BY: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI – CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF.
Thai Food known for its diversity and colorful first impressions is not only a cuisine to indulge into but to also adapt to in a number of ways being healthy and vibrant with a variety of recipes to suit various palates and taste buds.
Thai cooking is simple, needs basic ingredients and is ready in minutes, a little precision and eye for detail coupled with a keen interest in cooking goes a long way in dishing out delectable delicacies from this exemplary melting pot of cuisine.
Though we all have our very own favourite cuisines from Indian to Chinese, Italian to Mexican, here is a little collection of my pick on thai cooking which I wish to dedicate and share a few of my favorite Thai recipes with our readers to try out in their home kitchens and enjoy an amalgamation of distinguished flavors from Thailand.
Recipe-1] THAI STYLE FISH CAKES
Ingredients :
- Bassa/ghol fish- 500 gms
- Oil-2 tsp + for shallow frying
- Butter-1 tsp
- Garlic-1 tsp chopped
- Shallots- 3-4 no chopped
- Lemon grass- 3-4 pieces
- Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
- Fresh basil leaves- 4-5 no
- Green chilies- 1 tsp chopped
- Thai red chilies-2-3 chopped
- Ginger/ thai galangal-1 -2 no
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Soy sauce-2 tsp
- Red chili sauce-1 tsp
- Thai red curry paste-2 tsp
- Egg-1 no
- Boiled mashed potato- 1 cup
- Maida-2-3 tbsp.
- Corn flour-2-3 tsp
- Bread crumbs-1/2 cup
To serve with : sweet thai chili sauce/ hot and sweet dip/ red pepper mayo dip
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients as listed for the thai fish cakes.
- Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the thai ingredients one by one also add in the garlic, onions and saute them all for a minute.
- Add in the fish cubes, thai curry paste, sauces, seasonings to taste and let the fish cook for 3-5 mins, remove from the flame.
- As the fish starts cooking it will start breaking up and at that stage we can add in the mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, maida/corn flour a little beaten egg and mix it all into a semi hard dough texture, remove the ginger/galangal, lemon leaves, lemon grass pieces now.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan or tava, and using a tablespoon place spoonsful of the fish cake mixture on the pan and allow to settle and cook from one side and then carefully turn it over and cook on both sides to a nice golden brown color, remove once cooked for around 3-4 mins.
- Assemble the fish cakes on a serving platter on a bed of banana/pandan leaves and serve them hot with a choice of dips and sauces.
Recipe-2] THAI RED CHICKEN CURRY
Ingredients :
- Oil-2 tsp
- Ginger/thai galangal- 1 tbsp. sliced
- Fresh basil leaves- 6-8 no
- Lemon grass- 3-4 piece
- Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
- Thai small brinjal- 4-6 no
- Thai red chilies-2-3 slit
- Boneless chicken breast- 1 cup cubes
- Baby brinjal-1 cup cubes
- Carrot-1/2 cup cubes
- Water-2 cups
- Thai red curry paste-2-3 tbsp.
- Sugar-1/4 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Thick coconut milk- 1 and a half cup
- Corn starch solution-2-3 tsp
- Coconut cream-2-3 tsp for garnish
- Fresh basil- for garnish
To serve with: steamed jasmine rice/ thai rice.
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the red curry using chicken in this recipe.
- Heat oil and add in all the thai basic ingredients and saute them for a few seconds, add in the red curry paste a couple of spoons of water to prevent burning, add in the chicken cubes, brinjal and carrot cubes and saute for 1-2 mins.
- Add in water and allow the chicken and veggies to cook a little in the liquid for around 10-12 mins, now add in the thick coconut milk, salt to taste, sugar and mix well. Continue cooking for 12-15 mins and adjust thickness with a little corn starch solution if desired.
- Portion out the red chicken curry in a deep serving plate with gravy and enjoy it with a portion of steamed thai style jasmine rice/ steamed sticky rice, garnish the curry with coconut cream and fresh basil.
Recipe-3] THAI GREEN CURRY WITH VEGETABLES
Ingredients :
- Oil-2 tsp
- Ginger/thai galangal- 1 tbsp. sliced
- Fresh basil leaves- 6-8 no
- Lemon grass- 3-4 piece
- Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
- Thai small brinjal- 4-6 no
- Thai red chilies-2-3 slit
- Baby brinjal-1 cup cubes
- Carrot-1/2 cup cubes
- French beans-4-5 cut
- Cauliflower or broccoli -1/2 cup florets
- Mushrooms-1 cup cut 1 x 4
- Babycorn-1/2 cup sliced
- Capsicums-1/2 cup cubes
- Water chestnuts-3-4 sliced
- Paneer/ tofu- ½ cup cubes
- Water-2 cups
- Thai green curry paste-2-3 tbsp.
- Sugar-1/4 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Thick coconut milk- 1 and a half cup
- Corn starch solution-2-3 tsp
- Coconut cream-2-3 tsp for garnish
- Fresh basil- for garnish
To serve with: steamed jasmine rice/ thai rice.
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the green curry using vegetables in this recipe.
- Heat oil and add in all the thai basic ingredients and saute them for a few seconds, add in the red curry paste a couple of spoons of water to prevent burning, add in the all the vegetables of your choice and saute for 1-2 mins.
- Add in water and allow the veggies to cook a little in the liquid for around 10-12 mins, now add in the thick coconut milk, salt to taste, sugar and mix well. Continue cooking for 12-15 mins and adjust thickness with a little corn starch solution if desired.
- Portion out the red chicken curry in a deep serving plate with gravy and enjoy it with a portion of steamed thai style jasmine rice/ steamed sticky rice, garnish the curry with coconut cream and fresh basil.
Recipe-4] SOM TOM RAW PAPAYA THAI SALAD
Ingredients :
- Raw papaya-2 cups, peeled and grated, place in chilled water
- Long green beans/ french beans-1 cup thinly shredded
- Tomato-1/2 cup juliennes/strips
- Water-1/2 cup
- Jaggery- 2-3 tbsp. grated
- Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- White vinegar-2 tsp
- Fish sauce-1 tsp optional
- Dried shrimps-2-3 tsp- optional
- Lemon grass-2-3 piece
- Fresh basil-4-5 no
- Roasted crushed peanuts-2-3 tbsp.
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the Som tom raw papaya salad.
- In a saucepan combine together the water with jaggery and other ingredients and allow to slowly melt down and make it like a dressing.
- Add in the drained out raw papaya and beans and mix well, allow to cook for 3-4 mins and turn off the flame.
- Add in the tomato cut into strips and mix well, add more lime or vinegar, fish sauce and dried shrimps being optional if needed and check for seasonings.
- Dish out the salad into a serving bowl and garnish with roasted crushed peanuts and serve warm with the meal.
Recipe-5] PHAD THAI FLAT NOODLES
Ingredients :
- Thai flat noodles-1 packed, boiled.
- Oil-2 -3 tsp
- Butter-1 tsp
- Ginger/ thai galangal- 2 tbsp. sliced
- Lemon grass- 2-3 no
- Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
- Thai red chilies-2-3 no slit
- Green chilies-2-3 no slit
- Fresh basil leaves- 3-4 no
- Garlic-1 tsp chopped
- Onion-2 no sliced
- Carrot-1/2 cup shredded
- Cabbage-1/2 cup shredded
- Green capsicum-1/2 cup shredded
- Mushrooms-1/2 cup sliced
- Boiled shredded chicken-1 cup
- Or cleaned prawns/ shrimps-1 cup
- Or eggs-2-3 no as desired
- Thai red/green curry paste-2-3 tsp
- Water-1/4 cup
- Soya sauce- 2 tsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red chili sauce-2 tsp
- Green chili sauce-2 tsp
- White vinegar-1 tbsp.
- Spring onion greens-1/2 cup chopped
- Roasted crushed peanuts-1/2 cup
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the stir fry thai flat noodle recipe.
- Boil the noodles first and refresh, keep aside.
- Heat oil and butter add in the thai ingredients, garlic, and onions and saute for 2-3 mins.
- Add in the assorted veggies as desired and add seasonings, sauces etc to taste, add a little water and allow to cook/egg and other non-veg can be added at this stage as well.
- Cook on a medium flame for 3-4 mins, add in the noodles and give it a toss and cook for 4-5 mins, check for seasonings and serve the noodles hot garnished with greens and peanuts.
Recipe-6] PUMPKIN COCONUT PUDDING
Ingredients:
For the pumpkin mixture:
- Yellow pumpkin-1 cup peeled and grated
- Green cardamom-2 no
- Butter-1 tsp
- Sugar-1/4 cup
- For the semolina mixture:
- Butter/ghee-2-3 tbsp.
- Semolina/sooji-1/2 cup
- Green cardamom-2-3 no
- Sugar-1/4 cup
- Condensed milk-1/2 cup
- Jaggery-1/2 cup
- Milk-3-4 cups
- Coconut milk- 2 cups thick
- Tender coconut flesh/ malai- ½ cup shredded.
- Assorted nuts- ½ cup fried – cashews, raisins, almonds etc.
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the pumpkin coconut pudding as listed.
- Start with the pumpkin mixture in a pan, combine together the butter, sugar, cardamom and grated pumpkin and cook for 3-5 mins and ensure it is all getting dry.
- In another pan, start with ghee/butter and semolina, cardamom and dry roast it all there for 2-3 mins, add in the milk, sweetening agents as listed and mix well.
- Now add in the cooked pumpkin mixture here and combine it all together, reduce the flame and keep stirring. Add in coconut milk and cook for 4-6 mins.
- Finally, once the mixture starts cooking on a medium flame for around 12-15 mins and gets thicker, check for sweetness and adjust as needed. Serve the pudding warm garnished with the fried nuts and shreds of tender coconut.
