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Archive for the ‘Southeast Asian Cuisine’ Category

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May 14

Nam Phrik Ong

I seriously crave Thai food a few times a week and this time the craving was for spicy ground pork in tomato sauce. This dish originates from the northern part of Thailand and generally uses pork belly. However, I chose to use ground pork loin, and the results were comparable. I cooked chopped shallots, garlic and fresh chilli (the amount of chilli depends on the tolerance of each person) added salt to help them soften faster. I then added ground pork and grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes). I usually put the lid on and leave a small gap, so the sauce reduces to half and the tomatoes fall apart. I like to add salt at the end after I taste it. If you can find fermented soy bean (Tua Nao), it will taste the closest to the authentic version. I like to eat with rice and fresh vegetables such as dill, cucumber and string bean. It’s one way to add vegetables to your diet.

May 14

Jook (Rice Soup)

It’s time for weekend breakfast, Thai style or Chinese style (I could say). On weekends, I have more time to create this Thai breakfast for my husband. I miss this rice soup that I had often in Thailand. They were everywhere, but in New York it can be found in Chinatown. I usually marinate ground pork one day in advance with mushroom soy sauce, black pepper, grated ginger, grated garlic, tapioca flour and a little bit of water. Adding water in marinated ground pork is a trick that my father taught me that helps soften pork balls. I boil jasmin rice in water and keep adding chicken stock. When it starts boiling, it requires your full attention. You got to keep stirring and adding chicken stock until the rice becomes mushy and thick. I then add a pinch of salt and pepper. I add marinated ground pork rolled as 1 inch balls into the rice soup (jook). Let the pork balls cook through and serve hot with thinly slice ginger (optional), chopped scallion and soy sauce. This dish requires a lot of patience when stirring the rice until it falls apart.

May 14

Sauteed Brussel Sprout with Shrimp

My husband’s the least favourite vegetable is the brussel sprout. I felt compelled to challenge myself to come up with something he would eat and enjoy. The words “Brussel Sprouts” itself scared him when I told him that it will be part of our dinner. I made very simple sauteed Asian style with garlic, freshly chopped chilli, oyster sauce and soy sauce. The trick of this sauteed vegetable dish is heat, so the pan and oil MUST BE HOT enough. You want to feel the crunchiness of the vegetables, but also it must cook through. Another important part is that the shrimp needs to be cooked just done (don’t overcook). This brussel sprout dish makes me proud of myself in that I finally killed his lack of faith in brussel sprouts. This kind of sauteed dish makes him taste real vegetables.

May 08

Summer Rolls

Summer Rolls are healthy and fortunately easy to make. I have learned to make summer rolls from working in a restaurant watching cooks make them repeatedly. The trick is when you soak rice paper, you MUST use cold water. Hot or warm water makes rice paper soften quicker, but the rice paper will crack after you finish rolling them within 10-15 minutes. The filling is all fresh vegetables and cooked shrimp or hand made pork balls (optional). Basic filling is green leaf lettuce, cucumber, carrot, basil, vermicelli noodle). There are two kinds of dipping sauce that is usually served with summer rolls. One is a clear sauce that made from fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and chilli flakes (optional). Another is made from the combination of hoisin sauce, cooked carrots, pineapple and Sriracha (hot sauce). Personally, I prefer the second sauce because the it enhances the flavour of the vegetables and shrimp more.

May 08

Salted Fish Fried Rice

salted-fish-fried-rice

On his last visit, my father brought me salted fish from Thailand. Preserved food is very common in Thailand and people use it to enhance the flavour of the food. Some examples are preserved garlic, plum and seafood products. Salted fish fried rice is the perfect way to balance the saltiness from the fish with rice and vegetables. I prefer using Chinese broccoli. The first thing is infusing oil with salted fish and adding cooked jasmin rice. Don’t rush to add vegetables. Cook rice and salted fish together until you smell the rice, then add soy sauce (the amount depends on how salty your salted fish is) and vegetables. Sprinkle chilli flakes for the finishing touches and you will have an authentic Thai version of the dish.

May 08

Larb Pork (Thai Spicy Pork Salad)

larb-pork

Larb is a spicy meat salad that people know in this country. It is very well-known dish in Thailand that you can find it in Som Tum (papaya salad) places. Larb is papaya salad’s cousin. It’s a warm meat salad. I normally use grilled meat or ground meat (pork, chicken or beef), but in Thailand you will also find duck and catfish available for this dish as well. Larb has one crucial ingredient that enhances the texture and fragrance the dish. It is by toasting rice with galanga, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves together, then grinding them.

May 08

Kao Na Kai (Thai Chicken Gravy Serve with Rice)

kao-na-kai

Another Thai food craving of mine! This chicken gravy will taste really (really!) good when it is marinated at least six hours to one day in advance. First, I start from adding sliced jalapenos into white vinegar and letting it sit in the fridge until serving time. Then, I slice chicken breast and begin marination. Add soy bean paste, soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, pepper, one teaspoon of tapioca flour and water to chicken and mix together. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least six hours. While the chicken starts to cook, I add oyster sauce, soy sauce and chicken stock to intensify the flavour. So, it will balance out after I add tapioca flour that is well mixed with water. Tapioca water creates the sticky and gravy-like texture for this dish. The recipe of this dish is very similar to Rad Na (Thai gravy noodle); however, this chicken gravy is served with rice and jalapeno vinegar.

May 08

Bitter Melon Soup

bitter-squash-soup1

bitternut-squash-soup2

I was so excited when I saw bitter melon in Chinatown. I automatically grasped it and told my husband that I will make it for dinner. He had no idea what it was but it certainly frightened him. I have been eating bitter melon since childhood and I know that it won’t be extremely bitter if I make it myself. I used pork ribs to be my soup base and added soaked shitake mushrooms, frutus lychi, five cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. While I am waiting for the soup to start boiling, I clean the bitter melon by cutting it in half and scraping the inside by spoon. Rinse it again and chop into three inch length pieces. Put them in the soup that start boiling and lower the heat. Let it simmer for 3-4 hours and splash with soy sauce before serving. The bitter melon helps balance the heat in the body. Eating bitter melon a week, keeps the doctor away. Any South-Asian will tell you this.

May 08

Green Curry Pork

green-curry

People here (in New York) keep asking me which curry is less spicy or which curry is the spiciest. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference between spices because I eat spicy food all the time. According to my grandparents, green curry is spicier than red curry. I like to serve my green curry with rice noodle that Thai people call “Kanom Jean”. It’s very easy to find green curry paste from any Asian grocer nowadays. The crucial part is the beginning when the curry paste needs to be stirred initially in hot oil and then adding any kind of meat (the most popular is chicken, pork and beef). Stir meat and curry paste until the meat is cooked half way. Add fish sauce and coconut milk to keep the meat soft and a little bit of sugar. You can add any vegetables you like, but can’t forget basil (try to add it at the very end to keep the fresh colour). The most common addition is bamboo shoot. It’s best when it’s hot.

May 08

Pad Si Ew

pad-si-ew-shrimp

Pad si ew is a close friend of Pad Thai for foreigners because they are put in the same category (noodle) in Thai restaurants. It is essentially stir fried noodle that my husband and I can get enough of. I finally found broad noodle in Asian groceries in my neighbourhood. I have a little secret that I’ve been given by a chef from a Thai restaurant. Start cooking the meat and egg in hot oil and add the noodle when egg is almost cooked through (can’t add the noodle right away because the noodle will become soggy). You have to add when it’s a little wet, so it will attach to the noodle. Stir the noodle with sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce and a little bit of vinegar to balance the saltiness and then stir in Chinese broccoli. Try not to overcook the vegetables because they will look like a leftover dish.