Thai Inspired Salmon

In my 18 months in Thailand I never saw them eat salmon. 

So all the Thai salmon recipes you see are fusion dishes, do not get fooled.

Real Thai food contains a tremendous amounts of herbs. Herbs are ingredients. They are a fundamental part of what defines Thai cooking, not used only as garnish.

I was watching the video of my favourite cook in Chiang Mai and she was teaching me how to make a fish dish with herbs. No, she did not use salmon, 

but that is what I had at home, so hence this inspired recipe.

The recipe I give you now is for the fish you see in the photo, adapted and very yummy!!!  

Her original recipe I am saving for my book... 

You can wait a little, right?

You will need:

1 piece fish with skin on {any fish you like} 

juice of 1/2 big lime

2 tablespoons of nam pla {fish sauce}

1 small diced tomato

1 chopped spring onion

1 tablespoon of chopped mint

1 tablespoon of chopped thai basil {if you don't have it use any basil}

1 tablespoon chopped coriander stalks or thai coriander {pak chi farang, if you can find it}

1 teaspoon coriander leaves

1 small green or red chilli bashed with a knife and chopped 

1/4 teaspoon of sugar {demerara or palm sugar are best}

Grill, fry or BBQ your fish and make sure to crisp up the skin. This is important as it makes your dish have a myriad of textures.

Meanwhile, prepare and mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Adjust the seasoning. It should be spicy, salty, tangy and have a round flavour to it.

Place the fish on a pretty plate and pour the seasoned herbs on top.

Serve it immediately.

Believe me, you will not regret making this!

You can also use this recipe for grilled seafood, meat, chicken or pork.

Let me know what did you think of this recipe and please share it with your friends! 

Thanks!!!

Sawadee Ka

_/\_

Thai Fried Banana, Gluai Tot

Those are amazing!

So simple to make and a delicious snack or desert!

When I asked for the exact measures for the lady who sells them around the corner from me,

 she told me to get a bowl and add to it:

1 cup of plain flour {approximately}
1/3 cup of fresh grated coconut {or desiccated coconut}
sugar to taste
about 1 litre of water {add a little more if you need to}
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup of white sesame seeds
Bananas cut lengthwise or any pretty way you wish as long as it is cut about 1.5 cm thick {she uses them slightly green, like a day before they are ripe enough to eat on their own, but I have tried this with ripe bananas, they are fabulous either way}

vegetable oil to fry

Mix all ingredients, except for the oil and bananas and beat it by hand {she uses a wooden spoon} until is all like a paste.  Make it thick but runny. It should not make it a very thick coat. On this video you can see the consistency of it and how to fry them.

Add the bananas {and they also use here sun dried bananas or sweet potatoes and I even had this made with durian} to the batter and mix.

Heat the oil, careful not to smoke it and when hot enough so that you drop a little drop of batter and it starts to fry immediately, you take one banana at the time and add them to the oil. Fry the bananas until they are golden brown. Place them on kitchen paper and preferably eat them hot!!!

This batter is to be made and used on the same day!

Hope you have fun and let me know how much you like it!

Pumpkin in Sweet Coconut Milk ♥

Here in Thailand everything is bought fresh. 

At the market, the produce you choose to take home can be chopped for you exactly as you wish. This is such a treat specially in the case of pumpkins which are, at times, very hard to peel...

I went to the market and got busy...

Click here to see a video on how Thais make coconut milk at the markets!!!

You will need:

2 cups of kabocha cut in chunks {japanese pumpkin} with or without the skin or any squash you can get your hands on
1 cup of fresh coconut milk {or plain milk if you dont have any coconut milk}
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil {omit if using coconut milk}
Add any spices you may desire {cardamon, star anise, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, ginger...}
Sweeten to taste

Add all the ingredients to a small pan and cook in medium to low heat until the pumpkin is cooked {about 10 minutes or so}. You can eat it hot or cold, both are very delicious and remember that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, pumpkin is a very good spleen tonic. 1 cup contains only 30 calories and 0 fat, rich in Vitamins A, B6, C and E. Strengthens your immune system and is rich in beta carotene, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

Let me know what you think!!!!!!! 

Tom Yum Goong {Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup}

You already know I am in Thailand and that I find Chiang Mai magical and 

I wanna be here for a reaaaaally long time.

One of the reasons for this is the food, of course, the friends I made here and the beauty I see around whenever I go anywhere, not to mention cooking for the monks, 

which makes my heart sing.

So I won't bore you with the long blurb and will show you one of my friends shop, where she made this soup for me to enjoy!

The place is full of character, gorgeous items and a deliciously peaceful atmosphere. Ma's is lovely and her place is gorgeous and it made the experience extra pleasant.

Oh, yes, the recipe for her Tom Yam is below !!!! 

Mah

Mah's  Yummy Tom Yum Recipe ♥

You will need:

{serves 2}

700ml water

1 inch of fresh galangal

2 stalks lemongrass

1/2 inch of fresh turmeric {optional}

4 birds eye chillies

6 button or oyster mushrooms

4 kaffir lime leaves

200g tiger prawns

Lime Juice

Fish sauce {nam pla}

Nam Prik Pao {Sweet Chilli Jam}

Coconut milk {optional}

As with all cooking, specially Asian food, prepare all ingredients before 

beginning the cooking process.

Chop the mushrooms in 4 pieces lengthwise.

Bash a couple of times with a rolling pin or a pestle the galangal, turmeric and lemongrass to release the oils and aroma and chop them roughly.

Remove the mid vein of the kaffir lime leave {so it does not make your food bitter} and tear it apart also roughly as it shows on picture above.

Peel the head of the prawns and remove the eyes and the shell 

leaving the tail so it looks pretty and you can hold 

the prawn AND retain certain charm at the table if eating with guests.
If not, do as you please. I leave the shells and eat with my hands, sucking the head as it is full of flavour, specially if the prawn is massive... yum}.

You can, if you want to cut the 'back' of the prawn and remove the vein, like Mah is doing 

for you to see, but we only did one for the picture. 

I, personally, never do. It never tasted off, I never got poisoned and I always enjoyed it a LOT.

Bring the water to boil {any pan is ok, but we used a wok that was handy} and put in galangal, turmeric {if using}, lemongrass, boil again and add the mushrooms. Bring to boil once more and add the prawns. After it boils, add the kaffir lime leaves and stir.

After the prawns change to a pink colour {which means they are now cooked}, it is time to switch off the fire and season the soup.

NOW: Delicate moment as it is very personal.

You squeeze the lime and splash some nam pla, nam prik pao and coconut milk {if using}.

It was a pleasure to buy fresh sweet chilli jam fresh from the market {seen in the plastic bag} but Mah thought it was too oily and had a jar of it opened already, so we used that, which is probably what you will also find in your local asian shops.

Keep tasting until you find the balance between 

sour, salty and chilli to your own taste.
Serve the soup with all the stuff inside.
I have had as many tom yums here as you can imagine. Clear broth, with coconut milk, with tomatoes {but I dislike them in this soup}, with holy basil and many other herbs, with noodles and many other ways. So as I say often to all recipes, have fun cooking
and let me know if you have any doubts.

If you do not have any particular ingredient, don't be put off making this recipe.
Just use anything you have handy as it is your own soup.

Enjoy cooking!!! And, of course, eating it!