THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (28 page)

½ cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup water

1 pound small okra, trimmed

1 cup vegetable oil

1 recipe chili dipping sauce of your choice (see recipes in Chapter 2)

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flours, the baking soda, and water to form a batter. Add the okra pieces.
   
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok over high heat. (It should be hot enough that a test piece of batter puffs up immediately.)
   
3. Add the battered okra, a few at a time, and fry until golden.
   
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the okra to paper towels to drain.
   
5. Serve hot with your favorite chili dipping sauce.
   

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste (see recipes in Chapter 1)

½ cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2½ cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

2 cups bamboo shoots

2½ cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups bean sprouts

1. To make the sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a small sauté pan on medium-high. Add the minced shallot and fry until golden. Transfer the fried shallot to paper towels to drain.
   
2. Using a mortar and pestle, crush half of the sesame seeds and half of the fried shallots together; set aside.
   
3. In a small saucepan, combine the Red Curry Paste and the coconut milk, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the tamarind, brown sugar, fish sauce, and the reserved sesame seed? shallot mixture. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
   
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the green beans, the bell pepper pieces, and the bamboo shoots to the water and blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until done to your liking. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the water to a colander to drain.
   
5. Let the water return to boiling and add the spinach leaves and the bean sprouts. Immediately remove them from the water to drain.
   
6. Toss all of the vegetables together.
   
7. To serve, place the vegetables in the center of a serving plate. Pour some of the sauce over the vegetables. Pass additional sauce separately.
   

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced Pinch of white pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 pound bean sprouts, rinsed thoroughly and trimmed if necessary

Salt and sugar to taste

1. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
   
2. Add the onion and the ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
   
3. Stir in the white pepper and the soy sauce.
   
4. Add the sugar snap peas and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
   
5. Add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 more minute while stirring constantly.
   
6. Add up to ½ teaspoon of salt and a large pinch of sugar to adjust the balance of the sauce. Serve immediately.
   

Noodle Dishes

8 ounces rice noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5–6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

½ cup cooked salad shrimp

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup brown sugar

6–8 teaspoons Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)

¼ cup chopped chives

½ cup chopped roasted peanuts

1 medium egg, beaten

1 cup bean sprouts

Garnish:

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ cup bean sprouts

½ cup chopped chives

½ cup coarsely ground roasted peanuts

1 lime cut into wedges

1. Soak the noodles in water at room temperature for 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallots, and briefly stir-fry until they begin to change color.
   
3. Add the reserved noodles and all the remaining ingredients except the egg and the bean sprouts, and stir-fry until hot.
   
4. While constantly stirring, slowly drizzle in the beaten egg.
   
5. Add the bean sprouts and cook for no more than another 30 seconds.
   
6. In a small bowl mix together all of the garnish ingredients except the lime wedges.
   
7. To serve, arrange the Pad Thai on a serving platter. Top with the garnish and surround with lime wedges.
   

15–20 (or to taste) Thai bird chilies, stemmed and seeded

5–10 (or to taste) cloves garlic

1 pound presliced fresh rice noodles (available at Asian grocery stores and on the Internet)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons sweet black soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon white pepper

1½ tablespoons sugar

1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained

1½ cups loose-packed basil and/or mint

1. Place the chilies and garlic cloves in a food processor and process until thoroughly mashed together; set aside.
   
2. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the noodles in a large colander and pour the hot water over them. Carefully unfold and separate the noodles; set aside.
   
3. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, carefully add the reserved chili-garlic mixture and stir-fry for 15 seconds to release the aromas.
   
4. Raise the heat to high, add the chicken, and stir-fry until it begins to lose its color, about 30 seconds.
   
5. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sugar.
   
6. Add the noodles and continue to stir-fry for 30 seconds, tossing them with the other ingredients.
   
7. Add the bamboo shoots and cook for another minute.
   
8. Turn off the heat and add the basil.
   

Cooling Down

If you bite into a chili that is just too hot to handle, try sucking on a spoonful of sugar or sucking on a hard candy.

8 ounces rice stick noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sweet black soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized strips

¼ pound broccoli, chopped

1 small onion, finely sliced

1¼ cups sliced Japanese eggplant

½ teaspoon Tabasco

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons Yellow Bean Sauce (see recipe on page 9)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with

1 tablespoon water

1 cup bean sprouts

¼–
cup sliced green onions