Shrimp Shallot in Chile Sauce Recipe

Recipe:

1-inch cube tamarind pulp
3/4 cup hot water
10 small shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
4 ounces red jalapeno, stemmed, seeded
1/3 cup canola or peanut oil
4 candlenuts, smashed (or substitute macadamia nuts)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste, optional
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
Thinly sliced cucumber
Steamed jasmine rice

Method :
- Stir tamarind pulp into 3/4 cup hot water until dissolved. Strain seeds from tamarind mixture; reserve juice.

- Combine shallots, jalapenos, oil, candlenuts and shrimp paste in blender. Puree until smooth.

- Heat heavy medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add pureed shallot mixture and stir until oil separates from solids, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 1 minute. Add reserved tamarind juice and continue cooking until shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Season to taste with salt and sugar.

- Serve shrimp with cucumber and jasmine rice.

Recipe of Banana Fritters from Malaysia

Recipe:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tablespoon vanilla powder
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon rum flavoring
4 ripe bananas, sliced
2 cups oil for frying

Method :

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and vanilla powder. Make a well in the center, and pour in milk, egg, melted butter and rum flavoring. Mix until smooth. Fold in banana slices until evenly coated.

2. Heat oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

3. Drop banana mixture by tablespoon into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bananas from oil, and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Thai Fish Cakes Recipe

Recipe: (Makes about 12)

8 kaffir lime leaves
300 g/11 oz cod fillet, cut into chunks
30 ml/2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 egg
30 ml/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
5 ml/1 teaspoon granulated sugar
30 ml/2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
15 ml/1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
50 g/2 oz/0.5 cup green beans, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the cucumber relish
60 ml/4 tablespoons coconut or rice vinegar
50 g/2 oz/0.25 cup granulated sugar
60 ml/4 tablespoons water
1 head pickled garlic
1 cm/0.5 inch piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1 cucumber, cut into thin batons
4 shallots, thinly sliced

Method:

To make the cucumber relish, mix the coconut or rice vinegar, sugar and water in a pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Place the garlic and ginger in a bowl. Add the cucumber and shallots. Mix in the vinegar and stir lightly. Cover and set aside.

Reserve 2 or 3 kaffir lime leaves for the garnish and thinly slice the remainder. Put the fish, curry paste and egg in a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the fish sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sliced kaffir lime leaves, cilantro and green beans. Shape the mixture into thick cakes.

Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan or wok to 190oC/375oF or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in about 45 seconds. Fry the fish cakes, a few at a time, for 4-5 minutes, until cooked and evenly brown.

Lift out the fish cakes and drain them on kitchen paper. Keep each batch hot while frying successive batches. Garnish with the reserved kaffir lime leaves and serve with the cucumber relish.

Thai Chicken Soup Recipe

A fragrant blend of coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger and lime makes a delicious soup, with just a hint of chili.

Whenever you have a roast chicken it is worth using the carcass to make stock. Remove all the skin from the remains of the bird and put the carcass into a large pan. Add roughly chopped onion, carrot, and celery stick, and a bouquet garni. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Skim off the scum and then simmer the stock for 1 hour. Strain through muslin (cheesecloth). Skim of the fat when the stock is cold.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

5 ml/1 teaspoon oil

1-2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large leek, finely sliced

550 ml/18 fl oz/2.5 cups chicken stock

450 ml/0.75 pint/scant 2 cups coconut milk

450 g/1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bitesize pieces

30 ml/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

1 lemon grass stalk, split

2.5 cm/1 inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and crushed

5 ml/1 teaspoon sugar

4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

75 g/3 oz/0.75 cup frozen peas, thawed

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the chilies and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the leek and cook for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the chicken, fish sauce, lemon grass, ginger, sugar and lime leaves, if using. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes longer. Remove the lemon grass and stir in the cilantro just before serving.