Asian Chicken Salad with Tamarind-Honey-Lime Vinaigrette Recipe

3 tablespoons https://ilovethaicooking.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/pomalo-salad-with-crab-recipe-yum-som-oh-phu/

plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Lee Kim Kee Honey Garlic Sauce

 

 

Lemongrass & Lime Sorbet Recipe

 

 

LEMONGRASS & LIME SORBet

 

Inspired by my very own lemongrass lemonade recipe, I wanted to create a refreshing sorbet to cool down spicy food. But the recipe still lacks in color and texture. After, attending Jerry Traunfeld workshop in “Adventures in the Herb Garden”, I was inspired and love the flavor of Shiso Apple Ice-cream.  Adding green apple with my lemongrass lemonade, I get a delightful sorbet which wonderful aroma and flavor of lemongrass and lime.

 

Servings: 8

Yield: 2½ cups

 

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 lemongrass, divided in half lengthwise

2 Pandanus leaves, optional

3 granny smith apples peeled and cored and chopped

1/3 cup lime, about 4 limes

½ teaspoon salt

 

 

To make simple syrup, heat sugar, water, lemongrass and Pandanus leaves in a small sauce pan over high heat. And let it boil for 10 to 15 minutes.  Strain the syrup into a jar. Then let it chill for a while.

 

In the blender, put in granny smith apples, lime juice and salt. Pour cooled simple syrup over, cover and blend until smooth. Pour the ice-cream mixture in an ice-cream machine and follow the instruction. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

 

Garnish with lime zest and lemongrass ring.

 

Thai Chili Ice Cream

 

Yield: 1 ½ quarts

 

2 cups Half and Half

2 cups coconut cream (top layer of coconut milk)

5 Thai red or green fresh chilies, smashed

1 pandanus leaf, cut into 6 pieces

1 cup mint leaves

10 egg yolks

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

 

Bring half and half, coconut cream, Thai chiles, pandanus leaf and mint leaves to a gentle boil and cook on summer for 5 minutes.

 

Whisk the yolks and sugar until creamy, light and puffy like ribbon, about 10 to 12 minutes.

 

Pour half and half mixture into the yolks and sugar and stir while pouring slowly. Strain and pour back into the same pot and whisk constantly on the heat that steaming but not boiling until the mixture is thick to coat the back of spoon.

 

Cool in the ice bath and strain into the prepare ice cream machine. Turn on the machine according to the instruction until it is chill and creamy, about 30-45 minutes depending on the machine. Put in the freezer for a few hours before serving.

Pla Goong – Dancing Shrimp

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day

All the best wishes and happiness on Mother’s Day

Dancing Shrimp – Pia Goong – Thai Shrimp Herbal Salad

Thai Shrimp Herbal Salad – Dancing Shrimp

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes       

Cooking time: 5 minutes

20 shrimps, peeled and deveined

3 Thai chili peppers, sliced, or 1 teaspoon ground roasted red pepper

1 tablespoon roasted red chili paste, known as Nam Prik Pow or Chili jam

2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots 

2 tablespoons fish sauce

4 tablespoons lime juice 

1 tablespoon palm sugar, or more as needed

3 tablespoons chopped green onion (about 1 green onion)

3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons sliced lemongrass (about 1 stalk lemongrass)

½ cup mint leaves

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1/8 teaspoon grated galangal

4 kaffir lime leaves, chiffonade

Cook shrimp with 2 tablespoons water in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until they turn pink, about 1 minute. Drain all liquid and let cool. 

Whisk Thai chili, roasted red chili paste, shallot, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar in a salad bowl until the palm sugar dissolves. Mix in shrimp, green onion, cilantro, lemongrass, mint, garlic, galangal and lemongrass. 

Copyright by Pranee K. Halvorsen May 5, 2021

Asian Market Cooking

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/asian-market-cooking/
Thursday, May 20, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Online Demo

Fill your basket with vegetables from local Asian markets and use them with confidence. From selecting and storing to prepping and cooking, Pranee will share everything she knows about these market finds along with tips for perfecting her favorite recipes. She’ll introduce you to gai lan — an Asian green with thick stems and florets similar to broccoli but with a stronger taste — which works wonderfully in Phad Khana Nammun Hoi (stir-fried gai lan with oyster sauce). You’ll also learn how to make stir-fried prawn egg noodles, known as Phad Mee Hokkien, served with Choy Sum Som Tum (green papaya salad with lime-peanut dressing).

Thai Grill

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/thai-grill/
Wednesday, May 26, 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Online Demo

Street food is a quintessential part of Thai culture. Join Pranee as she demonstrates how to grill meat dishes that would feel right at home on the streets of Bangkok. She’ll guide you through the process for making Near Yang (grilled tri-tip beef with lime-mint dipping sauce and sticky rice) and Yum Mamuang Goong Pao (grilled prawns with mango salad). You’ll also learn how to balance Thailand’s essential flavors — sweet, sour, salty and spicy — as she prepares a dressing for the mango salad.

Thai Spring & Summer Rolls

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/thai-spring-and-summer-rolls/
Thursday, June 3, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Online Demo

Get rolling with Pranee as she shows you how to make summer and spring rolls at home. She’ll take you through the steps for crafting Thai restaurant favorites, including Por Pia Sod (summer rolls with prawns, rice vermicelli and fresh herbs) and Por Pia Tod (spring rolls with cellophane noodles, shiitake mushrooms and green onions) with hoisin-peanut and spicy-sweet dipping sauces. Learn how to balance flavors, master proper knife skills and pick up tips to make working with rice paper easy.
With seafood and peanuts; no meat, dairy, or eggs. Optional gluten (hoisin-peanut sauce).

Phad Thai At Home

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/phad-thai-at-home/
Tuesday, June 8, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Online Cook-Along, Gluten-Free

Take home the secrets to authentic Thai cooking! Pranee will teach you how to build and balance sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors as she guides you through a quintessential take-out favorite: Phad Thai. Cook along with Pranee and learn to make restaurant-quality Phad Thai at home, from scratch-made sauce to stir-fried vegetables and eggs. You’ll also make Kluey Bud Chee (banana in coconut milk) for dessert.With seafood and eggs; no dairy or gluten.

BANH MI

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/banh-mi/
Monday, June 14, 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Online Demo

With their distinctive fluffy baguette and pickled vegetable garnish, banh mi sandwiches are a delicious vehicle for flavorful fillings. Join Pranee as she takes you through the steps for crafting this satisfying Vietnamese classic. For that signature sour crunch, she’ll prepare quick-pickled daikon and carrots followed by the main ingredient — grilled lemongrass chicken. You’ll be ready to enjoy banh mi at home anytime you like!
With poultry and gluten; no dairy or eggs.
*Banh Mi with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and Quick-Pickled Daikon and Carrots

Quick & Easy Thai Curries

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/quick-and-easy-thai-curries/
Wednesday, June 30, 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Online Demo

Learn how to make curry in a hurry! After this class, you won’t need to order takeout every time you crave Thai food. Pranee will show you how to prepare authentic dishes using easy-to-find, store-bought ingredients and fresh, seasonal produce. Watch as she makes Gaeng Daeng Gai (red curry chicken with bamboo shoots, eggplant and basil) and Phad Prik King Neua (stir-fried curried beef and green beans with shredded ginger and lime leaf). She’ll demystify traditional Thai herbs and spices, and discuss how to balance sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors.
With meat, poultry and gluten.

A TRIP TO THAILAND: 5-DAY KIDS’ CAMP

https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/a-trip-to-thailand-5-day-kids-camp/
Price: $150
AGES 8 TO 15  COOK-ALONG  GLUTEN-FREE

Junior chefs will explore their favorite Thai dishes with expert guidance from Pranee. She’ll demonstrate how quick and easy it is to cook food from her homeland, building confidence in the kitchen while sharing techniques for authentic Thai cooking. Along the way, kids will learn basic knife skills, the secrets of stir-frying, and tricks for balancing the sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors that Thai cuisine is known for.
With poultry and seafood; optional eggs; no gluten or dairy.

Day 1: Monday, August 2, 9:30 – 11:00 am
Day 2: Tuesday, August 3, 9:30 – 11:00 am
Day 3: Wednesday, August 4, 9:30 – 11:00 am
Day 4: Thursday, August 5, 9:30 – 11:00 am
Day 5: Friday, August 6, 9:30 – 11:00 am

MENU
Day 1: Fresh Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce; Coconut Sticky rice with Mango
Day 2: Red Chicken Curry with Young Corn and Bamboo shoots; Jasmine rice; Banana in Coconut milk
Day 3: Stir-Fry Cashew Chicken; Pineapple Fried Rice
Day 4: Phad See Ew; Tapioca Pearl Coconut Pudding
Day 5: Tom Yum Goong; Larb Gai

Coconut Palm Sugar 101, how palm sugar being made

Coconut Palm Sugar 101

Palm Sugar

Thai coconut palm sugar has a unique flavor with caramel and butterscotch notes. It is has a low melting point and high burning point.  It is also a great sugar for savory dishes, as it is a perfect addition to bitter, sour, salt and spicy note in Thai cooking.

It is also known as a good choice for sugar for a low glycemic index.

Making several cuts or slits into the bud of a coconut flower stalks and collecting sap or nectar. Phayom or Thai plant bark chip is added for a natural preserve to keep the sap from fermenting into alcohol.

The sap is reduced, taking approximately 1 ½  hours. The clue for the sugar maker to know when the caramel is ready is by observing the texture and the size of the bubble and the intense fragrance.

Stir with special tool to aerate the palm sugar and get it to a texture of creamy rich before pouring into a container. It will take about 15 to 30 minutes to cool and solidity depending on the volume.

Related articles

• ~Coconut Melon Smoothie Recipe~ (ilovethaicooking.wordpress.com)
• ~Thai Cooking with Coconut, What Is a Coconut?~ (ilovethaicooking.wordpress.com)

Happy Mother’s Day

Virtual Thai Cooking Class to Fund the Frontline Against Covid

I hope you are all doing well. I am finally adjust to Stay-at-Home and would like to do something special on this Mother’s day. I would like to celebrate the Mother’s Day with Thai food enthusiasts and fans out there. Whether you are a mom or just want to take this opportunity to learn Thai cooking over the zoom online platform. I hope you will have a chance to join me in my kitchen studio from your home. The fee for this class will help purchase lunch and dinner for the workers on the frontline against COVID.

I chose this time frame, hoping that where ever you are, you can take this virtual class with me for Pacific Time, Eastern Time or from Southeast Asia.

We are now as close as ever. Thank you and wishing you have a good weekend.

How it works:

Virtual Thai Cooking Class to Fund the Frontlines against COVID

Pranee’s Thai Kitchen, Seattle Washington

Phad Thai & Sticky Rice and Mango

Sunday, May 10^th, 2020 

Pacific time: 3pm-4pm, Eastern Time 6pm-7pm

Register Here: https://squareup.com/store/markhomemadethai/

Please forward your receipt to: Pranee@ilovethaicooking.comto receive your zoom access and recipes. 

Pranee will reveal and share with you the technique to make the best Phad Thai for your family & friends. She will help you master the best Phad Thai Sauce and Sweet Sticky Rice & Mango and will cover important tips, techniques and ingredients. Menu: Phad Thai (Phad Thai Noodles Stir–fry with Prawns) Kao Neow Mamauang (Sticky Rice & Mango).

If you are unable to attend on May 10th, you can purchase 3 tickets and schedule for your private 1hour zoom class on a mutually agreeable future date and time based on the same menu.

Here is the process;

1. Please forward your receipt to: Pranee@ilovethaicooking.comto receive your zoom access and recipes. 
2. Also I will send you a link for specific Thai ingredients that you can order to enjoy cooking right away.
3. We will have 8 attendees in the zoom class.
4. When you purchase 3 tickets, you can schedule your own virtual private class and share with up to 5 friends.
5. This is not refundable with kind intention to support a good cause.

Website:I Love Thai Cooking

Blog: Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

Instagram: I Love Thai Cooking

~Khanom Yok Manee Recipe – ขนมหยกมณี ~

Pandan Tapioca Peal Cake – ขนมหยกมณี – Khanom Yok Manee

Another ancient Thai dessert, Pandan Tapioca Pearl Cake, it’s Thai name is  Jade Gemstone – ขนมหยกมณี – Khanom Yok Manee

Steamed Pandanus Tapioca Pearl Cake

Khanom Yok Manee

ขนมหยกมณี

The photo above was from my visit to Phuket and I had this childhood dessert for breakfast. This dessert can be prepared in an instant. Simply have tapioca pearl, coconut milk and sugar in your pantry. Pandan leaves are available in the market and please see note of how to make green pandan extract. You can prepare this Thai dessert without pandan leaves but since the name Yok Manee is derived from the color green of jade gemstone – then the pandan water is necessary for this ancient Thai dessert. Stock up the pandan leaves in your freezer as well and you will enjoy many uses of pandan leaves in your kitchen. 

Serves 8

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

1 cup tapioca pearl

2 cups water

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

½ cup pandanus water

2/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons grated coconut flake

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Arrange a steamer, with 2 inches water. 

Place tapioca pearl in a strainer, rinse and set a side.

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. When the water is boiling pour in tapioca pearl, tapioca starch, pandanus juice, sugar and salt. Stir until it well-mixed and sugar is melted. Spoon about 4 tablespoons of tapioca mixture into 8 ramekins. Sprinkle evenly about 2 teaspoons coconut flake on top of each tapioca cake. Then place 8 ramekins in the steamer and bring to a boil and steam tapioca cake on high heat for 10 minutes. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Cook’s note: Pandanus is a green leaf from screwed pine tree family.

Step by Step: How to Make Pandan Water, น้ำใบเตย – Pandan Extract Recipe

© 2020 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com .

Happy Mother’s Day

 

TOD MAN PLA

Phuket Fish Cake with Red Curry & Lime Leaf

ทอดมันปลา

Serves6 as a main dish, 12 as an appetizer

Yield:3 cups to make about 12 patties

Preparation time:20 minutes

Cooking time:20 minutes

5 shallots, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons red curry paste

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1½ pounds snapper, or other firm white fish

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

¼ cup coconut cream (the creamy part from the top of a can of coconut milk)

4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, or 10 basil leaves, chiffonade

7 green beans, sliced

High-heat oil for frying (e.g., peanut, safflower, or sunflower oil)

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a food processor, add shallots, garlic, red curry paste, cilantro, fish, sugar, light soy sauce, salt, egg and coconut cream; blend for 5 seconds.

Place the fish in a bowl and stir in shredded kaffir lime leaves or basil leaves and green beans with a solid wooden spoon until blended. Let the mixture stand in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or longer. Pan-fry a small portion of the mixture to test; adjust seasonings as needed.

Using an ice cream scoop, form ¼ inch-thick patties (like crab cakes), and place them on a baking sheet. Heat the frying pan with 2 tablespoons cooking oil and pan-fry fish cakes on each side until golden yellow. Set them aside on a baking sheet until all are done. Bake in the oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Serve with cucumber salad and sweet chili sauce from recipe below.

 NAM JIM AJARD

Cucumber Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing

Yield:3 cups

Preparation time:15 minutes

1 cup sweet Thai chili sauce

½ cup vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 3 cups)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup ground peanuts, optional

Combine sweet chili sauce, vinegar and salt. Stir in cucumber and cilantro. Garnish with ground peanuts if desired. Serve as an accompaniment to Thai appetizers such as Thai fish cake.

© 2018 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

 

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com .

 

Here are classes that offer at Pranee’s Kitchen Studio: Thai Noodle Bowls, Asian Market Tour & Cooking Class, Thai Made Easy, Vietnamese Made Easy, Thai Wok

 

~Thai Fish Sauce Condiment Recipe, Nam Pla Prik~

For Richer or For Poorer

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In Thailand, fish sauce is called nam pla. It is made of anchovies and salt which are fermented for 6 to 12 months under the tropical sun. The process of fermentation leaves behind an elixir laden with flavor and concentrated glutamic acid. This elixir creates a mouthful of flavor when added to salads, soups, curries, stir-fries, dipping sauces, rice and noodle dishes, or served simply as an everyday condiment – Nam Pla Prik. It is is a medium-brown liquid  that is available in bottles of various sizes ready to use for seasoning and cooking.

When it comes to Thai cuisine and culture, one can’t live without fish sauce. It is important to get the best quality fish sauce, so I have some recommendations for buying it outside of Thailand.  My favorite fish sauce brands, which I use interchangeably, are Thai Kitchen, Tiparos and Three Crabs. Once the bottle has been opened, you can leave it out at room temperature if you cook with fish sauce often, otherwise you can keep it in the fridge for up to 6 months. When it gets too salty or stale, replace it with a new bottle.

Nam Pla Prik as a condiment

Thai people from all walks of life always have fish sauce in their kitchens and typically use it every day, either in their cooking or as a condiment. Thais value its significant flavor and Nam pla is part of Thai people’s lives, regardless of whether they are from rural villages, big towns or the capital city of Bangkok. In fact, it is a Thai’s best friend in all life situations, but especially in economic down times, or for newly married couples starting their lives together. When Thais face financial struggles, one often says “a fish sauce and warm rice is simply enough” (in Thai: มีข้าวกับน้ำปลาเพียงพอแล้ว).  When we go through a tough time and have just  enough money to buy rice and fish sauce, life is still good, still filled with hopes and dreams, and we still have each other, for richer or for poorer.

Nam Pla Prik

 

Spicy Fish Sauce

Nam Pla Prik 

น้ำปลาพริก  

Yield: 1/4 cup

Nam pla prik is no secret to Thai dining;  Thais use  it the way Americans use salt and pepper. This liquid of chili and garlic-infused fish sauce is delicious over warm steamed jasmine rice or just about any Thai food you are about to savor. The fresh layer of fish sauce enhances the food and adds another dimension to each mouthful, heightening the experience on your palate. My favorite way to use it is over a fried egg and steamed hot jasmine rice, with fresh sliced cucumber and tomatoes alongside. Any time you are dining at a Thai restaurant, you may ask for nam pla prik the same way that you would ask for salt and pepper.

¼ cup fish sauce

2 Thai chiles or a jalapeno pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon lime juice, optional

Stir fish sauce, Thai chiles, garlic, sugar and lime juice together in a small bowl. Use this spicy fish sauce for seasoning. You may keep it in an airtight jar up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Thai Condiment Set – with Nam Pla Prik

© 2011 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com .

 

Related articles

• Vietnamese Summer Rolls (markbittman.com)
• Rice Noodles with Asian Fish Sauce (the365cook.wordpress.com)

~Stuffed Sweet Pepper Green Curry Recipe~

Curry Without the Hurry

Sometimes we can add a little creativity and time to an ordinary Thai curry dish and a magic spell happens. When you bring the food to the table it produces a touch to the heart as well as a gastronomic experience. When I returned home for a visit, my mom’s kitchen invoked a fond memory of her preparing stuffed southern style eggplant in Phuket red curry sauce — her specialty. The Thai people often speak the language of the heart with food, and I remembered well those days of a warm welcome home. My version of stuffed sweet peppers in green curry sauce was prepared and served at my family table here in Seattle. I took a few photos, knowing that one day I would share this curry recipe so that you could try this curry without the hurry: Braised Stuffed Sweet Peppers in Thai Green Curry.

Braised Stuffed Sweet Peppers and Thai Eggplant in Green Curry

With only a little effort you can surprise someone with a memorable result when you prepare Braised Stuffed Sweet Peppers in Green Curry Sauce. I chose to make this dish with the mini bell peppers that are available in the market all year round so you can enjoy this recipe at any time. My favorite times for preparing this dish is in the fall when local varieties of sweet peppers are available, or in the winter when the weather is cold, but the kitchen is cozy and warm. You can cook without the hurry—just let the peppers simmer away without the worry and enjoy the fragrance throughout your kitchen.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Use a paring knife, slit the peppers on one side and open them with one straight line the length of pepper. Using your thumb, press at the bottom and with your index finger press at the top, squeezing the pepper to make it open up. Remove the seeds then stuff in the meat mixture. If desired, you can complete this step ahead of time and keep the stuffed peppers in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

Thai Eggplant

Thai eggplant is a typical vegetable to add to green or red curries. You can make this recipe with or without them. Simply remove the stems and cut each of them into 6 wedges. Soak the wedges in salted cold water to prevent the eggplant from turning brown. Drain them just before adding to the curry.

Gaeng Keow Wan Prik Yad Sai  

Stuffed Sweet Pepper Green Curry

แกงเขียวหวานพริกยัดไส้

I love to prepare this dish and once taught it to my Seattle area students during the winter months. The best part is letting the stuffed sweet peppers braise away in the green curry sauce. Don’t worry about the time, the curry has a way of telling you when it is ready when the fragrance of the sweet coconut milk, spices and herbs reach their highest level.

Serves: 4 to 8

8 small, whole mini sweet peppers, or Anaheim peppers

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems

5 black peppercorns

1 pinch of salt

½ pound coarse-ground chicken

1½ cups coconut milk

2 to 3 tablespoons green or red curry paste

4 kaffir lime leaves or lime peel

4 Thai eggplants, please see the preparation above

½ to 1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon fish sauce, as needed

¼ cup basil leaves

Use a paring knife to slit open peppers on one side with one straight line the length of pepper. Then use your thumb at the bottom of the pepper, and your index finger at the top to squeeze them open; remove the seeds.

Place garlic, cilantro stems, black peppercorns and salt in a mortar. Pound with a pestle until they become a paste. Place into a medium-size bowl with the ground chicken and mix well. Stuff the meat mixture into the peppers and set aside. (This step can be done ahead of time and the stuffed peppers kept in the fridge until ready to cook.)

In a saucepan on medium-high heat, bring ½ cup of coconut milk and green or red curry paste to boil; stir well. Let the mixture cook until the oil separates and curry is fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add kaffir lime leaves or lime peel and stuffed peppers to the mixture. Add the remaining 1 cup coconut milk to cover all ingredients; bring to a boil. Let cook on medium-low heat for 8 minutes, then stir in Thai eggplant and keep cooking until the chicken filling is cooked and the peppers are soft, about 7 minutes. Check the center of the stuffed pepper to make sure chicken is done, then stir in sugar, fish sauce and basil leaves. Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat.  Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

© 2017  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

For more in-depth in Thai ingredients and Hand-on Cooking Class please check out

Pranee’s One day Asian Market Tour & Cooking Class at Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

~Angled Luffa Gourd, Stir-Fried Angled Luffa with Egg Recipe~

What is a Fruit, Eaten as a Vegetable, and Used as a Sponge?

Wait—you are eating luffa? Yes, in Thailand luffa fruit is eaten at a young stage as a vegetable. It is soft, sweet and aromatic after cooking, either in a stir-fry or a soup dish. We eat the whole fruit except for the skin.

When I have a craving for luffa as a vegetable, I only choose the youngest luffa available. As the fruit gets older, the fibrous veins becomes more visible and tough and the flesh gets more airy and dries out to become a sponge. Farmers leave many healthy-looking luffa fruit longer on the trellis in order to harvest seeds and sponges as the annual vine grows old, dies, and dries up. The last harvest for the plant is healthy seeds and luffa sponges for bathing or cleaning pots and pans.

บวบหอม – Smooth Luffa – Luffa aegistiaca

We enjoy two species of luffa as a vegetable in tropical and subtropical countries. The above luffa is บวบหอม – buap hom – Sponge Luffa or Smooth Luffa. Below is the บวบเหลี่ยม – bump liam –  Ridged Luffa or Angled Luffa.

Growing up in Thailand I felt that what makes a Thai village scene beautiful is walking around and seeing both kinds of luffa growing in and around granny’s home, either on the fences or the chicken penthouse or on a tree. And one doesn’t need a fancy vegetable garden to grow them, just two square feet of fertile ground, routine watering, then a bit of training to get the vine to climb up a twig or fence as it grows. After that it can take care of itself and all you have to do is admire the yellow flowers, harvest the luffa, collect seeds for the next season and enjoy a supply of sponges.

บวบเหลี่ยม – Angled Luffa on the trellis – Luffa acutangula

This picture was taken a few years back when I visited my mom and uncle and we walked around my village in a circle. The angled luffa is young, long, and round with ridges. This one is a perfect size for harvesting. It could be from 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter and 8 to 12 inches long. The yellow flowers were bright against the dark green guard hanging on the chicken coop to provide shade for chickens. I trust that the yield of luffas from this single plant provided many meals, stir-fried, in a country-style soup, or served with Nam Prik – Thai Chili Dip. 

Step-by-Step: How to Peel and Cut Luffa 

One year when I visited mom I found her in the kitchen just about to prepare stir-fried luffa with egg for lunch. Because I wanted to share the technique and recipe with you and all my blog followers, I asked her if she could do this in slow motion and let me interrupt her so I could take photos of her peeling and cutting luffa the way everyone from our Thai village always did. I want to share with you this treasured culinary moment in my mom’s kitchen.

How to peel angled luffa

The luffa is actually related to the cucumber family. They are alike in many ways but the luffa is softer. We use a cucumber peeler to peel the ridged skin.

Angled luffa looks like a soft cucumber

After peeling and rinsing, we do the oblique cutting or roll-cutting.

The oblique cutting style is used for stir-fried luffa

Please click here to see a video and the explanation from Simply Ming about how and why oblique and roll cutting is used in Asian Cuisine.

The reason we love luffa so much is that it is succulent, moist, sweet and tender. Therefore we don’t need many ingredients in this stir-fried dish. We often enhance the flavor with some protein like egg, prawn or pork, then a little fish sauce or soy sauce for salt. The taste has a hint of zucchini and cucumber. It has a delightful silky smooth texture that is soft, but firmer than a marshmallow.

Mom’s style stir-fried angled luffa with egg, served with steamed jasmine rice

Both species of luffa can be cooked in the same way. There is not a big difference between the two, but I prefer angled luffa over smooth luffa as it is more succulent and sweet. This recipe, and the photographs were recorded many years ago in my mom’s kitchen in Phuket. It captured our fine day visiting and savoring real Thai home cooking.

Stir-fried Angle Luffa with Egg

Buab Phad Khai
บวบผัดไข่
Serves: 4

Like any Thai stir-frying dish, cooking on high heat is the key. Shrimp or pork are popular proteins used in stir-fried angled luffa, and almost always with egg, some soy and fish sauces and a pinch of sugar. It can be served as a side dish or a main dish with steamed jasmine rice.

3 tablespoons high heat cooking oil such as canola, peanut or soy bean oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 eggs

3 large or 4 medium-size angled luffa, peeled and oblique-cut, about 1 and 1/2 pounds

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup water or chicken broth

Heat a wok on high heat until it is hot. Pour in cooking oil and stir in garlic. When garlic is golden, stir in eggs and stir a few times. When the egg is cooked, stir in luffa. Stir for 1 minute and add fish and soy sauces and sugar. Add water or chicken broth and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes with the lid on. It should have a soft texture and some sauce like the recipe above. Serve warm.

© 2016  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

For more in-depth in Thai ingredients and Hand-on Cooking Class please check out

Pranee’s One day Asian Market Tour & Cooking Class at Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

 

Related Links

http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_luffa_angled.html

How to Grow Your Luffa Sponge

http://www.luffa.info/luffagrowing.htm

Roll-Cutting Video

http://www.howtocookmeat.com/techniques/howtorollcut.htm

~Yangon Almond Pancake with Honey-Lime Syrup Recipe~

Pranee's Thai Kitchen

Yangon, Myanmar June 2009

My very  first breakfast in Yangon.

When I was in Yangon last year I spent my first morning looking for a market near the hotel. It was a street that had many stalls and breakfast type food stands. Everything in Yangon was very exciting for me, as a neighbouring country to Thailand. I found that our culture and cuisine are very different in many ways. The thing that catched my eye most was a lady making an almond pancake on the street. I stood in line and signalled for some almond pancake, the same one that she just did for the customer in front of me.  First she poured the pancake batter in the pan, sprinkled generous amount of almond on top, then she placed a charcoal heater on top. Like baking, the cake actually rise after a few minutes. She then gave it to me in a plastic bag. I ate there on the street. I really loved it, as its almond flavor and…

View original post 539 more words

~Thai Ceremony & Culinary Traditions~

One year, remembrance.

I arrived in Phuket in late March 2015 amid the stunning beauty of the hot season. All my favorite flowers from large trees were in full bloom, and the sky had a beautiful blue hue. The heat and humidity greeted me and welcomed me home. I love Thailand at this time of year. However, this visit was unlike any other. It was an urgent one to visit my mom whose health had worsened since my visit just a month before.

The golden shower tree – Rachapruek – ราชพฤกษ์

I only had a chance to admire the season’s beauty from the car window because I had come to spend whatever precious moments I could with my mom. I had my blessing, as we were able to give each other hugs and say our farewells just two days before her passing.

In accordance with the tradition in our region, a celebration of her life followed immediately afterwards. Her funeral was held for six days; the last day was the cremation day. These events all took place on the grounds of our village monastery in a special section where there was a large hall, praying chamber and a kitchen. Over 3,000 friends, relatives and family paid tribute, and on the cremation day, over 145 monks and novice monks and hundreds of people came to honor my mom’s life. She is missed and loved by her family and community.

Early Morning Sunlight at the Thai Temple

Thai-ness

In honor of Thai culture and Thai-ness, I am sharing these stories and pictures with you. I hope you can read with your open heart and mind and that you learn something of a different people and culture.

In February 2013 I wrote the post Thai Monastery Kitchen about Thai culture and the cuisine at a Thai funeral or celebration of life. I hope you had a chance to read it and see how Thai culinary traditions and culture revolve around the Thai monastery kitchen and event hall where we share food, mourn, laugh, and mingle.

Just two years after that post, my four brothers and my sister and I were suddenly very busy organizing all the details for my mom’s celebration of life. Because the system for doing this event is already in place and the ritual is the same for everyone, there is nothing to reinvent but from 5:30 am till 10 pm each day we were busy shopping for foods and serving them.

Getting Tea and Water Ready for Our Guests

My mom’s funeral was held in our village monastery hall which was attached to a large kitchen. More than 25 dining tables were set up so that when friends and relatives visited and gave their condolences, the foods and drinks could be promptly served. We steeped tea in a large pot and always had two types of tea: a Thai tea with a hint of sweet and a fragrant Pandan Jasmine Tea. As guests arrived, we welcomed them to sit and promptly served them tea.

My brothers, sister, and all of the in-laws wore black and white and greeted and served with care the friends and relatives from near and far. About 500 people visited each day and the kitchen was always busy with commotion during lunch and dinner time. Generous donations from everyone helped us to keep this tradition alive. It is a big part of helping us mourn the loss of a loved one and I had good visits with many relatives that I hadn’t seen for over 25 years.

At the funeral, a 10-foot-long table was covered with symbolic and auspicious foods, then groups of related kinship in a clan were called to pay homage, group by group. The first group was the deceased’s children and their spouses. The photo above is of my sister and brothers and their spouses. The next group called is the deceased’s brother and sister, and so on. We added this step to our Thai buddhist ceremony before the cremation to honor my mom and our family’s Phuket Baba culture.

.

At the crematorium everyone lined up to pay their respects and say farewell.

Because I was so busy most of the time I only had a chance to take a few pictures on the second day of mourning, but I hope you enjoy the photo log below and the chance to see what it was like in a Thai monastery kitchen during my mom’s celebration of life. If you wish to see more, please check out my photo album “My Mom’s Cerebration of Life.“

Thai Ceremony Cooking in a Monastery Kitchen

Jee Lah spoons Hua Mok batter onto a banana leaf

My mom had always admired Jee Lah, the head chef and caterer for most events in the village. Jee Lah was about to go on vacation when my brother asked her to be the cook for the six days of my mom’s celebration of life. Jee Lah agreed to honor my mom’s wish to have her cater her celebration of life. We were so fortunate to have her. Jee Lah specializes in Phuket cuisine and local popular dishes. She created the menu for each day. The foods was real local cuisine expertly prepared with the best taste and quality and she appreciated how all our brothers and sisters made her job easier.

My sister Rudee prepared mixed fruit plate

Above, my sister Rudee is preparing fruit platters for snacks or after-meal palate cleansers. In this photo she is preparing sliced green mango and rose apple with nam play wan – น้ำปลาหวาน – a fruit dipping sauce.

Thai Coconut Ice Cream

We served my mom’s favorite ice cream to our guests.

Thai Vegetable Accompaniments to Nam Prik and Curry Dish

Above is a Thai vegetable accompaniment to Nam Prik – น้ำพริก – hot sauce. There are cucumbers, young corn, cauliflower, and Thai eggplant.

How to Slice a Snake Bean for Thai Salad

Technique is so important and cooking for 300 guests each meal means there are many helping hands for the long hours of patient and hard work. The snake beans here are sliced thin like paper in an oblong. This preparation is for Thai Southern bean salad.

Slicing Shallots for Thai Chili Dip and Fried Shallots

In Thai cuisine we use a lot of shallots. Slicing them very thinly, like paper, is always important to allow them to combine well in a salad, chili dipping sauce or making fried shallots.

Slicing the Green Mango for Thai Salad or Thai Chili Dip

Green mango is shredded into thin strips for green mango salad. One could use a julienne peeler to accomplish the work but for the beautiful looks and best quality, hand shredding is preferred.

Barracudas – ปลาสาก For Hua Mok, Thai Fish Cake

The meat from these large fish was for a Hua Mok – a fish cake steamed in banana leaf. The yellow batter that Jee Lah was spooning from the large pot into a banana leaf in the earlier photo was 90% fish meat and the rest is spices and herbs.

How to Mince the Pork with a Cleaver

To make minced meat for soup or meat balls, first slice the meat and then chop it repeatedly with a cleaver until the pork is minced into small pieces.

Real Local Thai Cuisine

Everyone worked hard to make everything well to honor our mom. All of the hard work serving the mourners was helping us with the mourning as well.

© 2016  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

For more in-depth in Thai ingredients and Hand-on Cooking Class please check out

Pranee’s One day Asian Market Tour & Cooking Class at Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

 

Related Link

 

What to expect if you are invited to a Thai Funeral.

http://www.thaibuddhist.com/what-to-expect-if-you-are-invited-to-a-thai-funeral/

Thai Monastery Kitchen

https://praneesthaikitchen.com/2013/02/25/thai-monastery-kitchen/

 

 

~Lemongrass Tea Recipe, ชาตะไคร้ ~

Almost, My Thai Herb Garden

Harvesting Lemongrass

Lemongrass – Takrai – ตะไคร้

I always try to enjoy my hometown of Phuket as a tourist would do, but my favorite part is visiting, catching up and dining with my family and relatives in the village. One of my fun days at home in Phuket was following my brother-in-law and admiring his Thai herb garden. We harvested some herbs for my sister Rudee and some for me. The Thai herb garden, with its scents of fresh citrus, wild lemongrass leaves, pungent cumin leaves, and the so-sweet anise aroma of Thai basil, is close to heaven. It has a timeless quality like that of a dream of a childhood day of wonder.

I took many pictures of the herbs from his garden; please check them out. The herbs that we cut with a knife are cumin leaves (Bai Yeerah – Tree Basil plants – Ocimum gratissimum), Thai Basil (Bai Horapa – Ocimum basilicum) and holy basil (Bai Kraprow – Ocimum tenuiflorum).

Thai Ginger, Lesser Ginger and White Turmeric

The Thai herbs that we dug up for the rhizomes were galangal (also known as Thai ginger), lesser ginger and white turmeric.

The lemongrass stalks can be easily removed at ground level, just above the root, with a sharp knife, but my brother-in-law removed the whole cluster and gave me all the trimmed lemongrass stalks.

Lemongrass – Takrai – ตะไคร้

As I headed back to my apartment kitchen in Phuket, accompanied by the scent of lemongrass from 30 lemongrass stalks, I knew what would I do with them: make Lemongrass Tea – Nam Takrai – ชาตะไคร้

Lemongrass – Takrai – ตะไคร้

You can use any part of the lemongrass plant to make lemongrass tea, from roots to leaves. I often save the leftovers pieces of lemongrass trimmed from my cooking and freeze them until I have a enough to make a tea. In Thailand lemongrass is inexpensive and freshly available everyday. Use the cleanest and freshest lemongrass you can get.

Lemongrass Tea – Cha Takrai – ชาตะไคร้

Lemongrass Tea – Cha Takrai – ชาตะไคร้

Lemongrass Tea – ชาตะไคร้ – Cha Takrai 

Yield 12 cups

Whenever I give students a demonstration on how to prepare lemongrass for Thai cooking, I always recommend that they save the trimmings and freeze them for making fresh lemongrass tea or a lemongrass simple syrup. Today, my lemongrass tea recipe is made in a large quantity, but you can scale it down to make smaller amount or to adjust the concentration to your desired taste.

12 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and smashed 

1/2 cup sugar, optional

Wash and prepare lemongrass stalk as shown on Pranee’s video

Bring 13 cups of water to a boil in a large pot on high heat. Add lemongrass and let boil for 10 minutes. Strain. If sugar is to be added, bring the tea back to a boil and stir in the sugar until it is dissolved.

Serve hot as a tea, or chill in the fridge and serve as cold drink.

© 2016  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

 

Related Links from Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

 

Lemongrass Paste and Lemongrass Tartar Sauce Recipe

 

Grandma’s Steamed Fish with Lemongrass Recipe

 

Lemongrass Vinaigrette Recipe

 

Thai Steamed Clams with Lemongrass Recipe

 

And much more by using key word “lemongrass” on this blog

 

How to Prepare Lemongrass for Thai Cooking

 

https://youtu.be/58rSRxb_BMU 

 

 

~Kin Khao Kan – กินข้าวกัน – Let’s Eat Together~

Lunch at Baan Kamala School

Kin Khao Rue Yang – กินข้าวหรือยัง – Have you eaten yet? This is the warmest greeting in Thai culture. It is used like “how are you?” in other cultures and is an everyday practice for greeting family members, friends, neighbors or a visitor who happens to walk by or to your kitchen door. Thais bond strongly over food and a shared community-rich hospitality. When I visited home last November I hardly ate alone. One day I visited Khun Taeng, the head chef at the Kamala School in Phuket, a primary and secondary school that was destroyed by the 2004 tsunami,o but has since been rebuilt. She greeted me in just this way to welcome me back after a long absence. It has been since 2011 that I had spent time in her kitchen savoring Thai Spicy Stir-fried Seafood with Yard Long Bean. First she said, “When did you return home?” then “Kin Khao Kan – กินข้าวกัน – Let’s Eat Together.”

Stir-fried Catfish with Red Curry Paste and Basil served with jasmine rice and a clear soup with noodles, mushroom and loofah.

Home sweet home! This time at the Kamala School, I joined a few teachers that I have known over the past 11 years. Kin Khao Kan – กินข้าวกัน – Let’s eat together! I was very happy to do this. Khan Taeng is an amazing head cook. She cooks for hundred of students, providing authentic dishes that are true to the original flavors of mom’s home cooking. I learned a long time ago that everyone at the school loved spicy foods, and one dish always has many spices. The lunch menu was my favorite famous Thai dish: Stir-fried Catfish with Red Curry Paste and Basil served with jasmine rice and a clear soup with noodles, mushroom and loofah.

While sharing lunch,  I was glad to learn that many students from the past 11 years had moved on, continuing in higher education, and having such adventures. It had been long since I had been there, cooking with friends and family; perhaps, it seemed, this was a time for me to bond with the new students who live at the school. Currently there were almost 200 of them. By the end of our lunch and conversation, I was glad that I would able to spend more time with the students for lunch the coming Sunday. Because the number of students had outgrown my ability to organize such a feast, I would not actually be cooking, just hosting and serving a meal instead. I was also hoping that my soon-to-arrive guests from the United States would also be able to join me.

Sour Curry Fish with Taro Stems served with Thai omelet

My guests arrived and two days later they joined me in contributing to and serving lunch to Kamala School’s resident students. Before enjoying each meal, students pay appreciation for foods and thank you to the farmer, caretaker, the cooks and everyone who is a part of contributing to the meal. After serving, we spread out and sat down among the students and ate together. Food-sharing and bonding is a way to build our community and to learn the culture up close and personal. It is simple cycle of eat, love and give. This time we spread the love across the globe at the school dining table. I cannot wait to see everyone again in March 2016. Kin Khao Kan Eek – กินข้าวกันอีก – let’s eat together again.

Thank you to my many students from Seattle, tour members and friends that have given your support to the school. As a result, the school has been able to accept more students and to meet their larger needs for education and a home.

Thank you!

If you visit Phuket and would like to contribute towards education or food, your group is welcome to create and share a culinary experience with the students. Please contact Kamala School.

Baan Kamala School a.k.a 36th Rajachaprachcanogroh School Phuket

Kamala Beach Road, Kathu District, Phuket 83120, Thailand

Telephone (076) 279 293

Website: http://www.rpg36.ac.th

 

© 2016 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

 

Related Link

Give Back to Phuket: http://www.phukethasbeengoodtous.org

Below are Pranee’s Recipes of the dishes mentioned above and some that has been served and enjoyed at Kamala School.

Stir-fried Catfish with Red Curry Paste and Thai Basil Recipe

Fish Head Sour Curry with Bilimbi Recipe

Thai Omelet Recipe

Phuket Banana Pancake Recipe

Dragon Fruit Salad with Papaya and Grapefruit Recipe

~Thai Ingredients with a New Twist~

Thai Twist

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to take this occasion to wish you all a very happy holiday season with joy and cheers. I very much appreciate your support in following Pranee’s Thai Kitchen blog and attending my Thai cooking classes. A heartfelt thank you! I hope I can welcome you all one day to cook together at Pranee’s Thai Cooking Studio. In the meantime, I would like to give you a special list of recipes that will hopefully give you some insight and inspiration on how to cook your old and new holiday recipes with Thai ingredients to add a new twist to them. Please follow along to see how some Thai dishes or Thai ingredients can delight your family and friends—and most importantly, you the cook, who will have a fun time in the kitchen giving your holiday meal a Thai twist.

Thai Herbs: Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Galangal and Turmeric

Tom Yum Flavor, Zesty and Spicy

First, I would like to inspire you to think “Thai” and make it part of your cooking by using zesty Thai herbs and tropical flavors either instead of or in addition to your traditional herbs. Western cooking has so many uses for lemon zest; Thai cooking uses Kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and lime zest in similar ways. When shredded fine, you can add them to practically everything, including stuffing, soup, or cranberry sauce. And when you want to infuse them in a sweet syrup or soup, their essential oils are water-soluble, making it is easy to impart their flavors in boiling liquid. It takes only about 5 minutes for them to achieve their maximum flavor.

Thai Herbs: Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Galangal and Turmeric

A few years back I created two recipes that I prepared and gave to friends as a holiday gifts: Pranee’s Cranberry Sauce with Spiced Rum and Thai Herbs and Pranee’s Thai Lime Green Chili Jam (which is especially tasty served alongside an appetizer such as Pranee’s Crab Wonton). It was fun for me and my friends still remember the unique tastes of these two dishes and mention them often.

Crunch with Spring Roll Wrapper

You should also think Thai when you want to ease your cooking. Asian spring roll sheets or lumpia sheets make it easy to prepare large quantities of appetizers. You can wrap just about anything up in them for a quick appetizer or dessert where texture is needed. I often have spring roll sheets in the freezer as part of my emergency ingredients at home. Last week, while I still had some jet lag after returning from Thailand and had little time to cook, I wrapped cooked chicken curry filling in the sheets, deep-fried them (they can also be baked), then served them with cucumber salad and Thai sweet chili sauce. It was a satisfying quick fix.

Curried Chicken Spring Roll, Cucumber Salad and Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet and Spicy with Sweet and Hot Chili Sauce

Today, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and Thai Sriracha sauce have become staple Thai ingredients in American kitchens. Adding Thai  Sweet Chili Sauce to sauces in place of sugar or honey adds more complex flavors. And if you want to spice anything up, Sriracha sauce can do the magic by just adding a drop or two to your holiday sauce or dressing. Having these two sauces at home can also provide a nice taste balance in an instant.The Thai flavor profile is sweet, sour, salt, salty and spicy. I often balance the Chili Sauce (sweet) and Sriracha (hot) sauces together with a dash of fish sauce, a splash of lime juice and a touch of cilantro. Soon all of the flavors are harmonized, and provide a perfect dipping sauce for everything—including leftover turkey. Sweet Chile Sauce also makes a great base for a salad dressing. I hope you will enjoy my recipe with a modern twist: Sweet Chili Vinaigrette.

Thai Sweet Chili Vinaigrette

Coconut Love

Finally, try giving some Thai flavor to your desserts. A few years ago I was inspired by Russian Tea Cakes to develop a recipe for Coconut Tea Cakes. The Thai version made a nice surprise for a friend who discovered the coconut texture and flavor after assuming from their looks that she was going to bite into a traditional Russian tea cake cookie. Another dessert to try if you have a surplus of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes is to substitute them for mung beans to make a delectable Thai Coconut Custard.

Coconut Tea Cakes and Other Treats

I hope you have a great time preparing meals with a little Thai twist during the holiday season. Warmest wishes from my Thai kitchen.

Pranee

Gift Certificate is Available

Gift Certificate for Thai Cooking Lesson

 

© 2015  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

 

Related Link:

What’s for breakfast?

Banana Pancake Recipe : praneesthaikitchen.com

Vietnamese Coffee Recipe : praneesthaikitchen.com

Rice Soup : praneesthaikitchen.com

~Passion Fruit-Pineapple Spread Recipe~

So Passionately

Kamala Beach at Sunset

Every year I visit home I enjoy my leisurely walk in the early morning at Kamala Beach. This year I also found an excuse to embrace the beauty of sunset while walking in the evening and went off to do an errand when the sun was near setting and the humidity and heat were less intense.

I was working on a breakfast menu for my guests who were arriving that week. On the menu was an egg dish, bread with pineapple jam, juice, yogurt, tropical fruit, coffee and tea. I love having a basket of tropical fruits ready to peel and eat at anytime, so on this walk my destination was a fruit stand to stock up on tropical fruits like Phuket pineapple, pomelo, banana, mango and papaya. At the stand, I was delighted to see passion fruit. It is a common fruit in Thailand, but one that has rarely had a chance to be on the shelf at the food stand. This is because it has not been so poplar until just the last few years as we have become more aware of the health benefits of our own tropical fruits. Let’s embrace this opportunity.

Prepare passion fruit with juice by removing pulp and seeds

When I reached the fruit stand on the main road before the last intersection and the steep road to Patong, I filled my basket with Thai fruits and the owner gave me a bag full of 20 overripe passion fruits for 50 Baht (about $1.50). The good looking ones were 15 Baht (50 cents) each, which may help explain some of my excitement and appreciation for the passion fruit. Plus the best time to enjoy Thai passion fruit is when the skin is wrinkly and the juice is at its sweetest. I walked home with excitement—it was time to play with passion fruit again. (Please read my first post on passion fruit – เสาวรส – Saowarod.)

Pineapple Jam

When I am on vacation I enjoy cooking in any small kitchen with just a few ingredients. The pineapple jam I had on hand prompted me to create a passion fruit-pineapple spread to serve on toast or plain yogurt. My tropical-inspired spread was complete. With its tangy, sour taste, the aroma of passion fruit, and the soft, sweet texture from pineapple jam, I had indeed created a wow moment. After tasting the spread, my sister, niece and guests managed to appreciate every drop on yogurt and on toast. This recipe captures the moment. So passionately.

Passion Fruit – Pineapple Spread

Passion Fruit-Pineapple Spread

I already had some pineapple jam, and when I extracted the passion fruit juice, this versatile recipe easily came to mind. The bright tartness of passion fruit juice combined with thick and sweet pineapple jam to soften the jam’s thick texture and give the perfect balance of sweet and sour with a lingering fruity aroma. We enjoyed them both on toasts and plain yogurt.

Yield: 1 cup

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

1 cup passion fruit juice, freshly-made or ready-made

2/3 cup pineapple jam

Place passion fruit juice in a medium size pot over medium heat; when it come to a boil, stir in pineapple jam and whisk over medium-low heat until well combined, about 5 minutes. Let it cook on low heat for 20 minutes to thicken. Place in a clean mason jar and use as a spread or as a fruit sauce on yogurt or cake. It keeps well in the fridge for 2 weeks, or 6 months in the freezer.
© 2015 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen
I Love Thai cooking
Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.
Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com
Lets connect on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest
For more in-depth in Thai ingredients and Hand-on Cooking Class please check out Pranee’s One day Asian Market Tour & Cooking Class at Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

Related Links

Sand Whiting: praneesthaiktchen.com

Passion Fruit: praneesthaikitchen.com

What is the Difference Between Jam, Jelly, Conserves and Marmalade : TheKitchn.com

 

~Food Bloggers Dream, IFBC Conference~

Food & Friends

Most food lovers dream about food and share their ideas and creations enthusiastically with friends. For many, however, the passion drives us to go even further and become food professionals. This past September, many food lovers attended the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) held in Seattle. The conference was a place for all to explore their dreams and potential, not only for sharing food with friends and family, but in the blogging world. This year’s conference was my first, and I am glad I finally attended. I met many interesting bloggers and speakers from across the country, including many from Seattle. I loved all the workshops and presenters at the conference, including local Seattle writers and speakers Jess Thomson, Dr. Jean Layton and Kathleen Flint.

After the conference, a Seattle area group was formed to share food, friendship and support. With Raquel DeHoyos, Sonya Law and Miriam Gabriel-Pollock to name a few, we held our first get together on October 11, 2015. We were nine like-minded people, passionate about food, gathered around a painted table at a potluck, sharing food and friendship. All things related to food and blogging were the center of our attention, and this led to many conversations and much laughter.

To welcome my new friends, I prepared Teavana Spiced Apple Cider Rooibos tea. Teavana tea comes from a company founded in the United States in 1997 to engage and educate new tea enthusiasts and tea connoisseurs alike about the ritual and enjoyment of tea. I have attended many tea workshops in Singapore and America, and was fortunate to be able to learn first hand about preparing Teavana teas from the founder and tea expert. I also shared Thai Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage, a simple dish that with a little hot sauce, is even more delightful as a comfort food.

Tea from Teavana

Thai Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage

At the potluck we planted the seeds of the love of food and friends, and our group now has a name: Seattle Food and Friends. Thank you to Raquel DeHoyos for sharing her talent and time to create and administer the Seattle Food & Friends Facebook page. And thank you to the core nine members for sharing your passion and drive to launch our first meeting, and for your continued support.

I am looking forward to the International Food Blogger Conference 2016 for continue opportunities to learn and be inspired,  and to continuing to share inspiration and support with our Seattle Food and Friends group.

Related Links:

What to Do After You Hit Publish: http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/sheriwetherell/ifbc-2015-what-do-you-do-after-you-hit-publish

~Thai Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage, ข้าวผัดกุนเชียง~

Two Sisters Cook

About 26 years ago, my sister, Rudee and I dreamed that one day we would own a restaurant together. As the many different pursuits in our lives evolved, it turned out that my sister pursued the dream on her own, but our passions are still related to Thai food and cooking. She opened a restaurant in front of her house the same year that I founded I Love Thai Cooking in Seattle. My sister has specialized in Aharn Jaan Deow – อาหารจานเดียว – a one dish meal also known as Aharn Tam Sung – อาหารตามสั่ง– made to order. Like a small restaurant on a tiny lot or street corner, my sister shops early in the morning then preps in time for the lunch crowd. In the afternoon she does some more prepping for either sit down or take home dinners. The menu is posted on the restaurant wall. It has about 20 dishes for you to choose from, from Phad Kraprow Gai (stir-fried chicken with holy basil) to Tom Yum Goong (sweet and sour soup with prawns).

With my mom and my sister at Rudee’s Restaurant

Today I am sharing with you a recipe from my sister’s restaurant: Thai Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage – Kao Phad Kunchiang – – ข้าวผัดกุนเชียง. I want to express my gratitude to my sister for her hard work running her small businesses while caring for her family and our mom. For this recipe, she was kind enough to duplicate it one more time during the restaurant’s non-busy hours so I could make the video and take the photos which I am sharing with you today. Please make an effort to watch them. Prep the ingredients below, then watch the video to boost your confidence by learning tips, techniques and timing for preparing the dish. You can learn more about my sister’s cooking by watching videos on my I Love Thai Cooking YouTube channel. 

Chinese Sausage – กุนเชียง

As I look at this picture, I feel as I did when I was young and walking behind my mom on a market trip. I would tug on her shirt to let her know that I would like her to buy some of the Kunchiang – dry Chinese sausage – for dinner. As young kids growing up, my sister and I loved Kunchiang. My sister’s Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage Recipe is very much like my mom’s version. In Seattle I purchase my Chinese sausage and keep them in the fridge where they can be kept for a long time, and I can cook this dish anytime I have leftover rice.

Chinese Sausage in Thai Cuisine

Kun Chiang – กุนเชียง aka Lap cheong in Southern China, is made in Thailand by Thais of Chinese descent. It is simply dry sausage with salt and sugar added that has been smoked and dried. Its flavor is unique, however, and it is hard for me to recommend a substitution. It is made in China and California and available in Asian markets here in Seattle. My favorite sausage is from California. It is lower in fat and has a perfect smoky note, not too intense. Common ingredients in the sausage are pork butt, fat, sugar, salt, corn starch, five spice powder and Chinese white rice wine. My favorite way to prepare these Chinese sausages is in fried rice. I hope you have a chance to try this easy recipe from my sister.

Green onion, onion, Chinese sausage, and tomato

Even just a few ingredients can produce a delightful taste. I love these brilliant combinations. If you want to add one or two more kinds of vegetables, try Chinese kale and young corn.

Kao Phad Kunchiang – ข้าวผัดกุนเชียง – Thai Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage

A pungent bite of fresh green onion in the middle of the savory Kao Phad Kunchiang can be rewarding to the taste buds. The pungent taste will add a dimension and highlight the taste in every ingredient in the fried rice.

Step-By-Step Pranee’s Thai Cooking Video

Thai Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage

Kao Phad Kunchiang

ข้าวผัดกุนเชียง

Serves 1

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 link Chinese sausage, sliced

1 egg

1/4 cup sliced onion

1 medium tomato, diced

1 cup steamed jasmine rice, room temperature

2 – 3 teaspoons Roza tomato ketchup or tomato paste

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 green onion, sliced

1 cilantro, to garnish

3 slices cucumber, to garnish

1 whole green onion, to garnish

Heat the wok on low heat and add cooking oil and sliced Chinese sausage. Stir back and forth to fry the sausage and also to render the fat at the same time. Cook the sausage until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add one egg, stir once and spread the egg out on the surface of the wok.

Adjust the burner to high heat. Add onion and tomato and stir back and forth, then add in the jasmine rice, tomato ketchup and soy sauce. Keep stirring until the rice has softened, about 1 minute. Stir in green onion until well combined. Garnish with cilantro on top, and cucumber slices and one whole green onion on the side.

© 2015 Rudee Piboon with Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Lets connect on  Twitter,  Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest

For more in-depth in Thai ingredients and Hand-on Cooking Class please check out

Pranee’s One day Asian Market Tour & Cooking Class at Pranee’s Thai Kitchen

Roza Tomato Ketchup

Roza Tomato Ketchup is similar to tomato paste in taste and texture. American ketchup my not work well for this recipe. You may use a smaller amount of tomato paste or Sriracha sauce instead.

 

 

~Caramel Grated Coconut – Sai Maprow -ไส้มะพร้าว – Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว~

The Best is on the Top and in the Middle

Like custard, caramel grated coconut has a goodness that has many uses and places in dessert creations. I have a place in my heart for this sweet coconut delight. I chose an English name for this coconut dessert topping and filling – Caramel Grated Coconut – Sai Maprow -ไส้มะพร้าว – Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว. Its caramel taste, either as a topping or as a filling, heightens other desserts. I hope you enjoy reading on to discover the uses of this delightful sweet caramel grated coconut in many Thai and Southeast Asian desserts. The recipe follows. It has carefree steps and just two ingredients: grated coconut and sugar (plus a little salt).

Stella’s Caramel Grated Coconut – Sri Lanka

Last week I set aside a day to create just one dessert dish – Khanom Sod Sai – ขนมสอดไส้ – Steamed Coconut Cream Pudding with Caramel Grated Coconut Filling. This dessert involved many steps. The preparation, note taking, photographing, and final cleaning took over 6 hours. I love special days like this when recreating a dish reconnects me with my early learning experiences in my family’s kitchen.

In the middle. Sai Maprow -ไส้มะพร้าว Caramel Coconut ball is placed inside a sticky rice dough for Khanom Sod Sai and Khanom Tom

However, today I will share with you just one part of the recipe for Khanom Sod Sai, that is the Thai caramel grated coconut. It is a quintessential part of Thai desserts and for other Southeast Asian cuisines as well. There are many intriguing steps, but demystifying them will help you find ways to incorporate this treat in your cooking. Please share your experiences in the comment box below.

Caramel Coconut – Sai Maprow (filling) -ไส้มะพร้าว – Nah Maprow (topping) – หน้ามะพร้าว

In the middle. Caramel coconut ball with a purple sticky rice dough and coconut cream in Khanom Sod Sai

The above picture is of Khanom Sod Sai. The caramel coconut ball is placed in the middle of a sticky rice dough, which is then wrapped around it before being steamed with coconut cream pudding in a banana leaf. This is similar to Khanom Tom Khao, where the caramel coconut ball is placed in the middle of the dough, which is then boiled and rolled in coconut flakes.

On the top. Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว The caramel coconut is placed on top of sticky rice.

In Nah Maprow, the caramel coconut is placed on top of a small piece of banana leaf, which is then lifted up and used to spread the caramel coconut on top of sticky rice before savoring the combination. In Phuket, this dessert is called Khao Neow Nah Cheek – ข้าวเหนียวหน้าฉีก. I typically enjoy this for breakfast when visiting home.

Caramel Coconut as a filling for Sri Lanka Pancake

In 2014, I visited the cities of Colombo and Galle in Sri Lanka and traveled to many beautiful places with a friend. Near Ratnapura we learned about Sri Lanka cuisine from Stella, our personal tour guide’s sister. We spent a half day with her family in their kitchen. For dessert, Stella showed us how to make caramel coconut to use as a filling for Sri Lanka crepe. I would like to express my gratitude to Stella for teaching and inspiring me and for sharing her techniques for creating this recipe again with ease.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Thai Caramel Coconut

There are two ways to make caramel grated coconut for Thai desserts. The first way is to mix—either by hand or with a utensil—brown sugar, fresh grated coconut and a touch of salt until they are well incorporated, then pan fry them until the sugar is caramelized and absorbed into the coconut. A second method is to add a little water to the sugar and heat it until it melts. Continue cooking until the sugar burns slightly and has a hint of caramel color, then add fresh or frozen grated coconut. Stir well until the sugar and coconut are well combined and the coconut is coated with the brown caramelized sugar.

My family and most home cooks in Thailand use the first method, whereas culinary professionals and merchant use the second one. The latter has a more intense caramel flavor, depending on how much you let the sugar burn, and it also has more affect on the color of the coconut. Personally I love the second version, show below, which is also the fastest and easiest.

The final result of Caramel Grated Coconut – Sai Maprow -ไส้มะพร้าว – Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว~

What kind of sugar should you use? Both recipes work with all sugars. In many countries, cooks use white or brown jaggery, which is a more complex type of sugar. In Thailand, some prefer palm sugar, however, in Southern Thailand we are more flexible. My family uses brown sugar, whereas the rest of the Thai community uses palm sugar. Stella preferred white sugar. Combining two kinds of sugar should work as well.

Stir brown sugar, water and salt together in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Allow mixture to cook without stirring until it is foamy, thick, and almost burnt, about 5 minutes.

Stella’s Ttechnique of making a caramel from the sugar first before adding coconut

The sugar should take on a thin caramel-like texture like the picture above, with a hint of caramel taste or more if desired, before stirring in the grated coconut.

มะพร้าว – Thawed Frozen Coconut

Young coconut – Marrow Num – มะพร้าวหนุ่ม (coconuts that are six to nine months old and lack the husk of the more well-known mature coconut) is preferred in Thailand, but in America my first choice would be frozen grated coconut, followed by shredded coconut from the bakery section.

Caramel Grated Coconut – Sai Maprow -ไส้มะพร้าว – Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว

Let it cook on medium-high heat, stirring often until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low.

Caramel Grated Coconut for Sai Maprow -ไส้มะพร้าว – Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว

Continue cooking until you can pull the caramel coconut to the side of the pan and no liquid remains, about 3 minutes.

Caramel Grated Coconut Filling – ขนมสอดไส้

Caramel Grated Coconut

Sai Maprow-ไส้มะพร้าว

Nah Maprow – หน้ามะพร้าว

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 50 fillings or topping balls

3 cups brown sugar

1/3 cup water

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups frozen grated coconut, thawed (see note below)

Stir brown sugar, water and salt together in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Allow sugar mixture to cook without stirring until it is foamy, thick, and almost burnt, about 5 minutes. The sugar should turn into a thin caramel like the picture above with a hint of caramel taste. Now stir in grated fresh or frozen (thawed) coconut.

Let the coconut mixture cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Adjust the heat to low and continue cooking until you can pull the caramel coconut to the side of the pan and there is no liquid left, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the mixture set until it is cool enough to handle. With cold water by your side, moisten both of your hands. Drop one tablespoon of the caramel coconut into one hand, press it into a dense ball with your other hand, then place it on a plate. If the mixture is too hot, moisten your hands again with cold water to prevent burning. Repeat the process until all of the coconut has been rolled into balls. Makes 50 balls.

Cook’s Note: Fresh, frozen, or dried grated coconut can be used in this recipe but the cooking time may vary depending on the moisture in the coconut. Pay attention to following the steps after adding the grated coconut.

Khanom Sod Sai – ขนมสอดไส้ – Steamed Coconut Cream Pudding with Caramel Coconut Filling

© 2015  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

Related Link: Cooking with Grated Coconut Recipes

~ Stir-fried Grated Coconut with Phuket Red Curry Paste (praneesthaikitchen.com)

~ Spicy Thai Coconut Chip (praneesthaikitchen.com)

~ Pinterest: Pranee’s Coconut Love Pin (Lovethaicooking)

~ Khanom Tom Khao (http://tankitchen-dessert.blogspot.com/)

Talking of coconut, Thai love all forms, all types. I put all my favorite links on my LoveThaiCooking Pinterest under Coconut Love.

~Thai Coconut Custard with Mung Beans, Khanom Mo Gaeng – ขนมหม้อแกงถั่ว~

Heavenly Dessert

When I was young I could not resist eating Khanom Mo Gang – ขนมหม้อแกงถั่ว – Thai Coconut Custard with Mung Beans. One small parcel in a banana leaf was not enough for my hungry soul.

In Thai cuisine there are many kinds of Mo Gang Thai custard but two types dominate: one with egg, palm sugar and coconut milk, and another that includes cooked split mung beans or cooked taro. What makes this Thai custard so special is the coconut milk and fried shallot oil. These two ingredients set Thai Mo Gang apart from other custards.

One event that I have never forgotten was when my aunt purchased a little parcel of Mo Gaeng for everyone for breakfast and my brothers and sister woke to discover that their shares were gone. They have long ago forgiven me and forgotten this, but I still have lingering memories of the taste and my mischief. 

Thai Coconut Custard with Mung Beans

In Thailand an individual serving of this Thai dessert is wrapped in a banana leaf and secured with a little wood stick like a toothpick.

Kanom Mor Gaeng Tua

Thais commonly open up the little parcel and use a small spoon to leisurely take one small bite at a time. The banana leaf is not only used as a wrapper, but as a disposable plate as well.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Thai Coconut Custard with Mung Beans

Cooked Split Mung Beans

The first step is to steam split mung beans ahead of time using Pranee’s Step-by Step instructions from an earlier post for preparing Steamed Peeled Split Mung Beans. The second step is to make fried shallots and shallot oil following the recipe on this youTube video: https://youtu.be/5LTCo3SRWLk. Then the rest of the preparation is very simple.

Prepare the steamed split mung beans and fried shallot ahead of time and the rest is simple.

Place sugar, eggs, salt and Pandan leaf in a medium size bowl. Using a whisk or an egg beater, whip until foamy and the sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in coconut cream and repeat the mixing process until well blended, about 30 seconds. Run the egg and sugar mixture through a sieve into food processor, removing the Pandan leaf. Add steamed mung beans to the food processor or blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

Cook mung bean custard on low heat for 5 minutes

Heat the mixture in a deep pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 portion of fried shallots and all of the shallot oil and stir constantly  until the texture changes to a thick soup, about 5 minutes.

Pour thick Mung Bean Custard from the mixer onto a greased 8″ by 8″ baking pan

Pour the thick batter into a greased 8″ by 8″  baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining half of the fried shallots on the top (see picture below) before baking.

Freshly Baked Khanom Mor Geng

Bake at 375°F in a preheated oven until the top is golden and the edge of the custard pulls away from the edge a little, about 45 minutes.

Thai Coconut Custard with Mung Beans – ขนมหม้อแกงถั่ว

Thai Coconut Custard with Mung Beans

Khanom Mo Gaeng

ขนมหม้อแกงถั่ว

Serves 8 to 16

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 45 minutes

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 shallots, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane sugar

6 eggs, duck eggs preferred

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Pandan leaf

1 1/2 cups coconut cream

2 cups steamed mung beans

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and stir in canola oil and shallots. Stir back and forth until the shallots are golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove fried shallots and divided into two portion, and let them cool. Save the oil for later.

Place sugar, eggs, salt and Pandan leaf in a medium-size bowl, and using a hand whisk or egg beater, beat until foamy and sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1 minute. Then stir in coconut cream, and repeat the mixing process until well blended, about 30 seconds. Strain into food processor to remove Pandan leaf. Add steamed mung beans to the food processor or blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

Heat the mixture in a deep pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 portion of fried shallots and all of the shallot oil into the pan. Stir constantly until the texture changes to a thick soup, about 5 minutes.

Pour the thick batter into a greased 8″ by 8″  baking pan. Sprinkle 1/2 portion of fried shallots on surface (see picture above) before baking. Bake at 375°F in a preheated oven until the top is golden and the edge of the custard begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes.

© 2015  Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen

I Love Thai cooking

Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area.

Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com 

 

Related Links:

How to Cook Peeled Split Mung Bean (praneesthaikitchen.com)

Mung Bean (wikipedia)

Fried Shallots (https://youtu.be/5LTCo3SRWLk)