| Thai Food Challenge Day 15 |
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This is now Day 15 of the 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. I discovered a few good curry places near my house so feeling confident I can now reach the end! For breakfast I had pad pak ruam mit kab kung (ผัดผักรวมมิตรกับกุ้ง) which is stir-fried vegetables with shrimp on rice. A nice light one for early in the morning and only 20 baht! They sell out by 10 a.m. every day. Will come here again even though it is all cold.
I bought my lunch at the curry shop from this morning when I was having breakfast there. It is penang moo (พะแนงหมู) which is penang curry with pork on rice. Again this was only 25 baht! I really like this curry and eat whenever I get an opportunity. I wasn't too worried it was cold. Getting used to that now.
For dinner I had a new dish which I haven't tried before but will definately repeat once the challenge is finished. It is Kuay tiao gai toon (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวไก่ตุ๋น) which is braised chicken noodles. I had the option to have chicken legs as well but passed on that. Maybe another time! This cost only 30 baht. Nice one.
Today I spent 75 baht on three meals. This is about $2.43. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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I have now reached the halfway point for my 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. Today is Day 14! For breakfast this morning I had kai jiao moo sup (ไข่เจียวหมูสับ) which is omelette with minced pork on rice. This was only 25 baht and a good start to the day even if they did use too much cooking oil for my liking!
Lunch was another of my favourites and similar to what I had last week. It is khao mun gai (ข้าวมันไก่) which is of course boiled chicken on rice that has been cooked in chicken stock. This shop opens early in the morning and is a popular breakfast for many people. This cost only 25 baht or I could have asked for more by saying "piset" which is another 5 baht.
For my evening meal I had a curry for the first time. This is gaeng gari neua sai fukthong (แกงกระหรี่เนื้อ ใส่ฟักทอง), which is beef curry with pumpkin. It cost 30 baht and I then bought rice at another shop for 5 baht. The typical curry shop has a row of aluminium pots on display and you have to take the lid off each one to see what they are. It is usually cold as it is cooked earlier in the day.
Today I spent 85 baht on three meals. This is about $2.75. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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| Written by Richard Barrow | | Monday, 13 September 2010 14:16 |
The three meals I had on Day 13 of my 30 day challenge are definitely ones that I won't be repeating! Not a very good day. For breakfast I had kuay tiao lui suan(ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลุยสวน) which is a vegetable roll with a spicy green sauce. I have had a kuay tiao lord before which I prefer over this one. It cost 30 baht.
For lunch I had something which turned out to be a bit of a mistake. It wasn't what I thought it was! This is sup hang hua (ซุปหางวัว) which is ox tail soup! There was a lot of fat on it and not much meat. The soup was good though. Tasted a bit like tom yum. This was an expensive 45 baht and an extra 5 baht for rice.
My evening meal was another dish which is not among my favourites. It was Khao kluk kapi (ข้าวคลุกกะปิ). This is fried rice with shrimp paste. I know some people like it a lot but I am not keen on it. This was 35 baht.
Today I spent 115 baht on three meals. This is about $3.74 which I think is the most I have spent on food in one day. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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| Written by Richard Barrow | | Sunday, 12 September 2010 13:13 |
It is now Day 12 and I'm nearly half way through my 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. For breakfast I had some more noodles. This time kuay tiao reua moo nam tok (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือหมูน้ำตก). This is boat noodles with pork. For this I had sen lek again. This was only 25 baht.
I wasn't planning to have noodles again for lunch but I came across this new dish. It iskuay tiao luk chin pla (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลูกชิ้นปลา). This is fishball noodles. There was also deep fried wonton and mince pork. I'm not keen on seafood but this dish was preferable to the blood cake earlier! This one was 30 baht.
For my evening meal I went back to Racha Market to see what I could find. I was going to have pad thai but way too many people in the queue. I then spotted a vendor who had just finished frying a big batch of tod mun pla (ทอดมันปลา). This is deep fried spicy fish cakes. This is a favourite for many people and it cost only 20 baht.
I didn't think that would be enough so I bought another of my favourites. This is hor mok pla (ห่อหมกปลา) which is a steamed fish curry in a banana cup. The curry is coconut based and is very delicious. The contents does vary so you should ask. This one cost 30 baht.
Today I spent a whopping 105 baht on three meals. This is about $3.41. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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| Written by Richard Barrow | | Saturday, 11 September 2010 13:30 |
I am now on Day 11 of the Thai Street Food Challenge. It is getting to the point where I don't really know what the next meal will be. I am also starting to have meals that I haven't had before or vary rarely. For breakfast today I had khanom bang sangkaya bai teri (ขนมปังสังขยาใบเตย). This is bread with a green custard dip made from pandanus leaves. I bought this the night before and it is sold tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. A nice light meal for breakfast that cost 20 baht.
For lunch I visited the vendors near the City Pillar in Paknam. I will probably be coming back here a few times for their rice dishes. Today I had pad prik gaeng moo (ผัดพริกแกงหมู). This is Stir-fried pork with red curry paste. You can also see green beans. I like cooking this one myself. This cost 30 baht.
For dinner tonight I went for another noodle dish as I haven't finished them all yet. This one is Kuay tiao ped (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเป็ด) which is a duck noodle soup. This time I decided not to have sen lek and go for baa mee instead. This cost the usual 30 baht for the bowl. Drinks were free.
Today I spent 80 baht on three meals. This is about $2.59. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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| Written by Richard Barrow | | Friday, 10 September 2010 13:29 |
I am still going strong on my 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. I have now reached Day 10. I still don't know what I will eat from meal to meal. For breakfast I bought some khao niew moo ping (ข้าวเหนียวหมูปิ้ง), sticky rice with grilled pork on skewers. These are five baht each and the sticky rice was 5 baht too. So, I paid 30 baht for breakfast today.
The noodle soup I had today was quite good. It was kuay tiao neua (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว เนื้อ), beef noodles. This cost 30 baht. As usual you can choose which noodles that you want with this dish. I chose "sen lek" again. I guess next time I should order "sen mee" though I don't like that one so much.
For dinner I had a rice dish which is seen a lot around here. Though there are some variations which I will try later. This is khao kha moo (ข้าวขาหมู), which is stewed pork leg on rice. It cost 30 baht. It is another of those dishes that I hardly eat but I think I might after this challenge.
Today I spent 90 baht on three meals. This is about $2.92. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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| Written by Richard Barrow | | Thursday, 09 September 2010 14:24 |
I am now on Day 9 of my 30 day challenge. Still a long way to go! For breakfast this morning I had salapao (ซาลาเปา) which are Chinese steamed buns. These were 10 baht each. They have different ingredients inside so you need to ask them "sai arai". This one has Sai tua dum (ไส้ถั่วดำ) and Sai moo deang (ไส้หมูแดง) which is mung bean and red pork.
There are still a few more noodle dishes to go which I haven't tried yet. For lunch today I had kuay tiao gai mara (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวไก่มะระ), which is chicken noodle with bitter gourd. It was quite tasty. I don't think I have ever had it before. It was only 25 baht.
Where I live there is a mosque nearby and we get a few Muslim dishes around here. My dinner tonight was an old favourite, mataba neua (มะตะบะ เนื้อ) with beef. This is a deep fried pastry which this shop fills with chicken, beef or banana. The beef was 25 baht but the chicken is only 20 baht.
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This is now the start of my second week of the Thai Street Food Challenge. On the morning of day 8 I bought some moo satay (หมูสะเต๊) for breakfast. These are pork but it is also possible to get beef. This can either be a meal or a snack depending on how hungry you are. They cost 3 baht each so I spent 30 baht on this meal. I have seen some places sell them at 2 baht a stick.
Lunch today was one of my favourites from a shop not too far from my house. It is rat naa mee grob (ราดหน้า หมี่กรอบ) which is crispy egg noodles in a thick gravy with pork. I sometimes have sen yai with it which is the wide noodles. The same shop does my favourite pad si ew which I had last week. This dish was 30 baht.
The evening meal was a bit like a hybrid. It is called pad thai hor kai (ผัดไทห่อไข่)which is a cross between the popular pad thai dish and an omelette! It is basically pan fried noodles wrapped in an omelette. The price was 35 baht.
Today I spent 95 baht on three meals. This is about $3.06. It is slightly over my daily average so far of $2.78. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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I have now come to the end of the first week of my 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. For my breakfast this morning I had an old favourite called khanom krok(ขนมครก). This is a kind of coconut pudding that is often sold in the morning piping hot. It doesn't look much but I found it filling. This was only 10 baht for the box!
For lunch I had another one of my favourites. It is called khao mok gai (ข้าวหมกไก่), which is chicken on yellow rice. The yellow comes from turmeric. You often find it at the same store selling khao mun gai. My local store is run by Muslims. They often run out byu about 2 p.m. This cost only 25 baht.
For my dinner I had khao moo grob (ข้าวหมูกรอบ). This is crispy pork on rice. I bought it at Taiban Circle at the same stall where I bought khao moo daeng the other day. This one was also 30 baht.
Today I spent 65 baht on three meals. This is about $2.08. In my first week of the food challenge I spent a whopping 608 baht on food ($19.50)! You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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This is now the sixth day of my 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. Finding a good breakfast is certainly proving to be challenging. Not that I don't like my choice for today, it is just that I don't normally eat something spicy so early in the morning. For breakfast today I had Yum pla dook foo (ยำปลาดุกฟู). This is fried catfish in a spicy salad. Very delicious. I bought it last night at Racha Market for only 25 baht.
I was planning on having som tam for lunch at my favourite stall but he was closed. So, I decided to buy khao pad gai (ข้าวผัดไก่) at my local food shop. An easy meal of fried rice with chicken. This cost 30 baht. It is served with cucumber.
I wasn't planning on having any dessert, but as I was walking back from the food shop I passed a cart selling a favourite Thai dessert of mine. It is khanom tuay (ขนมถ้วย). It is made from coconut milk and flour. The green comes from the pandanus leaf which is used a lot around here. When buying you ask how much they are each then you say how much money you want to spend. These were 2 baht each so I asked for 10 baht's worth.
I am afraid I cannot bring you pictures of any Thai Street food for the evening meal. I was planning on eating pad thai at Taiban Circle tonight but I got invited to the World Gourmet Festival at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok. I am not sure if I really cheated as I didn't pay. Can I just pretend I was too full to eat anything when I got back? Click here to see my iPhone pictures of the meal at the Four Seasons. I will add an extra meal on the end to make up for this.
Today I spent 65 baht on two meals. That is about $2.08. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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I have now reached the fifth day of my 30 day Thai Street Food Challenge. Today I had something a bit more traditional for breakfast though I couldn't actually find anyone around here selling it! I had to buy it last night in a food shop in Taiban. It is Khao Tom(ข้าวต้มเครื่อง). This basically translates as rice soup. On the food cart I had a choice of extras like pork, chicken or fish. Prices ranged from 30 baht to 50 baht. I had the 30 baht meal with pork khao tom moo (ข้าวต้มหมู). They gave me a packet of dried chilli and sugar which I added after I took this picture.
For lunch I had some noodles from a local shop. This is similar to one I had before though this version has clear soup. It is called kuay jub nam sai (ก๋วยจั๊บน้ำใส). It has pork giblets as well as the noodles. This cost 30 baht which seems to be the average for a street side meal these days.
This evening I went to Racha Market where I am always spoilt for choice. There are about 50 or so food carts here starting from about 4 p.m. Today I had hoi tod (หอยทอด) which is mussels fried in a batter. They also add an egg to the mixture. I don't normally eat this dish as I don't like mussels, but this one was alright. It cost 30 baht.
On the walk home I stopped to buy some roti sai kai (โรตี ใส่ไข่) which is a normal roti with an egg added. The roti normally costs 3-5 baht each. You can see a pile of them on the left of this picture. To add an egg costs 8 baht. She also put on it condensed milk and sugar so quite sweet. Delicious too. But I shouldn't make a habit of this.
Today I spent 98 baht on street food for three meals. That is about $3.14. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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I am now on the fourth day of the Thai Street Food Challenge. The rainy season is not the best time of year to do this challenge! Woke up to rain this morning but had to go out to find some street food. Nothing locally so had to go further away. For breakfast today I had ba mee tom yum (บะหมี่ ต้มยำ) which is egg noodles in a spicy soup. I bought this at a group of food vendors next to the city pillar. They advertised it as being "boran" meaning "old style" or "authentic". It was alright but I prefer cooking my own version! This one was 30 baht.
For lunch I had something a bit spicy. It is pad kee mao (ผัดขี้เมา). I had a choice between having it served on rice or with noodles. A translation of the latter is "drunken noodles"! Apparently this spicy meal is good to have after a heavy nights drinking. It cost 30 baht and I bought it at a food shop near my house.
For my evening meal I headed to Taiban Circle where there are always a lot of food stalls that come out in the late afternoon. I chose yen ta foh ta-lay (เย็นตาโฟทะเล) which is noodles in a red soup with seafood. Incidentally, I don't really like eating seafood dishes that much but will have to get used to it for this challenge! You can choose the type of noodle to go with it. I chose "sen lek". My favourite type is "ba mee". This was 30 baht. Before I forget, when you eat at a food stall, the water in the jugs on the table is free but they might charge you 2 baht for the ice.
Today I spent 90 baht on street food for three meals. That is about $2.88. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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This is the third day of my Thai Street Food Challenge. For breakfast this morning I was able to have a more traditional Thai breakfast. It is johk (โจ้ก). This is thick rice soup or congee. Although some shops sell it only in the morning, locally they sell 6-10 a.m., you should be able to find it at any time of day or night. This one came with pork which is common. They usually also add to this some liver, chopped spring onion and thin slices of ginger. This is done in front of you so easy to ask them to leave anything out. To add a raw egg is an extra 5 baht. So, this breakfast was only 20 baht.
Lunch today is a bit spicy for some people but it is still a favourite. It is pad gra pao moo sup kai dao (ผัดกระเพราหมูสับไข่ดาว) which is minced pork stirfried with chilli and basil. For 5 baht extra you can add a fried egg (kai dao). This dish was 30 baht. I often cook this one myself at home. It is not that difficult.
My dinner tonight was gai tod (ไก่ทอด). Thai people love to have fried chicken. That is why KFC is so popular. But you can get just as good fried chicken on the streets at a cheaper price. My local Muslim vendor is very popular and it doesn't take him long to sell out. This dish was 30 baht.
To go with my fried chicken, I bought a salad from a nearby vendor. The Thais use the same word as us. They sell them in plastic bags. Sometimes you get a hard boiled egg or some pieces of chicken. You also get some kind of salad cream. Seems to be more popular these days. This was 25 baht.
Today I spent 105 baht on street food for three meals. That is about $3.38. You can now follow my food challenge on a google map.
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For my second day, I had something for breakfast that I wouldn't normally have. But, it is something I will have to get used to! I bought this the night before near Paolo Memorial Hospital. It is kuay jub nam kon (ก๋วยจั๊บ) which is noodle soup with boiled giblets. This dish has various pork giblets in a soy sauce gravy. They also sell a version with clear soup. As you can see there is also a hardboiled egg. This cost 30 baht. It was alright but a bit too much for breakfast!
Lunch today was bought at one of my favourite shops for this dish. It is not easy to write this in Roman letters but it is pad si ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว) which is noodles pan fried in dark soy sauce. There is also pork, an egg and vegetables. When you order you have to choose which kind of noodles that you want. I like the wide noodles which are called "sen yai". This was 30 baht.
For dinner this evening I went to Taiban Circle where there are many stalls set up in the late afternoon. I think I will be coming back here quite a few times. The meal I had was khao moo daeng (ข้าวหมูแดง) which is red pork on rice. You sometimes get a few slices of a hard boiled egg but none at this stall. This cost 30 baht. |
| Noodle Rolls with Dried Shrimp (guay tiew lord)
ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหลอด This is a simple side dish that you can do as an appetizer. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see wide noodles, a mixture of chicken, tofu and garlic, bean sprouts, dried shrimp and sliced egg in the middle. Prepare the mixture first by finely grinding cilantro root, garlic and pepper. Heat some oil in a wok and when it is hot add the mixture and cook until the garlic is nearly golden brown. Add the minced chicken and stir-fry until cooked. Next add the tofu and dried shrimp. Season with equal amounts of soya bean sauce and sweet soya sauce. Blanch the bean sprouts in hot water until soft. Beat the eggs and then fry it in a wok so that it is very thin. Roll it up and then slice the egg thinly so that it looks shredded. Put a spoonful of the mixture, together with the bean sprouts and egg, onto the wide noodle and roll it up. Use a sharp knife to cut across the roll without going through to the other side. Come back to www.thai-blogs.com next week for another Thai food blog.
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| Salty Fried Prawns (kung tod khem)
กุ้งทอดเค็ม This is a simple dish of salty fried prawns, or "kung tod khem" in Thai. You can see the salty prawns in the picture below. Preparation is simple for this dish. Wash the prawns and then place them in a bowl where you need to rub them with salt. While you are heating up the oil, let them sit for a few minutes. Once the oil is hot enough, deep fry them until they are a rich golden red colour. Come back to www.thai-blogs.com next week for another Thai Food Blog. |
| Fried Pomfret (pla jalamet khao tod)
ปลาจาระเม็ดขาวทอด This is a nice simple dish called Fried Pomfret, or "pla jalamet khao tod" in Thai. In the picture below, you can see the pomfret fish and the tapioca flour. Wash and clean the fish and then scour it on both sides. Next rub in the tapioca flour. Heat up some deep oil in the pan and when hot enough, fry the fish on both sides until golden brown. Serve with fresh vegetables and a dip made from hot chillies, shallots and an equal amount of lime juice and fish sauce. Come back to www.Thai-Blogs.com next week for another Thai Food Blog.
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| Written by Richard Barrow | | Friday, 28 August 2009 00:43 | Stir Fried Asparagus and Mushrooms is a good accompanying dish that you can have with a curry. In Thai it is called "phat aetsaparakat gup het hom". It is not spicy and is simple to cook. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see shiitake mushrooms, two garlic cloves and chopped asparagus.  Pepare the asparagus first by taking off the outer skin and washing them. Dip them briefly into boiling water and then into cold water. If you are using dry shiitake mushrooms then you need to soak them in water first until soft. If you are using fresh mushrooms like us, you just need to trim them and wash in water. Heat some oil in a wok and add the crushed garlic, frying until golden brown. Next add the mushrooms. Stir for a minute or so and then add quarter of a cup of chicken stock, half a tablespoon of light soy sauce and a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Now add the asparagus. To thicken the sauce, add some tapioca flour that has already been mixed with some water. Give it a good stir and then remove from the heat. Come back to www.thai-blogs.com next week for another Thai Food Blog.
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| Spring Rolls (por pia tod)
ปอเปี๊ยะทอด I think spring rolls are a favourite appetizer for many people. In Thai it is called "por pia tod". The ingredients do vary but in our picture below you can see, spring roll sheets, mungbean noodles, chopped garlic, minced pork, bean sprouts, white cabbage and an egg in the middle.  Soak the mungbean noodles in water until they are soft. Then cut them into short lengths. Mix together the pork, egg, finely sliced cabbage, beansprouts and noodles. Add a tablespoon of light soy sauce. Fry the crushed garlic in hot oil until golden brown and then add the pork mixture. Set aside. Put a spoonful of the mixture onto a spring roll sheet. Fold over the mixture then roll it about half a turn. Tuck in the ends and then finish rolling it and seal it with a wheat flour paste. While you are preparing the spring rolls, heat an inch of oil in a wok. Once hot, deep fry the spring rolls until golden brown. Server it with a sweet chilli sauce. Come back next week to www.thai-blogs.com for another Thai Food Blog. |
| Chicken and Wax Gourd Curry (gaeng khua fak gub gai)
แกงคั่วฟักกับไก่ This is one of my favourite curries that I cook every now and then. It is Chicken and wax gourd curry or "gaeng khua fak gub gai" in Thai. You cook it in much the same way as other red curries but there is an extra step with the wax gourd. You can see these at the top of the ingredients picture below. You can also see coconut milk, sliced red chilli, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind, palm sugar, sliced chicken and red curry paste in the middle.  You need to prepare the wax gourd first by peeling it, slice it several times lengthways, remove the seeds and then finally cut into one inch chunks. Heat up the coconut cream in a wok for several minutes and then add the red curry paste. Add some coconut milk if it starts to dry out. Add the sliced chicken and cook until it is nearly done. Transfer to a deeper pot, and add another cup of coconut milk together with the wax gourd. Once the wax gourd is cooked, season with equal amounts of tamarind juice, sugar and fish sauce. You can use lime juice if you don't have any tamarind. Add the torn kaffir lime leaves and red spur chilli before turning off the heat. Come back next week to www.thai-blogs.com for more Thai Food Blogs. If you have any questions then feel free to post in our Thai Food Forums.
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| Spicy Bacon and Eggs (yum kai dao bacon)
ยำไข่ดาวเบคอน This week we are cooking spicy bacon and eggs which is "yum kai dao bacon" in Thai. Usually a "yum" is a spicy salad that is mixed in a bowl but this one is a bit different. It is a bit like a Thai version of the English breakfast "egg and bacon". In the ingredients pictured below, you can see onion, 3 eggs, lime and red chilli on the left and two rashers of bacon on the right. We also used fish sauce.  Heat up some oil in a wok. When Thai people cook egg they usually use a lot of oil and then only add the eggs once the oil is hot. While this is heating up, crack three eggs into a bowl but don't beat them. If you have time, then prepare the sauce. Use equal amounts of fish sauce and lime juice, say two tablespoons, and about a teaspoon of sugar. Stir this until the sugar dissolves. Chop the red chilli up and add it to your sauce. Once the oil is hot enough then add the eggs. Cook until the egg yolk goes hard. There is no need to flip it over as the oil should be deep enough to take care of this. Set this aside and then fry the bacon until crispy. Place your egg onto a plate and slice it up. Put on top the uncooked onion rings and crispy bacon. Then pour on top of it all the chilli sauce.
| Grilled Beef Salad (yum neua yaang)
ยำเนื้อย่าง The Thai version of a salad, or "yum" can be spicy so be careful if you don't like your meals hot. This is Grilled Beef Salad or "yum neua yaang" in Thai. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see grilled beef, chopped onion, spring onion, tomatoes, cucumber and a lime. You can also see coriander and mint leaves. In the center is some green chili in a sauce containing fish sauce, lemon juice and sugar. The first step is to grill the beef until cooked and then cut it into thin slices. Next you need to mix all your ingredients together in a large bowl. This includes the sliced beef, cucumber, tomato, onion and the chilli sauce that I mentioned earlier. Tip out onto a plate and add a sprig of mint leaf and coriander leaves. |
| Fried Wonton (giew tod)
เกี๊ยวทอด I like eating wonton with my noodle soup. Just as delicious are these fried wontons that you can often find around town. It comes with a sweet chilli dip. In the ingredients below you can see minced pork, coriander and garlic, an egg and chopped onion, and some slices of wonton. The folding is a little tricky but you should get the hang of it after some practice. Make sure that you chop up all the ingredients so that it is very small. In a bowl, mix together the minced pork, onion, garlic and the corriander. Beat an egg and slowly add this to the mixture. Season with fish sauce (salt if you don't like the smell) and some pepper. Next comes the tricky part. You need about spoonful of the mixture and put into the middle of the wonton slice. Fold in half to make a triangle and then bring the two corners together. You can use egg yolk to help seal it if you like. Now add them to a pan of hot oil. |
| Stuffed Omelet (khai yat sai)
ไข่ยัดไส้ One of my favourite dishes in Thailand that isn't spicy is "stuffed omelet" or "khai yat sai" in Thai. It is a little tricky making the egg envelope. It works best with a big wok and a gas flame. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see carrots, onion, minced pork, tomato, coconut milk, 4 eggs and peas in the middle. Make sure that everything is chopped up small. You can also use garlic if you like.  Heat some oil up in the wok and then add the minced pork. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the carrots, onions, peas and tomatoes. Season with light soy sauce, oyster sauce and a pinch of pepper and salt. If it tastes too salty then add some sugar. When cooked put to one side. Heat some oil in a wok again making sure that the sides heat up as well. Beat the eggs together with some coconut milk. Once the wok is hot enough, pour a small amount of egg into the wok and tip it back and forth in order produce a thin layer all around the wok. Once it is nearly done, add several spoonfuls of your minced pork mixture. Now comes the hard part of wrapping this up and making a kind of parcel. |
| Fried Spare-ribs Marinated in Pineapple Juice (si-khrong moo thot)
ซี่โครงหมูทอด The dish we are cooking this week is Fried Spare-ribs marinated in pineapple juice. In Thai it is called "si-khrong moo thot". It is not really much of a traditional Thai dish but I see it a lot on menus at restaurants. In the picture of the ingredients below you can see spareribs at the top and garlic and black pepper on the left with pineapple juice on the right. Prepare the spare-ribs first by washing them and cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Next marinate them in fresh pineapple juice for about half an hour. While this is marinating, prepare a mixture of dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, crushed garlic, black pepper, sugar and ground coriander seeds. Then rub this into the spare-ribs and leave to marinate for a while longer. Prepare your wok with about an inch of oil. Once it is hot add the spare ribs a few at a time until golden brown. Serve on a plate with some lettuce and fresh pineapple. |
| Last year, I wrote a short blog with pictures about How to Eat Dragon Fruit. It proved to be quite popular with people searching on Google. The bright pink fruit is not native to Thailand and can be found in other regions of the world. I enjoy eating this fruit though in the supermarkets of Bangkok it can be expensive at about 40 to 60 baht a kilo depending on the time of year. The main season is May to October when you will find it at a cheaper price. One of the main growing regions for dragon fruit in Thailand is Chanthaburi where I am now. We were driving down the road yesterday when I spotted this dragon fruit orachard. The fruit doesn't grow on a tree but on a cactus that likes to grow up a wall or a pillar as in this picture. The cactus has a bright yellow flower that I am told only fully flowers at night-time. By morning it starts to wilt as you can see here. This then develops into the green fruit which you can see in the picture below. Finally it turns red when it is nearly ready to harvest. In town I saw them selling this fruit for 10-15 baht a kilo. I haven't made an effort to grow one yet though I will try when I get back. There are apparently two options. One is to grow from a cutting of the cactus. The second way is to use the black seeds inside the fruit. It should be fairly easy to find this plant in town but I will also try growing from seed.
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| Deep-fried Prawn in Red Curry (chu-chee koong tod)
ฉู่ฉี่กุ้งทอด The Thai dish this week is Deep-fried Prawn in Red Curry or "chu-chee koong tod". The word "chu-chee" comes from the sound when you put something into hot oil. If you don't have prawn you could use fish, pork or chicken as an alternative. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see shredded kaffir lime leaves, green chillies, palm sugar and red curry paste on the left, fresh shrimp in the middle, and coconut milk and flour on the right.  There are two stages to cooking this dish. First you need to mix the flour and water equally to make a batter. Dip the prawns into this batter and then deep fry them until golden brown. Set aside on some tissue paper. Next, heat some vegetable oil up in a pan and stir fry the red curry paste. Add some coconut milk so that it doesn't dry out. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. This is a careful balance so you need to adjust to your own taste. The red curry paste is then poured into the serving dish. Add the fried prawns and sprinkle with shredded kaffir lime leaves and either green or red spur chilli |
| Stuffed-Squid Soup (gaeng jeut plaa meuk yat sai)
แกงจืดปลาหมึกยัดไส้ Today we have a plain soup for you called "gaeng jeut plaa meuk yat sai". If you like seafood and don't like it to be spicy then you might like this. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see coriander, spring onion, minced pork mixture and washed squid. You first need to wash and clean the squid. Then prepare the stuffing with a mortar and pestle. Gently pound together the pepper and garlic and then mix in the minced pork, soy sauce and one egg. In the meantime, bring a pot of stock to the boil. Add the stuffed squid and cook until done. Add the chopped coriander and spring onion. Season with soy sauce to match your taste. Sprinkle on top some fried garlic.
| Stir-fried Chicken with Garlic Plant (gai phat ton gra-thiam)
ไก่ผัดต้นกระเทียม The Thai food recipe we have for you this week is Stir-fried Chicken with Garlic Plant. In Thai it is called "gai phat ton gra-thiam". As you can see in the picture below, there are only two main ingredients: chicken and garlic plant. This needs to be sliced diagonally and washed. Heat some oil up in a pan and when it is hot add the chicken. Add some stock so that it doesn't dry out. When it is nearly cooked add the garlic plant. Season with oyster sauce and light soy sauce. To thicken the sauce, you need to add an equal amount of corn starch and water. Taste again |
Stuffed Fried Squid (plaa meuk yat sai tod)
ปลาหมึกยัดไส้ทอด Where we live in Paknam, it is close to the sea, so we have access to a large variety of seafood. Today we will show you how to cook "pla meuk yat sai tod". Our version here is stuffed with minced pork. In the picture of the ingredients below, you can see the washed squid on the right and the minced pork mixture on the left. You need to wash the squid thoroughly and then slice it open at one end. Next, use a mortar and pestle to gently pound garlic, black pepper and the minced pork. We also added soy sauce and an egg to this mixture. This was then stuffed into the squid. We then used a matchstick to close the end and then deep fried it in hot oil. For the sauce we used bottled chilli sauce. But, you could also make one using a combination of vinegar, sugar, salt and spur chillies. Put the first three ingredients in a pot and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the spur chilli and keep stirring until it thicken. |
| On the first day of every month, we have the Paknam Food Festival in our town down by the river. During the recent event they promoted the sale of traditional Thai food. One of my favourites is this glutinous rice dessert that contains a banana and black eye peas. In Thai it is called "khao tom mad" or sometimes "khao tom pad". Other ingredients include thick coconut cream, salt and sugar. It is wrapped in banana leaves and tied together with thin strips of bamboo. Everything is natural and certainly beats the modern practice of using foam boxes as containers.  Here is a brief outline on how to cook. Wash the long grain glutinous rice and then soak in water for three hours. In the meantime, mix thick coconut cream, salt and sugar together and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add this to the rice. Next put this mixture into a pot over a low heat and stir until it dries out. Next, put some mixture onto a sheet of banana leaves. Place on top some black eye peas and the ripe banana. Then add some more rice mixture. Wrap this up in the banana leaves. Tie two of these packages together. Finally, steam them for two hours.
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| Tom Yum Mushroom Soup (tom yum het sot)
ต้มยำเห็ดสด There are many different kinds of "tom yum" though for me I prefer "tom yum kung" which comes with fresh shrimp. This one is called "tom yum het sot" which is the sour and spicy soup with three kinds of mushrooms. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see, from the top, lemon grass, galangal, Chinese celery, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, rice-straw mushrooms and kaffir lime leaves. I cook tom yum nearly every week as it is supposed to be good for your health. I normally use chicken and one kind of mushroom. Lately I have been cooking "egg noodle tom yum" a lot which I will share with you later.  Put some water in a pot and add the sliced galangal, lemon grass, kaffir limes leaves and chillies. You need to tear the kaffir limes leaves and not cut them. Once it comes to the boil add the three kinds of mushrooms. Season with sugar and light soy sauce. Once everything is cooked, add the celery and turn off the heat. Finally add the lime juice. You need to taste it to make sure that you have a good balance. |
| Crispy Egg Salad (yum khai foo)
ยำไข่ฟู This week we have a crispy egg salad for you which is called "yum khai foo" in Thai. In the ingredients pictured below, you have on the left onion, bird eye chilli, palm sugar, tomatoes and two eggs. On the right you can see carrots, lime, Chinese celery and blanched ground pork. You can also add some garlic. To cook you need to fry the egg first until crispy. Take it out and drain on some tissue before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Mix together bird eye chillies, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Lightly crush it with the flat blade of the knife. Next add the blanched ground pork, sliced onions, tomatoes and carrots and mix it well. Finally add the sliced egg and chopped Chinese celery. We will have another Thai Food Recipe for you next week . |
| Chu Chee Tofu (chu chee tao-hoo)
ฉู่ฉี่เต้าหู้ Today we have another vegetarian dish. It is Chu Chee Tofu or "chu chee tao-hoo" in Thai. As you probably know, tofu is often used as a meat substitute in many Thai dishes. In many cases, the finished product looks like the "real thing". In the ingredients below you can see the red curry paste and coconut milk at the top, white tofu on the right and red chilli, palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves on the left. You can use yellow tofu if you like which you will find to be a little saltier.  Cut the tofu into slices much like you do for a cake. Fry this in a pan of oil. Next, heat some coconut cream in a pan until the oil surfaces. Add the red curry paste. Stir it well. You may need to add a bit more coconut milk in order to make a smooth paste. Season it with light soy sauce and palm sugar. Next, add the fried tofu and some more coconut milk. If it is too salty then add some more sugar and coconut milk. I haven't said how much seasoning as it is normal to adjust to your own taste. Finish by adding the kaffir lime leaves and spur chilli. We pre-fried the kaffir lime leaves but you don't need to do that.
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| Fried Battered Mushrooms (het naang fah chub bpaeng tod)
เห็ดนางฟ้าชุบแป้งทอด Today we have a simple dish called Fried Battered Mushrooms or "het naang fah chub bpaeng tod" in Thai. As you can see in the picture below, there are only two basic ingredients. On the left there is a pack of tempura flour and on the right oyster mushrooms. Cooking is of course very simple. Wash the mushrooms then set them aside to drain. Mix the flour with an equal amount of water. Some people also add an egg. Dip the mushrooms into the batter one at a time and then fry them in hot oil until golden brown. This is best served with chilli sauce.
| Fried Shrimp with Basil Leaves (pad grapao goong)
ผัดกระเพรากุ้ง Some people might find the dish this week a bit too spicy, but it is not unbearable. It is Fried Shrimp with basil leaves or "pad grapao goong" in Thai. You could also cook it with chicken if you like. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see holy basil leaves and shrimp on the left and bird's eye chillies and garlic cloves on the right. You need to prepare the chilli and garlic cloves first by pounding them with a mortar and pestle. Heat some oil in a wok and when it is hot, add the chilli mixture. When it becomes fragrant add the shrimps that have already been prepared. Stir well so that everything is well combined. Season with fish sauce and sugar. You could use oyster sauce if you like. Don't cook for too long. At the end, add the basil leaves and give a good stir. |
| Stir-fried Beans and Mushrooms (thua khaek pat het)
ถั่วแขกผัดเห็ด It is good to have some vegetarian dishes every now and then. This is another good example that is also not spicy. It is Stir-fried beans and mushrooms or "thua khaek pat het" in Thai. As you can see in the ingredients below, there are two different kinds of mushrooms. Starting from the top, you have rice-straw mushrooms, carrots, bean curd skin, green beans and shiitake mushrooms in the center. There are a few things you need to do first to prepare for this dish before you can start cooking. Firstly, you need to soak the shiitake mushrooms in water overnight in order to soften them. The bean curd skin is often bought dried so you need to soak this in water for about thirty minutes. Once you are all ready, heat some oil in the wok and when it is hot enough, add the mushrooms, beans, carrots and bean curd skin. You will also need to add some water so that it doesn't dry out. Season with sugar and soy sauce.
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| Stir-fried Bitter Gourd and Egg (pad ma-ra sai khai)
ผัดมะระใส่ไข่ Today we are cooking a stir-fried dish with bitter gourd and egg. In Thai it is called "pad ma-ra sai khai". It is another one of those simple dishes that doesn't take long to prepare or cook. In the ingredients shown below, you can see two eggs and sliced bitter gourd. You need to prepare the bitter gourd first by washing it and then slicing it in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the insides and then cut into slices like in the picture above. Heat some oil in the work and then add the sliced bitter gourd. Cook until it becomes tender. Season with light soy sauce and oyster sauce. I only had normal soy sauce so hence the darker look. Finish by breaking the eggs into the wok. Give it a good stir until the egg is cooked through. |
| Mung Bean Noodles Spicy Salad (yum wun-sen)
ยำวุ้นเส้น This is a Thai salad that uses mung bean noodles (wun sen) and minced pork. In Thai it is called "yum wun-sen". You can also add fresh shrimp but we didn't have any in stock. You might find this a little spicy but it is up to you how many chillies you add. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see chopped onion, red chilli, lime, roasted peanuts, mung bean noodles, cooked minced pork, spring onion and chopped tomatoes in the middle. You need to prepare the noodles by first soaking them in cold water for ten minutes and then briefly dipping them into boiling water. Then back to the cold water. Then drain them. Mix the noodles together with the minced pork that has already been well cooked. Add some crushed red chillies. Season with an equal combination of fish sauce and lemon juice. Taste it first and then add sugar for the desired amount. Sprinkle on top the spring onion and roasted peanuts.
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| Boiled Stuffed Bitter Gourd (gaeng jeut ma-ra yat sai)
แกงจืดมะระยัดไส้ This week we have another plain soup for you which isn't spicy. It is called Boiled Stuffed Bitter Gourd or "gaeng jeut ma-ra yat sai" in Thai. I am not too fond of bitter gourds but it is apparently good for your health and is used a lot in natural medicines. I have to be honest and admit that we cheated a little today. I bought this as a pack at Tesco Lotus for 25 baht. Sometimes it is easier and cheaper as nothing is wasted. All you have to do is cook! In the picture of the ingredients below, you can see bitter gourds stuffed with a mixture of minced pork, mung bean noodles (wun-sen) and carrots. On the right there is carrots, stock cube and Chinese soup celery.  Wash the bitter gourd and then cut it into three inch sections. Remove the insides with a fork. Next prepare the pork mixture. Soak the wun sen in cold water. Mix this with the minced pork and chopped carrots and season with a little fish sauce. Stuff this inside the bitter gourds. Place them carefully in a pot and add some stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until the bitter gourd is tender. Add the Chinese soup celery to the soup once you start simmering. Taste the stock and add more fish sauce if you like. |
| If you live in Samut Prakan then you might be interested in the Paknam Seafood and Trade Fair. It is going on from now until Saturday 4th April 2009. It is taking place in the area in front of the city hall, alongside the river. They have a large stage set up for concerts during the evening with dining tables set up in front of it. Down one side are rows of food vendors. More than half the stalls in the city hall area are clothing and household goods. The rest are food. There are also rides for the kids like merry go round. If you are in the area then it is certainly worth visiting. It is open from late afternoon. |
| Stir Fried Baby Kale and Pork (pat kha-naa aon moo)
ผัดคะน้าอ่อนหมู We seem to be doing a lot of stir-fried dishes recently. These are popular throughout Asia as they are both easy to cook and also to adapt according to what ingredients you have. Today we are cooking Stir Fired Baby Kale and Pork. In the picture below, you can see pork, garlic and baby kale. This is not as tough as the bigger version so you don't need to discard so much of the stem. To cook, fry the crushed garlic in your wok until golden brown. Next add the pork that has already been cut up into bite sized pieces. Finally comes the baby kale. Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce and some sugar if you insist. Make sure that you don't overcook so that the kale is still a little crunchy.
| Mung Bean Noodle Soup (dtom jeut wun-sen moo sap)
ต้มจืดวุ้นเส้นหมูสับ This is a plain soup that contains mung bean noodles (wun-sen) and pork. In Thai it is called "dtom jeut wun-sen moo sap". In the ingredients below, you can see mung bean noodles, pork balls, chopped spring onion and chicken stock cube in the middle. The transparent noodles are usually sold in dried form. You have to soak them in water first for about ten minutes. While you are waiting for the water to boil in a pot, prepare the pork balls by mixing the meat with crushed garlic, pepper and a little oyster sauce. Roll into balls. Once the water is hot enough, drop the pork balls carefully into the pot. Boil until nearly cooked. You might need to skim off any of the scum that might surface. When the water is clear, add the stock, mung bean noodles and the spring onions. Season with fish sauce. |
| Wax Gourd Soup with Pickled Lime (fuk toon ma-nao dong)
ฟักตุ๋นมะนาวดอง This is a simple dish that can be cooked for vegetarians as well without the chicken. It is called "fuk toon ma-nao dong" or Wax Goud Soup with Pickled Lime. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see chicken, mushroom, wax gourd and pickled lime in the middle. You need to prepare the wax gourd by peeling and then cutting in half. Remove the seeds and membrane. Now cut into large chunks as in the picture. Put some stock in a pot and then add the chicken first. Next comes the wax gourd and mushrooms. You can also add coriander roots and garlic. Once it looks nearly ready, add the pickled lime. Season with soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. It should have a salty and sour taste. It is best to serve this hot. |
| Dried Beef in Coconut Milk (neua pad kati)
เนื้อผัดกะทิ The dish today is called Dried Beef in coconut Milk, or "neua pad kati". You are supposed to prepare the beef first by drying it with salt. Then roasting it until done. Next you are supposed to pound it to separate the fibres. As you can see from the picture of the ingredients below, we just used salted dried beef. Other ingredients are red shallots, palm sugar and tamarind paste. Here you can see the fruit but you can use the bottled version instead. To cook is very simple. Heat the coconut milk up in a wok. Add the dried beef and stir well. Season with fish sauce, palm sugar and the tamarind paste. The latter will give it a sour taste. Keep stirring until the coconut milk dries out. Finally add the chopped shallots. That's it. A nice dish which isn't spicy. |
| Chicken Stir Fried with Ginger (gai pad khing)
ไก่ผัดขิง The dish we have for you today is chicken fried with ginger. You can also do it with pork. In the ingredients below, you can see spring onion, onion, straw mushroom, chicken, ear mushroom and ginger in the middle. The seasoning we used was oyster sauce, fish sauce and fermented soy bean sauce. Prepare everything in advance as stir-frying is very quick. Cut the chicken and mushrooms to bite size. Fry the crushed garlic until it is golden brown. Add the chicken. Next comes the ginger followed closely by the two types of mushrooms. Season with sugar, oyster sauce and fermented soy bean sauce. If it doesn't taste saltier enough then you can add some fish sauce. Finish with the spring onion and the onion. Don't overcook as it is best to have it a little crunchy. |
| Stir Fried Kale and Carrots (pad ka naa kae rot)
ผัดคะน้าแครอท This is another one of those simple stir fried dishes. This one is based around kale which is a green leafy vegetable. It is believed to have anti-cancer properties so a good idea to have it in your diet. In the ingredients photo below, you can see carrots, garlic, kale stalks, kale leaves and chicken in the middle. You can use mushrooms instead of carrots. You can also make this a vegetarian dish. The kale is separated like this because the stalks will need to be cooked for slightly longer. You might like to use baby kale if the stalks of this one is too tough. Heat some oil in a wok and add the chopped garlic. Cook until golden brown. Next add the chicken that has already been cut into bite size pieces. A few minutes later add the kale stalks first and the carrots. Follow this with the leaves. Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Add stock if it starts to dry out. Don't fry for too long if you like crispy vegetables like me. |
| Stir Fried Prawns and Snow Peas (pad thua lun tao goong)
ผัดถั่วลันเตากุ้ง When it comes to Thai food, presentation always counts for a lot. I like experimenting with new recipes and even if I think the results might taste good, a Thai person would first comment on how it looks. Just take a look at this stir fried dish. It looks delicious even before you try it. A nice arrangement of complimentary colours. This one is stir fried prawns and snow peas. In the ingredients below, you can see crushed garlic and prawns on the left and snow peas and straw mushrooms on the right.  It is easy to cook for beginners. As stir frying is very quick, you need to prepare everything in advance. Wash, shell and devein the shrimps. Also prepare the snow peas by pulling the string from the pod. In a wok, fry the crushed garlic until brown and fragrant. Next comes the prawns. Don't overcook so follow these quickly with the mushrooms and finally the snow peas. Add some water or stock if it drys out. Season with oyster sauce, fish sauce and a teaspoon of sugar. Very quick and easy to cook with good results. Also a nice change from the hot and spicy meals. |
| Stir Fried Pork with Sponge Gourd (pad buap moo)
ผัดบวบหมู Our Thai dish today is called "pad buap moo" or stir-fried pork and angled sponge gourd. It is also commonly cooked with prawns or chicken. The sponge gourd can grow up to three feet in length. However, you need to choose one that is young and still soft to the touch. As it grows mature it will become bitter. You can eat it raw like a cucumber or stir-fry it like a zucchini. In the ingredients below, you can see the unpeeled sponge gourd at the top, the pork, garlic and the peeled sponge gourd. In the center is an egg.  Prepare the gourd by peeling it and then cutting diagonally into bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped garlic to the wok and fry until golden brown. Add the pork and stir fry a short while. Next comes the gourd. Add a little stock if it starts to dry out. Though not too much as there is a certain amount of moisture in the gourd. Give it a good stir for a few minutes. Season with oyster sauce and soy sauce. The last ingredient is an egg which you break into the wok. Stir this in well and it should cook itself. As with anything, do not overcook.
| Stir Fried Vegetable with Chicken (pad pak gai)
ผัดผักไก่ One of the dishes that I often cook is stir-fried vegetables. You can adapt this in so many different ways depending on what vegetables you have in stock. If I have bought a curry from the roadside, then I usually supplement the stir-fry with some extra meat. Either pork or chicken. In the ingredients below you can see cabbage, chicken, carrots and garlic in the center. As usual, heat up some oil in the wok and then add the crushed garlic. Try to use Thai garlic as it is believed to be healthier for you. Once it is fragrant and golden brown, add the chicken slices. Give it a good stir and fry for a few minutes. If it starts to dry out, add a little stock or water. Next comes the vegetables. Season with oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Don't overcook, leaving it still a little crispy. |
| Mango with Sweet Fish Sauce (mamuang nam plaa waan)
มะม่วงน้ำปลาหวาน This week we have something different for you. It is a dip that you can have with green mangoes. Thai people don't often eat fruit without some kind of dip. Another popular dip with green mango is a mixture of sugar and ground chilli. In the picture below, you can see the following ingredients: green mango, red shallots and fish sauce. On the right there is palm sugar, ground dried shrimp and hot chillies. To make the dip, you need a pot to which you add the mixture of sugar, fish sauce and a quarter cup of water. Simmer over a low heat and stir continuously. When it becomes a thick syrup, add the chopped shallots and keep stirring for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried shrimp and sliced chillies. The mango should still be green and also slightly sour. |
| Rice Soup with Minced Pork (khao tom moo sub)
ข้าวต้มหมูสับ The Thai Rice Soup, or "khao tom moo sub" is not only a simple and quick dish to cook, but it is also a nice change to eat something plain and simple if you are not feeling too well with say a stomach ache or the flu. However, some people like to spice it up by adding extra condiments. Pictured in the ingredients below is steamed rice, minced pork mixture, garlic cloves, chicken stock and coriander. You could use shrimp instead of pork. The rice doesn't have to be fresh as you can use leftovers from the night before. This makes it a handy breakfast so that nothing is wasted.  You need to prepare the minced pork mixture first. Use a mortar and pestle and pound together the garlic, coriander roots and some black pepper. Remove this from the mortar. Now add the minced pork and pound it lightly, mixing in the garlic at the same time. You can add some fish sauce if you like at this stage. While you are doing this, bring some chicken stock to the boil. Take a generous pinch of minced pork mixture at a time and roll it roughly into a ball. Drop these into the boiling water. Cook for several minutes. You may need to skim off any froth. Season with some salt rather than the smellier fish sauce. Poor into a bowl and garnish with chopped coriander and fried garlic flakes. |
| Red Curry with Roasted Duck (gaeng phet ped yaang)
แกงเผ็ดเป็ดย่าง I think my favourite red curry is this one which comes with roasted duck. In Thai it is called "gaeng phet ped yaang". In Thai restaurants it can be quite expensive to order. So, it is useful to know how to cook. The ingredients will vary a bit from book to book. I like to add pineapple and I hear some people add rambutan. In the picture below, you can see: sweet basil, roasted duck, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, plum tomatoes, pea eggplants and red curry paste in the middle. The ingredients of the paste include: red chilli, galangal, lemon grass, red shallots, garlic, kaffir skin, cilantro seeds and shrimp paste.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the red curry paste. Gradually add coconut milk to form a runny paste. Continue this process until it is fragrant and a red oil surfaces. Next comes the roasted pork. In preference, de-bone the duck first. In many Thai restaurants there always seem to be more bone than meat. Cook for another minute or so. You can add more coconut milk if it dries out too much. Add the plum tomatoes, torn kaffir lime leaves and the pea eggplants. Turn off the heat and prepare the seasoning. For this you add a mixture of fish sauce and palm sugar. Our red curry paste bought ready made at the market was a bit too salty. They probably added too much shrimp paste. So, we didn't put in so much fish sauce. If it is too salty, try adding more sugar, coconut and/or stock. Finish with a handful of sweet basil which you should carefully stir in. However, not all recipes call for basil. We decorated the dish with thinly sliced red spur chilli and a sprig of sweet bas |
| Chicken Stirfried with Chilli (gai pad prik sod)
ไก่ผัดพริกสด This is a simple Thai dish that you can cook with either pork or chicken. In Thai, this one is called "gai pad prik sod". In the ingredients below, you can see chicken, spring onion, red and green spur chilli, onion and crushed garlic in the centre. The larger chillies seen here are not as hot and spicy as their smaller cousins, so don't be scared to use a lot.  As with most Thai dishes, the cooking process is very quick so you need to prepare all of the ingredients beforehand. Cut the chillies diagonally and then chop up the onions. Put some oil in your wok and then add the crushed garlic. Some people put the garlic into hot oil. But, I prefer to start it from cold so that it doesn't burn. As soon as it is brown and fragrant, add the chicken that has already been cut up into bite-sized pieces. Keep stirring all the time. When it is nearly done, add the chilli and onions. You can season with either fish sauce or soy sauce and some sugar. In Thailand they don't fry their onions for long, so turn off the heat before they become too limp. |
| Penang Curry (pa naeng)
พะแนง Penang curry is one of my favourite Thai dishes. It is simple to make as long as you can buy the ready-prepared chilli paste. In the ingredients below, you can see coriander, sliced beef (you can also use pork or chicken), sliced spur chilli, thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves, sweet basil, coconut milk and penang chili paste in the middle. If you don't have the chilli paste, you can use a carton like the one in the picture that already mixes coconut milk, chilli paste, fish sauce and palm sugar. The taste is good but not really authentic as it is for foreigners. The paste contains ingredients such as dried chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, coriander root and shrimp paste.  Fry the chilli paste in a pan making sure it doesn't dry out or burn. Gradually keep adding more coconut to keep it moist. Keep going for about four minutes or so. Next, add the sliced beef. If you didn't use the pre-prepared sauce, season the curry with fish sauce and palm sugar. Make sure that you taste it to check the balance of flavours. If too sweet, add more salt. Adding more coconut milk can also help with the final taste but this shouldn't be a runny curry. Finish with the spur chilli, sliced kaffir lime leaves and coriander. |
| Hard-Boiled Egg in Tamarind Sauce (khai luk kery)
ไข่ลูกเขย This is another one of those simple dishes that doesn't need much effot in making. In Thai, it is called "khai luk kery". Interestingly, this translates literally as "son-in-law eggs"! In the ingredients below, you can see tamarind juice at the top and soy sauce below that. You can use fish sauce instead if you don't mind the smell. At the bottom left we have dried hot chillies and garlic cloves. Or you could use red shallots instead. You also need two hard boiled eggs. On the right is the palm sugar - though obviously don't put it all in!  Heat some oil in a wok and when hot add your hardboiled eggs. When they are golden brown then set aside. Next you need to fry some crushed garlic or red shallots. Then set these aside. Stir fry the palm sugar next. Add the tamarind juice and soy sauce and continue to stir until it becomes like a syrup. The taste should be sour, salty and sweet. Adjust the balance if it is not right. Next, cut the eggs in half and place face up on a plate. Sprinkle the top with the fried garlic and fried dried chillies. Pour the sauce over the top. |
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