HO MOK PLA SALMON

HO MOK PLA SALMON

INGREDIENTS :
Coconut milk 1/2 cup
Red curry paste, (Kaeng phet curry paste) 2 tbsp.

Egg 1 whole
Fish sauce 1 tbsp.
Sugar 1 - 2 tsp.
Salmon fillet, sliced 5 oz.
Sweet basil leaves, (bai horapha) 1/4 cup
(Makes 1 banana leaf cup. / 1 serving)

1. Mix the curry paste and the coconut milk together in a bowl until you have a smooth mixture.
2. Add egg and blend in well. Season this mixture with fish sauce and sugar. Mix this into a batter, and add pieces of salmon which have been sliced. This process is very much like making a custard or batter for quiche.
3. Prepare a baking dish and line the bottom of the dish with fresh basil leaves and spoon the batter and fish pieces into the dish. Steam or bake in bain-marie until done. lt takes about 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size and depth of the container. To test that the custard is done, insert a skewer into the center of the custard. If it comes out clean, the custard is done.

Tips…
Substitutions : lt may be difficult to find fresh Thai basil, so please use fresh local basil or even fresh green leaf lettuce or spinach or kale. When buying Thai curry paste which comes either in a can or vacuum packed in a plastic container, read the label carefully to check that you are getting the correct type of curry paste.
Thai main dishes are usually eaten with plain steamed rice. If you eat some of these dishes by themselves the flavors may be too strong.

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KAENG MASSAMAN KAI

KAENG MASSAMAN KAI

INGREDIENTS:
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp.
Chicken thighs with skin 1 lb.
Massaman curry paste 3 tbsp.
Coconut milk 2 1/2 cups
Pearl onions, peeled and cooked,10
Peeled potatoes quartered 5 oz.
Roasted peanuts 2 tbsp.
Bay leaves 3 leaves

Cardamon seeds 4

Cinnamon stick, roasted 1 stick
Sugar 3 - 4 tbsp.
Tamarind paste or pulp juice 2 tbsp.
Lime juice 2 tbsp.
Fish sauce 3 tbsp.
(4 servings)

1. Cut chicken thighs into bite size pieces and boil in coconut milk until just done. Take off the stove and keep.
2. In another pot heat vegetable oil and fry the curry paste until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the paste.
3. Add a little of the coconut milk that was used to cook the chicken pieces to the curry paste to form a thick sauce. Spoon the chicken pieces into the curry and add just enough coconut milk to cover the chicken. Add peanuts and bring the curry to boil.
4. Once boiled, season the curry with sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice and fish sauce. The main flavors of this curry are a sweetness followed by a sourness from tamarind and lime and a saltiness from fish sauce. Bring the curry back to boil again and simmer until the chicken pieces are tender.
5. Add potato, cooked pearl onions, bay leaf, cardamon and cinnamon stick, Simmer for 5 minutes longer, turn off heat. The curry is ready.

Tips…
This Thai curry has on lndian influence. It is very mild and can be eaten like a stew with thick toast.

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PRIAO WAN KUNG

PRIAO WAN KUNG

INGREDIENTS :
Vegetable oil 3 tbsp.
Prawns, peeled and cleaned 8 oz.
Green bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces 1/2
Onion, cut into bite sized pieces 1/2 head
Cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces 1/2 cup
Pineapple 1/2 cup
Tomato cut into wedges 2
Sugar 2 tbsp.
Vinegar 2 tbsp.
Soy sauce or fish sauce 1 - 2 tbsp.
(2 servings)

1. Heat oil in a saute pan or wok, then add onion pieces and bell pepper. Stirfry until hot.
2. Add prawns and toss quickly. Immediately add cucumber and tomato and pineapple. Cook everything over a very high heat.
3. Season with sugar and vinegar. Add fish sauce or soy sauce for a touch of saltiness as this dish is usually sweet and sour.

Tips…
This Thai sweet and sour dish differs from the Chinese variety in that the sauce has no starch thus the dish is much lighter and more delicate. It also does not have tomato ketchup in it.
Thai cooking can sometimes prove difficult due to the fact that Thai ingredients vary in taste and intensity. One bottle of fish sauce tastes different to another and may also be saltier. So, when cooking Thai food, you have to taste your food as you cook, season it bit by bit and correct the taste as you go along.
4. Spoon this dish onto a plate and serve hot with other main dishes.

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KAENG CHU CHEE PLA SALMON

KAENG CHU CHEE PLA SALMON

INGREDIENTS :
Vegetable oils 3 - 4 tbsp.
Chu chee curry paste 3 heaped tbsp.
Coconut milk 2 cups.
Salmon fillets 5 oz. each 4 pieces
Coconut sugars 2 tsp.
Fish sauce 1 tbsp.

GARNISHES
Red spur chili, julienne 4 peppers
Kaffir lime leaves, shredded 1 leaf
(4 servings)


1. Heat vegetable oil in a shallow sauce pan or in a frying pan until hot.
2. Add the chu chee curry paste and cook for 3 - 5 minutes over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Should the curry paste be lumpy, add a little coconut milk to loosen the lumps and make it more manageable.
3. Add coconut milk to the cooked curry paste, stir to mix well and bring the liquid back to the boil.
4. Once boiling, add pieces of salmon and cook in the curry sauce, turning once to ensure even cooking on both sides. The length of time it takes to cook the salmon depends on the thickness of the fish.
5. Reduce heat and cook slowly to allow the sauce to evaporate and thicken. Season with coconut sugar and fish sauce. Serve with curry sauce spooned over the fish and garnished with julienne of red spur chili peppers and shredded kaffir lime leaves.

Tips…
The spiciness of the curry is controlled by the amount of curry paste you use. If you like your curry hot and spicy, simply increase the amount of curry paste. Coconut sugar can be found in most Asian grocery stores. It comes in round patties the size of cookies; Use a knife to cut shavings from this sugar when seasoning curries. Other fish that hold together well can be used for this dish. Cod or snapper are excellent.
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KAENG PHET KAI SAI NORMAI

KAENG PHET KAI SAI NORMAI

INGREDIENTS :
Vegetable oil 4 tbsp.
Red curry paste, (Kaeng phet paste) 2 heaped tbsp.
Coconut milk 2 cups
Chicken thigh, skinned and sliced 1 lb.
Bamboo shoots, sliced or julienne 1 cup.

Fish sauce 3 - 4 tbsp.

Sugar 1 tbsp. Or less
Thai basil leaves, (bai horapa) 1/2 cup
Kaffir lime leaves 2 leaves
Red spur chili peppers, sliced 1 tbsp.
Green spur chili peppers, sliced 1 tbsp.
(4 servings)

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot and add the red curry paste to fry in this oil whilst spreading the paste as much as possible. Lower the heat and fry the paste but do not burn it. Add a little of the coconut milk to make paste spreadable. Cook longer (two minutes) over low heat.
2. Add half of the coconut milk and bring to the boil, whilst scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Add the chicken pieces and cook until chicken is done before adding the rest of the coconut milk and bring back to boil. Add the sliced bamboo and cook two minutes longer.
3. Season the curry with fish sauce and sugar. Before taking off the stove, add Thai basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Garnish with two kinds of fresh chili peppers.

Tips…
As their curries are fairly spicy, Thais usually eat their meals with rice as the main starch, accompanied by various other dishes such as plain soup, stirfried vegetables and fried meats. All these dishes are eaten all at once.

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KAI PHAT BAI KRAPHRAU

KAI PHAT BAI KRAPHRAU

INGREDIENTS :
Vegetable oil 5 tbsp.
Yellow spur chili peppers, chopped 2 - 3 tbsp.
Garlic, peeled and chopped 1 - 2 tbsp.
Skinless and boneless
chicken thigh, ground or sliced 1 lb.
Black soy 1 tbsp.

Fish sauce 1 - 2 tbsp.
Granulated sugar 1 - 2 tsp.
Holy basil leaves, (bai kraphrau) 1/2 cup
(4 servings)

1. Heat oil in a wok or regular frying pan until it almost smokes.
2. Add chopped chili and chopped garlic to the pan and stir quickly to create aroma. Be careful not to burn them.
3. Just before the garlic browns, add the chicken and stirfry continuously. Once the chicken is cooked and the liquid from the chicken is reduced slightly, add the black soy to give this dish color and season with fish sauce and sugar. Continue to stirfry then allow the seasoning to seep into the chicken.
4. The above process should only take a few minutes since it is essential that you cook this dish on a high heat at all times. Before taking off the heat add Thai basil leaves, toss in the pan and serve immediately.

Tips…
This dish can be made with any kind of meat as well as seafood. It is a standard dish eaten in Thailand for lunch, served over steamed rice.

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Kaeng Khiao Wan Nuea

KAENG KHIAO WAN NUEA - KHANOM CHIN

INGREDIENTS :
Vegetable oil 4 tbsp.
Coconut milk 2 cups or 16 fl.oz.
Green curry paste, (Kaeng khiao wan paste) 3 - 4 heaped tbsp.
Beef, sliced 1 1/2 lbs/ 24 oz.
Fish sauce 3 - 4 tbsp.
Granulated sugar 1 tbsp.
Sweet basil leaves, (bai horapha) 1/2 cup
Red spur chili peppers, sliced 4 - 6
(4 servings)


1. Heat up the oil in a pan large enough to hold the curry. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat and add the curry paste and fry the paste over a low heat, separating the lumps as much as possible. Stir constantly and do not let the curry burn.
2. Add a little of the coconut milk to the curry paste to soften the paste making it more spreadable. Add more coconut milk saving about half for later use. Bring the sauce to the boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching.
3. Add the sliced beef and stir. Bring the curry back to a boil and cook the beef until done. Add the rest of the coconut milk, bring the curry back. to boil and season with fish sauce and sugar. Before serving, add Thai basi leaves and garnish with red spur chili peppers.
4. Serve this dish with rice or spooned over cooked khanom chin, which is Thai spaghetti sold dry in a box under the name of nguan soon.


Tips…
Green curry paste is available in most Asian grocery stores and comes vacuum packed or in cans. The amount of chili paste used has to be adjusted depending on the saltiness of the particular paste. Conseguently all your seasonings have to be adjusted accordingly. Taste your curry before seasoning with fish sauce or sugar.

All Thai curry pastes contain most of the amazing Thai herbs. They differ from other curries as Thai curry pastes have fresh ingredients rather that dry herbs and spices.
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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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