Category: Thailand

Ruby in coconut cream
This couldn’t be any easier and is quite sweet and tasty.

1. In a pot on a medium heat put coconut cream and bring to a boil
2. Add sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  remove from the heat
3. Put water chestnuts in a pot of boiling water until they start to float.  When floating scoop out and put in drinking water
4. Add the red colouring to the water and stir
5. In an individual serving bowl place some chestnuts to cover the bottom + a little.  Put some ice on the chestnuts and lay the jack fruit on top.  Pour some coconut cream mix over the fruit to the height of the jack fruit and serve

My Hasselblad 120mm Macro lens decided to have a shutter problem today (and this is the only time I’m going to complain).  I called the supplier in Thailand and they would have to send it to Sweden to get it fixed.  Not a massive one, I have 1 month left.  The only issue is I didn’t buy it here and they say there will be problems with customs getting it out and in.  From now on I will be shooting with an 80mm lens that has a minimum focus distance of 70cm rather than the 10cm of the 120mm.  I need to work out the best way to use the lens so in the mean time I apologise for the quality for the images.

Deep fried catfish with curry (Pko Phed Pra Dook Krob)
Thai Chicken soup
Stir fry shrimp with garlic (Goong pud gra-taeu)
Roll’d Soldiers (Roy Suay)
 

 Deep fried catfish with curry (Pko Phed Pra Dook Krob)

1. In a mortar put the white pepper corns and pound until they are a powder
2. Add dried chillies and salt and pound until there aren’t any obvious large chilli pieces
3. Add lemongrass, galangal, coriander root, red onion/shallot and garlic.  Pound until the mix is a paste (no pieces of anything obvious).  Put to one side
4. In a wok heat the vegetable oil on a high heat
5. Turn the wok down to a medium heat and add the curry paste.  Heat until the paste turns a darker colour
6. Add sugar and fish sauce.  Taste and adjust
7. Turn heat to high and add stock, finger ginger and kaffir lime leaves.  Mix together.  If the mix is drying out and sticking add more stock
8. Add catfish, turn mix over and cook briefly without too much interaction
9. Serve

Thai Chicken soup

1. On a high heat put chicken stock in a pot and bring to the boil
2. Turn to a medium heat add garlic, cardamom seed and simmer for a few minutes
3. Add chicken, onion, potato, and carrot. Simmer for around 8 minutes (until carrot and potato are cooked to al dente)
4. If you want this to not be less ‘spicy’ (hot) you can leave the chillies to just before serving or add tomato and chilli. Boil for an additional 2 minutes
5. Serve

Stir fry shrimp with garlic (Goong pud gra-taeu)

1. Put black pepper in a mortar and pound to a powder
2. Add coriander, and garlic to the mortar and pound to a paste.  Put to one side
3. In a wok put the oil on a medium heat fry paste from mortar in to wok and fry while stirring until fragrant
4. Quickly add shrimp, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar to the wok and cook until the shrimps are cooked
5. Serve and dress with fried garlic to your taste

Soldiers

1. On a low heat add sugar, vinegar and water to a pot.  Boil until the sugar is dissolved. Put to one side to cool
2. In a blender add coriander, chilli and garlic.  Add this mix to the cooled pot from above.  Put the dipping sauce to one side
3. Put the lettuce, sweet basil, mint and prawns along the centre of a sheet of square of rice paper
4. Roll the rice paper around the contents of the rice paper.  Cut into bite size portions and present with dipping sauce

Today’s menu was great. Even the very scary ‘Southern style stir fried pork (Kuah Kling)‘ with all of its chillies was delicious. I recommend the gravy created with the chicken (just put the corn flour in a little cold stock to dissolve it and make the gravy in much the same way). The steamed banana cakes don’t have the great colour of the pumpkin version but using the mix as a pancake is really great.

Chicken with Thai gravy
Southern style beef curry
Southern style stir fried pork (Kuah Kling)
Steamed banana cake
Fried banana pancake

Chicken with Thai gravy

1. In a bowl coat the chicken in the corn flour.  If the chicken is not coated add a little more or, if there is too much take some flour out of the bowl
2. In a wok put the oil on a medium heat
3. Add chicken to the wok
4. Add 1/2 of the chicken stock.  Keep the chicken and stock moving
5. Slowly add the remaining stock not allowing the sauce to get too wet.
6. Add the oyster, light soy and sugar.  Taste and adjust
7. Add sesame oil and dark soy and serve

Southern style beef curry

1. In a pot on a medium heat boil coconut cream ensuring you keep the liquid moving
2. Add chicken stock and boil once again
3. Add beef and galangal ginger.  Bring to the boil once again
4. Turn the heat down, add fish stock and sugar.  Taste and adjust
5. Add kaffir lime leaves and turn off.   Dress with finely chopped kaffir lime leaves and chillies

Southern style stir fried pork

Quite spicy but don’t let the chillies in the paste scare you off.  The amount of paste created is more than is required for this one serve (approximately 5 serves) and if you are concerned about being too spicy you can use less paste.

1. To make the paste put the black pepper corns in the Mortar and pound to a fine powder
2. Add lemongrass, tamarind and ginger.  Pound until well combined and approaching a paste
3. Add chillies and pound until a paste
4. Add remaining paste ingredients and pound until a paste is formed with no large pieces of chilli or lemongrass. Put to one side
5. On a medium heat put paste in a wok (no oil!!)
6. Cook for around 5 minutes, if the paste starts to stick or dry out add a little stock
7. Add 1/2 cup of stock and pork.  Keep mix moving
8. Turn to a low heat, add lemongrass, 3/4 of kaffir lime leaves and cook for approximately 3 minutes (once sauce starts to thicken)
9. Add fish sauce and white sugar.  Taste and adjust
10. Add fresh pepper corns mix, dress with kaffir lime leaves and serve.

I can’t see how the department can be closed from 7:30pm to 7:00 pm.  In Unix that would mean it was closed 24 hours.  Perhaps it’s open for 1/2 hour between 7 and 7:30?

I know the title of this is English misunderstanding but if you look at the Thai version it appears to be the same.

We still have a curfew although I don’t know how heavy handed they are at enforcing that, there still appears to be traffic around well after the 22:00 (10PM) deadline.  I am told today is the last day of the curfew. The weekend appears to have gone off without a hitch, there were supposed to be protests in the city but they were a bit of a fizzle (or so we are told) some yelling and screaming but not too much excitement. Interestingly there the local media reported 100 at a protest yesterday whereas the Australian media reported 200.  Still a small number but a 100% difference.  Things are closing as close to the time they can to enable their staff to get home (usually 21:00 instead of the 20:00 on the first night). 7-11’s seem to have a lot of tourists in just before closing getting beer etc but there is plenty to go around now.  There is still ‘security’ at the university but these guys do little more than more the barrier just before the car arrives so it doesn’t have to slow down too much

There was one difference.  Uni and schools have closed as a byproduct.  The markets around the university are empty.  this one below is usually full of people.  As you can see (at lunch time).  Not exactly pumping.

Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is a must-do for any first-time visitor in Bangkok. It’s contains the giant gold leaf covered reclining Buddha that is 15 metres tall and 46 metres long. It’s an easy ten minute walk between here and the Grand Palace although in 38deg heat I would do them separately. Wat Pho can be easily reached by the tourist boat which is next to the Saphan Taksin Skytrain (BTS) Station (stop 8 for the Buddha and 9 for the Grand Palace). For us guys it’s easy (it seems shorts are OK here), just take your shoes (and hat) off, girls, cover shoulders or they will lend you a rather ‘attractive’ green gown. The pictures are a little so/so in their compressed form.  Click on the pics for a full sized image.

Around every corner there are great little things happening.  You can easily spend 3 hours here just wandering around.  All that said, there are gold Buddhas everywhere so contain your excitement early and wander around and take the place in.

I love the old boy laughing at the young buck shaking his thing.

The area is huge and there’s heaps going on.  Below is the map.

A lot of the out lying areas are under repair but they are doing a great job.  This bloke was doing the do not enter signs by hand. Wat Pho is a must see but if you are limited in time make sure you get to the Grand Palace.

These two guys were stationed at the ferry port for the Wat Pho tourist location (which backs on to a military base). The only two military personnel I have seen in the 3 weeks I have been here.  The photos compressed by WordPress are fairly crappy.  You can click on them for a considerably larger file (usually about 18Mb).

Steamed banana cake

1. Put the cake container in a steamer and start it steaming
2. In a bowl add the banana, rice flour, tapioca, sugar, salt, and coconut cream.
3. With your hands (gloved preferably) massage the mixture together. Allow some of the pumpkin texture to remain
4. Add and ½ cup coconut meat and mix with a spoon
5. Mix a little salt with the remaining meat so make it slightly salty (take the sweetness out of the coconut)
6. When well combined put some of the mix in the container in the steamer. We used little side dishes, the cake took 10 minutes to cook
7. In our case: after 3 minutes place some of the salted coconut meat to each of the cakes and recover and cook a further 7 minutes. At the end of cooking pierce with a cake tester and ensure no cake has stuck to the tester
8. Remove from the steamer and allow to cool a little. Remove from containers and serve

Fried banana pancake
This was an idea Kevyn had with regards to the steamed pancake mix.  The caramelisation of the sugar with the banana flavour produces a dessert that would be great with a heavy vanilla ice cream.  This dessert can have some of the salted coconut on top to help cut through some of the intense sweet flavours.

1. Put the cake container in a steamer and start it steaming
2. In a bowl add the banana, rice flour, tapioca, sugar, salt, and coconut cream.
3. With your hands (gloved preferably) massage the mixture together. Allow some of the pumpkin texture to remain
4. Add and ½ cup coconut meat and mix with a spoon
5. Mix a little salt with the remaining meat so make it slightly salty (take the sweetness out of the coconut)
6. Place vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and heat
7. On a medium heat pour in approximately 1 cup of mix (more for bigger pancakes) attempt to run a spatula under the pancake to prevent sticking and cook until large bubbles appear through the top of the mix.  Flip the pancake and cook until dark.

THAI NOODLES proper street food

Today’s menu revolves around doing the preparation in advance and then just the assembly of the Thai noodles very quickly as you would on the street.  The Thai noodles are made very quickly and thus you should have all of the seasonings prepared in advance and you can make individual serves based on tastes.   The seasonings are below the noodle recipes and likes are included in the recipes.  Ideally what you will do is have the seasoning required in little bowls in front of you with boiling water and hot stock and then you are ready to go.  In addition to the seasoning recipes you will need to get from your Asian supermarket (Thai or Vietnamese):

1. Thai pork balls
2. Thai fish balls
3. Thai pork sausage (just another presentation of the pork ball mix)

You should cut up some spring onion and celery as dressing and flavour.

Creamy Tom Yum Noodles with fish balls
Clear Tom Yum Noodles
Pork Noodles 2 ways

And for bothering to read this far.  A really quick and simple adult dessert.  Steamed pumpkin cake with salted coconut topping

Noodles – Creamy Tom Yum Noodles with fish balls (1 serve)

1. Place water in pot and bring to a boil
2. Place fish balls in the water
3. In another pot put milk and stock.  Bring to the boil
4. A chilli paste and stir until combined
5. Add sugar, chili powder and fish sauce. Taste and adjust
6. Turn off heat and add the juice from the lime.  Taste again and adjust. Put to one side
7. Place the noodles in a wire basket similar to this (we used a much cheaper version with a bamboo handle) and blanch the noodles in the water for approximately 30 seconds
8. Add the bean sprouts to the basket and blanch once again for 15 seconds
9. Once blanched put contents of the wire basket into a serving bowl
10. Put fish balls on noodles
11. Pour over the milk sauce over the noodles
12. Dress with roasted peanuts, Thai deep fried garlic , chilli slices and spring onion

Noodles – Clear Tom Yum Noodles (1 serve)

1. Place water in pot and bring to a boil
2. In the stock pot place pork balls and pork sausage pieces. When they start to float they are cooked but can be left to be added last to the noodles
3. Put spiced minced pork (about 2 tab per serve) in a bowl.  Put hot stock (approx 1/2 cup) in the bowl and blanch spiced minced pork until the stock cools.  Drain the stock from the bowl back into the stock pot and add more stock.  Continue doing this until the spiced minced pork is cooked. Drain once more and put to one side
4. Place the noodles in a wire basket similar to this (we used a much cheaper version with a bamboo handle) and blanch the noodles in the water for approximately 30 seconds
5. Add the morning glory and the bean sprouts to the basket and blanch once again for 15 seconds
6. Once blanched put contents of the wire basket into a serving bowl
7. Add Chilli powder to spiced minced pork mix
8. Put spiced minced pork mix over noodles
9. Put pork balls and pieces of sausage on noodles
10. Add 1 cup of stock to another bowl with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar.  Ensure sugar is dissolved and add to noodles .  Taste and adjust
11. Dress with roasted peanuts, chilli slices and pickled celery

Noodles – Pork noodles 2 ways (1 serve)

As I have said in the introduction to today prepare everything before you start and have in bowls ready to serve.  The combination of the ingredients to serve should be done as quickly as possible to stop the noodles getting too gluggy.

1. Place water in pot and bring to a boil
2. In the stock pot place pork balls. When they start to float they are cooked but can be left to be added last to the noodles
3. Put spiced minced pork (about 1 tab per patty) in your hand and make a tight ball.  Flatten out the ball and put to one side.  Do this for 3 balls.  Put the patties in the stock until they float.  Don’t be too keen to take them out, ensure they are cooked by exposing the centre of one and making sure there isn’t any pink. I find it best to wait here until they are starting to float. Then….
4. Place the noodles in a wire basket similar to this (we used a much cheaper version with a bamboo handle) and blanch the noodles in the water for approximately 30 seconds
5. Add the morning glory and the bean sprouts to the basket and blanch once again for 30 seconds
6. Once blanched put contents of the wire basket into a serving bowl, remove the  pork balls and spiced minced pork patties from the stock and over noodles and place in bowl, dress with Thai deep fried garlic,  fresh and pickled celery and spring onions
7. Put stock on the noodles until they are just covered and serve

I’m not sure of its the army playing with things or my internet connection. Anyway I am not able to complete today’s upload of the noodle fest. I’ll have to finish the tomorrow when I’m locked up by the curfew.

Seasoning – Stock

1. In a large pot boil the water
2. Over a medium heat add all ingredients to the water
3. Constantly skim the fat and scum off the top of the stock
4. Allow stock to ‘mature’ over at least 1 hour (better more than 3 hours)
5. Taste and add more soy if required. Reduce the heat and keep hot until finished with noodles

White radish:

Seasoning – Spiced pork mince

1. Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl and put to one side

Seasoning – Marinaded pork loin

1. In a bowl mix the pork, sugar, soy sauce and corn flour
2. Stir in the vegetable oil
3. Add water and put to one side for at least 30 minutes

Seasoning – Thai garlic deep fried

1. Smash garlic in a mortar breaking up the cloves (not looking to make a paste, just break up cloves)
   
2. In a wok put oil. Heat until oil is hot
3. Put garlic in oil
4. Stir constantly until garlic is golden brown. Place all wok contents in a bowl
5. Pour out of work and place pork fat in wok
6. Cook pork fat on a high heat stirring constantly until it is golden brown
7. Add all pork work contents to bowl

Steamed pumpkin cake (sticky and delicious)

1. Put the cake container in a steamer and start it steaming
2. In a bowl add the pumpkin meat, rice flour, tapioca, sugar, salt, and coconut cream.
3. With your hands (gloved preferably) massage the mixture together. Allow some of the pumpkin texture to remain
4. Add and ½ cup coconut meat and mix with a spoon
5. Mix a little salt with the remaining meat so make it slightly salty (take the sweetness out of the coconut)
6. When well combined put some of the mix in the container in the steamer. We used little side dishes, the cake took 10 minutes to cook
7. In our case: after 3 minutes place some of the salted coconut meat to each of the cakes and recover and cook a further 7 minutes. At the end of cooking pierce with a cake tester and ensure no cake has stuck to the tester
8. Remove from the steamer and allow to cool a little. Remove from containers and serve

The army has shut down all local tv broadcasts. I don’t know if they’ll hit the internet or mobile phones (both of which I need to update the blog). I will be updating tonight. I hope I get things done before any further actions take place.

Just for your entertainment… This is what you get on the local channels when you turn them on:

Everyone’s trying to get home. It’s 18:30 and there’s a 22:00 curfew (trains stop at 21:00) so I guess everyone is making sure they’re home.

Day 18 Menu

Golden bags
Stir fry blue crab with curry powder (Poo Phat Pong Karee)
Deep fried fish in fresh herb salad
Stir fried rice noodles with chicken
Taple curry (Gaeng Te Pho)

Seriously…. This one isn’t worth publishing.  I will put it up on the weekend but it is effectively just a bunch of cubed vegetables in a great little wrapper,  The wrapper looks good but there has to be a better way to fill it…  Here is the pic, I’ll  put the recipe up on the weekend, it’s all about the sauce on this one. I’m positive we can come up with a better filling for this one.

Stir fry blue crab with curry powder (Poo Phat Pong Karee)

1. In a small bowl, mix together; Egg, milk, chilli oil, sugar, soy sauce and oyster sauce and put to one side
2. To prepare the crab; pull off the top shell (it should just detach)
3. Take off the big pincers and bash with the back of a knife (to make them easier to eat when cooked)
4. Remove and discard the dark meat where the pincers meet the body
5. Cut the rest of the body into quarters. Put to one side
6. Put vegetable oil in a wok and bring to a high heat
7. Carefully put crab in oil. Fry until cooked
8. Turn heat to low and drain oil into another reciprocal leaving crab in the wok. Add curry powder and stir.
9. Add stock to the pan and boil. Scrape wok to ensure curry powder is included
10. Turn heat to high and add onion, garlic, and chilli. Cook until fragrant
11. Turn heat to high and put the mixture previously combined. Heat until boiling. Allow to reduce if required (shouldn’t be served too ‘wet’) varying the heat to prevent burning.

Fully prepared crab ready to use

The poor (dead) little buggers waiting to become lunch.