Appetizer: Green Curry with Chicken and Thai Eggplant

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(Gaeng Keo Wan Gai)

Ingredients for 4 servings

1 pound chicken breast halves, skinned

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup green curry paste

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1 cup Thai eggplant

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

2 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and finely shredded

2 fresh green chili peppers, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

Preparation

Cut chicken through the bone into small pieces (1-inch size recommended)

Heat the wok and put oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add 1 tablespoon curry paste and 1/4 cup coconut milk.  Stir it constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until oil is visible on the surface.  Add the remaining past and 1/4 cup coconut mild and continue stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Add chicken and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture almost dry.  Add 1/4 cup coconut milk and water and simmer gently over medium heat with no cover for 10 minutes.  Add eggplant, fish sauce and sugar, and continue stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until eggplant is just tender.

Add lime leaves, chilies, remaining coconut milk and basil leaves.  Continue stirring constantly for 1 minute or until heated through.  Then serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

Tips

You can use the pea-sized baby or the normal-size Thai eggplant (about golf ball size), darker green in color.  For baby eggplant, you need to score them with a small ’X’ mark or pound them lightly with the back of a knife before use.  For the normal size, you need to cut them into four pieces (quarters) before using.  If you can not find any of them, use fresh or frozen green peas.

What do you think?

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Appetizer: Stir-Fried Beef with Lemongrass

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Paste for 4 to 6 servings

2 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 large shallot, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

6 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro stems

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 dried New Mexico chilies, soaked, seeded and deveined, or 2 red chilies, seeded and deveined (optional)

2/3 cup water

Other ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 pounds boneless sirloin, cut into strips, 2-inch long, 1 1/2-inch wide and 1/4 inch thick pieces

3 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick pieces

4 scallions, split lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup peanuts, roasted and coarsely ground

Cilantro springs for garnish

 

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. 

Transfer the paste to a medium bowl, add the meat and mix well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add the beef slices, then add the fish sauce, sugar and salt and cook about 3 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling

Add the onion and cook  3 to 4 minutes or until soft and translucent.  Add the red pepper, scallions and 6 tablespoons of the peanuts.  Cook for another couple minutes while stirring.  Remove form the heat.

Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons peanuts and garnish with cilantro sprigs.  Serve with rice and make 4 servings.

I love to hear your thoughts.  Please leave your comments below

Appetizer: Beef with Eggplant in Coconut Milk

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Paste for 4 servings

4 dried New Mexico chilies, soaked , seeded and deveined

1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

5 garlic, cloves, coarsely chopped

2 large shallots, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

8 kaffir lime leaves, deveined and shredded

1/4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro stems

1 1/2 cups water

Other ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

2 pounds flank steak or boneless sirloin, cut into strips 2-inch long, 1 1/2 –inch wide and 1/4 inch thick

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

1/4 pound pea eggplant, or Thai eggplant, cut into quarters

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth; then set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add 1 cup of the coconut milk and cook about 2 to 3 minutes or until the oil in the coconut milk separates out, and stir occasionally.  Add the spice paste, shrimp paste, and cook about 5 minutes until the flavors are released and the sauce is thickened and shiny.

Stir in the beef and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the meat has absorbed the flavor of the paste.  Add the fish sauce, sugar, salt, the remaining 1 1/4 cups coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beef is tender.

Heat the remaining 1 table spoon oil in a small skillet.  Add the eggplant and sauté about 5 minutes or until soft. Stir the eggplant into the stew and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Serve with rice or bread and garnish with basil.  Make 4 servings.

What do you think?

I love to hear your thoughts.  Please leave your comments below

Thai Soup: Sour Chicken Soup with Eggplant

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Paste for 4 servings

4 dried New Mexico chilies, soaked, seeded and deveined

1 tablespoon sliced lemongrass

1 tablespoon peeled, coarsely chopped galangal

2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

4 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, deveined

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

1 cup water

Other ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 pound chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick strips

4 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon fermented fish (optional)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups small round Thai eggplants, trimmed and cut in half

1/4 cup tamarind juice

Handful of fresh basil leaves for garnishing.

Preparation

To make the paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a stockpot.  Add the coconut milk and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the oil separates from the milk.  Add the spice paste and cook for another 2 minutes or until the aroma is released while stirring constantly.

Add the chicken , chicken broth, or water, sugar, fish sauce, fermented fish (if used), and salt, cook and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes.  When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add the eggplant, tamarind juice, and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the eggplant is tender, but not too tender.

Pour the soup into a large soup bowl and garnish with the basil and serve with rice.  You may add some chilies if you prefer it hot.  Make it 4 servings.