I happen to love chives since childhood. In Thailand, there is a snack (people here might call them dumplings) named “Gui Chai”. It literally translates to chive dumpling, but the size varies. Gui Chai has been in my experimental plans for a while, but I have yet to try it. Sauteed chives are a favourite for the Kriheli’s. Chives generally go well with chicken liver or pork liver, however since my husband and I are not a big fan of organs, we chose pork to go along with it. A quick sautee can raise the attraction to otherwise simple vegetables. This is what I prepared for our lunch today. Garlic, pork, chives, oyster sauce and soy sauce sauteed together. I sprinkle chilli flakes (optional) at the end for a Thai touch.

I used to eat Rad Na once a week in Thailand. There is one place in Saladang, close to my previous job, that had awesome Rad Na. Even though I don’t know their secret, this is exactly how it looks. This is basically my family version. I start by marinating sliced pork with minced garlic, soy bean paste, mushroom soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, tapioca flour and water. Tapioca flour and water will soften the meat (this is a secret from Papa Kitcharoentham). Marinate pork for at least 4-6 hours in the fridge (it could also be as long as a day). The rest of the process starts 20-30 mins before serving. Angel Hair noodle needs to be soaked (in room temperature water or cold) for 20 minutes before use. I begin by stir frying the noodles in hot oil with sweet soy sauce and put it aside. In the same pan, make simple fluffy scrambled eggs for Rad Na’s accessory and set it aside. In a hot wok, stir fry marinated pork with oil (I prefer olive oil or canola oil) and Chinese broccoli until the vegetables are cooked.  Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and a little bit of sugar mixed together. Add chicken broth (roughly 2- 2 1/2 cups) and wait for it to boil. Dissolve tapioca flour with water and add when the sauce boils, stir it quickly to prevent lumpiness of the sauce. Then it’s time to assemble it all: put noodles in a bowl and pour the sauce on top. Don’t forget to add the scrambled eggs on top. I like to add chilli flakes and lime juice (optional) before eating. In Thailand, you would be offered condiments (chilli flakes, sugar, fish sauce and vinegar), so you can create your own taste for the dish.

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.