Gai Yang Recipe (Chicken with Lemongrass Recipe)

Ingredients:
8 chicken legs or thighs

For the marinade:
10 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, white part only, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh calamansi juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
½ cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) coconut milk
1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
To make marinade: In a mortar, combine garlic and lemongrass and pound to a coarse paste with a pestle. Or, thinly slice, then chop together to a coarse paste with a cleaver or chef's knife. Stir in all remaining marinade ingredients. Arrange chicken legs in one layer in a shallow dish. Pour over the marinade, and gently shake chicken to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or cover and refrigerate overnight, turning pieces several times. If refrigerated, let chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Light a fire in a charcoal grill. Wipe marinade from chicken and grill, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides and juices run clear when chicken is pierced, 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, cook chicken pieces under a broiler (grill). Lay chicken about 10 inches (25 cm) from the flame and cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides and juices run clear when chicken is pierced, 20-30 minutes.

Note: Traditionally, this dish is made with whole spatchcock chickens that have been butterflied, by splitting down the backbone and flattening. Broil (grill), skin-side down, for 10-15 minutes, then turn and broil, skin-side up, for 10 minutes. After cooking, cut chicken with a cleaver, through the bones, into smaller pieces. You may also use chicken halves.

Gai Phad King Recipe (Chicken with Ginger Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 oz/60 g) cloud or tree ear mushrooms (black or white fungus)
¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
12 oz (375 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) loosely packed, julienned fresh ginger, preferably young ginger
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon soybean paste
2 fresh long red chlies, cut into large pieces
½ cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) chicken broth or water
8 scallions (green onions), white part only, chopped

Directions:
If using dried mushrooms, soak in water for 10 minutes; drain. Use scissors to trim hard core, then cut mushrooms into pieces. Heat oil in a wok or large, heavy frying pan over high heat and fry garlic just until it starts to brown. Immediately add onion and chicken, and stir-fry until meat is opaque on all sides, about two minutes. Add ginger and mushrooms, then fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and soybean paste. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add chilies and broth or water, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in scallions. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Note: If cloud or tree ear mushrooms are unavailable, substitute an equal quantity of straw mushrooms or standard mushrooms.

Duck Red Curry Recipe (Kaeng Phet Pet Yang Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 roasted duck, de-boned and cut into 1" squares
2 cups coconut milk
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons red curry paste (pls. refer More Thailand Recipes below)
2 medium tomatoes, halved or 10 cherry tomatoes
½ cup sweet basil leaves (horapha)
4 kaffir lime leaves, halved
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup water (or chicken stock)

Directions:
Put vegetable oil into wok over medium heat and add the red curry paste, stir well, add 1 cup coconut milk and stir to mix thoroughly. Add the duck and stir well. Next, add the remaining coconut milk, water, tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves, sugar, salt, fish sauce and sweet basil. Cook for about 10 minutes or until duck absorbs curry flavor. Serve with steamed hot fragrant rice.

Curried Prawns Recipe (Kaeng Ka-ri Kung Recipe)

Ingredients:
600g prawns, shelled and de-veined
2 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon yellow curry paste (Nam Phrik Kaeng - refer More Thailand recipes)
2 fresh chilies, de-seeded and sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Put ½ cup of coconut milk into a wok or pan, bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 5 minutes. Add the curry paste, stir well, and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, add the fish sauce, sugar, salt and remaining coconut milk and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring regularly. Finally, put in the chilies, tomatoes and prawns, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve with steamed hot fragrant rice.

Crispy Candied Noodles Recipe (Mi Krop Recipe)

Ingredients:
150g thin rice noodles
¼ cup finely chopped fresh shrimps
¼ cup finely chopped pork
1 cake yellow bean curd, cut into matchstick-size pieces and fried crisp
1 tablespoon chopped garlic and shallot
1 tablespoon fermented soybeans
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
4 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon ground dried chilies
50g bean sprouts
3 Chinese chives (gao choy)
1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced
1 coriander plant
2 pickled garlic bulbs, thinly sliced
3 cups cooking oil

Directions:
If the noodles are very fine, fry in oil until crisp and golden brown, then drain. If the noodles are thick, soak 15 minutes in water, drain well and then fry a few at a time. Heat ¼ cup oil in a frying pan. Fry the garlic and shallots until fragrant, then add the pork and shrimp, seasoning with fermented soybeans, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and dried chilies. When thick, add the lime juice. Mix and season to obtain a sweet, sour and salty flavor. Reduce the heat, add the noodles and continue stirring in the sauce until they stick together; then add the bean curd; mix and spoon onto plates. Sprinkle with the pickled garlic, finely sliced kaffir lime rind, coriander, and chili. Place bean sprouts and Chinese chives along the sides of the plates.

Coconut Milk Chicken Soup Recipe (Tom Kha Kai Recipe)

Ingredients:
3½ cups coconut milk
450g chicken (skinned, de-boned and diced)
200g fresh mushrooms, halved
20g fresh galangal, sliced
20g fresh lemon grass, cut into 1" lengths
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
2-3 fresh chilies, halved
⅓ cup lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped coriander greens
1 tablespoon roasted chili sauce (nam phrik phao - refer more Thailand Recipes)

Directions:
Put coconut milk into a medium-sized pot, add 1 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, add the galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the chicken, salt, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice, cook until the chicken is done. Then, add the mushrooms and remove from heat. To serve: Put 1 tablespoon of roasted chili sauce in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Pour in the boiling soup.

Egg Rolls Recipe (Po-Pia Thot Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 pack egg-roll sheets
225g ground pork
80g crab meat
1 egg
80g mungbean noodles
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup shredded cabbage
5-6 dried ear mushrooms, chopped (soaked in hot water)
½ tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 cups cooking oil
Paste made by mixing 2 tablespoons wheat flour in ¼ cup water and stirring over low heat.

Ingredients for egg roll sauce:
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon chili, well pounded
2 teaspoons tapioca flour mixed in 2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Soak the noodles until soft, then cut into short lengths. Mix pork, egg, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, pepper and light soy sauce together then add the noodles and mix well. Fry the garlic in 3 tablespoons oil and then add the pork and noodle mixture. Fry until fairly dry, then set aside to cool. Place a teaspoonful of the filling on an egg roll sheet, fold the sheet over the filling, fold about half a turn, fold in the ends to close them; then, roll up tightly, sealing the sheet closed with the paste. Deep fry in plenty of oil over low heat until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sauce, sliced cucumber, and sweet basil leaves. To prepare sauce, mix the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and chili; heat to boiling, add a little of the flour water, boil a short time, then remove from heat.

Garlic Prawns Recipe (Kung Kra Thiam Recipe)

Ingredients:
8-12 jumbo prawns, shelled and de-veined
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
½ tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped coriander root
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 stalk chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chopped or minced ginger

Directions:
In a wok or big frying pan, heat the oil over high heat. Fry the garlic, coriander root, pepper, sugar, fish sauce and prawns, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and remove from heat. Serve.

Fried Rice Stick Noodles (Pad Thai) Recipe

Ingredients:
400 g dried rice stick noodles, soaked in warm water to soften, drained
6 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and minced
3 - 4 shallots, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon crushed dried chili flakes
200 g lean pork or chicken, shredded
250 g small or medium shrimps, peeled and de-veined
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 eggs
1 tablespoon calamansi juice
1 tablespoon sugar
100 g bean sprouts, straggly tails removed
60 ml vegetable oil

Garnish:
4 tablespoons coarsely crushed unsalted roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon dried shrimps, toasted over low heat 4-5 minutes, processed to a powder
1 scallion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaf
2 calamansi, halved
100 g bean sprouts, straggly tails removed

Accompaniments:
crushed dried chili flakes
simple Thai fish sauce and chili dip

Directions:
Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic, shallots and chili and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the pork or chicken and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the shrimps and stir-fry just until they are just cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Splash over the fish sauce, stir, then add the eggs, stirring briefly to break up the yolks. Leave for a few seconds until the egg starts to set, then mix it with the pork and shrimps.

Push the cooked ingredients up the sides of the wok and put in the drained noodles in the center. Leave them for a few seconds, then toss to mix well. Add the calamansi juice and sugar and give a quick stir. Put in the bean sprouts and stir-fry for just 30 seconds, mixing well. Transfer immediately to a large serving dish or four individual dishes. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, shrimp powder, scallion and coriander (cilantro) sprigs. Arrange the bean sprouts and lime pieces around the edge of the noodles and serve together with chili flakes and simple Thai Fish Sauce and Chili Dip.

Note: You could reduce the amount of pork or chicken to 125 g and add 1 firm bean curd (about 125 g); cut the bean curd in ½-inch dice and add as soon as the shrimps have started to turn pink.

Stewed Beef Recipe (Neua Tun Recipe)

Ingredients:
450g beef shank
10 cups water
1 cm length of cinnamon, broken into small pieces
½ inch length of galangal
3 coriander roots
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf (krawan leaf)
2 celery plants
180g lettuce, swamp cabbage, or bean sprouts
2 tablespoons fried garlic
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Directions:
Wash the meat, cut into 1 inch cubes, place in pot. Add the water, cinnamon, galangal, coriander roots, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and bay leaf. Heat to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until the meat is tender. (If using an ordinary pot, this will be 3-4 hours. With a pressure cooker use only 2 cups of water and cook for 25 minutes, then remove from heat, allow to cool, open lid and add 3 cups boiled water. Season to taste and bring to a boil once again). Blanch the vegetables, cut into 1 inch pieces and place on the bottom of the serving bowl. Pour the stewed beef on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with coarsely cut fresh coriander, celery, fried garlic and ground pepper. Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

Red Curry Paste Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
4 coriander roots, scraped and cleaned
1 x 4 cm piece galangal, finely sliced
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, finely sliced
1 teaspoon dried prawns (shrimps), soaked in warm water
50 g smoked trout
1 tablespoon roasted shrimp paste
10 long dried chilies, seeded and soaked
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white peppercorns, ground

Directions:
Pound the onion, garlic, coriander roots and galangal in a mortar and pestle until a uniform paste. Place in a food processor. Pound the remaining ingredients except the peppercorns to a uniform paste and add to the food processor. Blend to a smooth paste. Mix through the pepper. Store in an airtight container. The paste keeps for 4 - 6 days in the refrigerator. It freezes well.

Sweet Mung Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
For sweet soup:
1 cup dry mung beans
½ cup lotus seeds
½ tablespoon cornstarch
5 Chinese prunes or dates, pitted and sliced
1½ cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon baking soda
Sugar to taste
5 cups water

Sticky rice:
1 cup dry mung beans
2 cups glutinous rice

Directions:
To make sweet soup, soak mung beans in 3 cups of water for 3 hours. Rub beans to remove hull and rinse well. Soak lotus seeds for 3 hours in hot water and baking soda. Rub lotus seeds to remove skins and rinse well. Remove the green shoots of the lotus seeds with a wooden pick. In a pot, cook lotus seeds in 2 cups of water for 1 hour. In a separate pot, combine mung beans, Chinese prunes and cornstarch with 5 cups of water. Cook for 45 minutes until soft. Add cooked lotus seeds and sugar. Cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve cold with sticky rice.

For sticky rice:
Soak mung beans in 3 cups of water for 3 hours. Rub beans to remove hull and rinse well. Steam mung beans until cooked and mash beans when cooled. Mix the mashed beans with uncooked glutinous rice and steam until rice is cooked. Cool the rice until grains do not stick to each other (this can be done by placing the rice on dish and air-dried). Serve cooled with the cold sweet soup.