Thai Food Cooking

2009-04-08T21:23:00.001+07:00

“ยำปลาสลิด” ครบรสอร่อยลิ้น

2008-09-13T10:17:00.004+07:00

โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์

ปลาสลิดตากแห้งที่มีชื่อเสียงเป็นที่รู้จักมากที่สุด “กุ๊กเล็ก” คงต้องยกให้ปลาสลิดบางบ่อ จากจังหวัดสมุทรปราการ ด้วยความที่มีสภาพแวดล้อมเหมาะแก่การเลี้ยงปลาสลิด ที่อำเภอบางบ่อนี้จึงมีปลาสลิดตัวอ้วนหอมมันน่ากิน และปลาสลิดตากแห้งก็เป็นสินค้าที่ขึ้นชื่อในแถบนี้ด้วย
ปลาสลิดตากแห้งนั้นจะนำไปทอดกินกับข้าวสวยร้อนๆ ก็อร่อย แต่วันนี้ “กุ๊กเล็ก” ขอเพิ่มรสชาติด้วยการนำไปทำเป็น “ยำปลาสลิด” ให้ลองชิมกันดีกว่า

ส่วนผสม

ปลาสลิดเค็ม 2 ตัว
กระเทียมดอง 10 กลีบ
ถั่วลิสง 2 ช้อนโต๊ะ
หอมแดง 2 หัว
พริกขี้หนูบุบ 5-6 เม็ด
ผักชี 1 ต้น
มะนาว 2 ช้อนโต๊ะ
น้ำปลา 1 ช้อนโต๊ะ
น้ำกระเทียมดอง 1 ช้อนโต๊ะ

วิธีทำ เริ่มจากนำปลาสลิดมาล้างให้สะอาด ผึ่งให้สะเด็ดน้ำดีแล้วจึงนำลงทอดจนเหลืองกรอบ จากนั้นนำมาสับเป็นชิ้นๆ อย่าลืมเลาะก้างปลาออกให้หมด

เสร็จแล้วหันไปปรุงน้ำยำ ด้วยการนำส่วนผสมทั้งหมดทั้งกระเทียมดอง ถั่วลิสง หอมแดง พริกขี้หนูบุบมาผสมรวมกัน แล้วปรุงรสด้วยน้ำปลาและน้ำมะนาว น้ำปลาอย่าใส่เยอะเพราะตัวปลาสลิดเองก็เค็มอยู่แล้ว ส่วนสารให้ความหวาน “กุ๊กเล็ก” ก็ใช้เป็นน้ำกระเทียมดองแทนน้ำตาล เพราะจะให้ความหวานชุ่มคอติดลิ้นมากกว่า

เมื่อปรุงน้ำยำเสร็จเรียบร้อยก็นำไปราดลงบนปลาสลิดทอดกรอบ มีผักชีโรยหน้าตกแต่งอีกสักหน่อยก็เป็นอันเสร็จเรียบร้อยโรงเรียนกุ๊กเล็ก ได้เมนู “ยำปลาสลิด” ที่ได้ทั้งรสเค็ม เผ็ด เปรี้ยว หวาน ครบรสเลยทีเดียว

ยำเห็ดเข็มทองกุ้งสด Yum Hed Khem Thong Goong Sod (Needle Mushroom and Shrimp Dressed with Spicy Sour Salad)

2008-09-13T09:57:00.005+07:00

โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์

วันก่อน “กุ๊กเล็ก” ไปเดินจ่ายตลาดสดแถวบ้านมา เห็นว่ามีเห็ดนานาชนิดออกมาวางขายมากมาย ไม่ว่าจะเป็นเห็ดฟาง เห็ดนางฟ้า เห็ดหูหนูดำ และเห็ดเข็มทอง ก็ทำให้เรานึกอยากจะทำเมนูเห็ดกินขึ้นมาทันที เลยตัดสินใจที่เลือกซื้อเห็ดเข็มทองสีขาวๆ ก้านยาวเรียว กลับบ้านมาทำเป็นเมนูเด็ดอย่าง “ยำเห็ดเข็มทอง” กินดีกว่า

ส่วนผสมมีดังนี้

เห็ดเข็มทอง 2 ขีด
ปลาหมึกสด 1 ขีด
กุ้งสด 1 ขีด
หมูบด 1 ขีด
มะนาว 1 ผล
น้ำปลา 2 ช้อนโต๊ะ
น้ำตาล ½ ช้อนโต๊ะ
รากกระเทียมซอย 1 หัว
พริกขี้หนูซอย 6-7 เม็ด (หรือปริมาณตามชอบ)
หอมหัวใหญ่ซอย 1 หัว
ต้นหอมและผักชีซอย

เมื่อเตรียมส่วนผสมกันพร้อมแล้ว ก็ลงมือปรุงกันเลย เริ่มจากนำเห็ดเข็มทองไปล้างทำความสะอาด แล้วตัดส่วนโคนเห็ดทิ้งไป จากนั้นนำเห็ดเข็มทองไปลวกพอสุก

พอได้เห็ดเข็มทองที่ลวกสุกแล้วก็ตั้งพักทิ้งไว้ก่อน แล้วหันมาลวกหมูสับ กุ้ง และปลาหมึกให้สุกด้วย จากนั้นจึงนำเอาเห็ดเข็มทอง มายำรวมกับกุ้ง ปลาหมึก และหมูสับ พร้อมกับปรุงรสชาติ ด้วยน้ำตาล น้ำปลา น้ำมะนาว กระเทียม และพริกขี้หนู แล้วก็คลุกเคล้าเครื่องทุกอย่างให้เข้ากัน แล้วก็ตามด้วยการใส่ต้นหอมและผักชีลงไป เพียงเท่านี้ก็จะได้ “ยำเห็ดเข็มทอง” เป็นอีกหนึ่งเมนูที่ชวนกิน

Mango on sticky rice

2008-08-30T13:49:00.000+07:00

Mango on sticky rice is a traditional summer dessert because mangoes are in season during the summer months of April and May. When I think of mango on sticky rice, I think of the days when school is out--the carefree summer

2 Servings

1 mango, peeled Make the coconut milk and sticky rice below. Peel and slice ripe mango. Place sticky rice on a small plate and top with mango. Spoon the coconut milk on top of the mango and sticy rice.

Coconut Milk Sticky Rice - Kow Neuw Moon

Sticky Rice is a core ingredient of thai desserts and northeastern thai food. Here's how you make it easily.

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sticky rice

2 pinches salt

1 cup coconut milk

The Traditional Method Using a Steamer:
Soak the sticky rice in enough water to cover the rice for at least an hour and even overnight. Take your steamer, put water in the bottom and cover the steam section with cheese cloth or muslin cloth. Pour the sticky rice on the cheesecloth, cover with the lid and put it on the stove on medium to high heat. The sticky rice should take about a 20 minutes of steaming to cook and will become translucent when done.

The Microwave Method:
I learned this method from my friend who has mastered microwave cooking to such a high level of proficiency that she has earned the title 'the microwave queen'. Soak the sticky rice for 10 minutes in warm water in a bowl. Soaking the rice is very important. I have tried this method without soaking the rice first and it was disastrous. The rice was undercooked and inedible. The water level should be just above the rice, which comes out to be 1 cup of rice and a little over 1 cup of water (about 10% more). I recommend using a non-plastic container because you may melt the plastic in the microwave. Cover the bowl with a dish and cook in microwave for at full power 3 minutes. Stir the rice around to move the rice from the top to the bottom. You will notice that some of the rice is translucent or cooked and some still has white center or the uncooked portion. Heat it up again for another 3 minutes. Check and see if it is done. When cooked, all the rice should be translucent. If it needs more cooking, I recommend heating up and checking every 3 minutes or so. How long it takes to cook really depends on your microwave.

Putting it together:
Heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir constantly and let the coconut milk simmer. Hard boiled coconut milk will curdle. Add sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Pour 3/4 of the hot coconut milk over the hot sticky rice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The sticky rice will absorb all the coconut milk. The rice should be a little mushy. Spoon the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice at serving time.

Fruit Craving

2008-08-30T13:20:00.001+07:00

Another skill lies in the selection and preparation of the ingredients. Thai cooks are expert in the handling of cutting tools and are unbeatable in the art of slicing, cutting and carving vegetables, fruits and meat.

An unwritten rule requires that each bit of meat and fish, when eaten with half a spoonful of rice makes just one mouthful. The origin of this rule lies in the absence of knives at meal times. Well-sharpened knives are obviously vital to the Thai cook, as well as the pestle and mortar used for pounding and crushing the spices and other herbs. Most of the cooking is done in a wok or katha, a deep cone-shaped pan, placed over gas or charcoal.

A Thai meal ideally is a communal affair, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes that can be sampled. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own plate of rice. All the dishes are served simultaneously, or nearly so. The object is to achieve a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and a meal is meant to be equally satisfying to the eye, nose and palate.

Thai cooking has four regional variations (Central, North, Northeast, South), plus the highly refined Royal Thai cuisine, developed in the palace kitchens and only in the mainstream of Thai restaurants and cooking schools since the 1960s.

Thailand is blessed with many varieties of plants, herbs and spices which ensure a balanced diet. Today, visitors can both relish classic Thai menus and the benefits of a natural diet, and study the art of Thai cooking at several specialist schools in Bangkok and major beach resorts. Enjoy your long-stay in Thailand and experience these valuable nutrients for the wellbeing of your body, mind and soul. !

Pla Grorb - Crispy fish soup

2008-08-22T22:11:00.000+07:00

ต้มโคล้งปลากรอบ

Tom Kloeng Pla Grorb - Spicy Sour soup with crispy fish.

I thought i would introduce one of the lesser known recipes now that the blog is beginning to take

Tom Kloeng Pla Grorb is a spicy, sour-tasting soup, some recipes prefer to use young tamarind leaf, others use the flower of the Tamarind tree.This assists in lending a more sour taste and special aroma to the soup.Th crispy fish adds a sweet taste and a smoky aroma to the dish. If you cant find Pla Grorb (a kind of fried or smoked dried fish), you can use some other kind of fish if you like. ( i recommend a smoked fish as this is part of the taste of the soup.

Ingredients;
Pla Grorb 8 units (8 dried fish)
6 Tomatoes
6 hom daeng (red small Thai shallots)
200gms straw mushrooms
3 lemongrass stalks
6 Kaffir lime leaves
4 pieces of Galangal root, sliced into oval slices
8 small dried chillies
1/2 a cup of fresh coriander leaves1 teaspoon of sugar
4 tablespoons of lemon juice (lime juice if you can)
6 tablespoons of Nam Pla (Thai fish sauce)
3 cups of stock

save some coriander for decoration when serving.

Preparation method;

1.Roast the pla grorb on the stove for a few minutes to give them aroma, and place to one side.(you can roast them in a dry fryingpan/wok, or even grill or in the oven. In Thailand, most households have an earthen barbeque pot for making charcoal barbeque with.This is what is used to roast the fish with.

2.wash and chop the tomatoes, likewise wash the straw mushrooms thoroughly and slice into halves

3.take the shallots and dried chillies and dry-roast them in the "grata" (grata is the name for the wok-like frying pan used) with a little salt, and place to one side for the moment.

4.put the stock in a saucepan along with the Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal root, chillies and hom daeng shallots, mushrooms and coriander.

5. once boiling, add the pla grorb and tomatoes, sugar, fish sauce. Switch the heat of and add the lemon/lime juice, whilst stirring continually to make sure the mixture binds.Serve with some fresh coriander to garnish.

(if you don't like coriander leaf, then you can use parsley as a substitute).

Thai Food from the Northern Region

2008-08-20T20:51:00.000+07:00

Thai food of the north, in some way, is cooked with the sole thought for the taste for the northern people. The recipe consists of vegetable and ingredients available in their immediate vicinity. The common meal includes steamed glutinous rice, chili sauces which come in a host of varieties, such as "namprik noom", "namprik dang", "namprik ong" and chili soups (gang) such as gang hangle, gang hoh, gang kae. In addition there are also, local sausages such as sai ua, and nham; steamed meat, roasted pork, pork resin, fried pork, fried chicken and vegetable to go with them.

The northern people have penchant for medium cooked food with a touch of salty tastes almost to the exclusion of sweet and sour tastes. Meat preferred by the northern people is pork followed by beef, chicken, duck, bird etc. Sea food is the least known on account of the remoteness of the northern region from the sea.

Thai food of the north does not lack in varieties. These are dishes to be consumed at different times of the day. The northern breakfast known in the local dialect as khao gnai consisting mainly of steamed glutinous rice. Cooked in the early hours of the day, steamed glutinous rice is packed in a wicker basket made from bamboo splints or palmyra palm leaves. The farmer takes the packed basket to the working rice field and eat the glutinous rice as lunch, known in the dialect as "khao ton". Dinner or "khoa lang" is an familiar affair is served on raised wooden tray or "kan toke". The tray which is about 15 to 30 inches in diameter is painted in red.

Traditional Method of Serving Northern Food

The northern people are known to follow their traditions in a very strict and faithful manner, in particular the tradition of serving and partaking of the evening meal. Food is placed in small cups placed on "kantoke" which could be an inlaid wooden or brass tray depending on the economic status of the house owner. Served together with "kantoke" is steamed glutinous rice that is the staple food of the northerner packed in a wicker basket. There is also a kendi containing drinking water nearby. Water is poured from the kendi to a silver drinking cup from which water is drunk. After the main course come desserts and local cigars to conclude the evening meal.

Information from: "Rice and Thai Ways of Life" published by Office of the National Culture Commission.

Thai Food from the Central Region

2008-08-16T22:43:00.001+07:00

The Thai people in the central plain prefer food with smooth and lasting taste with a touch of sweetness. The way the food is served is an art in itself. The dinning table is often decorated with carved vegetable and fruit. Cuisine of the central plain sometimes combines the best of the foods from various regions.

Rice is strictly the staple food for every family in the central region. There are on the average three to five dishes to go with rice. Typical are soup, gang som (chili vegetable soup), gang phed (Thai red curry), tom yam (spiced soup) and so on. Chili fried meat dishes are for instances, pad phed, panaeng, masaman, fried ginger and green pepper, Thai salads or yam are yam tua pu, salad with sliced roasted beef. Dishes that regular feature fin a Thai meal of the central region are vegetable, namprik (chili sauce), platoo (local herring), and perhaps omelette (Thai style), fried beef of roasted pork. On the whole Thai meal should meet protein and vitamin requirements with plenty to spare.

Traditional Methods of Serving Food in the Central Region

The central plain of Thailand has always been known for its progress and advance in all areas of human activity, be it intellectual, technological or cultural.

The Thai in the central region have adopted spoon and fork and a common ditching spoon as the standard cutlery set for Thai meals. For affluent families, napkins simply folded or folded into various geometrical shapes are also to be seen depending also on individual family's tradition and taste. Dishes, boiled rice and drinking water are laid on the dinning table and for the family which can afford the service of a maid, will be replenished by a waiting maid as the meal progresses. Less well to do families may do without shared spoons together, and family members take food from the dish by their own spoons.

Information from: "Rice and Thai Ways of Life" published by Office of the National Culture Commission.

Pad Thai

2008-08-16T21:56:00.000+07:00

Pad Thai - This Pad Thai recipe is how you actually find it in Bangkok and comes from testing hundreds of different variations from food carts all over the city. Pad Thai is the ultimate street food. While "street food" may sound bad, food cart cooks are in such a competitive situation, with such limited space, ingredients and tools they need to specialize in a dish or two just to stay in business. The best of these cooks have cooked the same dish day-after-day, year-after-year, constantly perfecting it.

Great Pad Thai is dry and light bodied, with a fresh, complex, balanced flavor. I've never actually seen the red, oily pad thai in Thailand that is common in many western Thai restaurants.

The ingredients listed below can be somewhat intimidating but many are optional. If you would like to make authentic Pad Thai, just like in Thailand, use all the ingredients.

Pad Thai is another perfect vegetarian dish, just omit shrimp and substitute soy sauce for fish sauce. Add more tofu if you like.

2-3 Servings

1/2 lime
1 egg
4 teaspoons fish sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground dried chili pepper ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon tamarind
1/2 package Thai rice noodles
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2-1/4 lb shrimp (Optional)
1/2 banana flower (Optional)
1/3 cup tofu - extra firm (Optional)
1-1/2 cup Chinese chives - green (Optional)
2 tablespoons peanuts (Optional)
1-1/3 cup bean sprouts (Optional)
1 tablespoon preserved turnip (Optional)

Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water while preparing the other ingredients, for 5-10 minutes. Julienne tofu and cut into 1 inch long matchsticks. When cut, the extra firm tofu should have a mozzarella cheese consistency. Cut up Chinese chives into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside a few fresh chives for a garnish. Rinse the bean sprouts and save half for serving fresh. Mince shallot and garlic together.

Use a wok. If you do not have a wok, any big pot will do. Heat it up on high heat and pour oil in the wok. Fry the peanuts until toasted and remove them from the wok. Add shallot, garlic and tofu and stir them until they start to brown. The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir quickly to keep things from sticking. Add tamarind, sugar, fish sauce, chili pepper and preserved turnip. Stir. The heat should remain high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat, if it is the case. Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Crack the egg onto the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles. Add shrimp and stir. Add bean sprouts, chives. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft and very tangled.

Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve hot with the banana flower slice and a wedge of lime on the side and raw Chinese chives and raw bean sprouts on top.

As always, in Thailand, condiments such as sugar, chili pepper, vinegar and fish sauce are available at your table for your personal taste. Some people add more pepper or sugar at this point.

Tips and substitutions

By far, the trickiest part is the soaked noodles. Noodles should be somewhat flexible and solid, not completely expanded and soft. When in doubt, undersoak. You can always add more water in the pan, but you can't take it out.

Shrimp can be substituted or omitted.

In this recipe, pre-ground pepper, particularly pre-ground white pepper is better than fresh ground pepper. For kids, omit the gound dried chilli pepper.

Tamarind adds some flavor and acidity, but you can substitute white vinegar.
The type of extra firm tofu called for this recipe can be found at most oriental groceries in a plastic bag, not in water. Some might be brown from soy sauce, but some white ones are also available. Pick whatever you like.

If you decided to include banana flower, cut lengthwise into sections (like orange sections). Rub any open cut with lime or lemon juice to prevent it from turning dark.

The original Pad Thai recipe calls for crushed roasted peanuts. Many people in Thailand avoid eating peanuts because of its link to cancer.

Tom Yum Goong

2008-08-16T21:26:00.000+07:00

This is my mom's recipe and method of making tom yum goong and it is the best! This is definitely a recipe that you can only balance by taste -- tom yum goong should never be bland, but hot and sour.

2 Servings

4 cups water
1 cup shrimp
5 mushrooms
1-2 limes
1 lemon grass
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoon fish sauce
5 sprigs cilantro
3 chili peppers
1 tablespoon nam prig pow (Optional)

Start boiling the water in a 2 quart pot. Peel and devein the shrimp and set them aside. Cut lemon grass into pieces, 5-6 inches long. Use the back of your knife to pound the lemon grass, just to bruise it to release the flavor. If you want, you can tie the lemon grass into a knot to make it easier to manage. Drop the lemon grass in water and let boil for 5 minutes.

Put the fish sauce and 1 lime's juice into the bottom of the bowls you will serve the soup in. Crush chili pepper and add to the bowl.

Remove the stems from the kaffir lime leaves and add the leafy part to the pot. Clean and halve the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat. Shrimp gets too tough very quickly, and will cook even when it is just sitting in the warm broth. Scoop the shrimp and liquid into the serving bowls immediately. As soon as you add the liquid to the serving bowl, you will see that the broth becomes cloudy because of the lime juice. Add the nam prig pow. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Be very careful, the peppers can be hot. Take a small sip at a time. Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice if it tastes bland. It's right if it's good for your sinus.

Tips and substitutions

Unfortunately, for the true taste, it is difficult to substitute anything for the kaffir lime leaves. The richness of the sour taste comes from the complement of the different citrus flavored ingredients.

I serve this soup directoy into individual bowls for each person.

If you don't like it hot, cut down on the chili peppers or do not cut them up, but leave them whole for decoration