Southeast Asian Cuisine - spicy, salty, sour with strong seasonings
Burmese Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 large onions, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon ginger finely minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 teaspoon garam masala
4 whole chicken breasts and 3 whole chicken legs
1 cinnamon stick
1 bayleaf
8 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup chick pea flour or dried yellow split peas
2 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
salt to taste
2 lbs fresh Chinese egg noodles
Condiments
Peel and slice 12 garlic cloves crosswise. Fry them in 4 tablespoon oil until they are golden. Remove and cool.
3 hard cooked eggs quartered
2 red onions slivered lengthwise
3 green onions thinly sliced
2 limes or lemons cut into wedges
1 bunch fresh coriander sprigs, trimmed.
2 tablespoon crushed dried Asian Chili peppers sauted in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
Heat the vegetable oil in an 8 to 12 quart pan or Dutch oven. Stir in the turmeric and cook it for one minute. Add the onions and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally, until the onions are limp but not browned, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cayenne, cumin, coriander and garam masala. Cook and stir the mixture about 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat them with the onions and spices. Add the cinnamon, bay leaf, and chicken broth, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Mix the chick pea flour with 1 1/3 cups water, or grind the lentils to a flour in a blender or mortar and mix 3/4 cup of the resulting flour with 1 1/3 cups water. Stir the mixture into the soup. Add the coconut milk, cover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Thaw egg noodles if frozen. Put noodles in a large pot of boiling water and boil for 6-7 minutes. Drain noodles and stir in a couple of teaspoon of vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together and set aside.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully lift out the chicken pieces. Remove the meat from the bones and return it to the sauce. Add fish sauce and salt to taste. Serve the noodles of a platter and the curry and condiments separately. Diners first serve themselves to noodles, then the curry, then to the condiments they like.
Burmese Wheat Noodle in Coconut Chicken Soup
(Ohn-no-kauk-swey)
2 lb chicken
5 tbsp fish sauce
1 teasp salt
1 tbsp chily powder
1 tbsp oil
1 pc coconut (50 gm of thick coconut milk)
3 boiled eggs
1 lb onion
10 tbsp pea powder
3 lb wheat noodle
Chop chicken.
Boil chicken and chicken bones 2 quarts of water
Add fish sauce and boil for 15 minutes
Drain out soup to a container, remaining boiled chicken. Throw away chicken bones.
Add oil, salt, chily powder and fry for 5 minutes
Add coconut milk and pea powder.
Remix with the chicken soup
Add 2 more quarts of hot water
Add 1/2 lb of quartered onions to soup
Boil for 15 minutes in low heat
In each small plates, prepare these on table:
Chilly powder
Boil egg and remove shell. Slice.
Thinly slice 1/2 lb of onion, wash in water. Drain water.
Fry dried thick rice noodle
Serve noodle and soup in seperate bowls.
Burmese Split Pea Fritters
(Beya Kya)
1 cup split peas
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped, or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt oil for deep frying sliced onion and lemon wedges to garnish
Soak split peas overnight, or for at least 6 hours, in water to cover. Drain, grind to a paste in blender or put twice through fine screen of mincer. Mix in all other ingredients except oil. Make small balls and flatten to 12 mm (t/2 inch) thickness. Heat oil in deep frying pan and put the fritters one at a time into the oil. Fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve garnished with sliced raw onion and lemon wedges. Note: The Burmese name for this recipe is pronounced 'beah jaw ' .
Burmese "Ginger Mix"
(Gin Thoke)
This after meal digestive tid bit is pronounced jintho . The Burmese are a very relaxed people. They sit around talking for a long time after meals and eat snacks like this instead of sweet desserts. Offer individual portions in very tiny bowls. and eat with the fingers.
125 g (4 oz) very tender fresh ginger
4-6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
12 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 tablespoons sesame seeds
Ideally, the ginger root should be so young that the skin is almost transparent and the roots tipped with pink. If the ginger you buy is more mature, use the small knobs growing off the main root. (The rest of the ginger can be peeled and preserved in a jar by covering with dry sherry Use in cooking.) Scrape skin off ginger with a sharp knife and cut ginger into very thin slices, then cut the slices into fine slivers. Marinate in lemon juice for at least 1 hour and the ginger will turn pink. Meanwhile, heat peanut and sesame oil in a small frying pan and fry the sliced garlic slowly until pale golden. Remove from heat immediately (it burns easily) and drain on absorbent paper. Allow to cool and become crisp. Put sesame seeds in a dry frying pan and stir constantly over moderate heat until golden brown. Turn immediately on to a plate to cool. When ready to serve. drain ginger from lemon juice and put in a bowl. Add salt to taste and sprinkle with garlic and sesame seeds. Toss together lightly.
Cambodian Pork Spring Roll
(Khmer Krom)
Pork spring roll is very easy to make and very tasty.
Ingredients :
1 lb Grounded pork
4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Cups chopped onion
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1 Cup shredded carrot
2 Cups shredded cabbage
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
½ Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon black pepper
1 Package, 25 pieces spring roll shells
1 Egg, egg white only
6 Cups vegetable oil for deep fry spring rolls
Procedures :
In a large bowl, mixed grounded pork with garlic, onion, sugar and fish sauce together, add shredded carrot, cabbage, soy sauce, salt and black pepper, mix well and set a side.
Gentle pulls out each spring roll shell to separate from other shells.
Lay one sheet flat on a cutting board or plate, spoon some meat and put on 1/3 of the shell.
Wrap the meat filling in spring roll shell, roll it tight and seal the end with egg white. Continue make spring roll till filling it gone.
Note:If you haven’t made spring roll before,look at the back of spring roll pastry package. It has illustrated instruction for you to follow.
Heat 6 cups oil in large wok or skillet with high temperature.
When oil is hot, turn temperature down to medium and deep fry each spring roll till it crispy and golden brown.
Removed spring roll when done and put it on a plate covered with paper towel to drained excessive oil.
Serve hot with sweet fish sauce.
Cambodian Sweet Fish Sauce
( Tirk trey chu p'em )
Sweet fish sauce is the most popular Khmer Krom (Pork Spring Rolls) dipping sauce. The most important ingredients for this recipe are lime/lemon juice and fish sauce. Make sure to use only fresh lime/lemon and best fish sauce, add or subtract among sweetness, salty or spicy to your taste.
¼ Cup hot water
¼ Cup sugar
1/3 Cup fresh lime juice, approx 2 lime
1/3 Cup fish sauce
3 Chopped hot chili pepper or to your taste (option)
1/3 Cup roasted peanut, crushed (option)
In a small bowl, mix hot water with sugar till sugar dissolved.
Add lime juice, fish sauce and hot chili pepper together, mix well and set a side to cool.
Top with crushed roasted peanut before serve.
Cambodian Peanut Curry Shrimp and Papaya
Succulent shrimp with thick, rich, peanut curry sauce and green papaya is authentic Khmer Krom country food. Most villagers still make this using mortar and pestle to pound roasted peanut into peanut powder. Use creamy peanut butter for this recipe to save time.
1lb Large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
¼ Teaspoon salt
¼ Teaspoon black pepper
½ Cup fresh or frozen minced lemon grass
1 Tablespoon minced fresh galanga root, or frozen galanga root
3 Cloves garlic
2 Kaffir lime leaf
2 Tablespoons curry powder
1 Teaspoon paprika
2 Hot chili pepper or to your taste(option)
¼ Cup creamy peanut butter,I prefer Peter Pan brand
1 Cup coconut milk
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Yellow onion,chopped
2 Cups chopped,already peeled and seeded green papaya, approx ½ medium papaya
2 Cups water
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
½ Tablespoon sugar
In a large bowl, put shrimp with salt and black pepper, set a side.
Put lemon grass,galanga root,garlic,kaffir lime leaves, curry powder, paprika, chili pepper, peanut butter and coconut milk in a blender, blended well and set it a side.
Heat up a skillet or wok. When it hot add oil and onion.
Add curry sauce,cook and stirs sauce for 5 minutes.
Add papaya and water, and simmering till papaya tender.
Add shrimp, cook till shrimp turns darker pink color.
Seasoning with fish sauce and sugar. Stirs well.
Serve hot with rice, crusty French or Italian bread.
Spicy Eggplant Salad
(Yam Makeua Yao)
Ingredients:
charcoal and some wood chips or twigs
4 Asian eggplants
4 jalapeno or banana chillies
10-15 Thai chillies (bird's eye chillies), finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes, (to taste)
2-3 Tbs. fish sauce, (to taste)
2-3 tsp. sugar, (to taste)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 lb. small fresh shrimp, shelled
1 hard-boiled egg, cut into small wedges (6-8 pieces)
A small handful of short cilantro sprigs
Method:
Light a charcoal brazier or BBQ with a few wood pieces such as eucalypt.
Mix together the diced bird's eye chillies, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce.
Cook the shrimp briefly in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Place the eggplants and the larger chillies on an open griddle over the coals and add some wood chips or twigs to produce some smoke. Turn the veges as they cook .
When cooked peel off any charred skin and cut the egg plant into 3 cm x 3m pieces.
Place the cut eggplants on a serving dish and top with the sliced shallots.
Cut the chillies into long strips and arrange these on the plate of eggplant and top off with the shrimp and egg wedges.
Pour on the prepared sauce and garnish with the cilantro. .
Lao Hot Dish of Catfish
Sousi Pa Gnon
6 pa gnon - scrape off the mucus from the skin, gut the fish, cut off and discard the heads and tails, wash the fish and salt them
1 fully grown coconut, split open-grate the meat and squeeze two extractions of coconut milk from it, keeping the first extraction separate from the second one-quantity, one soupbowl of each
2 dried chilli peppers soaked in water
7 (small) shallots, peeled
Pound the above two ingredients together in a mortar to make your kheuang ham
salt and fish sauce
Kaffir lime leaves
spring onion leaves, chopped coriander leaves, chopped ground black pepper
Method
Put the first extraction of coconut milk in a wok on the fire until it becomes creamy. Then add the kheuang ham and fry it until it gives off a good aroma. Add the fish gently, stir thoroughly, then add fish sauce and the second extraction of coconut milk. When the fish are cooked, taste and check the saltiness. Add the Kaffir lime leaves. Transfer to a serving-dish, garnish with the chopped spring onion leaves and coriander and ground black pepper, and serve.
Lao Fried Rice
(Luang Prabang)
INGREDIENTS
1/ 4 - 1/ 3 cup oil
¼ cup chopped garlic
¼ -½ cup finely sliced boneless chicken
1 Thai small round eggplant, cut in eighths
1/ 3-½ cup sliced bamboo shoots (fingernail sized pieces)
1/ 3-½ cup cut yard-long beans (1 cm /½ in.pieces)
½ cup diced red onion, (1 cm /½ in. pieces)
1/ 3-½ cup sliced fresh oyster mushrooms
2 cups cold steamed long grain rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons Luang Prabang chilli paste (or other sweet and mild spicy chilli paste)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 sliced small tomato, for garnish
FOR SOUP
1 cup water or vegetable stock
1/ 3 cup chopped Chinese cabbage or other greens ( approx. 3 cm /1¼ in pieces)
Tofu, 4 approximately 2 cm/1 in. cubes
Ground black pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Heat oil in wok until hot, then add the chopped garlic. Stir fry over medium to hot heat until garlic starts to turn golden (max 30 seconds). Toss in the chicken. Stir fry for 1 minute until colour becomes white, then add the eggplant followed by the bamboo shoots, tossing between each addition. Keeping things moving all the time, add successively the chopped yard-long beans, red onion and mushrooms.
2. Add the cooked rice, toss until mixed and warm, then sprinkle over the soy sauce, chilli paste and oyster sauce. Keep stir frying until all is hot and mingled.
3. To present, arrange some tomato in the bottom of a deep oiled bowl (e.g. rice bowl or coffee cup). Spoon the fried rice on top of the garnish and pack down firmly until bowl is full. Put a plate on top of the bowl and invert both. Lift the bowl up, leaving the moulded rice on the plate.
SOUP
1. In a frypan or small pot, add the water and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat so the stock simmers. Add the Chinese greens then the tofu cubes. Simmer for 3 minutes.
2. To serve, spoon soup into a small Chinese bowl and grind black pepper to taste on top. Serve as an accompaniment to the fried rice dish.
Serves one person as a complete meal
Thai Leaf Wrapped Appetizer
FILLING NGREDIENTS
1/4 cup dried shrimp
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
20-30 betel leaves, lettuce leaves, or chinese broccoli
1 chopped lime (with skin - the thinner the skin, the better)
1/4 cup chopped shallots
20 chopped small thai chilies
1/2 cup grated toasted coconut
1/4 cup chopped raw ginger
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
1/2 tablespoon finely sliced galangal
1/8 cup chopped shallots
1 cup water
1 cup palm sugar
1/4 cup grated toasted coconut
DIRECTIONS
Dry roast the coconut in a wok on medium high, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Cook until the coconut is medium brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside the amount used for the sauce, and put the rest into a serving bowl.
Cut up all the ingredients which are not to be put into the sauce into small 1/4″ pieces. Arrange in small bowls, or in piles on a plate.
Now, for the sauce… In a stone mortar & pestle, pound together the shallots and galangal until fine. Set aside.
In a small sauce pan, add the water, fish sauce, palm sugar & shallot/galangal mixture.
Boil over medium heat to reduce the sauce to the thickness shown in the picture below. You’re going to boil off about 1/2 the liquid. Make sure to keep stirring every now and then.
Add the roasted coconut, remove from heat, and put into a small bowl.
To eat… Take a leaf and fold the bottom to make a pouch (see large pic above). Put a large pinch of roasted coconut in first, then follow with a piece or two of everything else from the serving bowls: shallots, lime, ginger, peanuts, shrimp and a chili if desired. There is no ‘proper’ order to put them in. Then, add a bit of sauce on top, roll the leaf to make a packet, and eat in one bite. Eating Mieng Kam is like a taste explosion.
Thai Stir fried Wide Noodles
Servings: 2
Marinade
3 -5 cloves garlic , minced
1 medium egg , beaten
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice wine
3 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 tablespoon chopped shallots or 1 tablespoon red onions or 1 tablespoon purple onion
1 tablespoon thinly sliced Thai red chili pepper (optional)
8 ounces beef
8 ounces fresh wide rice noodles , if available,or you may use our rice noodles
2 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce
1 cup broccoli floret
½ cup coconut milk (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Slice about 8 ounces of beef paper thin (you might persuade your butcher to put it through the bacon slicer) and marinade the beef in the marinade for about an hour.
Cook the noodles until tender, in plain water, then put in cold water to halt the cooking process.
Heat a wok and a little oil to stir fry the marinaded beef until it just begins to cook (because it is cut very thin, this is quite quick so be careful not to overcook).
Add the noodles and the remaining ingredients, and stir until blended and heated through.
Taste the sauce for balance of flavors (it should be just on the sweet side with a salty tang).
Thai Beef Stew
(Masaman Curry)
This dish sits very well and develops complexity and depth with time. Let sit overnight if possible. 2-3 Servings
1/2 lb beef
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon masaman curry paste
1 cup onion
1 cup potato
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind paste Optional
2 pinches cardamom Optional
1/4 cup cashew Optional
1 cinnamon stick Optional
2 leaves bay leaf Optional
Tips and Techniques
Masaman tastes great if you let it sit overnight so that the spices penetrate the meat and potatoes..
Substitute pearl onions for regular onions for a prettier Masaman curry.
Peel and cut up potatoes into big chunks, 1" x 1" x 1". If you want to have Masaman for a few days, cut some potatoes bigger. So when you heat up the for later, potato chunks don't get too small. Cut up beef and onion into the same size. You can substitute chicken or lamb for beef, if you like.
Heat coconut milk and masaman curry paste in a pot over medium to low heat and stir. Break up the paste and mix well with coconut milk. Stir constantly to keep the mixture from sticking. When you see the red oil bubbling up (about 5 minutes), add the meat and stir to cover the meat with curry. Add half a cup of water or enough cover all the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for potatoes, onion and cashew. Stew for 1/2 hour or until beef is getting tender. Add potatoes, onion and cashews. Let simmer for 20 minutes more. The liquid should be reduced and you should be able to see some chunks. But, if the liquid is very low, add more water.
Serve with cucumber in vinegar. Serve hot with cold cucumber in vinegar.
Cucumber in Vinegar
(Ahjaad)
2 Servings
2 thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 quartered and thinly sliced cucumber
1 sliced long hot pepper Optional
Place all ingredients in a serving bowl. Chill and serve.
Vietnamese Pho
•5 pounds beef knuckle, with meat
•2 pounds beef oxtail
•1 white (daikon) radish, sliced
•2 onions, chopped
•2 ounces whole star anise pods
•1/2 cinnamon stick
•2 whole cloves
•1 teaspoon black peppercorns
•1 slice fresh ginger root
•1 tablespoon white sugar
•1 tablespoon salt
•1 tablespoon fish sauce
•1 1/2 pounds dried flat rice noodles
•1/2 pound frozen beef sirloin
TOPPINGS
•sriracha hot pepper sauce
•hoisin sauce
•thinly sliced onion
•chopped fresh cilantro
•bean sprouts (mung beans)
•sweet Thai basil
•thinly sliced green onion
•limes, quartered
Place the beef knuckle in a very large (9 quart or more) pot. Season with salt, and fill pot with 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 hours.
Skim fat from the surface of the soup, and add the oxtail, radish and onions. Tie the anise pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns and ginger in a cheesecloth or place in a spice bag; add to the soup.
Stir in sugar, salt and fish sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 4 more hours (the longer, the better). At the end of cooking, taste, and add salt as needed. Strain broth, and return to the pot to keep at a simmer. Discard spices and bones.
Reserve meat from the beef knuckle for other uses if desired. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water until soft, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Slice the frozen beef paper thin.
The meat must be thin enough to cook instantly. Place some noodles into each bowl, and top with a few raw beef slices. Ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles in the bowl. Serve with hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side. Set onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, green onions, and lime out at the table for individuals to add toppings to their liking.
Vietnamese Pork & Scallion Lettuce Wrap
Servings: 4
1 lb boneless pork loin , cut into strips
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pepper
3 scallions
¾ tablespoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 inch ginger , peeled and minced
1 cup cooked rice (I prefer jasmine) or 1 cup cooked jasmine rice (I prefer jasmine)
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
lettuce (I prefer butter or red leaf) or butter lettuce (I prefer butter or red leaf) or red leaf lettuce , washed (I prefer butter or red leaf)
Place meat strips in plastic zipper bag.
In food processor, blend soy sauce, honey, pepper, scallions, 3/4 tbsp sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
Pour into bag and marinate meat for several hours.
Take meat out of bag, reserving marinade.
Stir fry meat until done.
Take meat out of pan and cover.
In pan, pour in rest of the marinade and the marmalade and vinegar.
Boil over high heat for 1 minute.
Layer rice, meat, and sauce on lettuce leaf.
Wrap and enjoy!
Shrimp & Pork Simmered in Coconut Juice
Serves 4
INREDIENTS
200 g Pork belly, thickly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
300 g shrimps
1 young coconut, fresh coconut
Marinate pork with some pepper and salt.
Heat oil and stir fry garlic until fragrant.
Add sugar and cook until it caramelizes.
Add pork and stir fry until half cooked.
Add shrimps and stir fry until they turn red.
Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Add coconut juice and bring to the boil then simmer until sauce is thick.
Serve with steamed rice.
