Som Tam

Papaya Salad

This salad is delicious served with steamed sticky rice (khao neow). The papaya must be dark green and firm.

Recipe:

1 medium dark green papaya/pawpaw
4 garlic cloves (kratiem)
6 green Thai chilies (prik khee noo)
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup chopped green beans, in 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces
2 tablespoons anchovy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sauce
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) lime juice or tamarind juice (ma-kaam piag)

How to cook:

1. Peel the papaya and rinse with running water to remove the acid. Remove the seeds and shred the papaya with a grater. Set aside.
2. Place the garlic cloves and the chilies in a mortar and mash with a pestle until crushed into chunks. Place the papaya and the remaining ingredients in the mortar and gently combine all ingredients by mixing with the pestle and a spoon. Serve cold.

Panaeng Nuea

Stir-Fried Beef Curry

Its rich thick sauce helps to make this a very popular dish. Try replacing the beef with chicken for an interesting variation.

Sauce:

3 fl oz (90 ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-grood)

1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespons Panaeng curry paste (nam prik panaeng, see below)
8 oz (250 g) tender beef, sliced
1/8 cup sliced green bell pepper/capsicum
1/8 cup sliced red bell pepper/capsicum
1/4 cup sliced onions
2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon coconut cream
1 kaffir lime leaf (bai ma-grood), very thinly sliced

How to cook:

1. Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet and add the oil and curry paste. Cook for 1 minute on low heat. Return the temperature to high and saute the beef, adding the sauce. Cook until the sauce is thick.
3. Add the sliced peppers, onions and ground peanuts. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour the mixture into a serving bowl. Top with the coconut cream and lime leaf strips.

SERVES 4

---

Nam Prik Panaeng
Panaeng Curry Paste

The name of this curry paste shows its Malaysian origin.

4 oz (125 g) dried green jalapeno peppers ((prik chee fa haeng)
1/4 cup coriander seed (med pak chee)
1/2 cup chopped onions or shallots
1/2 cup chopped garlic (kratiem)
2 tablespoons chopped galangal (kha)
2 tablespoons kaffir lime skin (piew ma-grood)
1/4 cup chopped lemon grass/citronella (ta-krai)
2 tablespoons shrimp paste (gapi)
1 teaspoon salt

How to make:

Place all the ingredients in a mortar and crush with the pestle to form a thick paste, or process in a blender. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for future use - it will keep indefinitely.

MAKES 3 CUPS

Nuea Satay

Satay Beef

Satays are one of Thailand's most popular appetizers.

Marinade:

1/3 cup (3 fl oz/90 ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro/coriander leaves (bai pak chee)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
1/3 cup (3 fl oz/90 ml) fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon oil

8 oz (250 g) sirloin or flank steak, cut in long narrow strips 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and 3 in (7.5 cm) long

How to cook:

1. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Dip each piece of meat in the sauce and set aside. Cover and leave in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

2. Weave each strip of meat onto an 8-in (20-cm) skewer lengthwise.

3. Broil/grill for 5 minutes o each side or pan-fry. To pan-fry, brush a large non-stick pan with coconut milk or leftover marinade and pan-fry meat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Brush the meat with the sauce as it is turned.

4. Serve with peanut sauce (nam jim satay).

SERVES 4

Nam Jim Satay
Peanut Sauce

This richly flavored sauce is usually served with satays.

1 3/4 cups (14 fl oz/440 ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) ground roasted peanuts

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

Gaeng Ped Gai

Red Curry Chicken

This curry is best eaten as soon as it is made and served with steamed jasmine rice (khao rice). The coconut flavor is enhanced by adding half the coconut milk towards the end of the cooking process.

Red Curry Paste:

2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste (nam prik gaeng ped)
1 lb (500 g) chicken breast, cut into 1-in (2.5 cm) pieces
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) fish sauch (nam pla)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, in strips
1/4 cup Thai eggplant (ma-khue puang), cut into wedges
5 to 8 kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-grood)
1/4 cup sweets basil leaves (bai horapa)

How to cook:

1. Heat half the coconut milk in a large saucepan and add the red curry paste. Heat to boiling and cook for 2 minutes

2. Add the chicken and boil for 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, canned bamboo shoot strips and eggplant, and reheat to boiling.

3. Add the remaining coconut milk, lime leaves and basil leaves and heat just to boiling. Remove from heat and serve.

Gai Pad Bai Ga-Prow

Spicy Chicken with Basil

This is a quick and easy dish which is a favorite of the people of downtown Bangkok. Sometimes it is served over rice with a fried egg.

Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves (kratiem), minced
4 shallots, minced
12 mixed green and red jarapeno peppers (prik chee fa and prik chee fa daeng), sliced
1 teaspoon canned green peppercorns
1 tablespoon oil
1 lb (500 g) ground/minced chicken
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup hot basil leaves (bai ga-prow)

How to cook:

1. Place the garlic, shallots,peppers and peppercorns in a mortar and mash with a paste until a paste is formed.

2. Heat a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the garlic paste and stir for 1 minute, then add the ground chicken, fish sauce and sugar. Continue to cook until the sauce is reduced. Toss in the Basil leaves.

3. As a luncheon dish, serve over rice with a fried egg.

4. As a dinner dish, serve separately with rice and with an accompaniment such as hot and sour shrimp soup (Tom Yam Goong)

Pad Thai

Stir-Fried Thai Noodles

One of Thailand's best known noodle dishes. It is eaten as a light meal at any time of the day or night, and is especially popular at the night markets throughout the country.

Ingredients:

8 oz (250 g) rice noodles (sen lek)
3 tablespoons oil
3 garlic cloves (kratiem), minced
1/4 cup dried shrimp/prawns
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) fish sauce (nam pla)
1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) sugar
2 tablespoons tamarind juice (ma-kaam piag)
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup fried tofu
2 tablespoons dried unsalted turnip, cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup 1-in (2.5-cm) lengths chopped chives
1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) ground roasted peanuts
1 cup bean sprouts

Garnish:

1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/4 small banana blossom, cut into strips
1/2 lime, cut into wedges

How to cook:

1. Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet until hot, then add the oil. Add the garlic and dried shrimp, and stir-fry. Add the noodles and stir-fry until translucent. It may be necessary to reduce the heat if the mixture is cooking too quickly and the noodles stick.

3. Add the fish sauce, sugar tamarind juice and paprika. Stir-fry the mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the tofu, turnip and egg.

4. Turn the heat to high and cook until the egg sets, stirring gently. Thoroughly combine the mixture, and continue cooking over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until most of the liquid is reduced.

5. Mix in the chives, peanuts and bean sprouts. Place on a serving dish, arrange the bean sprouts, chives, banana blossom and lime attractively and serve.