[CH] Thai Recipes
Chet Bacon (hcbacon@connix.com)
Sat, 16 Jan 1999 08:10:59 -0500
Chicken Curry
(Gaeng Gari Gai)
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
12 oz. Sliced Chicken Breast
1 16 oz. can of coconut milk
12 oz. Water or Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons ground Peanuts
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 oz. Fish Sauce (or a dash of salt to taste)
4 - 5 Thai Basil Leafs
2 oz. Yellow Curry Paste
1/2 teaspoon ground Red Chili (add to taste only)!
Technique
Start heating a sauteed pan over medium heat. Open the can of coconut
milk, being carefull not to shake it. Scoop some of the cream off the
top and
heat with curry paste until you see the oil starting to separate from
the coconut milk. Add the sugar, Chicken, water or stock, and the rest
of the
coconut milk and mix together. When the Chicken is almost finished, add
the Fish Sauce, Peanuts, Basil, Red Chili and Bell Peppers. Let simmer
for
10 minutes and serve.
note: You may substitute with Coconut Milk Concentrate for the canned
Coconut Milk and the Dry Chili with Fresh Chilies. The Dry Chili seems
to add more of a roasted nutty
flavor.
To make your own coconut milk, grate the white meat from a fresh
coconut, making sure the gratings are very small. The fine side of a
cheese grater
works fine. Take the gratings and put in a piece of muslim or cheese
cloth. add some very warm water and make into a ball for squeezing.
Squeeze
like hell, getting all the liquid you can out of the gratings. This
first squeeze is the most highly concentrated. One more time is
possible, but it will
be more diluted than the first squeeze.
Cook with Thailand curry paste being sold in the market, or make your
own
Green Thai Curry
(Gaeng Keow Waan)
to make the Green Curry Paste
2 T red or green curry paste (use a little more for hotter curry; Mae
Ploy brand is excellent
3 T vegetable oil
3/4 lb boneless chicken meat, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 cans (unsweetened) coconut milk (approx. 3 c in all)
1 c water or chicken broth
1/2 c baby corns
1/2 c straw mushrooms (or substitute other mushroom of your choice)
1/2 c sliced bamboo shoots
5 kaffir lime leaves (dried are fine; these are available in packages
on the bottom -- usually dusty -- shelf of the Asian market; they look
like dried, curled-up leaves)
1/2 t salt (more or less to taste) or Fish sauce
if green curry, 10 fresh basil leaves
if red curry, 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
Fry curry paste with the cream off the top of the coconut milk in oil in
saucepan until oil separates. Add chicken (if using) and saute for about
1
minute over medium high heat. Add remaining ingredients except basil
leaves or red bell pepper. Bring just barely to a boil; reduce heat and
simmer
20-30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in basil leaves or red bell
pepper. Serve with cooked Thai Jasmine rice.
Green Bean Curry
1 lb fresh green beans [if necessary, you may substitute whole frozen
ones]
2 T Thai Curry Paste (I like to use the "Key" brand packets of either
"Country Curry" or "Red Curry"; but they are all flavorful. Mae Ploy and
Tommy Tang are other good brands.
2 T vegetable oil
Bamboo shoots (optional; I like to use a large can of bamboo tips
because they are tender and I can cut them into 1/4 inch thick round
slices.
You can also use a couple of the small cans of sliced bamboo shoots, but
they will not absorb the flavor as well. I think carrots cut into coins
would
also be good, if you like those. I tried potatoes once, but they just
disintegrated.)
6 c chicken broth
Clean and pick green bean tips. In a dutch oven (or equivalent size
vessel), heat oil. Add curry paste and the cream off the top of the
coconut milk,
and "fry" until you see the oil start to separate. Add broth, green
beans, bamboo shoots (or other vegetable). Bring to a slow boil and cook
like that
for about 15-20 minutes (watching that liquid doesn't reduce too much;
add water as necessary). Reduce heat to a hard simmer and continue
cooking
until green beans are VERY done and have absorbed the flavor of the
curry broth. Serve in bowls over rice.
Green Curry with Pork
(Gaeng Keow Waan Muu)
Ingredients
Peanut oil
1/4 cup Shallots chopped fine
1 tbsp Garlic chopped fine
1 tbsp Galangal chopped fine
1 tbsp Lemon Grass chopped fine
1/4 cup Coriander leaves chop fine 1-1/2 lb Pork cut into 1" cubes
1-1/2 cup Coconut milk
2 tbsp Curry paste (Thai Green)
1 tbsp Lime zest
1 tbsp Lime leaves shredded
2 tbsp Thai basil shredded
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tsp Chili paste (green)
2 cups Peas
Directions
First, prepare the curry paste and coconut milk seperately. Add the
paste with some of the 'cream' form the coconut milk and heat until the
oil starts
to separate. Then, in a separate pan, heat peanut oil, shallots, garlic,
galangal and lemon grass. Stir fry 1 minute until oil is aromatic.
Add pork, stir fry 3 minutes until browned and add the curry
paste/coconut milk mixture.
Add the rest of the coconut milk, coriander leaves, lime zest, lime
leaves, basil, fish sauce and chili paste, bring to a boil, and reduce
heat. Simmer 20
minutes until pork is tender.
Add peas, simmer 5 minutes until tender.
Yield - 4 cups
Masaman Curry with Beef
(Gaeng Masaman Nua)
Ingredients
Peanut oil
1 tbsp Garlic chopped fine
1 tbsp Galangal chopped fine
1 tbsp Lemon grass chopped fine
1 tbsp Thai basil chopped
1-1/2 lb Stewing beef 1" cubes
1-1/2 cup Coconut milk
2 tbsp Curry paste (Thai Musaman)
1 tbsp Lime zest shredded
1 tbsp Lime leaves shredded
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1-4 tsp Chili paste
2 cups Potatoes cut into 1" cubes
1 cup Pearl onions
Directions
First, prepare the curry paste and coconut milk seperately. Add the
paste with some of the 'cream' form the coconut milk and heat until the
oil starts
to separate. Then, in a separate pan, heat peanut oil, garlic, galangal
and lemon grass. Stir fry 1 minute until oil is aromatic.
Add beef and stir fry 3 minutes until lightly browned and add the curry
paste/coconut cream mixture
Add the rest of the coconut milk, lime zest, lime leaves, basil, fish
sauce and chili paste, bring to a boil, and reduce heat.
Simmer 45 minutes, until beef is tender.
When beef is just tender, add potatoes and onions to curry and simmer 30
minutes, until potatoes are cooked.
Yield - 6 cups
Pineapple Prawn Curry
(Gaeng Gung Sapparot)
Ingredients
Peanut oil
1/4 cup Onion chopped fine
3 tbsp Dried shrimp chopped fine
3 tbsp Lemon grass chopped fine
3 tbsp Galangal chopped fine
1/2 tsp Shrimp paste
1-4 tsp Chili paste
2 cups Coconut milk
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tsp Palm sugar
1 lb Shelled prawns
2 cups Pineapple chunks
Directions
Heat wok. Add peanut oil, onion, dried shrimp, lemon grass, galangal,
shrimp paste and chili paste. Stir fry for 2 minutes until oil is
aromatic.
Add coconut milk, fish sauce and palm sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce
to half.
Add prawns and pineapple, simmer 3-4 minutes.
Yield - 4 cups
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