Thai Night!

I don’t know what those folks in Thailand have got going on but they do great food! It has a wonderful combination sweet-salty-sour-and heat. I first got turned on to Thai food when I was doing a placement in my Masters of Social Work program.  I worked with Conestoga College and the University of Guelph to bring 5 Thai women to Canada and prepare them to attend the university.  These women had a deer in the headlights look for many weeks and wanted to have some of the comforts of home so we spent a lot of time in Thai restaurants.

Since that time, I have explored many other Thai restaurants and have taken a class in Thai cooking at Conestoga College. It is amazing that the classic Thai dish, Pad Thai, is street food. That would be great street food! In Canada it can be a little challenge but it is getting easier. There are some grocery stores with wonderful international food section that have these items, and even some of the fresh items like the hot chilli peppers. If you are in larger centres, you can find Asian grocery stores that keep you in supplies. Of course you can always find great substitutes that will make it your own.

I had not made Thai in a little while and with the pleasure of having some friends over for dinner it was a great time to pull out the wok and make it a Thai night.  I made a number of dishes: Papaya Salad, Pad Thai and Sticky Rice with Mango for dessert.  

Green Papaya Salad

1	Medium green Papaya
2 tsp	Chopped garlic
2	Fresh Hot Chilies
4 tbsp	Dried shrimp (optional)
2 tbsp	Roasted unsalted peanuts
6	Long beans (or 10-12 green beans)
2	Medium tomatoes
6 tsp	Sugar
4 tbsp	Fish sauce
6 tbsp	Lime juice
	Cilantro leaves for garnish

Peel the papaya, cut into quarters and scoop out and discard the seeds. Grate through the largest hole of grater to obtain 3-4 cups of papaya.

Put garlic in a large mortar. Chop chilli into quarters and add to garlic. Wash and drain shrimp (if using) and add to mortar. Add peanuts. Pound these ingredients with the pestle until they begin to break up. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can also place ingredient in a large Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to break up.

Trim ends and cut beans in to 1 inch pieces, add to mortar and pound for 1 minute. Add papaya shreds and pound. Cut tomatoes into eights and add to mortar. Pound for another minute.

Add sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and pound working the ingredients from bottom to the top.  Salad is ready when everything has been integrated, some juice has been extracted and the bigger chunks have been broken down but everything is not mush.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with cilantro. This salad can be served immediately or can sit in the fridge for up to 2 hours before.

Pad Thai

So I think people who like Pad Thai land in one of two camps: Ketchup based and Tamarind based.  While there are benefits to both, I tend to prefer the Tamarind flavour. If you are in the Ketchup camp please post your favourite recipe so that there are options for everyone!

1/3 cup	Fish sauce
1/3 cup	Tamarind concentrate (or fresh lime juice)
1/3 cup	Sugar
5 tbsp	Vegetable oil
1 clove	Garlic, minced
3/4 cup	Shrimp
3 eggs	Lightly wisked
2	Chicken breasts, cut in to small pieces
½ pkg	Rice sticks
1 ½ cup	Chicken stock
1 cup	Bean sprouts
½	Carrot, grated
½ cup	Cilantro
¼ cup	Roasted unsalted peanuts
3	Green onions, trimmed and cut diagonally
3	Thai Chilis (these are hot little suckers so more or less depending on preferred level of heat)
1	Lime, cut into 8ths

For a vegetarian option omit the chicken, and shrimp and toss in some tofu.

In a medium bowl, mix fish sauce, tamarind and sugar and set aside.

Prepare rice sticks, according to the package directions.  Remove from water when al dente.

In a wok or large sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over high until hot. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Remove from heat and keep warm.  Add eggs to pan and cook until gently scrambled.  Remove from heat and keep warm.  Add more oil as necessary.  Cook chicken small batches at a time. Cook each batch until cooked through and browned.  Remove from pan and keep warm. 

In the wok, add chicken stock, rice sticks and fish sauce mixture. Toss occasionally until fully coated and rice sticks are completely cooked. Add shrimp, eggs, chicken, bean sprouts, carrots.

When plated sprinkle pad thai with peanuts and cilantro. Serve with limes for squeezing over noodles.

Thai Chilis

Sticky Rice with Mango

2 ½ cup	Thai Sticky Rice
2 cups	Unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup	Sugar
1 tsp	Salt
3	Ripe mango, peeled, seeded and sliced

Place rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 3 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly.

Line the bottom of a steamer with cheesecloth or parchment paper. Place the soaked rice in the steamer. Cover the steamer and place on pot filled with a few inches of water. Bring the water to a slow boil and allow the rice to steam for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the coconut milk, sugar and salt together in a saucepan. Cook, stirring over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Please the hot rice in a bowl and pour over the coconut milk mixture over it. Stir until it is completely combined.              

To serve, scoop out 2-3 tablespoons of the rice mixture onto individual plates and top with sliced mango.

ENJOY!