Top 10 Thai Food

• Tom Yam Kung
• Pad Thai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Tom Kha Kai
• Som Tam
• Kai Pad Med Mamuang Himmaphan
• Panaeng Nuea

Pad Thai (ผัดไท)

(Thai Fried Noodles) - Recipe

This is a traditional Pad Thai recipe . You can use chicken, pork, beef, tofu, or a combination. You may want to start with less pepper, and work your way up.

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 lb rice noodles--the wide ones
• 1 lb extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 3 teaspoons sambal olek chili paste or 2 tablespoons ketchup and 2 teaspoons paprika)
• 8 green onions chopped into one inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 4 cups bean sprouts
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts roughly chopped up lime wedges
• several tablespoons of canola oil and more if you decide to fry the tofu

HOW TO COOK :

Cover the noodles with warm water in a large bowl and allow them to soak for 30 minutes. They should be flexible and soft, but not soft enough to be mashed with your fingers. Drain them and put them aside.

While the noodles are soaking, press the tofu so that you remove as much water as possible. Usually, I place the tofu on several pieces of paper towel on a cutting board or plate and then cover the tofu with more paper towel, a piece of plastic wrap, and something heavy (about a 1 lb worth of cookbooks, plates, etc.). This usually takes about 30 minutes or so.

After the tofu is pressed you can do one of two things:

1. Thinly slice the tofu into bite size pieces and bake on a lightly oiled pan at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes on each side.

2. Cube the tofu and fry in about 1/2 cup of oil in a very hot wok. Fry the tofu until lightly browned. Remove from the oil and drain.

Either method works great--it just depends on how much additional fat you want in the recipe.

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sambal olek in a bowl. Stir until well blended. The sugar won't dissolve completely, but that's okay.

Heat several tablespoons of oil in a medium hot wok and add the noodles coating them with the oil. Add the soy sauce mixture and garlic into the wok and bring to a boil while gently folding the noodles. Lower the heat a bit and keep the liquid boiling while frequently folding the noodles. Try not to break the noodles. When almost all the liquid has been absorbed add the tofu and green onions and cook for about two minutes longer--until the tofu is warm and the onions are bright green.

Serve the Pad Thai with a heavy garnish of bean sprouts and peanuts with lime wedges on the side.

Enjoy!

Makes: 4 servings, Preparation time: 15 minutes: Cooking time: 1 hour

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THAI DESSERT

Kanom Krok (ขนมครก - Coconut-Rice Pancakes)

Recipe from: It Rains Fishes: Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking.

Ingredients :

3 14 ounce cans coconut milk, or 1 ¾ cups coconut cream with 3 ½ cups lighter coconut milk
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ tablespoon tapioca or arrowroot flour
3 tablespoon uncooked white rice
1/3 cup finely shredded fresh coconut, or ¼ cup dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups rice flour
2 teaspoon sea salt
2 to 3 tablespoon peanut or corn oil

optional filling ingredients:

¼ cup green onions, cut in thin rounds
¼ cup fresh corn kernels
2 tablespoon cilantro leaves

If using canned coconut milk, spoon into a small saucepan 1 ¾ cup of the creamiest part from the top of three cans of coconut milk. Heat just enough to melt and smooth out the lumps. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow to cool before mixing in 2 ½ tablespoon. of tapioca or arrowroot flour. Stir until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the remaining coconut milk from the cans and stir until smooth, heating if necessary to melt the coagulated parts. Allow to cool.

Grind the uncooked white rice in a food mill or clean coffee grinder as finely as possible. Do the same with the shredded coconut. Combine the two with the rice flour, salt and coconut milk. Stir and mix until well blended and smooth.

Heat a well-seasoned kanom krok griddle (or substitute with an Ebelskiver pancake griddle) on the stove, in a hot oven or over a small round barbecue kettle with medium-hot charcoals. When the griddle is hot, brush the surface indentations with peanut or corn oil. Wait a few seconds before spooning the salty rice mixture into each indentation to about two-thirds full. The batter should sizzle when it hits the hot metal. (If you have a teakettle with a spout, you may find it helpful as a container from which to pour the rice batter onto the griddle.)

Before the batter sets, add a dab of the sweet coconut cream mixture over the top to fill and sprinkle the center of each cake with a little bit of one of the toppings, or leave plain. Cover with a round lid and allow to cook for a few minutes, or until the pancakes are firm and crispy brown on the bottom. Remove gently with a rounded spoon. Re-grease the griddle before making the next batch. Because rice flour tends to settle, stir the coconut mixture well before pouring onto the griddle. Serve warm.

Tab Tim Grob (ท้บทิมกรอบ - Red Rubies)

Ingredients
1 cup water chestnuts
1/2 tapioca flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup jasmine essence water
3/4 coconut milk
red food colouring
crushed ice

Directions

1. To make the jasmine essence water, soak the jasmines in the water in a bowl overnight close the cover.

2. Slice the water chestnuts in dice shape and soak in the red food colouring and stir until bright red.
3. To make the syrup. Boil sugar and jasmine essence water. Leave it to cool.

4. Put the flour in a plate and add the water chesfnuts and shake so the pieces become well coated.

5.Heat 5 cups of water to the boil, add the water chesnuts. It will float when cooked and look like rubies. Drain and plunge in cold water immediately.

6. Serve a little water chestnut into dessert dishes, add syrup, coconut milk and ice