls for one cup of fresh red chilis, or half a pound of red habaneros, or one pound of red jalapenos, deseeded. Dry them in the sun, or if the climate doesn't allow then dry them in a herb dryer, or smoke them in a smoker or over a barbecue. The dried chilis (which need not be tinder dry - it is enough to remove most of the water) are then toasted under a broiler until almost burnt. Treat this stage with extreme caution: if you overcook them a noxious gas closely related to Mustard gas is released. This is quite dangerous -- at a minimum cook them in a very well ventilated room with a fan on and have a damp cloth ready to cover your mouth and nose in case of emergencies -- and disconnect your smoke detector/fire alarm! Phet means hot incidentally. Note that except for the sugar and the use of red chilis this is the same as the prik kaeng kiao wan. 1 cup prik ki nu daeng (red chilis), prepared 5 tbl lemon grass, finely sliced 10 tbl shallots (purple onions), chopped 10 tbl garlic, minced 5 tbl galangal (kha) grated 5 tbl coriander root, chopped 2 tbl coriander seed 1 tbl cumin seed 1 tbl freshly ground black pepper 2 tbl shredded bai makroot (lime leaves) 4 tbl kapi (fermented shrimp paste) Coarsely chopped the roasted chiles. Toast and grind the dry seeds, and then blend all ingredients to a fine paste. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for a week before using. Top
Risotto In A Thai Style This is a simple vegetarian style dish, that in this case is cooked in an electric rice steamer. 2 cup Thai style jasmine rice 1 tbl sliced garlic 1 tbl ground gingerroot 1 tbl chopped shallots (purple onions) 1 tbl red prik ki nu (birdseye or dynamite chilis) sliced 1 tbl green prik ki nu, sliced good chicken stock - A quantity of equal to the volume of water specified by the rice cooker to cook two cups of rice, plus two tbl. If you wish you can add a pinch of saffron or turmeric to colour the rice yellow. Place the rice and stock in the cooker. Stir fry the other ingredients (except the stock of course). Add the ingredients to the cooker, and switch on. When the cooking time is finished the dish is ready to serve. Top
Sai Grog Tod (Isan Style Sausages) I guess every country has some variant on sausages, and this is the local isan (NE Thailand) variety. If you have sausage casing you can of course make this in conventional sausage form, however you can also do as we do and form the sausage meat into patties the size of small hamburgers and eat them that way. The Sausage: 1 lb. minced pork ¼ cup minced garlic ½ cup steamed sticky rice 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt 1 tsp MSG (optional) ¼ cup lime juice 2 tbl fish sauce The accompaniments: ¼ cup each of: freshly roasted peanuts ginger, sliced very thinly shallots, sliced very thinly lemon grass, bruised and sliced very thinly prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), julienned Combine the ingredients and place in a covered dish in a cool place overnight. Stuff your sausage casings, or form patties or meat balls from the mixture. Steam for 30 minutes. Place the sausages on a grating over a charcoal brazier and cover with an upturned wok or other metal cover to trap smoke, and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes (until cooked to a golden brown). If you have formed sausages, they should be sliced on the diagonal into quarter inch thick slices. Arrange on a platter with the accompaniments, and serve with your favorite dips (such as nam jim satay and nam prik narok perhaps) If you've made patties of the sausage meat, then serve as "Thai hamburgers" and add your favorite relish. Top
Saku Sai Mu {Steamed Tapioca Balls} In Thai the word for tapioca is saku (sago). 2-3 red chilies, slivered 2-3 green chilies, slivered 1½ cup tapioca pellets 3 tbl lard 1 tbl minced garlic 1 tsp cilantro root, finely chopped 1 cup finely chopped pork 3 tbl palm sugar 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 3 tbl fish sauce 1 cup chopped shallots (purple onion) ½ cup freshly toasted peanuts, crushed 3 tbl crispy fried garlic Clean the tapioca pellets, add a little hot water and knead until soft. Then soak for about an hour. Heat the lard in a wok over medium heat, and sauté the garlic until aromatic. Stir fry the coriander root in the lard, add the pork and fry until cooked through, adding the sugar, freshly ground black pepper, and fish sauce, tasting for a flavor balance. Add the shallots, then continue cooking until the mixture is dry. Add the peanuts and slivered chilies, stir till warmed through, then remove from the wok. Flatten the tapioca balls into a thin sheet, place the filling, a teaspoon at a time on the sheet, and wrap with the tapioca sheet. Line a steamer with banana leaves and brush with oil (you can use parchment paper if you don't have banana leaves), place the balls on the sheet, keeping them separate, and steam for about 15 minutes. Place the cooked balls on a serving platter, garnish with the crispy garlic, slivered red and green chilies, and accompany with a platter of fresh vegetables. Top
Satay Kai (Chicken Satay) Satay of course is originally an Indonesian/Malay dish, but it has been in Southern Thailand for a very long time. This is a Thai version. You can of course also make the same recipe with chunks of beef or pork, or large prawns (if you can get the very large ones [3-4 per pound] then they are usually deheaded and the skewer threaded lengthwise down the body. 1 lb. chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut into bite sized pieces. 1 tsp coriander seed 1 tsp cumin seed 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp fresh grated ginger 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl curry powder (Thais use a mix called "phom kari", but Madras curry powder is fine) 8 tbl coconut milk 3 tbl palm sugar Pinch turmeric powder (it's only a colorant, so very little!) The chicken is beaten flat, using the flat of the blade of a heavy cleaver. The coriander and cumin are toasted and then crushed in a mortar and pestle. The ingredients are then combined to form a marinade, and the chicken is marinated overnight. The pieces of chicken are then threaded on the 8" satay sticks, loosely folding them in half and piercing through the folded meat to form a loose gather. The completed sticks are then grilled, broiled or barbecued on fairly high heat (they taste best done over charcoal, as they absorb the smoke). Turn them regularly and brush them liberally with the remaining marinade. Cooking should take between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the heat of your cooker. A peanut dressing (Nam Jim Satay) and Ajad accompanies these snacks. Top
Sate Kai (Chicken Satay) Here is the current variant of a Thai chicken satay recipe my wife is using at the moment (as they say of web sites, this one is continuously under construction) 3 chicken breasts 1 tsp coriander seed 1 tsp cumin seed 2 tbl light soy sauce 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl phom kari (mild curry powder) 6 tbl thick coconut cream (see below). 3 tbl palm sugar a "good pinch" of tumeric powder Open a can of coconut milk and allow to stand until it separates slightly. Skim off (and retain) the light milk. This recipe uses the thicker cream remaining. In a clean dry skillet toast the coriander and cumin seeds until aromatic, then grind to a powder. Cut the chicken into long thin strips and thread onto skewers lengthwise. Mix all the ingredients together to form a marinade, and marinate for at least 12 hours before cooking. Barbecue or grill until cooked. Top
Seua Rong Hai (Barbecued Beef) The title of this dish means "tiger's tears" - not because it was original made from tiger meat, nor from other felines (as it so often does when "tiger" is used in the name of an oriental dish). In this case the name comes from the noise of the fat dripping from the meat into the barbecue fire. The dish is also called neua yang (which more prosaically means barbecued beef), but as the method is different from kai yang (barbecued chicken), I will keep the colloquial isan (NE Thailand) name. Two sauces are usual - nam prik narok and the following. Note that it calls for powdered dried prik ki nu. If you can't find the dried birdseye chilis to pound up yourself, then I suggest using fresh red chilis (the effect is not quite the same, but the heat is retained as intended). It is usual to serve barbecued dishes of this sort with a platter of vegetables - the Thai equivalent of crudities. A typical mixture would include cucumber slices, basil and mint, swamp cabbage or spinach, and spring onions. However any mixture you have to hand would be fine. 1 lb. beef steak, cut into strips 3 tbl fish sauce 3 tbl dark sweet soy 1 tbl phom prik ki nu (powdered birdseye chilis) 1 tbl bai pak chee (cilantro) 1 tbl chopped spring onion (scallion/green onion) ¼ cup fish sauce 5 tbl lime juice Marinade the meat in the fish sauce and soy sauce for about an hour. Place the meat on a fine metal mesh (typically a 1 centimeter chicken wire is used here in Thailand) over a barbecue and cook, turning the pieces occasionally, until done to your taste. Combine the other ingredients the day before required for use to make a dipping sauce. Top
Som Tam Isan This is a version of the som tam (papaya salad) that is commonly eaten as a snack, breakfast, or with pad thai as lunch. This is a typical isan (north east) dish. Pickled mud fish is sold in bottles in Asian markets: take some of the fish, add a little fish sauce, and place it in a muslin bag and squeeze as much fluid as possible from the fish. If squeamish, the ingredient is optional. Be warned: this ingredient smells foul but does taste nice 8-10 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely, 1 cup papaya (paw-paw) julienned. 1 cup prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye or dynamite chilis). These are normally de-stalked, cut in four length-wise then in half cross-wise. ½ cup prik chi fa daeng (red Thai jalapenos) ½ cup long beans in 1" pieces (Thai long beans if possible) 2 tsp fish sauce ¼ cup tamarind juice juice from 2 tbl pickled mud-fish. pinch of salt Sprinkle the julienned papaya with salt and let stand for half an hour or so, then squeeze and discard any fluid. Dissolve 2 tsp MSG (optional, but recommended), in 2 tbl of lime juice. Add half of this to the papaya, and half to the sliced prik ki nu, and allow to marinade for about an hour. Mix these ingredients, and bruise them in a mortar and pestle. Julienne the red jalapenos, and mix all the ingredients. Serve with a bowl of sticky rice, or a plate of pad thai. This is food for chili masochists in extremis: you can increase the proportion of chilis until this is a bowl of red fire, and it will still be authentic. If you wish you can decorate the salad with chopped roast peanuts, sliced green onions, and mint leaves. You could also include [raw] bean sprouts and sliced cucumber as side dishes. Thais generally eat lettuce or some cabbage related vegetable as a side dish also. (The normal way to eat it is to rip a piece of lettuce leaf, and take a mouthful of som tam in the leaf and eat it without knife, fork or spoon..) If you want to be a bit more western use a standard salad, or even an exotic such as a Waldorf Salad as a side dish. Top
Soup Without Tears one portion of red curry sauce 2 cups fish stock 1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup mushrooms 2 tbl nam prik pao (chilis paste in oil) Heat the sauce, add the stock and nam prik pao, and stir to combine, add the shrimp and mushrooms, and cook until the shrimp are pink. Taste and adjust the flavor by adding fish sauce (salt), sugar, and possibly more nam prik pao. Top
Stew Without Tears one portion of red curry sauce 1 cup beef stock 1 cup beef, diced 1 cup broccoli, cut up into florets and sliced stems In a medium pan bring the sauce and stock to a boil then turn down the heat as low as it can go. In a wok quickly stir fry the beef to seal it, and add it to the sauce. Poach it for 30 minutes to an hour until it is tender, then add the vegetables, turn up the heat and stir until the vegetables are barely cooked. Top
Sweet And Sour Chicken Curry Curry Paste 15-30 fresh phrik ki nu (birdseye chills) 10 cloves garlic, chopped 5 white pepper corns 1 tsp chopped galangal 1 tbl thinly sliced lemon grass ½ tsp zest of kaffir lime (ordinary lime will do) 1 tsp chopped coriander (cilantro) root 1 tbl roasted coriander seeds 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds 1-2 tsp fermented shrimp paste (kapi) a dash fish sauce Mix in a food processor. Will keep about a month in a fridge. The curry 2 kaffir lime leaves (or a little lime zest) 6 oz. chicken (in smallish bite sized pieces) ½ cup coconut milk 4 oz. Thai eggplant (these are small round eggplants) 1 tbl sweet basil 2 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl palm sugar 1-3 tbl green curry paste oil for cooking Cut the chicken up, then briefly fry the curry paste until fragrant, reduce the heat, add the coconut milk slowly, and continue to stir whilst cooking until a thin film of oil appears on the surface. Add the chicken and other ingredients except the eggplant. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken begins to change colour. Adjust the flavors to suit yourself. When it is at a boil again add the eggplant and continue till the chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice, or in a serving bowl with other Thai dishes. Top
Sweet And Sour Stir Fry This is a suggestion for a stir fry that is made with pre-cooked (even left over) poultry, and cooked white rice. 2 cups sweet and sour sauce 1 cup cooked poultry, shredded 1 cup raw mixed vegetables 1 cup cooked white rice In a wok or skillet over medium heat, warm the poultry meat, and then add the vegetables, stirring to mix with the meat, and warm through (cook to taste, typically in Thailand the vegetables are left virtually uncooked). Pour in the sweet & sour sauce, and bring to a boil, then add the cooked rice, and continue to heat until the food is all heated through. This sauce has several regional variations, and this recipe is for the local (Korat) variant. The two most important variations are: (a) it can be made with a mixture of fresh chopped chilis and powdered chilis, and (b) it can be made with lime juice instead of tamarind juice. prik phon (powdered red 'birdseye' chilis) nam makham piag (tamarind juice) nam pla (fish sauce) khao koor (see method) nam tan paep (palm sugar) First in a medium hot wok or skillet, toast 3-4 tbl s of uncooked long grain rice until golden, then cool, and grind to a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle, food processor or spice mill. This powder is known as khao koor. Any excess will keep indefinitely in a well stoppered container. Grind dried red chilis to a fine powder, first breaking them, and shaking out and discarding any loose seeds. You will need about a cup of powdered chili (or reduce the other quantities accordingly). Add about 1 tbl khao koor to the chilis, and then add tamarind juice and fish sauce, in the proportion of three parts tamarind juice to one part fish sauce, stirring until the mixture forms a thin paste of the consistency of tomato ketchup. Add a little palm sugar to your personal taste. The sauce will keep for 3-4 weeks in a well stoppered container in a refrigerator Top
Thai Ice Cream Thai ice cream is made from coconut milk, and as such is a totally non-dairy (ie vegetarian) product. 4 eggs 2 cups coconut milk 1 cup water 1 tsp vanilla or rosewater (optional) 2 tbl shredded coconut (see below) pinch of salt sprigs of mint for garnish Stir fry the coconut until golden (optionally use a few pieces of fresh corn... Thais often flavor ice cream with things considered unusual to western tastes). Heat the coconut milk and water over medium heat, stirring continuously for a couple of minutes. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. In a bowl beat two eggs, plus two yolks, then add the other ingredients, and whisk gently. Transfer the mixture to a double boiler over gently boiling water, and slowly blend in the hot coconut milk, stirring until the mixture thickens to form a continuous slightly sticky coat on the back of a spoon lifted from the mixture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a metal ice cream tray or similar container and place in the coldest part of the freezer for one hour. Remove to a food processor and beat slowly until smooth (this incorporates some air into the mixture and prevents it becoming too hard), then return to the freezer and complete the freezing process. Top
Thai Chicken Stew It occasionally gets cold in Thailand (the temperature recently has been below 30 at midday, and has even gone as low as 16 Celsius at night and this dish is traditional in the Isan region. Note: if done with beef, the meat is simmered slowly, for several hours. Quite unusual in Thai food. However, chicken cooks quite quickly and is tender. The meat of a medium chicken, in chunks The chopped roots of three coriander plants, A piece of cinnamon 1 tbl grated galangal, ½ cup fish sauce, 2 tbl dark sweet soy, 1 tbl Worcestershire sauce 1 cup chopped celery (preferably Chinese celery) 2 cups chopped veggies (cabbage, kale,) 2-3 tbl fried garlic Cover everything with water, and simmer until the meat is cooked. Stir in some rice flour or corn starch to thicken the sauce. Top
Thai Fruit Dip In Thailand as a snack, we routinely dip fresh fruit in the following dip. 4 tsp phom prik ki nu (ground dried red birdseye chilis) 4 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt Try it to pep up that bland apple or pear... superb with mangoes. For very sweet fruits (oranges, pineapple...) double the amount of salt. Top
Thai Hot Sauces (One sweet, one hot) This basic recipe is used to make two table "pouring" sauces, of the type you might use to flavor an omelette or other relatively bland dish. If you make it with the chillis known in Thailand as prik chi fa daeng, sometimes called the Thai jalapeno (daeng simply means the red variety), the result is a mild sweet sauce - if you cannot find the finger sized Thai peppers you could easily substitute Mexican jalapenos. If you make it with prik ki nu (mousedropping chillis, or 'Thai hots') then the sauce will have a hot bite to it. In this form I prefer it made with green chillis, but on aesthetic grounds you could easily use red chillis - if Thai chilis aren't available then you could substitute habaneros or Scotch Bonnet chillis. These sauces are made commercially by a small factory near our home, and these recipes are simple enough to keep the prices down and minimise the need for labor or expensive equipment. Pickled garlic can be purchased in most asian grocers, or you can make your own. Using pickled garlic and chillis mellows the flavours. Also in this case the sauce is thinned with the pickling liquor used for pickling the chillis, and this gives it an extended shelf life. However if you intend to consume it rapidly then you could substitute tamarind juice, which has a slightly more complex flavor. 10 parts pickled chilies, drained 5 parts nam tan paep (palm sugar) 3 parts of the pickling liquor from the chilies, or tamarind juice 2 parts kratiem dong, (pickled garlic), drained A week before you intend to make the sauce you must prepare the pickled ingredients. Hot: If you are making the sweet sauce, then destem your chillis (prik chi fa daeng), and split them in half lengthwise and discard the seeds, chop coarsely until you have a cup of chopped chili. place it in a 1 pint preserving jar, and fill the jar with rice vinegar. Cap and keep for at least a week. Sweet: If you are making the hot variety you will find it too tedious to dispose of the seeds, so simply destem and chop the prik ki nu chilis and pickle in the same way. The sauce is then made by placing the drained chilis and garlic in a liquidiser with the sugar and vinegar (or tamarind juice), and processing to a fine sauce-like consistency. Bottle in a well sealed container. It will keep for about 6 weeks. If you make it using tamarind juice instead of vinegar at the final stage then consume within a week and keep refrigerated. Top
Thai Mayonnaise 2 large egg yolks (we use duck eggs) 1 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl mustard powder 1 tbl drained prik kin nu daeng (red chilis) 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Put the garlic, mustard powder, drained pickled chilis, and a dash of olive oil in a liquidizer, and puree. Add the egg yolks, and then drizzle in the remainder of the oil as you whisk the mixture. Top
Thai Neua Yang (Charcoal Broiled Beef In A Hot/Sweet Sauce) Yang dishes are the Thai equivalent of barbecue food. The most common is undoubtedly kai yang (chicken) where a chicken is split open, beaten flat, and gripped in a cleft stick to grill over the brazier. This version -- neua yang or barbecued beef -- has a more assertive sauce to go with the stronger flavor of the beef. It is best accompanied with a bottle of strong beer, especially when eaten as lunch during a break from working in the paddy fields. At dinner a good Italian red wine is I think the best choice. And of course if you don't have a charcoal brazier, or the weather is shade cooler than here (its 38 Celsius [100 Fahrenheit] outside as I type this) then you could just as easily prepare this dish on a griddle or broil it in the oven (but it does taste best if it can absorb the flavor of the charcoal smoke). For an evening meal I would suggest serving it with a salad such as the yam polamai and a soup such as tam kha kai (chicken soup with a coconut milk stock). First prepare a serving platter, lined with lettuce leaves, and decorated with sliced cucumber. Sauce ingredients 1 tbl lime juice 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl dark sweet soy sauce 3 tbl shallots (purple onions) sliced thin ½ tbl palm sugar (or honey) ½ tbl prik phom (powdered dried red chilis) 1 tbl sliced green onion, incl. tops 1 tsp bai chi (coriander/cilantro leaf) chopped Combine the ingredients to make the sauce. taste and if required add extra sugar/honey, lime juice and/or prik phom. Barbecue half a pound of steak to whatever "doneness" you prefer, then slice into slices an eighth of an inch thick, and then cut the slices into bite sized pieces. Place on the lettuce, and pour the sauce over the steak. Served as a one-plate dinner, this serves one fairly hungry diner, but with the soup and salad should be adequate for four people. Accompany with the usual Thai table condiments, e.g.: prik phom, sugar, and prik dong (red chilis in vinegar). Top
Thai Rice Vegetarians in Thailand generally flavour the rice by cooking it in nam sup - vegetable stock - rather than plain water. This imparts a richer flavour. 4 kaffir lime leaves, or 1 tsp lime zest 2 coriander (cilantro) roots, chopped (if unavailable use the stalks) 8-10 cups water ½ cups celery, sliced ½ cups onion, coarsely chopped 1 tbl ginger, julienned pinch of salt pinch of black pepper Bring to a rolling boil and boil for ten minutes, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 50 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve or chinoise, then keep refrigerated in a well stoppered bottle. Will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days or can be frozen and kept indefinitely. Top
Thai Shrimp Roll Appetizer 12 medium shrimp (about 10-12 to the pound) 12 wonton skins 4 tbl nam prik kiga 4 tbl chopped onion 4 tbl diced tomato (discard the skin and seed pulp) Remove the heads, legs and shells, including the tails, from the shrimp, and devein them. Thread them lengthwise onto thin skewers (to straighten them out). Combine the nam prik, onion and tomato. Lay a wonton skin on your work surface. Place half a tbl the mix on the skin, add a shrimp, a second half tbl mix, and wrap in the skin, pinching it closed. Repeat for the other shrimp. The uncooked shrimp rolls are now delivered to the table with a small pot, such as a fondue pot, of cooking oil, and the diners dip shrimp into the oil and deep fry them to their tastes before eating (a small charcoal burner and a small wok is used in Thailand). Top
Thai Sweet And Sour Sauce This is a simple, Thai-style, sweet and sour sauce. Note, that it isn't pink! This is primarily a salad dressing, but, since salads in Thailand are often cooked, even made from meats, the uses are somewhat wider than a simple dressing. And with "turkey season" being imminent in the West, you might want to note the suggestion below for a simple stir fry. 1 cup nam sapparot (pineapple juice) 1 cup nam maphrao (coconut 'nectar') 1 cup nam makham piag (sour tamarind juice) ½ cup nam manao (lime juice) 3 tbl hua kathi (coconut cream) 1 tbl nam prik phet (red curry paste) 1 tsp khing (ginger), grated Mix the juices in a saucepan and simmer to reduce to 2 cups of liquid. In a wok or skillet over medium heat, warm the coconut cream, and add the curry paste and ginger, and stir until the mixture becomes aromatic. Skim off and discard any oil that forms on the surface. Stir the curry mix into the juices, and then cool. Will keep for 2-3 weeks in a refrigerator. Top
Thai Sweet & Sour Spareribs This originated in a recipe my wife collected when she was a schoolgirl. Since the Fourth of July is coming I thought I'd post it to the usual groups I use. The chilis can be either prik ki nu (birdseye chilis, or habaneros or Scotch Bonnets) if you like a hot flavor, or prik chi fa (jalapenos) if you want a sweet piquant sauce. 1 pound spareribs marinade: 1 tbl light soy sauce 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp prik Thai (black pepper), freshly ground 1 tbl cornstarch 1 tbl rice wine Sweet & Sour sauce: ½ cups tomato catsup ¼ cup freshly grated ginger 1 tbl vinegar (preferably rice vinegar) 1 tbl sugar (preferably palm sugar) 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp prik Thai (black pepper), freshly ground 3 cups beef stock ¼ cup chilis, sliced ½ cups fresh pineapple chunks ½ cups onion or shallots, sliced ¼ cup pickled ginger, shredded ½ cups chopped tomato Mix the marinade ingredients and marinade the ribs for 4-6 hours in a cool place. Fry, broil, or barbecue the ribs until golden brown. In a small saucepan or wok mix the sweet & sour sauce ingredients, and bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Strain out any lumps that have formed. Heat some oil in the wok or a frying pan/skillet until very hot (smoking) and add the chili, pineapple, tomato, onion and ginger, and stir fry until aromatic. Add 1 cup of the sweet & sour sauce mix. In a small bowl combine 1 tbl cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water, and add this to the mixture to thicken it, then add the remaining sauce. Transfer the sauce to a sauce jug, and place the ribs on a serving platter. Drizzle a little sauce over the ribs, and deliver the ribs and the jug of sauce to the diners. Top
Thai Table Condiments In Thailand these would probably be on every housewife's table, but if you don't have them you should make them about a week before you intend to cook the dish. We make them in vast quantities for the restaurant (in 5 gallon containers), but for home use we use 1 pint spring top preserving jars. These have the advantage of fitting in the door shelves of our fridge. Nam pla prik: Put two thirds of a cup of prik ki nu (finely sliced green birdseye or dynamite chilis) in a 1 pint jar, and fill with fish sauce. Seal and keep for a week before using. Prik dong: Put two thirds of a cup of prik ki nu daeng (finely sliced red birdseye or dynamite chilis) in a 1 pint jar, and fill with rice vinegar (any white vinegar will do, as will cider vinegar, if rice vinegar is unavailable). Prik siyu wan: Put two thirds of a cup of prik chi fa (sliced red or green Thai jalapenos) in a 1 pint jar, and fill with sweet dark soy sauce. Khing ki mao: Julienne two thirds of a cup of fresh ginger (into match stick sized pieces). Place in the 1 pint jar. Add half a cup of Mekong whiskey (Mekong is a whiskey made from Rice. If you can't find it or prefer something else, any spirits, even sherry, will do). Add half a cup of rice vinegar, and fill up the jar with fish sauce. Prik nam siyu wan: ¼ cup grated ginger, chopped shallots, sliced prik chi fa Sweet dark soy: Place first 3 in a 1 cup container, and fill with sweet dark soy. Stir to make sure there aren't any air bubbles and top up if necessary. Seal and keep in the refrigerator for a week. Pak nam pla ¼ cup onions, celery & Chinese white radish, sliced; Fish sauce Place ingredients in a 1 cup container, fill with fish sauce, stir briefly and top up if needed. Keep in the fridge for a week. Top
Thai Tamarind Candy I do have a recipe for something similar, but not the same, if you have access to "fresh" tamarind beans (still in the pods). Though similar this is not the same as the candy that started this thread, which is made from tamarind paste and involves a fairly complex "toffee making" process (I rang my wife to check - she doesn't know more than that). 2 cups water 1 ½ cup sugar 1 tsp prik pon (ground dried red chiles) Salt Tamarind beans Make a sugar syrup and add the prik pon and a pinch of salt to it. Set aside to cool. Shell and clean the tamarinds, and then leave them to soak in the sugar syrup for several hours before putting on a rack to dry. (Beware that tamarinds have stones in them.) Top
Thai Tamarind Toffee As it happens one of my wife's cousins has a business making candies, and she was kind enough to give a little more information on this tamarind candy: however it was a phone conversation, and the recipe is certainly not a complete specification - merely a basis for a little experimentation. So, if it will help, here is what she said: 3 cup hot water (not boiling) 1 ½ cup tamarind paste 1 ½ cup palm sugar 1-2 tsp ground red chile, to taste Salt Soak the tamarind paste in the water for about an hour, then squeeze the paste through a fine muslin cloth to extract as much juice as possible and then boil it to reduce it to two cups of tamarind juice. Whilst still boiling, stir in the sugar until fully dissolved, then add the chili and a pinch of salt and continue to boil and reduce. Meanwhile get a few cold glass plates or saucers, and when you think the liquid is sufficiently reduced put a few drops on a plate and leave in the fridge for 5 minutes to see if it sets. Once it sets, pour all the liquid into a shallow tray and leave to set, then cut into bite sized pieces, dust with icing sugar and keep in a well stoppered jar. PS: if your attempts don't set, pour them on croutons, and serve them as "unusual" bites on the aperitif tray. Top
Thangkwa Priaowan (Sweet & Sour Cucumber Relish) This relish is often confused with the simple cucumber pickle a jad. 1 cup nam som paep (palm sugar) ½ cup rice vinegar ¼ cup water 5 tbl thangkwa (cucumber) 2 tbl hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 1 tbl haeo (water chestnut), thinly sliced pinch salt bai chi (coriander/cilantro leaves) to garnish Boil the vinegar, water and sugar to form a thin syrup. Cut the cucumber in four lengthwise, and cut the pieces into segments about an eighth of an inch thick. Combine the vegetables in a small bowl, pour the syrup over them, and taste for balance. This will keep for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator. To serve, pour into a small bowl and garnish with bai chi. Note that Thais usually add drained prik dong (pickled chilis) to the bowl to their own personal taste. This is an accompaniment to sate, fish cakes and similar snacks and starters. Top
Tom Jabchai (Vegetable Stew) This is sometimes called "Chinese" vegetable stew in Thailand, because the vegetables are usually of Chinese origin. You can make substitutions, and some recipes call for as many as 10 different vegetables. You need at least 4 to get the variety of tastes and textures required, but if the market yields more, then you can use more. This is by no means a vegetarian dish. The essential flavor comes from the belly pork. If you prefer you can use a pound of pork and omit the poultry, but you shouldn't omit the pork altogether. This is a "one plate" meal - a single dish forming the entire meal (as opposed to the usual dining style with several contrasting dishes). 1 Chinese cabbage, in moderate sized chunks 1 [Western] cabbage, cored, and cut into 1" cubes 5 cakes firm tofu, quartered, the halved diagonally 10 Med. Chinese mushrooms, soaked and trimmed ½ chicken or duck, cut into bite sized pieces. ½ lb. belly pork cut into ½" cubes. 4 cup mooli (Chinese white radish) cut into 1" slices and quartered 1 cup leek, in 1" rings 2 cup [Chinese] celery, in 1" pieces 4 cup kale, stems crushed, and roughly chopped 3 cup mung bean noodles, soaked and cut short ½ cup bai phak chi (coriander), chopped 6 tbl soybean paste 3 tbl chopped garlic 1 tbl minced ginger 3 tbl fish sauce 2 tbl dark soy sauce 1 tbl Maggi sauce 2 tbl [palm] sugar 8 cup pork stock black pepper to taste Bring the stock to a boil and add the meats, fish sauce, soy sauce, and Maggi sauce, boil uncovered until the meats are just cooked. Add the vegetables, bean curd, and noodles In a wok, heat some oil, and fry the soybean paste until fragrant Sauté the garlic and ginger Add the soybean paste, garlic and ginger to the soup. Taste, and adjust the fish sauce and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve when the vegetables are done. Top
Tom Kha Kai (Chicken Soup With Coconut Milk) This is a mild but spicy chicken soup (it can also be made with shrimp, pork, beef or mushrooms). Note the number of red chills is a personal choice. It can be as few as half a chilli per diner, to as many as 8-10 per diner, but the dish should retain a balance of flavours and not be overwhelmed by the chilies. Personally I would suggest about 8-12 chills for this recipe. 2 kaffir lime leaves, rolled to crack them to release the flavour, but otherwise intact 1" cube galangal ("kha") sliced thinly. 2" piece lemon grass, bruised to release flavor 8 small red chills, slightly crushed (see Note) 16 fluid oz. soup broth (chicken stock) or water 4 tbl fish sauce (or to taste) 2 tbl lime juice (or to taste) 4 oz. chicken breast cut into smallish bite sized pieces 5 fluid oz. coconut milk coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish. Note: The number of red chills is a personal choice. It can be as few as half a chilli per diner, to as many as 8-10 per diner, but the dish should retain a balance of flavours and not be overwhelmed by the chilies. Personally I would suggest about 8-12 chills for this recipe. Heat the stock, add the lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal, fish sauce, and lime juice. Stir thoroughly, bring to a boil, add the chicken and coconut milk, bring back to the boil, lower the heat to keep it simmering and cook for about 2 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through). This is not really intended to be eaten as a separate course, you could serve it with just a serving of steamed white (jasmine) rice, or together with a Thai meal. This quantity serves 4 with other food, but is probably only enough for two if eaten separately. Top
Tom Kha Pladuk (Catfish Soup) There are two staple soups in Thai cuisine: tom yam is a hot spicy clear soup with elements of sweet and sour flavors added. Tom kha is a milder soup with coconut milk and galangal (kha) dominating rather than the fiery prik (chili) of the tom yam. Because it is milder tom khas are often made with chicken or pork, but most common in Thailand are varieties using seafood (especially shrimp, squid, or fish such as red snapper or catfish) or vegetables (especially medleys of mushrooms, tom kha hed). The catfish can be "crisped" by quickly, and briefly, deep frying it in very hot oil, but this variation is based on simply poaching the fish in the soup. In Thailand the fish is cleaned, and then poached whole (with the head), then removed from the soup, and cut into bite sized pieces which are returned to the soup for serving. The method here is a little simpler, in that it doesn't involve handling the hot fish. 1 catfish (about ½ pound prepared weight) 2 cups fish stock 1 cup coconut milk 1 tbl kha (galangal), julienned 1 tbl takhrai (lemon grass), thinly sliced 1 tbl bai phak chi (coriander/cilantro leaves) 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 4 tbl fish sauce 4 tbl lime juice Bring the stock to a simmer. Add the galangal, lemon grass, coriander, chilis, fish sauce and lime juice, and bring back to the simmer. Clean the fish and cut it into 1" steaks, then divide them, removing the bones. Add the fish to the soup, and the coconut milk and bring back to a very gentle simmer, and poach the fish for 3-4 minutes (until just cooked). Top
Tom Khing Kai (Gingery Chicken Soup) 2 kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest) 2 phak chi (cilantro plants, including roots), chopped 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised (this isn't eaten) 2 cups chicken cut into bite sized pieces 3-4 cups chicken stock 1 tbl prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis) thinly sliced. 1 tbl prik haeng (dried red chilis), crushed 2-3 tbl sliced bamboo shoots or coconut shoots 2-3 tbl fish sauce. 2 tbl hom daeng (shallots), thinly sliced 1 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced 1 tbl khing (fresh ginger), minced 1 tbl kha (fresh galangal), minced the juice of 3 or 4 limes prik Thai (freshly ground black pepper), to taste Heat a wok dry, and warm the dried chilis, then crumble them. Add a little oil to the wok, and sauté the chilis, ginger, galangal, shallots and garlic, until aromatic. In a medium sauce pan, bring the stock to a boil, add the sautéed ingredients, and the fish sauce and lime juice, and taste for balance, then add the remaining ingredients, and bring back to the boil before adding the chicken. After about 1 minute taste for the balance of spices again, and then serve when the chicken is just cooked. Top
Tom Wan Koong (Sweet Shrimp Soup) There are two staple soups in Thai cuisine. Tom yam is a hot spicy clear soup with sweet and sour flavors added. Tom kha is a milder soup with coconut milk and galangal (kha) dominating rather than the fiery prik (chili) of the tom yam. This soup is a variation on the tom kha approach, but instead of the heavy coconut milk this recipe uses coconut nectar (the clear sweet liquid inside a fresh coconut). Here in Thailand it is a popular drink: streetside vendors trim a coconut with a machete then neatly slice off the top of the prepared nut, insert a straw and voile! instant refreshment. It is available in tins, so shouldn't be too hard to find in Western stores. This variety of the soup only really works with shrimp or a seafood mixture (clams, calamari, etc.). Thais eat the galangal cut into thin matchstick pieces. However I have noticed that many westerners prefer to discard the galangal and so it may be wiser to leave it in thin slices. Similarly the lemon grass is eaten, but you may prefer to cut it into 2" lengths, and crush with a mallet. These can be discarded by the diner. Finally if you prefer the dish sweeter cut down on the chili elements. 1 lb. shrimp (or seafood), cleaned and prepared 4 cup coconut nectar 2 tbl kha (galangal), julienned 2 tbl takhrai (lemon grass), thinly sliced 1 tbl bai phak chi (coriander/cilantro leaves) 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 1 tbl nam prik pao (roasted chilis in oil) 4 tbl fish sauce 4 tbl lime juice Add the galangal and lemon grass to the coconut nectar and simmer for 5 minutes, then allow to cool and add the shrimp or seafood, and allow to marinade for 1 hour in a cool place. Strain, and then reheat the liquid to poaching temperature and return the galangal to the pan, adding the remaining ingredients, except the coriander leaves, and poach until the shrimp or seafood is just cooked through (do not overcook). Remove from the stove and transfer to a serving dish, and stir in the coriander leaves to complete the dish. Top
Tom Yam Pla Krop (Crispy Fish Soup) This isn't a crispy soup, it's a soup made with crispy fish. Specifically pla krop (pronounced 'plah grob' with the 'o' in krop being something between a short o sound an a 'au' sound (a bit like saying 'crab' when you have a very nasal cold)) is deep fried catfish. For the proper flavor it should be fried with the head on - in Thailand it is fried before it is cleaned and trimmed for the second stage of cooking. You may of course clean and fillet the fish first. The very hot oil ensures that only the outside of the fish is crunchy-crisp, and the inside is not reduced to concrete hardness! If you prefer this dish can be made with salmon, trout, or sea bass. one catfish, to yield about ½ lb. of catfish pieces. 6 thin slices of kha (galangal) 6 thin slices of khing (ginger) 4 hom daeng (shallots - purple onions) 6-8 prik chi fa haeng (dried red Thai jalapenos) 4 kratiem (cloves of garlic - with skins) 2-3 stalks of takrai (lemon grass), cut in 2" pieces ½ cup nam pla (fish sauce) ½ cup nam som makham (tamarind juice) Deep fry the catfish whole in very hot oil until the skin is very crisp. Remove and drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the head and the tail (don't waste it - it can be added to your fish stock pot, or fed to the cat), then break the rest into large bite sized pieces, discarding the major bones. On a grill or barbecue, grill the galangal, ginger, shallots, jalapenos, garlic and lemon grass until slightly charred. Discard the skins, and chop, then pound to a paste in a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Bring about 3 cups of water to a rolling boil, and add the ingredients, after one minute lower the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Top
Tom Yam Polomai This is a traditional combination of flavors: fruit and vegetables. As it happens we have just had a family anniversary, remembering my long deceased father-in-law. The family gathering meant that we all had to bring food for the table, and the nature of the occasion meant that the dish had to be vegetarian. We went to the market and we bought a variety of produce that would make the soup. Because this is essentially based on what was in the market and of high quality, I shall include the quantities in the method. The dish was for 14 people. tomatoes water melon cantaloupe melon pineapple limes grapes long beans baby corn shallots/coriander / cilantro celery asparagus broccoli nam prik pao (chili paste in bean oil) prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos) Tabasco sauce soy sauce sugar Core the tomatoes, skin and seed tomatoes, reserving the trimmings. Puree the pulp to get about 2 cup of puree. Cut up water melon and force the pieces through a fine sieve to get 2 cups of juice. Add the seeds to the saucepan. Cut up the pineapple and puree to get a cup of juice. Squeeze 1 cup of lime juice. Add the trimmings of the vegetables to the saucepan and add 6 cups of water. Boil vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes then sieve the juice to remove the residue. Return the vegetable stock to the saucepan, and blanch a cup of long beans (tua phak yao or 'Yak's Tails' ), 1 cup of broccoli florets and 1 cup of asparagus, which has been cut up into the tips and the stems sliced thinly on the diagonal. Reserve the blanched vegetables, and reduce the stock to 6 cup Add the fruit juice, and a cup each of sliced shallot, baby corn, phak chi (coriander/cilantro, finely sliced, roots and all), and celery and about 2 tablespoons garlic sautéed in oil. Simmer and adjust the taste by adding light soy and sugar. Next add ½ cup each of nam prik pao, prik chi fa, sliced prik chi fa daeng (red jalapenos), and about 2 tbl of a mild sour pepper sauce such as Tabasco. Bring back to the boil and make a final adjustment to the taste. Put the beans, asparagus and broccoli in a salad bowl, and add two or three pieces of cantaloupe, two or three pieces of pineapple, and two or three grapes per diner. Toss these ingredients with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. To serve, put a helping of the "salad" in a soup bowl and ladle the soup over it. Diners can then add prik pom (chili powder), sugar, nam pla prik (chilis in fish sauce - if you are particular, make this up with soy sauce), and prik dong (red chilis in vinegar). Note: we prepared the soup for the table in a "Mongolian Fire Pot", but you could just as easily use a slow crock. The beans, asparagus and broccoli, with the fruit can be served at room temperature or cold. Top
Tom Yum Het Tom Yum can be made with a number of ingredients. The version given here is for a simple tom yum het (mushroom soup), but it can also be tom yum kai (chicken), tom yum moo (pork), tom yum neua (beef), or tom yum khoong (shrimp), by simply substituting the mushrooms for another flavor ingredient. You can also mix and match to suit yourself. Note: the Thais serve the soup with the rest of the meal, usually in a large soup tureen, and each diner serves themselves, and uses it to wash out the mouth between selections from the other foods on offer. 10-15 prik ki nu (birdseye chilis) thinly sliced 2 kaffir lime leaves (substitute lime zest) 2-5 dried red chilis 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised 2 coriander plants, chopped. 2 lbs. fresh mushrooms (or other ingredient) cut into spoon-size pieces 2-3 tbl sliced bamboo shoots or coconut shoots 2-3 tbl fish sauce. 1-2 tbl nam prik pao juice of 3 or 4 limes The fresh chiles should be bruised in a mortar and pestle. The dried chilies should be heated first, then crumbled into the fresh chilies. Beat the lemon grass with the grinder of the mortar and pestle (it's called a 'sa' in Thai, I'm never sure whether it is the mortar or the pestle in English...) or the back of a cleaver. Heat about 3 cups of water to boiling point, add all the ingredients, and stir constantly until cooked (it doesn't take long for mushrooms, longer for chicken or shrimp, and longest for beef). Variation : use three cups of thin coconut milk instead of water, the result is tom kha, rather than tom yum Top
Tom Yum Koong Suki 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised 2-3 kaffir lime leaves (use lime zest if you can't get it) 2 cilantro plants, chopped. 1 qt. fish stock 1 tbl fresh ground ginger 4 tbl red chilies in vinegar (prik dong) 4 tbl green chilies in fish sauce (prik nam pla) 2-3 tbl sliced bamboo shoots or coconut shoots 2-3 tbl "chilies in oil" (prik nam pao) 1-2 lbs. shrimp The juice of 3 or 4 limes Ground chili powder (prok phom) to taste Fresh mushrooms Place the fish stock in the hot pot (if you haven't got one, you could use a small "deep fryer" or a fondue pot as a replacement). Bring it to a boil and add all but the shrimp. The shrimp (about 15 to the pound in size) are placed on the table (in Thailand we don't bother cleaning them - you might want to remove the heads, legs and shells, and devein them), together with fresh mushrooms. The guests then cook these by placing them in small bronze-wire baskets and dipping them in the suki pot. If you are using fondue forks, you might want to add the mushrooms to the soup liquor just before everyone starts to dine. Top
Yam Phak (Salad) Thai salads typically have 5, 7 or 9 vegetable ingredients (because of the association of '8' with wealth and fortune, salads served at weddings often have 8 ingredients). I would suggest the following, but any selection will do. Phak kat khao (chinese cabbage) Ton hom (spring onion) Het (mushrooms) Bai horapha (sweet basil) Thua ngoh (bean sprouts) Top
Yam Pla Too (A Fish "Salad") The title can be translated to "tossed dish [salad] of steamed fish". Yesterday was the Queen of Thailand's birthday, a national holiday. As the Thais revere and honour Queen Sirikit as the Mother of the Nation, it is also considered Thailand's "Mother's Day". As such my wife's nephew intended to spend some time at home with his mother, then pay his respects to his grandmother, and the rest of the day with his girlfriend and her mother. We hadn't realized things were so serious. (Indeed he must be involved in discussing the gift to be given to his girlfriend's mother as a bride price. In Thailand the groom gives the dowry to the girl's family, and her mother holds it in trust in case the marriage fails or they need funds to raise the children.) As he was staying for dinner he wanted to take a gift of food and say that the food had been prepared by his own hands (proving he could look after his intended). It had to be something that could be eaten cold, as he would have to prepare it in advance. The result was that my wife and her sisters showed the lad the following simple recipe. 4-6 fresh mackerel 2-3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 3 tbl shallots, very thinly sliced 2 tbl lime juice 1 tbl fish sauce 1 tbl hot chili sauce (preferably not vinegar based) 1 tbl prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground 1 tbl prik phom (ground dried red chilis) 1 tbl lemon grass, sliced paper thin 1 tbl spring onions/green onions/scallions, sliced 1 tbl of khao Koor (toasted rice powder) 1 tbl coriander leaves, chopped (as garnish). Clean and debone the fish. Remove the heads, tails and fins, then steam or pan fry the fish until just cooked. Cut into bite sized pieces. Put 2 tablespoons tomato in a mixing bowl, and add the other ingredients (the pepper, chili and chili sauce to taste) except the kho koor and the garnish. Mix, and adjust the condiments if necessary (if too hot, add a little more of the tomato) then return the fish. Marinate for 3 to 24 hours before serving. Immediately before serving stir in the khao koor, and sprinkle the coriander leaves on the top. Top
Yam Sami (Husband's Salad) My wife and I recently attended the marriage celebrations of the son of a friend of ours, and this dish is our contribution to the food (Thai wedding celebrations are often one long banquet, interspersed by visits to temples and paying respects to parents and grandparents). Because it was offered as part of the "husband's side" food, I have called it yam sami, but a similar, if rather simpler recipe, recently appeared in an advertisement for a firm that packages ham and sausage, and called yam ham kung, which would be an alternative name (except I don't like using obvious imports in language...). It is similar in concept to such dishes as yam nuea or yam mu (beef or pork salads respectively), and we in fact bought the shrimp freshly cooked from a vendor near our home on the way to the festivities, allowing this to be a "no-cook" recipe. However I would usually prefer to start from scratch so I include the method for preparing the shrimp. Note that when I describe them as 'fresh' the jumbo shrimp are taken from a live tank for sale in most shops here. The dish is loaded with meaning, so I have left the quantities large, but you can of course scale it down for your own needs. The number of large shrimp (8), their colour (red), even the local name (dragon) are indicators of wealth and success in life, so highly significant for the young couple. One local tradition here is for the couple to each feed each other a shrimp - less messy than the American cream cake! Eight shrimp also means one each for the Bride and Groom, their parents, and the best man and chief bridesmaid (the latter being a recent tradition of western origin). Finally yam means tossed (as a salad is tossed), and signifies the tossings of fortune in life. 8 dragon shrimp (fresh water shrimp, 2-3 to the pound) 1 lb. shrimp (16-20 to the pound) 1 lb. ham ¼ lb. bologna, sliced ¼ lb. sliced roast pork ¼ lb. shaved beef ¼ lb. cooked chicken, sliced 1 cup nam pla (fish sauce) 1 cup nam manao (lime juice) 4 tbl nam si-ew wan (sweet dark soy sauce, or use oyster soy) 6 tbl kratiem (garlic), minced 12 tbl khing (ginger), minced 12 tbl bai chi (coriander/cilantro including the roots), chopped 1 cup ton hom (green/spring onions) 1 cup hom daeng (shallots/purple onions), thinly sliced 4 tbl sesame oil 4 tsp chilli oil ½ cup prik ki nu (bird's-eye chills, mixed red and green), sliced 2 tbl khao koor (see method) First prepare the khao Koor - place about 5 tablespoons uncooked long grain whit rice in a wok over medium heat, and toast gently until light brown. Allow to cool and then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle, or spice grinder. Next cook the shrimp: the jumbo shrimp should be grilled or barbecued until pink. To avoid burning this is best done with the heads and carapaces still on. Thais eat almost the whole shrimp (including some of the shell), so would serve them like this. You may prepare to remove the head and legs, shell (except the tail), and de-vein them. Set them aside. The smaller shrimp are best dry-toasted in a wok over medium heat, tossing continuously to avoid burning until pink. Again they are best de-headed, shelled and cleaned after cooking. Slice the cooked meat into half inch strips, and then cut any long pieces into smaller bite sized pieces. Tease the chicken apart with the tines of a fork. Cut the white bulbs from the spring onion, and then slice the green parts thinly. Place the chicken, sliced meat, and small shrimp in a large bowl. In a mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and then pour them over the mixed meats and shrimp. Toss to thoroughly coat and leave to stand for at least an hour before serving. Place the tossed ingredients on a large serving platter, surround with a circle of alternating tomato segments and slices of cucumber, and place the jumbo shrimp like the spokes of a wheel, heads innermost then garnish with coriander/cilantro and mint leaves. Serve with steamed rice. Top
Yam Talay (Seafood Salad) This variation of yam talay could of course be made with any combination of seafood you have to hand. It is a popular "pre-drink" food in Thai bars - I leave it to the reader to guess why! 4 fish balls 4 large shrimp (about 10 to the pound), shelled and deveined 4 crab claws 4 'bite size' calamari rings. 2 tbl lime juice 1 tbl prik phom (crushed dried red chilis) 2 tbl fish stock 1 tsp sugar 2 tbl fish sauce 2 bai makroot (kaffir lime leaves), thinly sliced 1 tbl chopped shallots (purple onions) 2 tbl 'spanish' onion, chopped 1 tbl phak chi (coriander leaf), chopped Line a serving bowl with lettuce or kale leaves. Mix the non-seafood ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the seafood and stir occasionally until the seafood is just cooked. Pour onto the bed of lettuce, and garnish with shredded lettuce, coriander leaves, and slices of cucumber. Top
Yam Yai (Thai "Chef's Salad") Salads are extremely common in Thailand, accompanying most meals. However most of them are casual affairs, and most do not have a western style dressing; rather the diners use whichever of a variety of dips take their fancy. However a few 'formal' salads do exist, largely as accompaniments to formal dinners, and this one, which could be translated as "great salad" is a typical example. The actual salad is not particularly important: any suitable mixture of veggies could be used, hence the more usual translation as chef's salad. However a typical mixture is as follows: Chinese lettuce (or other broad leafed veggie) to form a base for the salad bowl. ½ cups onion, sliced ½ cups tomato wedges ½ cups cucumber, sliced ½ cup prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos), julienned ½ cups broccoli florets, blanched ½ cups bean sprouts Line a serving bowl with the lettuce leaves, then toss the other ingredients and place on the lettuce, garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves, lime leaves, thinly sliced shallots, and julienned spring onions. Dressing Ingredients: ½ cups lime juice ¼ cup peanuts 2 tbl light soy sauce 2 tbl rice vinegar or nam makham piag (tamarind juice) 2 tbl nam tan paep (palm sugar) 1 tbl prik ki nu daeng haeng (dried red chilis), ground 1 tbl khao koor (toasted rice) In a dry skillet or wok toast the peanuts until light golden brown, allow to cool and crumble (a few sharp blows with the flat of a cleaver should suffice, and avoid turning them into peanut butter, as the use of a food processor is inclined to). Toast 2 tbl of uncooked long grain rice (either white or brown, to taste), and then when cool, grind to a coarse powder (khao koor). Combine the ingredients to form the dressing, and place in a small bowl. Thai salads are not served 'dressed', this being left to the diners. If available you could also add a few of the different Thai dips (nam prik kiga, nam prik kapi are suitable for vegetables, and can be adapted to vegetarian/vegan life styles without serious loss of authenticity). Top
Yum Moo [Seasoned Pork Strips] 15-20 cloves of garlic, chopped 25-30 red prik ki nu (birdseye chilies) thinly sliced 2 lbs. lean pork 2 cup diced or thinly sliced onions 4 tbl fish sauce 4 tbl lime juice 1 tbl khao koor (ground toasted rice) 1 tbl pickled shallots 1 tbl pickled garlic Sugar to taste Lettuce, onion, and cucumber for garnish Barbecue, grill, fry, or braise about two lbs. of pork steak. Cut into thin strips, and then cut the strips into bites sized pieces. Place it in a salad mixing bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Place the meat, sliced onion, and a sliced cucumber on a bed of lettuce. Reserve the marinade for use as a dipping sauce. Top
Yum Mu Isan (North Eastern Pork Salad) A word of caution is in order here. My wife cooked this for me last week and I found it almost too hot to eat. Since I eat hot chili/curry style food two or three meals a day it may be an idea for those less acclimated to the food to either reduce the amount of chili, or reduce the marinade time (it can be reduced to zero - simply pour the sauce over the meat and serve). 1 lb. grilled pork 1 cup prik ki nu daeng (fresh red birdseye chiles) 1 cup thin sliced onions 2 tbl grated gingerroot ½ cups coriander leaves Tamarind juice Fish sauce Take the prik ki nu daeng and roast them in a moderate oven (or grill them), until the skin begins to change colour (we do this in a hot air "turbo" roaster - but any suitable oven or roaster will do). Grind the chilis to a pulp and add equal parts of tamarind juice and fish sauce until the whole forms a slightly fluid paste. Cut the pork diagonally across the grain into eight inch thick slices, and cut the slices into 1" long pieces and then toss with the sauce and allow to marinade for about 24 hours. Add the remaining ingredients, toss (as a salad is tossed) and serve on a bed of lettuce with a bowl of sticky rice (if not available ordinary steamed white rice will do). (Top of Page)