Thai recipes

[Mama Mangia]

Wing Bean Salad (yum tua pu – ยำถั่วพู) is a central Thai dish featuring “wing beans” which are blanched and tossed with coconut milk, roasted chili paste, toasted coconut, tamarind, palm sugar and peanuts. If you can’t get wing beans where you are, they can be substituted with green beans or snap peas.

Directions
1.Slice the fresh coconut meat into match-stick size strips, about 1″ (2cm) long. Remove the skin of the shallots and slice thinly.
2.Roast the coconut on medium heat in a dry pan until light brown. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Set aside on a flat plate to cool.
3.If your peanuts are not already roasted, dry roast them now like you did the coconut. Crush the peanuts with a stone mortar & pestle or the side of a heavy knife.
4.Fry the shallots in enough vegetable oil to cover them on medium heat until golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Remove before dark brown as they will continue to cook for a minute or two once removed from the pan. (You can cheat here and buy pre-fried shallots in a container at many Asian groceries.)
5.Fry the chilies in the oil until browned.
6.Boil the eggs in water until hard-boiled, about 10 minutes. Replace the hot water with fresh cold water to stop the cooking. Peel and slice however you wish (halved, quartered, or sliced thin like shown).
7.Clean the shrimp by peeling off the heads and legs, and removing the “vein” (intestine), but leave the tail on.
8.Trim off the ends of the wing beans and boil whole in salt water for less than a minute — just enough time to turn a darker green. You want them to still be crisp & crunchy. Rinse in cold water and slice into 1/4″ pieces (as shown).
9.Heat the coconut milk in a pan until boiling. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Turn off heat and add the palm sugar, tamarind paste, roasted chili paste, lime juice, fish sauce, peanuts and coconut. Mix well.
10.Add the wing beans and mix. Remove to a plate and arrange the eggs along side. Garnish with the fried shallots and chilies.
Note:

There are a few variations on this dish which include adding small pieces of boiled chicken or pork along with the shrimp.

If you cannot get fresh coconut where you are, or are too lazy to do that step, do not substitute for the dried coconut in the baking section of the supermarket. It's better to just leave it out.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Fried Chicken with Salt (gai tod gleua) is a very easy snack dish which goes great with beer! Boiling the chicken first makes it juicy and tender.

2 cups chicken (legs and wings work best)
enough vegetable oil to coat your pan 1" deep
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Rinse and boil the chicken for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
2.Cut the chicken into pieces, larger than bite-size (about 1.5-2.5″ long).
3.Fry in the oil on medium-high heat. Make sure the oil is hot before you drop the chicken in. It’ll probably splatter a lot, so you might want to use one of those splatter screens.
4.Remove the fried chicken and drain. Place into a pot with the salt. Cover with a lid and shake hard to cover the chicken well with the salt.
5.Serve. Goes well with beer!

 

[Mama Mangia]

Pad Thai Sauce (makes four large servings)

1/4 cup palm sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/4 cup Sriracha sauce

Put tamarind concentrate into a measuring cup, and add enough water to make 1/4 cup, stir, this is your tamarind juice.

In a small sauce pan, put palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind juice, and sriracha sauce. Cook on low heat until the palm sugar dissolves, then increase heat. Let it start to boil, then quickly remove from heat, and set aside. You can make this Pad Thai sauce ahead and put in a jar in the fridge up to a week.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Pad Thai (makes 2 servings)

1 egg lightly beaten
3/4 cup (or more) fresh shrimp, uncooked
1 tablespoon sliced shallot
1 tablespoon chopped salted radish
1/4 cup diced firm tofu
1 handful rice stick noodle
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup fresh chives, cut into one inch long pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanut
vegetable oil for frying


Rinse the radish several times under cold water, gently squeezing off the water. Chop it and add a little bit of sugar to sweeten, mix well.

Soak the rice stick noodle in warm water for about 15 minutes, leave in water until you are ready to use.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok at medium-high heat. Add egg and cook it quickly, scrambling into small pieces (see video below). Remove, set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil in the same wok. Add shrimps and cook until done. Transfer to a bowl, set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add shallot, radish and tofu fry until aromatic. Increase the heat of your wok. Add a handful of soaked noodles followed with water. Stir-fry this mixture for about 5-6 minutes. The noodles will start to get soft. Add 1/4 cup of Pad Thai Sauce and mix well. Add sugar, cooked egg, bean sprout, chive and cooked shrimps. Stir well for another 1-2 minutes until everything blends together. Turn off heat, transfer to serving plate with sliced fresh lime, roasted peanuts, and more bean sprout on the side. Now dazzle your friends with the fact that your Pad Thai looks and tastes just as good as any restaurant. Enjoy!

You may add Thai chili powder, sugar and crushed peanuts at the table on the side.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai sticky rice (also known as "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice")

Thai sticky is a particular variety of sweet rice, and you must not substitute other varieties with this method.

Rinse rice 2-3 times, until water runs clear. Place rinsed rice in a bowl and fill with cool water so the water is approximately 2-3 inches above the rice. Let the rice stand in water for 6-8 hours. Drain the rice, place it in a cheesecloth, wrap it up and put the cheesecloth inside bamboo steamer. Put 6-8 cups of water in sticky rice steamer. Then place bamboo steamer inside sticky rice steamer. Be sure the bottom of the bamboo steamer does not touch the boiling water. Place a standard 8 inch lid loosely over the top of the bamboo steamer. Now turn on the heat (Med/High) and steam the rice for 45 minutes (or until tender). Enjoy!

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai Spicy Ground Chicken and Toasted Rice, "Larb Gai"

1 lb ground chicken
2 tablespoons sliced shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
3 tablespoons roasted rice powder (khao koor)
2 tablespoons ground Thai chile (be sure to use real Thai ground chile)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce


Garnish

Always serve with a good portion of fresh cabbage, and add green beans, parsley, sliced radish, cucumber, & coriander leaves if you like.

Method

You can use ground chicken from the supermarket, or chicken ground in your food processor. Cook the chicken with 2 tablespoons lime juice in a pan over moderate heat. Stir until done. Transfer cooked chicken into medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix well. Taste and season as desired. You might want more or less ground chile and/or fish sauce, etc. Serve with fresh vegetables (as shown) and warm, freshly-steamed sticky rice (or if you prefer you can use Thai jasmine rice). Note: if you like chicken giblets, cut them up into small pieces and cook in boiling water. Drain then add to cooked ground chicken before you add the other ingredients.

The usual way to eat this is to get a small ball of sticky rice in the fingers and use it to pick up a little lawb, then eat it with the raw veggies. You can also use a fork and spoon as a lot of Thais do.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Waterfall Beef, "Neua Yang Nam Tok"

1 pound steak, cut fairly thick.

Marinade

1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate mixed with 3 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped Thai chile peppers

Mix the marinade, coat the steak with it and marinade it for at least 3 hours.

The steak is then barbequed, broiled or grilled until on the rare side of medium rare, cut into half inch thick strips and the strips cut into bite sized pieces. The meat can be kept cool until just before you want to eat.

Remaining ingredients

1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup lime juice
2-3 tablespoons chopped shallots
2-3 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro (including the roots if possible)
2-3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
2 tablespoons khao koor (see below)
1 tablespoon freshly roasted/fried sesame seeds
1-3 teaspoons freshly ground dried red chilis.


Khao Koor: get a medium sized wok fairly hot, and add a couple of tablespoons of uncooked jasmine rice. Keep in movement until the rice starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Grind to a fairly coarse powder in a spice mill, or a mortar and pestle, or a pepper mill or a good clean coffee grinder (all of these work well but keep in mind that a coffee grinder tends to grind too fine--the powder should retain some "texture").

Method

In a wok bring a little oil to medium high heat and add the strips of beef, immediately followed by all the remaining ingredients. Stir fry until heated through (about a minute).

Serve with Thai sticky rice, or as part of a meal with pad Thai and a soup such as tom yum koong (hot and sour shrimp soup).

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai Barbeque Chicken, "Gai Yang"

Marinade:

1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup sweet dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons of crushed garlic
2 tablespoons of freshly ground ginger root
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
5 (ore more) cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 sprigs parsley
Fresh limes, halved
1-2 tablespoons satay powder (optional)

Marinade the poultry for an hour or more (overnight), the longer the better.

Method

Wash the chicken and rub it with fresh limes. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken, mix well and marinade.

Barbeque over charcoal or broil until cooked and the skin is crispy brown.

This is best served with Thai sticky rice, and sweet chile sauce. You should also put some more fresh ground ginger on the table and the usual Thai condiments (we particularly like chilis marinated in sweet dark soy sauce with this one). You can also serve it with a simple green salad.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Crying Tiger Beef, "Seua Rong Hai"

Ingredients / Beef & Marinade
1 flank steak (usually weighs about 1 lb or a bit more)
2 tablespoons of thin soy sauce

Ingredients / Dipping Sauce
1/2 teaspoon corriander seeds
4 cloves garlic
15 fresh Thai chiles
5 tablespoons lime juice
5-7 tablespoons fish sauce
1-2 tablespoons sugar

Method
Coat your steak in the thin soy sauce and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Some chefs like to add a bit of fish sauce to this, but we like to use just soy sauce. Barbeque your steak over charcoal.

To make the crying tiger dipping sauce, first pound the corriander seeds in a mortar and pestle until it becomes powder. Add garlic and chilli pound until roughly smooth then stir in lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Stir until blend. Adjust the taste to your flavor. Serve this dipping sauce on the side with fresh cucumber, green beans etc and sticky rice.

 

[Mama Mangia]

"Beef Larb"

Ingredients / Beef & Marinade
1 flank steak (usually weighs about 1 lb or a bit more)
2 tablespoons of thin soy sauce

Ingredients / Larb
2 tablespoons sliced shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons roasted rice powder (khao koor--see below)
2 tablespoons coarse ground Thai chile (be sure to use real Thai ground chile)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce

Method
Coat your steak in the thin soy sauce and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Some chefs like to add a bit of fish sauce to this, but we like to use just soy sauce. Barbeque your steak over charcoal.

Make your khao koor: Heat a medium sized wok or skillet at medium/high, and add a couple of tablespoons of uncooked jasmine rice. Keep in movement until the rice starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Grind to a fairly coarse powder in a spice mill, or a mortar and pestle, or a pepper mill or a good clean coffee grinder (all of these work well but keep in mind that a coffee grinder tends to grind too fine--the powder should retain some "texture").

Put your cooked beef into a mixing bowl. Add the larb ingredients except the mint leaf, and mix well. Taste and season as desired. You might want more or less ground chile and/or fish sauce, etc. Serve with fresh green beans, and freshly-steamed sticky rice (or if you prefer you can use Thai jasmine rice). Serve with mint leaves on the side, to be eaten with the beef.

The usual way to eat this is to get a small ball of sticky rice in the fingers and use it to pick up a little lawb, then eat it with the raw veggies. You can also use a fork and spoon as a lot of Thais do.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Crystal Sticky Rice "Khao Neow Keaw"

Ingredients
2 cups sticky rice
1 cup coconut cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 drops pandan paste

Method
Soak sticky rice in very hot water, stir and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain in warm water, and steam for 25-30 minutes (sticky rice steamer works best). Leave to cool.

In a medium size pot, add coconut cream, sugar, salt and pandan paste. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add sticky rice, stir constantly and cook until almost dry. Remove from heat then transfer to your serving bowl or any cake pan. While still warm press rice down to your pan, and leave to cool. Form little balls and place into cupcake cups, and/or cut into squares. Enjoy!

 

[Mama Mangia]

Charcoal Broiled Beef in Hot/Sweet Sauce, "Neua Yang"

First prepare a serving platter, lined with lettuce leaves, and decorated with sliced cucumber.

Sauce ingredients

1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce
3 tablespoons shallots sliced very thinly
1/2 tablespoon palm sugar (or honey can be used)
1/2 tablespoon powdered dried red Thai chilis
1 tablespoon sliced spring onion/scallion/green onion
1 teaspoon coriander/cilantro leaf, chopped

Method

Combine the ingredients to make the sauce. Taste and if required add extra sugar/honey, lime juice and/or powdered dried red Thai chilis.

Barbeque half a pound of steak to whatever "doneness" you prefer, then slice into slices an eighth of an inch thick. Then cut the slices into bite sized pieces. Place on the lettuce, and pour the sauce over the steak.

Served as a one-plate dinner (for a large meal), or serve with soup and salad for an adequate meal for four. Accompany with the usual Thai table condiments.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Lao Style Beef Salad, "Pra Nuea"

1/2 pound ground beef
lime juice (see method)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2-3 tablespoons ground dried red chilis
1-2 teaspoons Thai pepper powder
1/2 cup shallots, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemongrass, bruised and sliced paper thin
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
1 tablespoon khao koor (see below)
chopped spring onions, coriander/cilantro leaves as garnish;
a lettuce leaf for the serving plate, and a selection of sliced vegetable crudites to accompany.


Khao Koor: get a medium sized wok fairly hot, and add a couple of tablespoons of uncooked jasmine rice. Keep in movement until the rice starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Grind to a fairly coarse powder in a spice mill, or a mortar and pestle, or a pepper mill or a good clean coffee grinder (all of these work well but keep in mind that a coffee grinder tends to grind too fine--the powder should retain some "texture") We also offer ready-made Khao Koor in premium quality Hand Brand.

Method

Place the ground meat in a mixing bowl, and thoroughly mix with fresh lime juice, and leave to marinade for an hour. Take the marinaded meat and knead it, much as you would if making pizza dough, squeezing thoroughly to drive out as much blood and other juice as possible, either in a muslin bag or a very fine seive such as a chinois. Drain thoroughly, and return to the mixing bowl, marinade again in fresh lime juice.

Repeat this process 3 or 4 times, then set aside, covered in a cool place to marinade a final time (it is not kneaded after the final marination-- to underline the point it should be kneaded and drained 3 or 4 times, then marinaded once more).

At this stage you may, if you wish, stir fry the meat very briefly (it should still be very rare).

Finally combine the meat with the other ingredients: it should be hot and spicy, but not inedibly so, so add the chili powder in stages, tasting as you go.

Allow to stand for an hour before serving. To serve turn it onto a lettuce leaf on a serving platter.

This dish goes best with sticky rice, which can be used as an eating utensil: form a ball of rice and use it to pick up a little of the spiced meat. The rice and vegetable crudites will ameliorate the heat. Serve with the usual Thai table condiments.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai Esaan-style Sausage, "Sai Grok"

1 lb ground pork
1/2 cup cooked sticky rice
1.5 tablespoon fresh garlic, pulverized in a mortar and pestle
1.5 tablespoon pickled garlic, pulverized in a mortar and pestle
1/2 tablespoon Thai pepper powder (do not substitute)
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce
1/2 teaspoon corriander seed powder

Method

Put the pork and all other ingredients in a food processor and thoroughly mix. With clean hands, separate the meat into 3 or 4 sections, and wrap each section carefully and tightly with plastic wrap. Follow that with some tin foil for added protection. Set the sausage out at room temperature (not in the fridge) for 1-2 days. Remove from plastic wrap and foil.

Barbeque the sausage over medium/low heat for about 20 minutes or longer. Note the fragrant aroma, and make sure it's well-cooked. You can fry in oil if barbeque is not available.

Serve with fresh chile peppers, garlic, pickled ginger, spring onion, cilantro, leaf lettuce, cabbage and other greens you may like.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai Fish In Chili, "Pla Rad Prik"

1 fish, about 1 lb
Rice wine (white wine will do fine)
plain flour
oil for deep frying

Sauce

3 tablespoons garlic, finely slivered
1/4 cup green jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shallots, or other onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, chopped
3-4 sprigs young green peppercorn

Method

Cut three or four slashes in the sides of the cleaned fish, and sprinkle with the rice wine. Dust liberally with the flour, and deep fry in hot oil until crispy.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan or second wok add a little oil to the hot pan and stir fry the chilis and onions until fragrant. Add the fish sauce, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the sugar and continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the coriander leaves, and stir occasionally until the sauce is slightly reduced (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat, and transfer to a sauce jug. Add the basil leaves when cool. Now put a few sprigs of peppercorn in the wok and fry gently for a few minutes, keeping them in tact. These peppercorns should be placed on top of the fish at serving.

The fish, on a serving platter, and accompanied with a basket of sticky rice or Thai jasmine rice, and the jug of sauce is served with the usual Thai table condiments.

In Thailand, diners break off small pieces of the fish with chopsticks and transfer them to their plate, make the morsel into a ball with a little sticky rice and dip it into the sauce before transfering it to the mouth with the right hand.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Chicken Stuffed Sticky Rice, "Khao Niao Sod Sai Kai"


14 oz chicken breast, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
2 tablespoons ground pepper
4 spring onions and corianders, finely sliced
10 oz cooked sticky rice
fish sauce, sugar, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, fresh Thai chile pepper, and pineapple for serving.

Method
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chicken, egg, tapioca flour and all the seasoning ingredients with spring onions and corianders except the sticky rice, then form into 1/2 inch balls in diameter.

Surround each ball with a layer of sticky rice. Line the steamer layer with lettuce, cabbage or other seasonal green leaves, rub with the cooking oil thoroughly. Place the balls on the leaves, spacing well apart about 1-2 inches to prevent them from sticking to each other. Steam over vigorously boiling water for about 20 minutes until cooked. Remove.

For serving, arrange on a serving plate together with assorted fresh vegetables and a chili sauce. Serve immediately.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Fried Sticky Rice, "Kao Neeo Tod"

7 oz cooked Thai sticky rice
1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds, slightly crushed
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 oz minced pork
fresh vegetables: lettuce, green onions, coriander

Method
Combine the pork, ground pepper, salt, sticky rice and white sesame in a bowl, then mix together until smooth. Form the mixture into bite-sized balls and dip in beaten egg. Deep fry the balls in hot oil over a moderate heat until lightly brown. Remove from the oil with a skimmer and drain well on kitchen papers.

Sauce
Mix together in a small bowl prik pao with a bit of lemon juice to taste, and add a slight amount of sugar to suit your preference

Serving
Transfer the fried sticky rice to a serving plate, garnishing with pineapple and red chilis. Serve with sauce and fresh vegetables.

Note: this dish goes well with fried dried salted beef. It can be made as follows: cut the beef into 1/2" thick slices, mix with salt and marinate for one hour. Allow to dry on a sieve about 2-3 hours, then fry the beef in hot oil until cooked.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai Pork Satay, "Moo Satay"

Ingredients for pork and marinade
2 lbs pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/4" thick pieces
4 tablespoons lemongrass water (see below)
5 tablespoons thin soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 14 oz can coconut milk*
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 tablespoon Thai curry powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Method for pork marinade
Thinly slice 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, put in a bowl, then pour 1/2 cup boiling water over it. Remove 4 tablespoons of the water and set to cool.

For the can of coconut milk, don't stir it up, and some will have a thicker consistency. Measure 1/3 cup of the thicker part for the marinade. You will use the thinner part for your basting liquid below.

In a mixing bowl, combine the lemongrass water with the coconut cream, and the other ingredients. Mix well, then add the pork, and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Ingredients for basting liquid
Remaining coconut milk from above
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method for basting liquid
Combine the four ingredients, mix well, and set aside.

Ingredients for satay sauce
5 whole dried chile, soaked in water to soften
1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh galangal
1.5 tablespoons thinly sliced lemongrass
5 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
2 tablespoons fresh shallot, thinly sliced
3-4 medium cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon matsaman curry paste
1/4 cup white sesame seed, toasted in a dry wok or skillet
1/4 cup dried roasted peanut
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup palm sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Method for satay sauce
Start by pounding your white sesame seeds in a mortar & pestle, into a thick paste. Set aside. Then pound the peanuts until fine, and set aside.

Next, put the whole dried chile, fresh galangal, lime leaves, and lemongrass into the mortar & pestle. Pound together well, then add shallot, garlic, and shrimp paste. Leave it in the mortar. Heat a wok or large pan to medium heat, and add this mixture from the mortar. Saute it with 1 cup coconut milk. Stir constantly, until all dissolved. Add matsaman curry paste, fish sauce, tamarind, palm sugar, and stir well.

Add the sesame seed paste and pounded peanuts to this mixture and cook over medium/low heat for 10 minutes or so. It should all blend together well.

Ingredients for Ajad
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup sliced shallot
2-3 fresh Thai chile peppers, sliced

Method for Ajad
In a small saucepan, mix vinegar, salt and sugar over medium heat. Stir until dissolves, then remove from heat and set to cool. Just before serving, add the cucumber, shallot and sliced chiles to this.

Preparing And Serving Your Pork Satay
Cook the marinated pork skewers over charcoal, constantly basting them with the basting liquid. Serve together with the satay sauce, ajad, and for an authentic twist--with sliced toast as shown.

Enjoy!

 

[Mama Mangia]

Spicy fried fish cakes, "Tod Man Plaa"

Ingredients for fish cakes
1 lb fresh white fish, prefer cod or halibut
1 egg
3/4 cup finely sliced Chinese longbean, or stringbeans
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 tablespoons red curry paste
3 cups vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients for cucumber relish
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
3 shallots, finely sliced
1-2 fresh Thai chile pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts crushed in a mortar and pestle

Method for fish cakes
Cut the fish into small pieces, then grind it up in a food processor or pound it in a mortar and pestle
until it's a paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients (except the oil).
For spicier taste, add a bit more red curry paste. Using your hands, knead the mixture until sticky enough
to form it into a disc about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan at med/high
heat. Add fishcakes and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on
paper towels. Serve warm with steamed jasmine rice, and a dish of cucumber relish which is to be spooned
over the fish cakes at the table.

Method for cucumber relish
Cook vinegar and sugar in small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Let cool. In a small serving
bowl put cucumbers, shallots and Thai chile. Pour vinegar mixture over that, then top with roasted peanuts.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Thai Green Curry Shrimp with Noodles

1 cup chopped shallots
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (remove outer layer, thinly slice lower 6 inches of each stalk)
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
1-2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 13 oz can coconut milk
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 14 oz package wide rice noodles
1 1/2 lb large shrimp

Method

Puree shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and cilantro stems in blender with curry paste, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, and water until as smooth as possible (about 1 minute). Heat oil in a wide heavy pot over moderate heat until not but not smoking, then cook curry paste mixture, stirring frequently, until it just begins to stick to bottom of pot (8 to 10 minutes). Add coconut milk and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3 2/3 cups (8 to 10 minutes).

While sauce simmers, cook noodles in a pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender (4 to 6 minutes). Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain noodles well and divide among 4 large bowls.

Add shrimp to sauce and simmer, stirring, until just cooked through. Remove from heat and ladle over noodles. Serve and enjoy!