Carrot or Papaya Salad (SOM TAM)

Carrot or Papaya Salad (SOM TAM)

INGREDIENTS :
Carrots or raw papaya or
cabbage or cucumber, shredded 2 cups
Fresh bird's eye chili peppers, bruised 8
Unsalted, toasted peanuts,
coarsely ground 4 tbsp.
Dry shrimps, ground 5 - 6 tsp.
(4 servings)

SALAD DRESSING :
Fish sauce 1/4 cup
Brown sugar 1/2 cup
Lime juice 1/2 cup
Garlic chopped 2 cloves
1. To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2. Grate the carrots or any of the vegetables mentioned above, rinse in cold water and drain well.
3. Toss the salad with the salad dressing adding the creshed bird's eye chili peppers should your salad spicy. Add a teaspoon of the peanuts and ground shrimps and toss thoroughly.
4. Plate the salad and garnish with ground peanuts and ground shrimps.


Tips.-
Som tam became famous during the Vietnam war when American G.l'.s came to Thailand for R and R and were introduced to this salad from the North East. Raw papaya is difficult to get in some countries so we suggest you use carrots or cabbage instead. It is recommended that once this salad is tossed it should be eaten immediately since Thai salad dressings do not have oils which help salads stay fresh longer.
Do you know that the flesh and oil from papaya is used to make meat tenderizers? NO wonder it helps your digestion.
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TOM YUM KUNG

TOM YUM KUNG

INGREDIENTS :
Chicken stock 2 cups
Fresh mushrooms, quartered 5 oz.
Fish sauce 4 - 5 tbsp.
Fresh prawns, peeled 8 oz.
Kaffir lime leaves 2 leaves
Bird's eye chili peppers 4 whole
Fresh coriander leaves 4 sprigs
Fresh lemon grass, sliced thin 3 tbsp.
Fresh lime juice 5 - 7 tbsp.
(2 servings)

1. In a pot, bring to the boil the chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.
2. Allow the stock with the herbs to boil for one minute to allow the herbs to impart their scent to the stock. Add fresh mushrooms and boil until done (one minute).
3. While the liquid is still boiling add the prawns and season with fish sauce and lime juice. Garnish with bird's eye chili peppers and coriander leaves, serve immediately. Do not over cook the prawns, once the prawns turn white, turn off the heat.

Tips...
Both lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves are available in Asian grocery stores the world over. They are usually dried then exported so rehydrate them before using. Tom yum kung is a well known dish. It has a delicate flavor, so when you season the soup, add the lime juice last and a little at a time, tasting the soup as you season. Should you add too much to the soup it cannot be corrected, hence make lime juice the last flavoring ingredient. copyright www.mcdang.com

Chicken Coconut Soup

Chicken Coconut Soup ( TOM KHA KAI)

INGREDIENTS :
Chicken stock 2 cups
Coconut milk 3/4 cup
Fish sauce 2 - 3 tbsp.
Fresh chicken thigh, cubed 6 oz.
Kaffir lime leaves, torn 3 leaves
Bird's eye chili peppers 2 tsp.
Coriander roots from one plant

Young galangal root, sliced 2 tbsp.
Lemon grass, sliced 1 tbsp.
Fresh lime juice 4 - 5 tbsp.

(2 servings)

1. Combine chicken stock and coconut milk, add kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, bird's eye chili peppers, young galangal and lemon grass, bring to the boil in a pot. Allow to boil for one minute.
2. Add cubed chicken pieces to the soup and bring back to boil. Boil the chicken until just cooked.
3. Season the soup with fish sauce and lime juice. The soup should taste slightly tart followed by a saltiness and a creaminess from the coconut milk. Take the soup off the heat and serve in a bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips...
Coconut milk is available in cans or sealed pouches. Shake the can or the pouch before use because the cream of coconut milk is usually lodged at the top.

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Thai Prawn Salad (PHLA KUNG)

Thai Prawn Salad (PHLA KUNG)

INGREDIENTS :
Prawns 1 lb.
Fresh lemon grass, sliced thin 1/2 cup
Shallots, thinly sliced 1/4 cup
Young ginger, julienne 1/4 cup
Kaffir lime leaves, sliced very thin 4 - 5 leaves
(4 servings)

DRESSING :
Lime juice 3 tbsp.
Fish sauce 4 tbsp.
Sugar 2 tsp.
Fresh spur chili peppers, thinly sliced 6

GARNISHES :
Lettuce
Mint Leaves

1. Peel the prawns and clean well. Blanch the prawns in boiling water until just done and soak them in cold water to stop them from over cooking, drain and put aside.
2. Toss the prawns and salad ingredients with the dressing. Mix all the herbs well and spoon this salad onto a platter lined with fresh lettuce leaves. Decorate the dish with fresh mint leaves.

Tips.
This dish has many variations and is very popular with drinkers in Thailand because its spiciness goes well with either beer or whisky. copyright www.mcdang.com

MU PING AND KAI YANG

MU PING AND KAI YANG

INGREDIENTS : Mu Ping
Soy sauce 1/4 cup
Sweet dark soy 1.5 tbsp.
Soy seasoning sauce (Maggi) 1/4 cup
Granulated sugar 3 - 4tbsp.
Ground pepper 1tsp.
Chopped garlic 2 tbsp.
Chopped coriander roots 1 tbsp.
Pork, sliced into thin strips 1 lb.
Bamboo skewers 15 - 20 pieces

Marinade for Grilled Skewered Pork (Mu Ping)
1. Marinate the pork strips in the seasoning mix for two hours or more.
2. Skewer the pork strips onto the bamboo skewers which have been soaked in water, leaving enough exposed skewer for handling when grilling.
3. Grill skewered pork over charcoal or broil until cooked. Serve hot with steamed sticky rice.

INGREDIENTS : Kai Yong
Boneless chicken breast with skin 6 pcs. X 5 oz.
Fish sauce 2 tbsp.
Coriander roots, chopped 2 tbsp.
Garlic, peeled and chopped 1.5 tbsp.
Ground white pepper 1 tsp.
Ground dry turmeric 1.5 tsp.
(4 servings)


Grilled Chicken Breast Thai Style (Kai Yang)
1. Wash chicken and pat dry, flatten slightly with wooden mallet to ensure even cooking.
2. Make a marinade by blending together coriander roots, garlic, white pepper and turmeric in a food processor adding fish sauce to form a smooth paste. Marinade the chicken pieces in this mixture for at least half an hour.
3. Grill the chicken pieces over charcoal on a moderate heat until cooked and golden. (Ten minutes if the chicken pieces are not too thick). You can also roast the chicken in the oven, skin side up and uncovered at 220 C for 20 minutes.
4. Served with sweet chili dipping sauce.

Fresh coriander or cilantro is now available in good supermarkets all over the world, usually in the fresh herbs section. Coriander roots are usually cut off from the stems of the bunches of fresh coriander when sold. Ask your grocer for the roots or use coriander stems as substitute. Sweet chili dipping sauce is sold in Asian grocery stores under the name 'grilled chicken dipping sauce' (nam jim kai).

LAP SALMON

Spicy Salmon Salad, Thai Style
(LAP SALMON)

INGREDIENTS :
Grilled salmon 1.5 lbs.
Shallots, peeled and sliced thin 1 cup
Onion, sliced thin 2 tbsp.
Mint leaves 1/2 cup
Toasted raw rice kernels, ground 3 - 4 tbsp.
Red chili powder 1 - 2 tbsp.
Fish sauce 1/4 cup
Fresh lime juice 1/3 cup
Red spur chili peppers, sliced 2 tbsp.
Chopped fresh galangal (optional) 3 tbsp.
(4 servings)

1. Baste the pieces of salmon lightly with vegetable oil and grill until cooked. Take off heat and let cool.
2. With a fork break salmon pieces into a crumble. Add the rest of the salad garnishes except the fresh lime juice. Toss all the ingredients together, then add fresh lime juice to taste. It should be tart enough at first taste but not overpowering.
3. Spoon this salad over decorative lettuce cups and garnish with fresh mint leaves and julienne red spur chili peppers.
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Tried Spring Rolls (PO PIA THOT)

Tried Spring Rolls (PO PIA THOT)

INGREDIENTS :

Spring roll wrappers 12 oz.

Ground pork 1 cup

Egg 1 whole

Mung bean noodle (or beanthread) 2 oz.

Green cabbage, sliced thin 1 cup

Bean sprouts 1 cup

Garlic, chopped 1 tbsp.

Flour and water paste 1/2 cup

Ground pepper 1 - 2 tsp.

Soy Sauce 2 tbsp.

Frying oil 4 cups.

(4 servings)

1. Soak the beanthread in water until soft, drain and cut into short lengths. 2. Mix together ground pork, egg, cabbage, bean sprouts, ground pepper, soy sauce and beanthread and put aside. 3. In a pan heat up a little oil and fry the chopped garlic until aromatic, then add the mixture and fry until cooked and well seasoned. Take this mixture off heat and allow to cool. 4. Once cooled, stuff this filling into the spring roll wrappers and seal with flour paste. 5. Fry spring rolls in hot oil until golden brown and drain. Served hot with plum sauce.

Tips.-
This dish originates in Vietnam and the dipping sauces vary from region to region. Most likely the sauce that you would easily find in your country is plum sauce which comes bottled and ready made. Should the plum sauce be too sweet and not spicy enough simply warm it up and add a little vinegar with chopped hot chili peppers.

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Satay Kai And Nam Jim Satay

Chicken Satay and Peanul Sauce
SATAY KAI AND NAM JIM SATAY

INGREDIENTS: Chicken Satay (Satay Kai)
Chicken Breast 8 oz.
MARINADE:
Coconut milk 2 fl. Oz.
Coriander roots, chopped 2 tbsp.
Curry powder 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Sugar 2 tsp.
Fish sauce 1/2 tbsp.
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp.
(2-4 servings)


Chicken Satay (Satay kai)
1. Slice the chicken into thin strips ready to be skewered.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and mix the sliced chicken with the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 3 hours or over night.
3. Skewer each slice of marinaded chicken onto a bamboo skewer which has been soakeb in water.
4. Grill or pan sear the skewered chicken until done and still moist. Serve hot with cucumber salad.

INGREDIENTS: Peanut Sauce for Satay (Nam jim Satay)
Vegetable oil 3 tbsp.
Red curry paste 2 tbsp.
Ground coriander 1/2 tsp.
Ground cumin 1/2 tsp.
Coconut milk 2 cups
Coarsely ground peanuts 3/4 cup
Sugar 2 tbsp.
Tamarind juice or lime juice 2 tbsp.
Salt 1 tsp.

Peanut Sauce for Satay (Nam jim Satay)
1. Put the oil in a saucepan and heat up. Add the curry paste when the oil is hot and fry until fragrant, being careful not to burn the curry. (Use medium heat)
2. After a minute or so add the dry spices and continue frying for another one or two minutes.
3. Add coconut milk and the rest of the ingredients except the tamarind juice and salt. Bring the ingredients in the pot back to the boil for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Adjust the seasoning with tamarind juice and salt. The sauce should taste slightly sweet followed by a touch of tartness and saltiness. The main scent of this sauce is the combination of curry and coconut.
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Thot Man Pla And Achat

THOT MAN PLA AND ACHAT




INGREDIENTS: Spicy Thai Fish Cakes (Thot Man Pla)

Coconut milk 3/4 cup
Ground white pepper 1 tsp.
fish sauce 2 tbsp.
Egg 1 whole
Ground fresh fish,
any white fish will do 1.5 lbs.
Kaffir lime leaves, julienne 2 tbsp.

Red curry paste 2 - 3 tbsp.
Chinese long beans or
green beans sliced thin 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil for frying 2 cups
(4 servings)

Spicy Thai Fish Cakes (Thot Man Pla)
1. ln a food processor, using a steel blade, blend together all the ingredients except the Chinese long beans and vegetable oil for frying, The paste should be smooth with no lumps.
2. Spoon the fish paste into a mixing bowl and mix in the sliced beans.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan to medium heat, Form fish paste into bite size cakes by using spoons or your hands, Slightly moisten with oil to prevent the paste from sticking to your fingers, Flatten these round patties a little to ensure even cooking,
4. Fry these cakes until golden on both sides, (Do not take long to cook,two minutes or so depending on the size of the cakes.)
5. Lift cooked pieces of fish cake from the hot oil and drain on absorbent paper.Serve hot with cucumber

salad.

INGREDIENTS: Cucumber Salad (Achat)
Cucumber,peeled and sliced thin 1 cup
Shallots, peeled and sliced thin 2 heads
Red spur chili peppers, sliced 1
Chopped coriander 1 tbsp.
Water 1.5 cups
Granulated sugar 4 tbsp.
White vinegar 4 tbsp.
Cucumber Salad (Achat)
1. Peel and cut cucumber lengthwise and slice thin.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Let the salad rest for 20 minutes and spoon into a small serving cup to accompany spicy fish cakes or chicken satay.

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