Chiang Mai is a city in the North-east of Thailand. the city is culturally very close to Laos. It is famous for its chicken salad, which was originally called "Laap" or "Larp". Duck, beef or pork can be used instead of chicken.

Recipe: (Serves 4 - 6)

450 g/1 lb minced (ground) chicken
1 lemon grass stalk, root trimmed
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
4 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped
60 ml/4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
30 ml/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
15 ml/1 tablespoon roasted ground rice
2 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
30 ml/2 tablespoons fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

Thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves, mixed salad leaves and fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Method:

Heat a large, non-stick frying pan. Add the minced chicken and moisten with a little water. Stir constantly over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until it is cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off any excess fat. Cut off the lower 5 cm/2 in of the lemon grass stalk and chop it finely.

Transfer the chicken to a bowl and add the chopped lemon grass, lime leaves, chilies, lime juice, fish sauce, roasted ground rice, scallions and coriander. Mix thoroughly.

Spoon the chicken mixture into a salad bowl. Sprinkle sliced lime leaves over the top and garnish with salad leaves and sprigs of mint.

Thai Firecrackers Shrimps Recipe

Start your meal with a bang! This Thai recipe is easy and fun to make. Firecracker shrimps is an appetizers and snacks that will provide you with the content that would explode with full of flavor. It's easy to see how these pastry-wrapped shrimps snacks got their name (Krathak in Thai).

Recipe: (Makes 16)

16 large , raw king shrimps, heads and shells removed but tails left on
5 ml/1 teaspoon red curry paste
15 ml/1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
16 small wonton wrappers, about 8 cm/3.25 in square, thawed if frozen
16 fine egg noodles, soaked
Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

1. Place the shrimps on their sides and cut two slits through the underbelly of each, one about 1 cm/0.5 in from the head end and the other about 1 cm/0.5 in from the first cut, cutting across the shrimp. This will prevent the shrimps from curling when they are cooked.

2. Mix the curry paste with the fish sauce in a shallow dish. Add the shrimps and turn them in the mixture until they are well coated. Cover and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

3. Place a wonton wrapper on the work surface at an angle so that it forms a diamond shape, then fold the top corner over so that the point is in the center. Place a shrimp, slits down, on the wrapper, with the tail projecting from the folded end, then fold the bottom corner over the other end of the shrimp.

4. Fold each side of the wrapper over in turn to make a tightly folded roll. Tie a noodle in a bow around the roll and set it aside. Repeat with the remaining shrimps and wrappers. Before using the noodle, soak them in a bowl of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, until softened, then drain, refresh under cold running water and drain well again.

5. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or wok to 190°C/375°F or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in 45 seconds. Fry the shrimps, a few at a time, for 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain well on kitchen paper and keep hot while you cook the remaining batches.

Bridegroom Eggs Recipe

Recipe: (Serves 4 to 6)

30 ml/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 shallots, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 fresh red chilies, sliced
Oil, for deep-frying
6 hard boiled eggs, shelled
Salad leaves, to serve
Sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish

For the sauce:

75 g/3 oz/6 tablespoons palm sugar
75 ml/5 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
90 ml/6 tablespoons tamarind juice

Method:

To make the sauce, put the sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add more sugar, fish sauce or tamarind juice, if needed. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots, garlic and chilies for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or wok to 190°C/375°F or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in about 45 seconds. Deep-fry the eggs in the hot oil for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and drain well on kitchen paper. Cut the eggs in quarters and arrange them on a bed of leaves. Drizzle with the sauce and sprinkle over the shallot mixture. Garnish with coriander springs and serve immediately.

Thai Pandan Chicken Recipe

Also known as pandanus leaf, it is a kind of herb with long green aromatic leaves which are popularly used in the Southeast Asian cooking, lending a unique taste and distinct aroma to curry, rice, cakes and many Thai cuisines. They are known in Indonesia and Malaysia as daun pandan. Fresh leaves are usually torn into strips, tied into a knot before placing into the cooking liquid to perfume it. At the end of the cooking, it will be removed.

Pandan can also be used as a natural replacement for food-coloring, imbuing desserts with bright shade of green. It can also be found as a ready-to-use paste in most Asian specialty stores. In Thailand, pieces of marinated chicken are wrapped in a clever wrapping of the pandan leaf and grilled or deep-fried to the extend that the subtle flavor of the leaf is being imparted to the chicken.

Recipe:

600 g diced chicken meat
5 cups oil for deep-frying
40-50 pcs big pandan leaves, washed

Seasoning:

60 g shallots, chopped
30 g garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon lemongrass (white part only), chopped
1 tablespoon coriander roots, chopped
1 teaspoon peppercorns, pounded
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fish gravy
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon black soy sauce

Method:

Marinate diced chicken meat with seasoning for 2-3 hours. Wrap up chicken meat neatly with pandan leaves (refer below). Heat up the oil for deep-frying, deep-fry the chicken till golden brown. Dish and drain. Serve hot and let the guests unwrap them and enjoy the aroma and flavor.

Note: Pandan chicken can also be wrapped and keep in the fridge. Deep-fry in hot oil before serving. It can also be baked for more healthy way of cooking.

Pan Fried Fish Fillets with Quick Curry Sauce

Fish
2 tablespoons butter
4 fish fillets, fresh or frozen (cod, plaice, whitefish, flounder, sole, whiting or any flat white fish)
salt and pepper

Curry Sauce

1 medium onion
2 teaspoons curry powder or paste
1 15-ounce can coconut milk

Method :

1.Rinse the fish and pat dry.
2.Place some flour on a plate and roll the fish in it, patting to make the flour cling.
3.Season with salt and pepper.
4.In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.
5.Add the fish and cook for about 5 minutes, turning it halfway through.
6.You can serve the fish immediately or place it on a warm dish on the back of the stove while you make the curry sauce.
7.For curry sauce, finely dice the onion, add to the hot pan, and sauté until the onion starts to brown.
8.Stir in the curry powder or paste.
9.Pour in the coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
10.Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken slightly.
11.Return the fish to the pan and heat through.
12.Serve immediately.

Crispy Shrimps with Garlic Recipe

Most shrimp is frozen at sea right after it is caught. The fish markets then buy it frozen and usually thaw it before selling. Shrimp freezes well, so frozen shrimp is generally the best buy. Of course, if you can find very fresh shrimp that have never been frozen, or better yet live shrimp, the flavor and texture will be a revelation.

When buying frozen shrimp, press on the bag or box. If you hear a crunchy covering of ice crystals, the shrimp has thawed partially and been refrozen. Look for a box or bag without a crunchy sound. It also helps to feel around for areas that are soft or empty, a sign that the box is beginning to thaw or may have been refrozen. When buying thawed shrimp, always smell before you buy. It should smell sweetly of the ocean. A stale ammonia scent indicates that the shrimp has begun to deteriorate. Black spots along the sides of shrimp are another sign that the shrimp is past its prime.

Also avoid shrimp with a pinkish cast, which have been sprayed with a fine mist of hot water for purely cosmetic reasons. Go for the gray shrimp instead, which will turn pink when cooked. Buy unpeeled shrimp whenever possible. The peels help keep the shrimp moist and flavorful. When buying cooked shrimp, make sure that it looks plump, moist, and succulent.

Recipe:

2 stalks scallions (spring onions)
2 red chilies
2 cloves garlic
220 g large shrimps

Seasoning:

1/4 tablespoon chicken seasoning powder
1/3 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper

Method:

Chop the scallions, chilies and garlic. Devein the shrimps, rinse and remove the feelers. Make a slit at the back of the shrimps. Heat 1 cup of oil in a pan, deep-fry the shrimps, remove and drain. Leave 2 tablespoons oil in the pan, stir-fry the scallions, garlic and chilies. Add the shrimps and seasoning and stir well. Serve hot.

Note: To prevent shrimps from becoming too tough, make sure there is adequate oil and that the oil is very hot. The cooking time will be lengthened if the oil is not hot enough, thus causing the shrimps to turn tough.

Chicken in Spiced Coconut Milk

Learn this cuisine from my mom quite some time ago. Back home, my mother used to cook this dish once in a while especially during the weekend when everyone would be home for dinner. From what I know, this is an Indonesian dish and is called Opor Manuk, if I am not mistaken. It may look just like any ordinary chicken curry but the taste is different.

Recipe:

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 liter coconut milk from 1 coconut
3 tablespoons oil
2 cloves
5 cm cinnamon stick
Spices (ground)
8 red chilies
2 teaspoons coriander, roasted
1/4 teaspoon cumin, roasted
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 candlenuts, roasted
1 tablespoon chopped galangal
1/2 teaspoon chopped lesser galangal
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
8 shallots
4 cloves garlic
Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

Boil the chicken in coconut milk until it is half-cooked, remember to stir from time to time to avoid the coconut milk from curdling. Then heat the oil and saute those ground spices, cloves, cinnamon until they're fragrant, then add to the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked and serve with steamed white rice.

Lamb Curry Recipe

What a great blessing to have friends and parents that can really cook. I recently had this dish at a friend's parent's house and found it to be really wonderful. It may be a bit spicy but I just can't imaging a curry that is not. Anyway, I managed to get the recipe from her mother, Jane to be shared in this newsletter. Jane is really a good cook and it is inspiring to learn how just by being around her.

Recipe: (Serves 4-6)

750 g (1.5 lb) diced lamb
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large onions, chopped
3 tablespoons oil2 stems lemon grass (white part only), sliced
6 cloves garlic
3 cm (1.25 in) piece fresh galangal, roughly chopped
10 cm (4 in) piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 red chilies, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 tablespoons oil, extra
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups (750 ml) coconut milk

Method:

Combine the lamb, salt, pepper, onion and oil. Heat a wok or heavy-based pan until very hot; add the lamb and onion mixture in several batches and brown very well. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove all the meat from the work, leaving any oil.

Combine the lemon grass, garlic, galangal, ginger, turmeric, chili and shrimp paste in a food processor and process, adding the extra oil, until a smooth paste is formed. Reheat the wok; add the spice paste and cook it over medium, heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure that the paste does not burn. Add the lamb and onion mixture, cinnamon, cloves and coconut milk.

Simmer, uncovered, for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally until the lamb is very tender. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Chicken Biryani

"This is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very special occasions such as weddings, parties, or holidays such as Ramadan. For biryani, always use long grain rice. Basmati rice with its thin, fine grains is the ideal variety to use. Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted so that the milk solids and golden liquid have been separated and can be used in place of vegetable oil to yield a more authentic taste."

Recipe:

1 chicken breast
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cardamon pods
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp ground cumin
50g/2oz butter
200g/7oz rice
1 chicken stock cube
chives to garnish

Method :

1. Remove the skin from the chicken breast.
2. Slice the chicken into pieces about 1.5cm/¼in thick.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Cook until it softens.
4. Add the chicken slices to the pan along with the garlic and cook gently for 3 minutes.
5. Into the pan add the turmeric, cardamon pods, coriander seeds and ground cumin.
6. Add the butter, let it melt then add the rice.
7. Coat the rice in the butter and spices then cover with boiling water.
8. Add the stock cube, bring to the boil and simmer for 12 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
9. Garnish with chives.

Indonesian Rendang

This delicious cuisine is originated from Indonesia by the Minangkabau people and it is one of their cultural characteristic foods, which is usually served to honor guest at ceremonial occasions. Rendang is also very popular in Malaysia and is usually prepared by the Malay community especially during the festive occasions. Rendang does not contain any curry powder even though it is sometimes described as a curry.

The main ingredient is beef, but sometime it is substituted with chicken or mutton and slowly cooking in the coconut milk and various spices until all the liquid is reduced, leaving only the meat coated with the thick spice condiments. Like most curries, this one also benefits from being made ahead of time to allow the flavors to mature. Prepare 2 to 3 days in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat. The curry can also be completely cooled in the refrigerator and then frozen for up to 1 month.

Ingredients: (Serves 6)

1.5 kg (3 lb) chuck steak
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 2/3 cups (410 ml) coconut milk
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 red chilies, chopped
1 stem lemon grass (white part only)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated palm sugar or soft brown sugar

Method:

Trim the meat of any fat and sinew, and cut it evenly into small (about 3 cm/1.25 in) cubes. Place the onion and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth, adding water if necessary. Place the coconut milk in a large pan and bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has reduced by half and the oil has separately out. Do not allow the milk to brown.

Add the coriander, fennel, cumin and cloves, and stir for 1 minute. Add the meat and cook for 2 minutes until it changes color. Add the onion mixture, chili, lemon grass, lemon juice and sugar. Cook, over moderate heat for about 2 hours, or until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is quite thick. Stir frequently to prevent catching on the bottom of the pan.

Continue cooking until the oil from the coconut milk begins to emerge again, letting the curry develop color and flavor. The dish needs constant attention at this stage to prevent it from burning. The curry is cooked when it is brown and dry.

Mixed Vegetables with Lemon Grass Recipe

Lemon grass is used widely in Asian countries as a herb as well as in cooking. It possesses a citrus flavor and is used either fresh or can also be in dried and powdered form. Usually the soft inner part is eaten as the stalk itself is too hard to eat. However, the stalk could be used for cooking after finely sliced or bruised to be added whole to release the aromatic oils from the juice sacs in the stalk. Citral is the main component of lemon grass.

Lemon grass is commonly found in the ingredients of curries and is suitable for poultry, fish, seafood and even mixed vegetables as below.

Recipe: (serves 4)

125 g solid tofu, cut into 1 cm cubes
3 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
250 g Chinese leaves, thinly sliced
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
60 g oyster mushrooms, torn
125 g mangetour
1 bunch of watercress
6 fresh baby corn
1 long mild red chili, thinly sliced
100 ml vegetables stock
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon golden granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat about 1 cm of oil in a wok and add the tofu cubes. Cook until golden on all sides, then remove and drain on kitchen paper. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok and reheat it.

Add the lemon grass, garlic and leek and stir-fry for about 1 minute, then add the remaining vegetables, a few at a time, stirring constantly. Add the stock, soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce, stir and cover. Cook over a moderate heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the fried tofu, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Kung Pao Diced Chicken

This is a Sichuan classic cuisine and originated from the Sichuan province of central-western China. The name came from a late Qing Dynasty official by the name of Ding Baozhen. Born in Guizhou, Ding served as the head of Shandong province and later as a governor of Sichuan province. Gong Bao or palatial guardian was his official title. Thus the name "Kung Pao" was derived from this title. There are 2 different versions of this dish in existence today. The westernized and the traditional Sichuan version below.

Recipe:

1 chicken breast meat
200 g pea shoots
8 dried chilies
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
1/2 cup cooked peanuts

Seasoning A

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt to taste
A little MSG if you prefer (optional)

Seasoning B

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Method:

Remove the skin and bone of the chicken breast meat, dice and mix with seasoning A. Rinse the pea shoots and blanch in boiling water, arrange them flatly on a plate. Cut the dried chilies into sections.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and stir-fry the Sichuan peppercorn over low heat, then remove the peppercorn. Stir-fry the dried chilies, followed by the diced chicken. Lastly, add seasoning B and the peanuts and stir for a while. Serve on the plate with the pea shoots.

Chicken Satay with Black Shrimp Paste Sauce

Satay is an Indonesian dish of pieces of marinated meat grilled on wooden skewers and sometimes served with a spicy peanut sauce. Traditionally, the meat used in satay is not cubed but minced and molded around the satay sticks. However, delicious satay can also be made with tender cubes of meat: skinless breast or upper thigh of chicken or best end of lamb or lamb chops.

Marinating the meat before cooking will tenderize as well as flavor it. Use bamboo satay sticks, which should be soaked in water for a few hours before using so they will not burn. They should be about 20 cm long to allow the meat to be skewered along half the length, leaving a 'handle' to grasp during grilling.

Recipe:

500 g chicken meat, cut into 1 x 2 cm pieces
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
1 tablespoon margarine, melted

Black Shrimp Paste Sauce:

10 red chilies, boiled and ground
5 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon black shrimp paste
5 cloves garlic, ground
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

Mix and combine all the ingredients to prepare the black shrimp paste sauce.

Thread 4-5 pieces chicken onto the satay skewers. Combine the sweet soy sauce and margarine with 5 tablespoons of the black shrimp paste sauce. Dip each skewer into this sauce until the meat is completed covered. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Grill the chicken over hot charcoal, turning skewers over from time to time. Serve with sweet soy sauce and the remaining black shrimp paste sauce.

Diced Chicken with Cashew Nuts Recipe

Like all nuts, cashew nuts are no exception when it comes as an excellent source of protein and fiber. They are good for the heart as cashew nuts are rich in mono-unsaturated fat as well as a good source of potassium, B vitamins and folate.

Phosphorous, copper, magnesium and selenium are also found in them. Just like peanuts, cashew nuts are usually salted and may contribute to increase blood pressure due to the added sodium. So always buy unsalted plain roasted cashew nuts.

This is a great and healthy Chinese dish and the cashew nuts must only be added at the last stage of cooking to ensure that the nuts stay crunchy. A few quick stirs will do. Before cooking, roast the nuts in the oven to remove excess moisture.



Recipe:

2 chilies
2 stalks spring onions (scallions)
1/2 green pepper (capsicum)
200 g Chicken breast meat
3 slices ginger
100 g Roasted cashew nuts (unsalted)

Seasoning A

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Seasoning B

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

Slice the chilies. Rinse the spring onions (scallions), chop half and cut the other into sections. Slice the green pepper. Rinse and dice the chicken breast meat. Mix with seasoning A and marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and stir-fry the ginger slices, chopped spring onion and chilies. Add the chicken and seasoning B, and cook until half-done. Then add the green pepper and toss well, add the cashew nuts and stir evenly. Serve while hot.