Spicy Chicken with Basil

Ingredients

6 garlic cloves , minced
4 shallots, minced
12 mixed green and red peppers , sliced
1 teaspoon canned green peppercorns
1 tablespoon oil
500 g ground/minced chicken
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup hot basil leaves



How to prepare

Place the garlic, shallots, peppers and peppercorns in a mortar and mash with a paste until a paste is formed.

Heat a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the garlic paste and stir for 1 minute, then add the ground chicken, fish sauce and sugar. Continue to cook until the sauce is reduced. Toss in the Basil leaves.

As a luncheon dish, serve over rice with a fried egg.

As a dinner dish, serve separately with rice and with an accompaniment such as hot and sour shrimp soup

SERVES 4

Tom Yam Goong

Ingredients

8 shrimp/prawns, shelled and deveined, with shellsreserved
3 cups water
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 kaffir lime leaves 3 thin slices fresh or dried galangal
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 stalks lemon grass/citronella , lower 1/3
2 shallots, sliced
1/2 cup sliced straw mushrooms
5 green Thai chili peppers
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon black chili paste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro/coriander leaves



How to cook:

1. Rinse the prawn shells and place them in a large pot with the water. Heat to boiling, strain the broth and discard the shells.

2. Add the garlic, lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce, lemon grass and shallots to the stock, then the mushrooms and chili peppers, if using. Cook gently for 2 minutes.

3. Add the shrimp to the soup, and reheat to boiling. When the shrimp are cooked, place the lime juice and black chili paste in a serving bowl. Pour the soup into the bowl, stir, garnish with the cilantro leaves, and serve.

Panaeng Nuea

Its rich thick sauce helps to make this a very popular dish. Try replacing the beef with chicken for an interesting variation.




90 ml coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons Panaeng curry past
250 g tender beef, sliced
1/8 cup sliced green bell pepper/capsicum
1/8 cup sliced red bell pepper/capsicum
1/4 cup sliced onions
2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon coconut cream
1 kaffir lime leaf ,thinly sliced

Preparation

Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Heat a large skillet and add the oil and curry paste. Cook for 1 minute on low heat. Return the temperature to high and saute the beef, adding the sauce. Cook until the sauce is thick.

Add the sliced peppers, onions and ground peanuts. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour the mixture into a serving bowl. Top with the coconut cream and lime leaf strips.

Thai Barbeque Ribs

Ingredients

* 1.5 lbs. (0.65 kg.) pork ribs, back or side (SERVES 2-3)
* 4 Tbsp. oyster sauce (I used Golden Dragon brand)
* 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian food stores)
* 1 Tbsp. black Chinese vinegar (or substitute regular white or apple cider vinegar)
* 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
* 1/4 cup syrup (I used real maple syrup)
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
* Optional: 1 fresh red chili, minced, OR 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1-2 tsp. chili sauce (to taste)
* Garnish: 2 spring onions, finely sliced




Preparation:

Cut the ribs into easy-to-eat segments and place in a large bowl.

Place all remaining ingredients (except the garnish) together in a saucepan. Stir well to dissolve the syrup.

Pour half of this sauce over the ribs. Stir well to coat and place ribs in the refrigerator to marinate 15-20 minutes (or up to 24 hours).

Cook ribs over a medium-hot grill, brushing over any leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl for the first couple of turns. Grill until well done (meat near the bone should be white for very light pink). Tip: Medium heat for a longer period is better; otherwise, the ribs may burn on the outside while remaining uncooked on the inside.

Warm up the reserved sauce and serve together with the ribs (this sauce is excellent over rice). Sprinkle the spring onion over the ribs.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

* SERVES: 4 as an appetizer, 2 as the main course
* 1 head fresh iceberg lettuce (this type works best for this recipe)
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), grated
* 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced (omit altogether if you prefer very mild wraps)
* 2 shallots, sliced finely
* 1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into "matchsticks" OR 1/2 cup cooked chicken or pork, shredded, OR 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp
* 1 carrot, grated or cut into thin strips
* 4-5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 1 egg (omit if vegan)
* 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (red is very good, but any type will work)
* 3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
* approx. 2 cups bean sprouts
* 2 Tbsp. lime juice
* 2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
* 2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR 2 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce)
* 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce - Vegetarians: use vegetarian oyster sauce (available at most Asian food stores)
* TOPPINGS:
* 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large
* 1/2 cup fresh dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped or ground
* OTHER: 2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying




Drizzle oil into a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), chili, and shallots. Stir-fry one minute, or until fragrant. Stir-frying tip: add a Tbsp. water whenever the wok/pan gets too dry instead of more oil.

Add tofu (or shrimp/chicken/pork), carrot, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and spring onions. As you stir-fry, add the limejuice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir-fry about 1 minute.

Push ingredients to the side of the wok or pan, and crack in the egg. Stir-fry quickly to break the yolk. Mix in with the other ingredients.

Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly to mix. Remove from heat and do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp more fish sauce if not salty enough.

Cut off the stem part of the iceburg lettuce so it's easier to separate the leaves. Now place the lettuce, sir-fried filling, and the toppings on your table in separate bowls/plates, allowing family or guests to make their own wraps.

To assemble, take a whole lettuce leaf and place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center. Top with a sprinkling of fresh basil and peanuts. Then wrap up and eat!

Simple Chicken in Yellow Curry Sauce

Recipes from Thailand are full of complex flavor, usually some spice, and are often surprisingly easy to make. Some of the easiest are traditional curries.

Thai chicken in yellow curry sauce and serve with aromatic Jasmine rice. Although this is a simple dish to prepare, the yellow curry is full of flavor and even pairs well with wine.



Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon of olive oil
* 2 large chicken breasts (can use another combination of chicken pieces)
* 1/2 large onion, cut lengthwise into thick wedges
* Large yellow pepper, diced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons of yellow curry paste
* 1/2 small chicken bouillon cube
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* Fresh lime

Direction

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Place chicken in oil and cook until golden brown, turning 1-2 times
2. Once chicken is golden brown, remove and cut into large bite size pieces, about 1 inch cubes. Set aside chicken
3. Reduce heat to low and add curry paste to the skillet. Stir the curry paste until it begins to soften and becomes fragrant, which is 2 or 3 minutes
4. Raise to medium high heat and add chicken, onion, pepper, coconut milk, chicken bouillon, water, and fish sauce to the pan and mix well
5. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, ensuring chicken is cooked thoroughly
6. Sprinkle brown sugar just before pulling off the heat, mixing well
7. Squeeze fresh lime over the skillet
8. Serve with Jasmine coconut rice

Shrimp Paste Dip/Naam Prik Gapi

Shrimp Paste Dip or Naam Prik Gapi is one of the oldest Thai recipes that is still very popular among the crowds. Such dips are usually eaten with either boiled or raw vegetables and fish.

What you need:



* Green and White thai eggplants, 3(the top of the eggplant needs to be cut and sliced to cut them open)
* Cucumber skinned and sliced,1 cup
* Pea Eggplants,1/4 cup (remove the top)
* Wing Beans,1/2 cup(1 1/2" slices)
* Boiled and Drained Ivy Gourd,1/2 cup
* Small white and green thai eggplants,1/4 cup(remove the top of the eggplant)
* Small Pla-too fish,5(fry each side of the fish in 1/2 cup oil each for 3 minutes each)
* Cha-om omlette pieces,1 1/2 cup(3 eggs and 1 cup cha-om leaves,fry these in oil until brown on both sides

How to make:

1. In a stone mortar,pound the chillies and garlic to make a coarse paste.
2. In it,mix the shrimp paste and pound in order to mix.
3. To that add palm sugar. Pound to mix.
4. Add lime juice and hairy eggplant slices. Mix properly and serve it in a small bowl.
5. Garnish with pea eggplants or small Thai Chillies.
6. Optional: serve with cha-om omlette slices which is prepared by mixing 1 cup cha-om leaves and 3 eggs, frying them over high heat until brown on both the sides.