Sunday, December 26, 2010

Larb

Larb (minced meat salad)

150 g. boiled minced chicken, pork, or mixed wood ear and king oyster mushrooms
1/2 tsp. ground chili
2 tbsp. roasted rice powder (or dry breadcrumbs, but roasted rice is a lot better.)
5 thinly sliced shallots
3 sliced green onions
1 tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
7-10 mint leaves
2 tbsp. sliced cilantro leaves

Combine minced chicken, chili, roasted rice, shallots, green onions, fish sauce, and lime juice, toss gently.  Add mint leaves and cilantro, toss again.  Serve with lettuce, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, long bean, and spring onion.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Pad Thai

Pad Thai

250 grams rice noodle
50 grams chicken
3 tbsp oil
20 g. chinese chive or green onion
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tbsp. oyster sauce or mushroom fake-oyster sauce
1 egg
30 g. bean sprouts or cabbage
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
50 g. tofu, diced
1/2 c. water

Fry garlic in oil, then chicken and tofu, stir until the chicken is cooked.  Add egg, scramble around.  Add noodles and water, stir until tender.  Season with sauces and sugar.  Add sprouts and green onions, serve with fresh vegetables and/or lime juice, peanuts, and ground chilis.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Som Tam

Som tam (papaya salad)

50 g. papaya, carrot, or cucumber, shredded or matchsticks
10 small garlic cloves
1-3 chilies
1/2 tomato, cut quarter
1 chinese long bean, in 1-inch slices (or green beans)
20 g. peanut
2 tbsp. fish sauce (or 1 tsp. salt)
1-2 limes, cut quarter
1 tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar
optional: anchovies, fermented crab claws

Tenderly pound garlic, chili, and Chinese long bean.  Add palm sugar, lime, fish sauce, and pound until the palm sugar is dissolved.
Add the papaya and tomato, mix well.  Top with peanuts, serve with fresh vegetables.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Tom Yum

Tom yum

75 g. prawn, chicken, seafood, or oyster mushroom
30 g. straw mushroom or oyster mushroom
2 c. water
3 chilies
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tomato, sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass, sliced diagonally
2 sliced galangal
3 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. roasted Tom Yum chili paste
1 coriander
1 sliced green onion

Heat water with kaffir lime, galangal, lemongrass.  Add chicken, boil until cooked.  Add mushroom, onion, tomato, and add everything else.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Green Curry

Green curry

200 grams chicken or tofu
1 tbsp green curry paste
2 thai eggplants, cut quarter
2 baby corns, carrots, or broccoli, diced
2 c. coconut milk
10 leaves sweet basil
2 kaffir lime leaves, tear the stem off
1 red chili
2 tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. oil

Put the oil in the wok over low heat, fry the curry paste until fragrant.  Add chicken and 1/2 c. coconut milk, stir until chicken is cooked.  Add the rest of the coconut milk, boil.  Add vegetables, then fish sauce and sugar, then basil, lime leaves, and chilis.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Curry Paste

Red, Yellow, or Green Curry Paste

5 dried red chilies, soaked in water
3 tbsp. chopped shallots
1 tbsp. minced garlic
50 g. chopped galangal
1/2 tbsp chopped lemongrass
1 tsp. krachai (lesser ginger)
1 tsp. shrimp paste (or salt)
1/2 tsp. chopped kaffir lime peel
1 tsp. coriander root (or stem)
1 tsp. turmeric root (or powder)

Pound together garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime peel, galangal, coriander root.  Add krachai, turmeric root, shallot, and pound well.  Add red chilis, then shrimp paste, and pound until smooth and fine.

To make yellow curry paste instead, add Indian curry powder, leave out the shrimp paste and the krachai.  To make green curry paste instead, use 15 green fresh chilis instead of red, and add them at the start instead of the end.

Source: Baan Thai cookery school, Chiang Mai, May 2010

Friday, December 3, 2010

Channa Dal

Channa Dal - Chickpeas, but not the ones in a can; the split ones that look like little yellow lentils.

1 1/2 c. Channa Dal
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 inch peeled and shredded ginger root
1 pinch salt
1 shredded green pepper
1 tbsp curry powder (hot or mild)

Wash dal, cover in water 2 inches deep, boil 20-25 minutes.  Remove from heat, set aside.  In another pan heat vegetable oil on medium.  Add mustard seeds and onion.  Fry until brown (and mustard seeds pop).  Add tomato, fry until soft, then add garlic, ginger, green pepper, curry powder, sugar, and salt.  Pour in channa dal from other pan and mix well.  Simmer 5-7 minutes.  Add water to taste.  Serve hot.

Source: directions on a package.