Lonely Planet World Food Thailand (World Food Guides)
by Joe Cummings List Price:$12.95 Our Price: $10.36 You Save: $2.59
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Thailand : The Beautiful Cookbook : Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Thailand by Panurat Poladitmontri, Judy LewList Price:$55.00 Our Price: $38.50 You Save: $16.50
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There are many kinds of curries and sauces that goe
with various dishes. Some are made fresh and some are preserved or
pickled. Once made, most of them can be stored for quite a long time. Most Thai families make their own curries and sauces because they can be sure to get the flavor
and spiciness the way they like it. My wife and I make our own, too. The following is a list of some of the most common Thai curries and sauces and their uses. I have also included some recipes of other curries and sauces that I have tried and some that I have gotten from other places. First off, I'll list the recipes for the main curry sauces. All are unique, and, I believe, the heart of Thai food and Thai people.
ENJOY!
This is easy to make. Make lots and freeze it for future use. If
you're not a fan of pounding you can use a food processor. Just don't
overdo the processing. Green Curry Paste (Nam Prik Kaeng Khiew Wah) Place
the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan, without adding any oil. Dry-fry
them, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until they are aromatic and slightly
browned. Pound them with the remaining ingredients to produce a fine paste.
Thai Masaman Curry Paste
Ingredients
3 ea Dried chilies
3 tb Chopped shallots
2 tb Chopped garlic
1 t Chopped galangal
1 1/4 tb Chopped lemon grass
2 ea Cloves
1 tb Coriander seeds
1 t Cumin seeds
5 ea Peppercorns
1 t Shrimp paste
1 t Salt
Directions
Soak dried chilies in hot water for 15 minutes and deseed. In a wok
over low heat put the shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass,
cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes,
then grind into a powder (with mortar and pestle). Into a blender,
put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste and blend to
mix well. Add the shallot-garlic-galangal-lemon grass-clove-coriander
seed-cumin seed mixture and the shrimp paste and blend again to
obtain 1/2 cup of a fine-textured paste. This can be stored in a
glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months. This recipe from:
The Elegant Taste of Thailand, by Sisamon Kongpan & Pinyo Srisawat.
Thai Red Curry Paste
By Pojanee Vatanapan
Ingredients
6 ea Dried red chilies
1 ea Fresh lemon grass
OR
1 ts Dried lemon grass
5 ea Garlic cloves, peeled
3 md Shallots, peeled
1 ts Kaffir lime zest OR Lemon zest
1 ts Galanga, fresh or dried*
Directions
Cut the chili peppers into small pieces & soak them in a cup of cold
water for 15 minutes. Separate the seeds & discard them.
Place the prepared chilies into a mortar or food processor. Add the
remaining ingredients & blend well until a thick paste, like peanut
butter is formed. If the ingredients are too dry, add a few drops of
cold water. Put the curry paste in a tightly covered container in the
refrigerator until ready to use.
* If using dried galanga, soak in cold water for 15 minutes.
Place the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan without adding any oil. Dry fry
them, stirring, over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are slightly browned, and give off a roasted aroma.
Coarsely chop the chilies and soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain. Pound all the ingredients together to produce a
fine paste which goes well with beef and pork.
Hanglay Curry Paste
Description
This is a Northern Thai/Burmese style of curry paste
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of very thinly sliced lemon grass
3 tablespoons of palm sugar
1 tablespoon thick soy sauce
2 tablespoons of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried red Thai chile peppers, crumbled
2 tablespoons of shallots (small red or purple onions), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon cumin seed
pinch turmeric powder
quarter cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate mixed with 3 tablespoons water
Directions
Toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, and grate. Combine all the curry paste ingredients and process to a fine paste.
Shelf life
Will keep 3-4 weeks in a well stoppered container, or may be frozen (Isuggest you freeze it in an ice cube tray to give useable portions for cookingwithout defrosting a large batch).
Penang Curry Paste
Description
Penang is a dry curry, probably originating in Malaysia.
Ingredients
25-30 dried red
chillis: shake them to discard the excess seeds.
2 tablespoons hom daeng (shallots/purple
onions), chopped
2 tablespoons kratiem (garlic), chopped
2 tablespoons of takhrai (lemon grass), very
finely sliced
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander/cilantro
root
2 tablespoons of chopped freshly roasted
peanuts.
1 tablespoon grated kha (galangal - use ginger
if you can't find galangal)
1 teaspoon of toasted coriander seeds
1 tablespoon kapi (shrimp paste)
Method
Mix together to a fine paste in a food processor.
It is better to make it milder than use less than
2 tablespoons of paste in a curry, but I do not recomend using less than
10 chilis.
Shelf life
You can keep this paste in a well stoppered bottle in a cool place for 3-4
weeks. Alternatively it can be frozen and kept for 3-4 months. I recomend
freezing it in an ice-cube tray to form known quantities for subsequent use.
Descriptions and Uses of Some Thai Sauces
Prik Naam Plaa: Fish sauce made with sliced chilies and sometimes,
lime juice. This sauce goes with any dish. Sort of like a universal sauce. Fish sauce is fishy and salty tasting. Used instead of salt, it is made from fermented fish, water, peppers and salt. For those who can't tolerate the spiciness of prik kii noo (mouse shit peppers), only the fish sauce will be offered.
Naam Som Prik Dong: Sliced or pureed chilies, vinegar and a little salt. This is a pickled sauce. Used mostly in noodle dishes like Lad Nar, Pad See Aew and noodle soups.
Naam Plaa Hua Hom: Fish sauce, sliced chilies, sliced onions and lime juice. Served with egg dishes.
Naam Plaa Manow: Fish sauce, sliced chilies, crushed garlic and lime juice.
Served with beef, poultry and fish dishes.
See Eeu Prik Tham: Chopped or pureed chilies, Thai dark or light sweeet soy sauce with or without vinegar.
This sauce is usually served with appetizers like steamed dumplings and spring rolls.
Sriracha Sauce: This sauce comes in a bottle and is available in any Thai food store or market. It has a unique blend of chilies, garlic, salt and vinegar.
It goes well with eggs, chicken,
steak and seafood..
Prik Pone Dry ground roasted chilies flakes.
Sprinkle over rice or noodle dishes for
added spiciness only. Good for taking along on trips.
In Thailand, people are known to keep adding one or more of these sauces to their food
from the beginning to the end of the meal. So the next time you're in a Thai restaurant,
ask for them and add some to your favorite dish. You may be surprised at how it can
improve the flavor of your food.
Here are some recipes from the heart of Thailand
Naam Jim Kiga
Description
This is a common and tasty dip for barbeque style foods.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons prik ki
nu (green birdshit chili), sliced thinly
6 tablespoons prik ki nu daeng (red birdshit
chili), sliced thinly
4 tablespoons hom daeng (shallots), sliced
thinly
3 tablespoons phak chi (coriander plant
including root), chopped
2 tablespoons kratiem (garlic), sliced thinly
1 tablespoon Naam manao (lime juice)
1 tablespoon Naam pla (fish sauce)
Method
Saut?e the chilis, shallots and garlic in a little hot oil.
After cooling pur?e the mixture in a food
processor of mortar and pestle.
If the coriander and shallots are added at the last minute the mixture will
keep for several weeks in a refrigerator.
Cilantro Pesto Rahk Pahk Chee-Gratiem-Prik Thai
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 ts whole white or black peppercorns
2 tb Coarsely chopped fresh Cilantro roots or leaves
2 tb Coarsely chopped garlic
Method
Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, crush
or grind the peppercorns to a fine powder. Combine the pepper,
cilantro roots and garlic; work the three ingredients into a fairly
smooth paste in the mortar or in a small blender or food processor.
If you use a blender or food processor, you may need to add a little
vegetable oil or water to ease the grinding. Make about 1/4 cup.
For an industrial strength batch use 1 tb peppercorns, 1/2 cup
cilantro roots and 1/2 cup garlic. To store the pesto for later use,
put in a glass jar, pour a little oil onto the surface to cover it
and seal tightly. It will keep nicely for about 1 week in the
refrigerator.
Naam Jim Seua
Rong Hai (Tiger Tears Sauce)
Description
This sauce has several regional variations, and this recipe is for the Korat version
The two most important variations are: (a) it can be made with a mixture of
fresh chopped chilis and powdered chilis, and (b) it can be made with lime juice
instead of tamarind juice.
Ingredients
1 tbs prik phon (powdered red 'birdshit' chilis)
5 tbs naam makham piag (tamarind juice)
1/4 cup naam plaa (fish sauce)
khao koor (see method)
1-2 tbs naam tan paep (palm sugar)
Method
First in a medium hot wok or skillet, toast 3-4 tablespoons of uncooked long
grain rice until golden, then cool, and grind to a coarse powder in a mortar and
pestle, food processor or spice mill. This powder is known as khao koor. Any
excess will keep indefinately in a well stoppered container.
Grind dried red chilis to a fine powder, first breaking them, and shaking
out and discarding any loose seeds. You will need about a cup of powdered chili
(or reduce the other quantities accordingly).
Add about 1 tablespoon of khao koor to the chilis, and then add tamarind
juice and fish sauce, in the proportion of three parts tamarind juice to one
part fish sauce, stirring until the mixture forms a thin paste of the
consistency of tomato ketchup.
Add a little palm sugar to your personal taste.
Storage
The sauce will keep for 3-4 weeks in a well stoppered container in a
refrigerator.
Naam Prik Kapi
universal Thai dipping sauce
Description
This is the staple dipping sauce eaten with almost anything, and almost
universally added to the table setting of any but the most casual dinner. It is
as much a signature dish of Thai cuisine as the more familiar (in the west) pad
Thai and is traditionally the one dish, other than desserts, cooked by the
'mistress' of the house, as opposed to the servants (if ya' have money!), and is often extremely
intricate in its preparation. There are probably as many recipes as there are
Thai people, and this is but one example.
The eggplants used - makheua phuang - are very
small; the size of green garden peas, and are often added to curries as
a crisp morsel that pops in the mouth. You could substitute the golf
ball sized makheua pro, but the best alternative to the real thing is
probably to omit them.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of Naam
pla (fish sauce)
3 tablespoons of Naam manao (lime juice)
2 tablespoons of makheua phuang
1 tablespoon kratiem (garlic) chopped
1 tablespoon prik ki nu daeng ( red birdshit
chilis), chopped
1 tablespoon kapi (fermented shrimp paste)
1 tablespoon sugar
Method
In a wok, lightly fry the shrimp paste until aromatic.
Crush all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor, except
the makheua phuang which is coarsely chopped and added to the paste after mixing
Northern Thai Tomato-&-Meat Sauce (Naam Prik Ong)
Yield: 4 servings
Description
Not unlike a That version of spaghetti sauce, this is from the
regional cuisine of north Thailand. Note: Dried shrimp and shrimp
paste give off a strong aroma during cooking, but the flavor mellows.
Ingredients
1/4 lb Pork tenderloin 1 ts Minced fresh lemon grass
2 ts Vegetable oil 1 lb Ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tb Minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 lg Shallot, minced 1/2 c Defatted chicken stock or water
2 Serrano chilies, with seeds, chopped 1 tb Fish sauce
1 ts Tiny dried shrimp, minced,-or 1/2 tsp. shrimp paste
1 ts Sugar
Method
Place pork in a food processor and using an on/off motion, process
until it is ground. Alternatively, chop pork with a sharp knife. Set
aside.
In a heavy, medium-sized saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add
garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned. Add
shallots, chilies, dried shrimp or shrimp paste and lemon grass and
stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry for about 1
minute, or until browned. Add tomatoes, stock or water, fish sauce
and sugar and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently,
for 2 minutes, or until the mixture boils vigorously. Reduce heat to
low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until slightly
thickened. Serve with sticky rice.
Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 in combination with other dishes.
64 CALORIES FOR EACH OF 6 SERVINGS: 6 G PROTEIN, 3 G FAT, 5 G
CARBOHYDRATE; 127 MG SODIUM; 15 MG CHOLESTEROL.
Peanut Sauce Naam Jeem Satay
Yield: 1 servings
Description
This richly flavored sauce is usually served with satays.
Ingredients
1 3/4 c Coconut Milk 3 tb Sugar
2 tb Red Curry Paste 1 c Ground Roasted Peanuts
1/4 c Fish Sauce (Naam Plaa)
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for
15 minutes, stirring constantly. Makes 2-1/2 cups.
From: Thailand The Beautiful Cookbook.
Sweet And Sour (And Hot!) Fish Sauce (Prik Naam Plaa)
Yield: 6 servings
Description
This is a sauce for sweetening/salting/spicing-up any dish being eaten
Ingredients
4 md Clove Garlic, Finely Chopped 1/4 c Fish Sauce (Naam Plaa)
1 tb Hot Red Chili Or Cayenne Pepper Flakes, Crushed** 1/2 c White Sugar 1 c Warm Water
6 tb Fresh Lime Juice
**To make it authentic, you should use Thai Prik Kii Nuu (Mouse Shit Peppers)
Yield: 1 3/4 Cups Of Sauce
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
Serve at room temperature.
Sweet Hot Garlic Sauce - Naam Jeem Gratiem
Yield: 1 servings
Ingredients
1 c Sugar 2 tb Finely Minced Garlic
1/2 c Water 1 ts Salt
1/2 c White Vinegar 1 tb Garlic Chili Sauce
Method
In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, garlic
and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Stir to
dissolve the sugar and salt and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until
the liquid reduces slightly and thickens to a light syrup. Remove
from the heat and stir in the garlic chili sauce. Cool to room
temperature before serving. Transfer the cooled sauce to a tightly
sealed jar and store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Makes
about 1-1/2 cups.
Green Mango Dip - Naam Prik Ma-Muang
Yield: 1 servings
Description
A good dip with seafood and fish, fresh vegetables, and boiled eggs.
Ingredients
8 oz Shredded Green Mango 1/4 c Fish Sauce (Naam Plaa)
6 Cloves Garlic, Minced 2 tb Lime Juice
2 tb Shrimp Paste 2 tb Sugar
Method
Place the shredded mango, garlic and shrimp paste in a mortar and
gently mash with the pestle so that the mango is bruised but is still
in shreds. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Remove
to a serving bowl and use as a dip for grilled meats or fresh
vegetables. Makes 2 cups.
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
1/2 c Rice vinegar 1/2 ts Minced serrano chili
1/4 c Sugar 1/2 ts Ground red chili paste
2 tb Plum sauce 1/2 ts Sweet paprika
1 tb Thai fish sauce 1/2 ts Salt
1 tb Fresh lime or lemon juice 1/2 ts All-purpose flour
2 ts Tomato paste 1 tb Water; *mixed into flour
1 ts Minced garlic
Method
Combine all ingredients and 1/2 c water in a small saucepan, and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Let cool.
Will keep in refrigerator for 3 days.
Chilis in Oil (Naam Prik Pow)
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
4 tb Oil
3 tb Finely chopped garlic 2 tb Sugar
3 tb Finely chopped shallots 1 ts Salt
3 lg Dry red chilis; deseeded -- coarsely chopped
Method
Heat the oil, fry the garlic until golden brown, removve with a
slotted spoon and set aside. In the same oil fry the shallots until
crispy, remove and set aside. Fry the chilis until they darken,
remove and place in a mortar with the shallot and garlic. Pound
together. Reheat the oil, add the paste and warm through. Add the
sugar and salt and mix well to give a thick black/red sauce.
Hell Dipping Sauce Naam Prik Na-Rok
Yield: 1 serving
Description
Because it keeps well, this sauce was traditionally used by travelers.
Ingredients
2 c Oil For Deep-Frying 1/2 c Unpeeled Whole Shallots
2 lb Freshwater Fish Fillets 2 tb Shrimp Paste
1 c Dried Green Thai Chili Peppers (Prik Kii Nuu) 1/4 c Fish Sauce (Naam Plaa)
3 tb Palm Sugar
1/2 c Unpeeled Garlic Cloves
Method
Heat the oil in a large skillet to 375øF. Deep-fry the fish
fillets until very crispy and golden brown.
Charcoal-broil/grill the chilies, garlic and shallots until their
outsides are charred. Remove the garlic and shallot skins.
Place the fried fish, chilies, garlic and shallots in a mortar and
mash with the pestle until smooth, or use the blender.
Place the shrimp paste, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small saucepan
and cook for about 15 minutes on medium-high heat, so that the
mixture is reduced to a paste.
Thoroughly combine the mashed ingredients with the reduced sauce
ingredients. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and use as a
dipping sauce or for cooking .
Chili and Tomato Dip (Naam Prik Nuum)
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
2 Medium-sized ripe tomatoes
2 lg Banana chilies or New Mexican or Yellow Wax hot peppers
1 tb Chopped fresh cilantro
2 tb Fish sauce
3 lg Shallots, peeled and halved 1 tb Fresh lime juice
5 Cloves garlic, peeled
Method
Serve as a dip with raw vegetables or as a condiment. If the chilies
are very hot, you may want to de-seed them. Dry-frying, a method of
roasting, is simply frying without fat.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add whole chilies and
dry-fry for about 4 minutes, pressing down with a wooden spoon and
turning occasionally. Add shallots and garlic to the skillet and
continue to dry-fry, turning occasionally. for about 5 minutes, or
until the chili skins are blackened. Transfer the mixture to a bowl
and cool. Add tomatoes to the skillet and dry-fry for about 5
minutes, turning occasionally, or until the skins are blackened. Let
cool.
Remove stems from the chilies and cut in half lengthwise. (Do not
remove skins.) Remove seeds if you prefer less heat. Core the
tomatoes and cut into quarters. (Do not remove skins.) Place chilies,
tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a food processor and, pulsing,
process until the mixture is coarsely chopped and salsa-like in
texture (not pureed). Alternatively, chop vegetables finely with a
knife. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in cilantro,
fish sauce and lime juice. (The dip can be prepared up to 3 days
ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.)
Makes 1 1/4 cups.
7 CALORIES PER TABLESPOON: 0 G PROTEIN, 0 G FAT, 2 G CARBOHYDRATE; 12
MG SODIUM; 0 MG CHOLESTEROL.
Naam Jeem Kanom Jeeb (Dumpling Sauce)
Ingredients
2 tbsp light soy sauce (see aew sai)
2 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce (see aew dum) or Chinese Hoisin Sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp (or to taste) chopped fresh chilies
1/4 tsp salt
Method
Combine all the ingredients and blend well. Serve with Thai (Kanom Jeeb) or Chinese
dumplings. Referigerate any remaining portion in a tightly covered glass jar. It will keep
for a long time.
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