Fried Rice With Basil And Prawns/ Shrimp

A well known recipe from Thailand, a typical Thai fast food…To be honest is not the unhealthy choice of western fast food but because it is done rapidly, well, it is fast, like most Asian recipes… My source is Vatcharin Bhumichitr’ book, “Vatch’s Thai Cookbook”, 2004. I followed it and I really enjoyed it. Hope you will enjoy it too.

Fried Rice With Basil and Prawns/ Shrimp

— Khao Pad Krapow Gung —

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 small fresh red chilies, finely chopped
• 4 oz/ 120 g peeled raw prawns/ shrimp
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 20 fresh holy basil leaves
• 8 oz/ 240 g/ 1 1/4 cups boiled fragrant rice
• 1 small onion, slivered
• 1/2 red or green sweet pepper, slivered

Method:

• In a wok of frying pan, over a high heat, heat the oil until a light haze appears. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown. Add the chilies and the prawns and stir quickly to mix.  Add the fish sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Stir-fry until the prawns are cooked through. Add the basil leaves and stir. Add the cooked rice and stir thoroughly. Add the onion and the sweet pepper and stir quickly to mix. Turn on to a serving dish.

Thaan hai aroi na khrap/kha!

Elena G

Pad Thai

‘This is the best known of all Thai noodle dishes’ writes Vatcharin Bhumichitr in his book ‘Vatch’s Thai Cookbook’, in 2004. In 2005 I was reading this recipe, in London and I thought that I have to try this famous dish. I went shopping and the result was delicious. I would love to try it again, sometime. It takes only 2-3 minutes to cook, I can’t ask for more. May be a take away. 😉 I am not sure if this recipe is enough for 4 people, by the quantities, I estimate it is enough for only 2 so if you are more than 2, just double the ingredients.

Thai Fried Noodles/ Pad Thai

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 extra large egg (or 2 small eggs if you like)
• 180 g (6 oz) sen lek noodles, soaked and drained
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp, ground or pounded
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp chopped preserved radish (chi po)
• 30 g (1 oz, 1/3) cup fresh beansprouts
• 2 spring onions/ scallions, chopped into 1 inch/2,5 cm pieces
• sprig of fresh coriander/ cilantro, coarsely chopped
• lemon wedges, to garnish

Method:

• In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden brown.
• Break in the egg and stir quickly, cooking for a couple of seconds only, then add the noodles and stir well, scraping down the sides of the pan to ensure that the egg and garlic are well mixed.
• One by one, stirring between each addition, add the lemon juice, fish sauce, sugar, half the peanuts, half the dried shrimp, the chili powder, the preserved radish, 1 tbsp of the beansprouts and the spring onions.
• Test the noodles for tenderness and when they are al dente, turn on to a serving dish. Arrange the remaining peanuts, dried shrimp and beansprouts around the noodle mixture.
• You can also put a little  pile of chili powder and another of sugar on the side to be mixed in as each diner wishes. Granish with coriander and lemon wedges and serve.

Bon appetite!

Prin Tailanda

In sfarsit o zi racoroasa. Azi a plouat si probabil ca va mai ploua, ceea ce e  foarte bine. Pot sa respir mai usor, nu mai transpir stand si in general ma simt mai fresh. O zi racoroasa de vara ma incurajeaza sa ma apropii de aragaz si sa ii tin companie. Altfel, Doamne fereste, doar sa fiu masochista sa ma chinui singura cu atata caldura. Dar ce nu face omul, cand trebuie sa se hraneasca. Daca e cazul, stau dar daca pot sa scap, de ce nu? Exista atatea mancaruri pentru care nu e necesar focul, e si pacat. Dar azi am curaj sa ma apropii de foc. Si sa gatesc ceva ce imi place foarte mult: noodles sau taiteii chinezesti. Ii ador, ii mananc cu mai multa placere decat orezul chinezesc. Pot fi cu ou, de orez, subtiri, lati, foarte lati, nu conteaza, imi plac. De fapt, daca cineva mi-ar pune in fata acum pad thai, nu as refuza sub nici o forma. Azi iti prezint o reteta tailandeza, pe care am gatit-o o singura data in Londra, si tot atunci am si mancat-o. Este o reteta celebra, dupa cum scrie in cartea ‘Vatch’s Thai Cookbook’, scrisa de Vatcharin Bhumichitr, aparuta in 2004. E putin mai complicata pentru ca trebuie sa ai multe ingrediente si unele nu stiu daca se gasesc la noi, incearca pentru mai multa siguranta in magazinele chinezesti din Bucuresti. Voi scrie reteta exact asa cum este, incearca sa faci rost de majoritatea ingredientelor si ce nu gasesti, nu-i bai, merge si fara. Ce imi place mie la ea este faptul ca se gateste foarte repede, in cca 2-3 minute e gata. Din pacate nu scrie cate portii ies si nici eu nu mai tin minte daca au iesit 4 portii, dar pot ghici dupa cantitati ca ar fi suficiente pentru 2 persoane, adica tu si el sau tu si ea, cum vrei. Nu ramane decat sa dublezi cantitatile, atunci cand sunteti mai multi. Si nu este o reteta vegetariana dar e pe aproape. Iata…

Taitei prajiti tailandezi/ Pad Thai

2 portii

Ingrediente:

• 2 linguri ulei vegetal
• 2 catei usturoi, tocati marunt
• 1 ou foarte mare (sau 2 oua mici, dupa cum gasesti)
• 180 g taitei sen lek (sunt taitei sau noodles de latime mica, din orez)
• 2 linguri suc lamaie
• 1 1/2 sos de peste
• 1/2 linurita zahar
• 2 linguri alune prajite, maruntite
• 2 linguri creveti (shrimps) uscati, macinati sau pudra
• 1/2 lingurita boia iute
• 1 lingura ridichi murate, tocate
• 30 g (1/3) cana muguri soia proaspeti
• 2 cepe verzi de primavara sau arpagic, tocate in bucati de 2,5 cm
• 2-3 fire coriandru proaspat, tocat mediu
• cateva felii de lamaie, pentru decor

Preparare:

• Inti, pune taiteii in apa calduta si lasa-i sa se inmoaie, dar nu prea mult. E mai indicat sa fie mai tari, mai ales ca ii vei praji. Scoate-i din apa si lasa-i sa se strecoare.
• Intr-un wok sau tigaie mare si adanca, incalzeste uleiul si prajeste usturoiul, pana se face auriu. Sparge oul si amesteca rapid cateva secunde apoi adauga taiteii. Amesteca totul foarte bine.
• Adauga pe rand, amestecand dupa fiecare: sucul de lamaie, sosul de peste, zaharul, jumatate din alunele prajite, jumatate din crevetii macinati, boia iute, ridichile conservate, o lingura de muguri de soia si ceapa verde.
• Verifica taiteii sa vezi daca s-au inmuiat si cand sunt al dente, pune totul intr-o farfurie. Aranjeaza in jurul amestecului de taitei restul de alune, creveti si muguri de soia. Poti de asemenea sa pui in 2 boluri separat, boia iute si zahar, pentru condimentare dupa gust.
• Mai adauga coriandrul si feliile de lamai si poti degusta acum.

Pofta buna!

Sweet About Me

Sweet!

My yesterday post in Romanian was titled “Sweet about you” so it is time to show me some respect. Joking. The relationship between the title and the post is that is describes a dessert. A very sweet one, and easy to make and fragrant. My inspiration was Vatcharin Bhumichitr’s book “Vatch’s Thai Cookbook”, 1994. I liked it from the beginning and I was happy to discover something that I hadn’t tried before.

You don’t need much but bananas and coconut milk. Anyone can do it. But remember, share it with someone.

Bananas in coconut milk

Kluay Bua Chee

Ingredients:

• 360 ml (1 1/2 cups, 12 fl oz) coconut milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 long bananas, peeled, cut in half lengthways and then quartered crossways, to make 16 pieces in all

Method:

• In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk and add the sugar and salt. Bring to the boil, stirring until dissolved. Add the banana pieces. Return to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and leave for a few moments, then serve warm.
• You can reheat this or serve any leftovers cold from the refrigerator.

Bon appetite!

PS: It smells like heaven and tastes wonderfully. You will love it.