Easy to make Thai recipes

SOMTAM-RAW PAPAYA SALAD

Ing:
shredded raw papaya 3 cups
dry red chillies 3
cherry toms halved 1 cup
roasted and coarsely powdered peanuts 1/2 cup
tamarind pulp 2 tab
brown sugar (demerara sugar) 2 tab
soy sauce 1 tab
salt 1 tsp
lemon juice 2 tab
chopped coriander 2 tab

Method:
Peel the papaya and shred it. Split the red chillies and remove the seeds. Soak in a little water and drain and pound the chillies along with the green chilllies and garlic and make a coarse mixture.
Mix the papaya, toms and string beans and all the other ingredients and serve along with the juice that is given off while mixing.

KHAO PAD SAPPAROT (STIR FRIED RICE & 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.

For two people you need a medium sized pineapple: choose carefully it should be sweet and juicy.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pineapple
2/3 tablespoons of chopped shallots (purple onion)
1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
4/5 red chilis (approx); finely julienned.
2 spring onions (grren part), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander/cilantro (approx)
2 tablespoons of dried shrimp
2/3 tablespoons of garlic, coarsely chopped
1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

You also need two cups of cold, steamed rice and coriander leaves as garnish.

METHOD:

Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, and scoop out the fruit (you might want to use 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 tablespoon of 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.

NOTE: If you prefer fried rice to be darkish brown in colour, then replace half the fish sauce with dark sweet soy sauce.

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 mareschino cherries as garnish. This cold variant makes an excellent
counterpoint to hot curries and spicy chilli dishes on a hot day.

THAI NEWSPAPER NOODLES

Newspaper Noodles are cooked up by street vendors and wrapped in plastic, then newspaper for a portable snack or light meal.

1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 bundle (3-4 oz.) fresh soba noodles
1/4 C. bean sprouts
1 tsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 oz. roast pork or char siu
1 T. chopped cilantro
1 T. chopped green onion

Heat vegetable oil, then stir in garlic and fry over medium heat until light brown. Remove from heat.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook 30 seconds, then add bean sprouts. Cook a few seconds to blanch sprouts, then remove from heat and drain. Toss with garlic and oil mixture, fish sauce and pepper. Top with pork, cilantro and green onion.

Wrap tightly while warm in plastic wrap or a banana leaf, forming a triangular shape. Then wrap in newspaper to make a portable bundle. Serves 1.

Note: Cooked crabmeat or shrimp may be substituted for the pork.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per half cup serving: 550 calories, 23 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 410 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 46 g protein


THAI ASPARAGUS WITH CHINESE MUSHROOMS AND OYSTER SAUCE

500g (1 lb.) asparagus
50g (1 C.) dried straw mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, crushed
60ml (4 T.) oyster sauce
2 chile peppers
50ml (3 T.) oil

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes. Carefully squeeze out water and remove stems.

Trim stems from asparagus. Steam for 1 minute.

Stir fry garlic in oil for 1 minute, then add mushrooms for an additional minute. Add asparagus, oyster sauce and chili peppers. Stir fry for 3 minutes.


RED THAI CURRY (Gaeng Peht Gai)

2 (14 oz.) cans coconut milk, unshaken
2 tsp. to 1 T. red curry paste, or to taste
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken*, cut into chunks
1 small onion, cut into chunks
3 T. fish sauce
2 T. palm sugar or light brown sugar
Ginger (optional)**
Garlic (optional)**
Lemon grass (optional)**
Bamboo Shoots (optional)***
Eggplant (optional)***
Potato (optional)***
Sweet potato (optional)***
Green beans (optional)***
1/4 C. fresh basil leaves (garnish)
Fresh lime juice (garnish)
Jasmine or sticky rice

Carefully open cans of coconut milk, spoon thick coconut cream from top and put into wok, frying pan or medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbly. Add curry paste and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until an oily sheen comes to the surface. Optional additions: If adding garlic, ginger, and lemon grass to enhance the curry, add with curry paste.

Add chicken, stir to coat with curry paste, and fry 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add remaining coconut milk from cans, along with onion. Optional additions: If adding other vegetables, add with coconut milk.

Simmer gently 15 minutes or until chicken and onion are cooked. Add fish sauce and palm sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Stir in fresh basil leaves and lime juice to taste. Serve with jasmine rice or sticky rice. Yields 4 servings.

* To substitute for chicken use: 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 1 pound pork or beef, cut into thin slices; or 1 pound firm white fish, cut into serving-size pieces.

** Add one or more of the following herbs to curry paste and stir-fry: 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 slices ginger, crushed; 1 stalk lemon grass, peeled and sliced diagonally, using lower third of stalk only. Remove whole spices before serving.

*** Add one or more vegetables to curry with coconut milk just before simmering: One 8-ounce can drained, sliced bamboo shoots; 1 small eggplant, diced; one potato or sweet potato, parboiled and cut into chunks; fresh green beans.