THAI food is a favourite of mine; the blend of sour, salty and sweet elements creates such intriguing flavor profiles.
It's not that difficult to create a delicious Thaiinspired meal at home. Asian condiments are easily found in most large supermarkets, and prepared curry paste mixtures are a great time-saver.
Thai cooking relies heavily on a few basic ingredients that you should add to your pantry; the most essential is Thai fish sauce. If you smell fish sauce you'll wonder why anyone would ever use it, but it adds an indefinable base note to Thai dishes that cannot be replicated with any other ingredient. The other necessity is coconut milk. You can buy the "lite" version if you wish, but the regular coconut milk will add a richer flavour and consistency to your dishes. Be sure to shake the coconut milk can vigorously before you open it to combine the liquid and solids.
Red Thai Chicken Curry
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large zucchini, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large onion, cut into
chunks 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp minced gingerroot
1 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (I use Asian Family Gourmet brand, sold in envelopes at many supermarkets)
1 can (400 ml) coconut milk
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
¼ tsp salt
2 sweet green peppers, cut into chunks ½ cup lightly packed basil leaves
½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
Cut chicken into bitesized pieces. In wok or large skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil over high heat; stir-fry chicken in batches until browned, about three minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add remaining oil to wok; stir-fry zucchini, onion, garlic, ginger and curry paste until onion is softened, about three minutes. Pour in coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for five minutes.
Reduce heat to simmer. Add fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, salt, green peppers and chicken with any accumulated juices; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and peppers are tender, about 10 minutes. Add basil and cilantro. Serve with steamed jasmine rice. Makes six servings.
CRUNCHY THAI SALAD
This makes a nice cooling accompaniment to the curry. 1 cup bean sprouts
1 large carrot, sliced as thin as possible (or shaved with a peeler)
Approx. 8" of an English cucumber, sliced very thin 3-4 heads of baby bok choy, chopped
3 cups chopped Napa cabbage or Romaine lettuce 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
Thai Dressing:
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 small limes)
4 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro Chopped salted peanuts to garnish (optional)
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Mix all vegetables in a very large bowl; toss with the dressing and sprinkle peanuts over top.
MANGO FOOL
A fool is simply pureed fruit swirled with whipped cream - this is a lovely light dessert.
2 large ripe mangos, peeled and sliced
4 Tbsp granulated sugar Zest and juice of 1 large lime (keep separate)
2 cups whipping cream
Puree the mango in a blender with the sugar and lime juice. Whip the cream to soft peaks and stir in lime zest. In a tall dessert glass layer the cream and mango puree. Makes four servings.
