Nam Pla Prik/Prik Nam Pla ( Thai condiment- Fish Sauce with Chilies) ...potent and addictive!!!

Nam Pla Prik or Prik Nam Pla…remember the green chillies soaked in vinegar we used to get at Chinese Vans and Chinese restaurants?? Well, this is the Thai version…Nam Pla means Fish Sauce and Prik is Chilli…works wonders when served with Thai curries or soups or fried rice or even a simple fried egg…there is always, always, some lying in our fridge for emergencies!! 

Nam Pla Prik/Prik Nam Pla (Thai condiment- Fish Sauce with Chillies)

Ingredients:

• Thai Fish Sauce, 4 tbsp
• Fresh Lime juice, 2 tbsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Fresh red and green chilli, finely chopped, 8-10 (ideally Thai chillies but any chillies that are available or that you can handle or in the mood for) 
• Garlic Cloves, sliced finely or roughly crushed, 1-2 (optional)
• Shallots, sliced finely, 1 (optional)
• Lemon peel, 3-4 slivers (optional)

Instructions:

In a jar or bowl, add lime juice and sugar to fish sauce and mix well till blended.

Add in rest of the ingredients.  And…it is ready!!!

Notes:

• Ideally try making it at least a couple of hours before the meal especially if you are using garlic and shallots but if you can’t, no harm done J

• Just remember, the longer the chillies sit in this sauce, the less potent they become. Seal it in a jar and keep it in the fridge – lasts for about week to ten days easily.

• Though I have specified quantity but please feel free to adjust everything to taste.

• Oh, and for Vegetarians – normally for curries, soups etc I say substitute fish sauce with light soy sauce but if you plan to do it for this one…it will still serve the purpose to some extent but really won’t be the same.

Thai Style Cucumber Salad...no chitter chatter!!!

Thai Style Cucumber Salad…quick quick quick post…dinner needs to be made…

Thai Style Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• Seedless English Cucumbers, thinly sliced ribbons or finely diced , 2-3 medium size (if using regular cucumbers, do discard the seeds) 
• Onion, thinly sliced into half moons or finely diced,1/2 medium
• Hot water, 3 tbsp
• Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 tbsp ( if you don’t have rice wine vinegar, regular white vinegar would do)
• Sugar, 1/2 tbsp ( I use brown sugar)
• Fresh Red Chilies, finely chopped, ½ tbsp
• Salt, ¼ tsp 
• Fresh coriander leaves, a handful, optional

Instructions:

Mix hot water, vinegar, sugar, chili and salt in a small bowl. Let the sugar dissolve completely and the mix cool down.

In a serving bowl arrange the cucumber and onions. Pour the vinegar mixture over the salad. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Works very well with Thai Fish cakes (which are what we are having tonight) or Red Thai curry and steamed rice or even regular sandwiches/burgers.

Notes:

I would not suggest storing for too long as the cucumbers completely lose their crunch.

Cashew Chicken with Basil...have 10 minutes? Let’s cook!!

Cashew Chicken with Basil is another one of those ‘10 minute’ recipes that I have been putting up lately…this phase shall pass soon enough but till then be a lazy queen/king and enjoy all that extra time doing other stuff…make time for that spa appointment or go watch a movie…the home, the kitchen and rest of the stuff will be still here when you get back…I am off to watch second movie of the day for me J

Cashew Chicken with Basil

Ingredients:

• Chicken, boneless thighs, 300 gm
• Onion, sliced, 1 large
• Bell peppers, 1” square pieces, as much or as little as you want ( I only had red)
• Plain Cashew nuts, broken (so that Hubz feels I have added enough even though I haven’t), a handful and then some more!!
• Garlic, sliced, 3-4 cloves
• Dried red chillies, 4-5 (or fresh if you can find)
• Basil leaves, about a cup
• Dark Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp
• Thai Chilli paste, about 1 tbsp (if you don’t have this, soak some dried red chillies in water and then grind adding some vinegar and brown sugar)
• Fish sauce, 1 tbsp
• Brown Sugar, 1 tsp
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Remove any excess fat and wash the chicken. Wipe dry and cut into bite sized pieces.

Leave it to marinate with the chilli paste, sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce. Keep aside.

Soak the dried red chillies in a little warm water. When they go soft, remove and cut diagonally into slightly large pieces. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok/large pan over the medium-high heat and add about a teaspoon of oil. Add cashew nuts, and fry until golden then remove from the pan and keep aside.

Wipe the pan clean and add the balance oil.

Add the chillies, garlic, onions and fry till onions go soft.

Add in the chicken with the marinade and toss around for a few minutes on each side till is almost done. 

Add in bell peppers and half of the basil leaves and mix well.

Cook till chicken gets done.

Check for seasonings and adjust to taste. 

Add in the fried cashews and rest of the basil leaves. 

Mix well and serve over steamed rice.

Notes:

• Regular sugar would do in case you don’t have brown or palm sugar.

• Make this healthier by using chicken breasts and/or adding any/all veggies of your choice

Thai Red Curry Paste…Rice!!

Thai Red Curry Paste Rice…Another one of those quick recipes...one dish and a light cucumber salad and dinner done!!

Thai Red Curry Paste Rice

Ingredients:

• Boiled rice, about 4 cups
• Chicken breasts, boneless, cut into strips, 300 gms
• Thai Red Curry paste, 1 ½ heaped tbsp
• Fish Sauce, 1 tbsp
• Light Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp
• Palm or Brown Sugar, 1 tsp 
• Juice of 1 lime,
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Dried Red chilli, 1-2 (optional)
• Coriander leaves, a handful
• Lemon slices/wedges

Instructions:

Heat oil in a wok and fry the dried red chilli till it changes colour. Strain out the chilli and keep aside.

Add the curry paste to the same pan and fry on low heat till the oil separates.

Increase the heat to high and add in the chicken. Mix well with paste and cook for about 5-6 minutes till chicken gets cooked through.

Add in the sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and mix well.

Tip in the cooked rice and stir to mix well.

Switch off the heat once the rice is coated and heated through. 

Squeeze in the lime juice. Mix well and serve garnished with the fried red chilli, coriander leaves and lemon slices/wedges.

Notes:

• The amount of curry paste will depend on the brand you are using. 

• Adjust the amount of paste and other seasonings according to taste.

• Can use normal sugar if you don't have palm or brown sugar.

•  Do feel free to saute and add veggies of your choice

L2 (Lime and lemongrass) Chicken...no rambling today!!

L² (Lime and Lemongrass) Chicken…no rambling today…quick quick post…have to rush out and get some work done…super easy, super delicious Vietnamese style chicken curry

Lime and Lemongrass Chicken

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs, bone in, without skin, 700 gms
• Onions, finely sliced, 1 medium
• Palm sugar or brown sugar, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Ginger, 1” piece
• Fresh Garlic, 2-3 cloves
• Kaffir Lime leaves, 6-7
• Lemongrass, white part only, 4
• Red chillies, 2
• Fish Sauce, 1 tbsp or to taste 
• Coconut Milk, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste 
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Coriander and Red chillies for garnishing

Instructions:

Wash and clean the chicken. Remove all excess fat from the chicken. Pat dry and keep aside.

Grind together fish sauce, ginger, garlic, lime leaves, lemon grass and chilli in a food processor/blender/mixie. Keep aside.

Heat a heavy bottom pan on low heat and add sugar and oil to it. 

Let the sugar dissolve in oil over low heat till it caramelizes – ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn. 

Add in the onions and the lemongrass paste and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and add in the chicken. Toss and mix the chicken well in the caramelized paste.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let the chicken braise in its own juices at a low simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir the chicken every 5-6 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves and red chillies with steamed rice.

Notes:

• Fresh Red chillies were not available so soaked some dried ones in warm water for about ½ hour. Used as normal when they became soft and plumped up!! 

• If you don’t have palm sugar or brown sugar, you can use either jaggery or regular sugar.

• You can substitute Fish sauce with Light Soy Sauce.

Green Papaya Salad...if only I had prawns

Was cleaning my inbox the other day and found a recipe of Green Papaya Salad I had sent to myself couple of years back…no subject, no photo, no source just the recipe copy pasted...quite surprising since I don’t think I had started reading up recipes on the internet just yet…around that time and since God knows when, my favorite pastime and stress buster used to  be flipping through the innumerable cookbooks that I have…read through the recipe and could understand why I would have wanted to save it…I have not met or heard of anyone who doesn’t like Som Tum…BUT with coconut cream??!!!??  I HAD to try it…a few very minor tweaks…and am soooooooo glad I made this…just stopped myself from giving this the title of the best Som Tum everrrrrrr cause I didn’t have any prawns to add in…do try this and if you manage to click a picture which looks better than what I have on, please do send it on me either here or on facebook to post because everyone NEEDS to know that this salad is beautiful inside and out!!

Green Papaya Salad (with coconut cream)

Ingredients:

• Green Papaya, peeled and coarsely grated
• Tomatoes, thin wedges
• Onions, thin sliced half moons
• Peanuts, roasted and slightly crushed, a handful
• Fresh Coriander leaves, a few

Dressing:

 (specifying measurements to give an idea of proportion, adjust to taste and quantity)

• Coconut Cream, 3 tbsp
• Oil , 1 tbsp ( any light neutral oil)
• Fish Sauce or Light Soy Sauce for vegetarians, 2 tbsp
• Sugar, 2 tsp
• Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
• Thai chili sauce or red chili flakes or if you get red bird’s eye chili, to taste

Instructions:

Mix all Dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and stir till sugar fully dissolves. 

If the dressing seems too thick, add a tablespoon or so of water.Do a taste check and further adjust according to taste – should be little sweet, a little tangy, a little spicy.

Place papaya, tomatoes, onions and most of the coriander in large bowl. 

Squish everything lightly with your hands and pour over the dressing. 

Mix and squish, squish, squish some more. 

Add most of the peanuts and toss.Taste test again and adjust seasonings if required.

Arrange on a serving plate, top with remaining peanuts and coriander. Serve immediately!

And unlike me, pls. ensure you have some prawns when you make this L - fresh prawns, peeled and boiled till done (max 3-4 minutes), drained, cooled and then tossed in with rest of the stuff

Meatballs with Red Thai Curry.... Aroi Mak Mak

I wanted to do something different with meatballs and yet something familiar...off I went looking for some ideas on the net…and after 2 hours of drooling and searching, went ahead with mixing a couple of recipes for making Meatballs with Red Thai Curry…it was just what we needed and perfect!

Meatballs with Red Thai Curry

Ingredients:

• Boiled noodles
• Lemon juice, 1 tsp (optional)

For the meatballs:

• Mince meat, 250 gm ( I used goat meat)
• Onions, Grated, 1
• Egg,1
• Ginger Paste, ½ tsp
• Garlic paste, ½ tsp
• Bread Crumbs, 2 heaped tbsp
• Red Thai curry paste, 1 heaped tbsp
• Fish Sauce, 1 tsp (or light soy sauce)
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, ¼ cup
• Red Chili paste, 1 tsp

For the sauce:

• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Red Thai curry paste, 2 tbsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Fish sauce, 1 tsp (or light soy sauce)
• Coconut Milk, thick, 300 ml

Instructions:

For the meatballs:

Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl lightly. Add the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir and mix well.

Oil your hands lightly and form the meatballs.

Place the meatballs on baking tray lined with foil. Cook in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes at 180 C or shallow fry in a pan till browned and completely cooked through.

For the Sauce:

Heat the oil in a pan and add the Red Thai curry paste.

Fry for a couple of minutes and add a tablespoon of coconut milk.

Fry for another minute and then add fish sauce, sugar, salt and rest of the coconut milk.

Add the meatballs and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Add in the noodles and toss to mix.

Add the lemon juice just before serving.