Category: Thailand

Day 1 was a trip to the market then off to the kitchen to start cooking.  We covered over what seemed like an endless supply of food.

Red curry paste (Nam Prik Gaeng Phet)
Red curry with chicken (Gaeng Phet Gai)
Fried spring rolls + sweet chilli sauce (Por Pie Tord)
Stir fried black pepper beef (Nua Pad Pik Thai)
Chicken in coconut milk soup (Tom Kha Gai)
Mango with coconut sticky rice (Khao Neaw Moon)

Red curry paste is really simple and, if you make heaps, great for keeping in the fridge for a few months.

Red curry paste (Nam Prik Gaeng Phet)

In a stone mortar and pestle pound coriander seeds, cumin and peppers thoroughly until they are a fine dust.

Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and coriander root to mortar and pound until there isn’t any obvious sinew.

Add dried chillies and salt pound unit pieces of chilli cannot be made out from the rest of the matter.

Add shrimp paste and pound to mix in the paste.
NOTES:
Soak the red spur chillies in warm salted water for 10 min before chopping them.

Only use the white part of the lemon grass. The green can be used to make a lemon grass tea.

Galangal ginger is not ginger and can’t really be substituted. It looks like ginger but doesn’t really have the same flavour.

Kaffir lime is not lime. It has a skin like the outside of a brain. You only need about 2cm of a strip.

Coriander root is literally that. You can get it from Coles where it is attached dirt and all to the fresh coriander. You chop off the root at the point where the green starts.

The roasted seeds are bought just as normal and then roasted in the oven.  You can do heaps at once and then put them in the cupboard  for up to a couple of months.  Don’t skip this step, it makes a huge difference.

To keep stir fry for a couple of minutes, let cool and put in a container in the fridge. It will keep for a few months

Red curry with chicken (Gaeng Phet Gai)

The compressed image looks a bit rubbish, click on the image to get the full sized version (and much better quality). I should have cleaned the plate but… I didn’t

Extra coconut cream to wet chicken if required

1. Put oil in wok and add curry paste, cook until paste has started to integrate with oil
2. Add coconut cream. Stir until fat separates (oil on top around bubbles. You may need to stop stirring for this to show up)
3. Add chicken and stir until nearly cooked. If mix becomes too dry add more coconut cream
4. Add coconut milk and eggplants. Season with fish sauce and sugar; bring to boil on medium heat. Taste and season to taste.
5. Stir in sweet basil leaves, kaffir leaves and red chillies for about 1 minute. Taste and season to taste
6. Remove from heat and serve with Jasmine rice

NOTES:

Thai eggplants are a green ball about the same size as a large lime. The fresher the plant the longer the leaves extend down from the stalk. The fresh fruit should have white seeds however brown seeds are not a disaster. Once cut put the eggplant in water until needed otherwise it will turn brown.

Coconut cream is the first squeeze of the coconut once it has been ‘torn’ from the husk. The milk is just the cream with chicken stock (preferred) or water added.

Deep fried spring rolls (Por Pie Tord)

 
Plain flour and water mixed for glue on wrappers
 

1. Add 1 tab of vegetable oil and garlic in wok. Fry until fragrant
2. Add chicken and fry until cooked
3. Add all vegetables, cook briefly. Add all seasoning ingredients. Taste and season further if required
4. Add glass noodles and cook briefly (1-2 minutes, until cooked)
5. Put mix on plate and allow to cool

Rolling spring rolls

1. Place wrapper on flat surface shinny side down (side that is less pitted)
2. I’ve tried to put together a rundown of how to roll this but it is taking way too long. If you want to know you’ll have to have me round and give me alcohol J. Here it is in words…
3. With wrapper point facing you put 1 heaped tablespoon of fill in the second quarter from the bottom (fill should not be over the ½ way point).
4. Fold the first ¼ over the fill so that it touches the midpoint and use that to press and roll back making the fill into more of a round fill.
5. Holding the fill tight roll until you pass the midpoint and then fold the two sides in so they roll under.
6. In the last quarter get some paste and ‘glue’ the tail to the roll. Put on a tray with the joint facing down so that it has chance to stay stuck.
7. Fry in vegetable oil until brown
8. Serve with sweet chilli sauce (recipe to follow once I find it but really simple and tasty)

Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef (Nua Pad Pik Thai)

1. Prepare marinade, add beef and leave for more than 30 minutes
2. Mix all seasoning ingredients well. Put aside
3. Heat 1 tab of vegetable oil in wok. Add beef and cook until it is 80% done. Add onion, bell pepper and chicken stock. Mix and taste. If required add seasoning.
4. Remove from heat and serve.

Chicken in coconut milk (Tom Kha Gai)
Funny on this one… in Thai Tom means Boil, Kha means coconut and…. Gai means chicken

1. Place coconut milk in a pot bring to a boil
2. Add galangal, lemon grass, coriander root and kaffir leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and season further if required
3. Add chicken and cook until chicken is done
4. Add coconut cream and bring back to boil
5. Add sliced mushrooms, tomatoes and chillies
6. Add fish sauce and sugar. Taste and season further if required
7. Leave lime juice as long as possible to prevent over cooking (Exposes the acidity and an unpleasant taste). Add lime juice and work quickly to season if required

I really hope they don’t make us make/eat these.