Thai spicy ground shrimp with toasted rice

Thai spicy ground shrimp with toasted rice or "Larb Gung ; ลาบกุ้ง " in Thai. Larb is one of our favorite Thai dished. It is very easy to make and and often extremely spicy, but the lime juice and mint leaves make for an exotic and splendid combination. It can be found on Thai restaurant menus in America. There are variations of larb, you can do with pork, beef or chicken but I will cook with shrimp this time. It has nice texture with shrimp too. I normally cook with fish for this dish. Most of people do love this dish. I hope you try to make it and enjoy the dish called "Larb"

Ingredients:
1) 20 ground shrimps
2) 4 green onions
3) 5 sprigs cilantro
4) 4 sprigs mint
5) 2 Tbsp fish sauce
6) 2 and 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
7) 3/4 Tbsp toasted rice powder
8) 1/2 Tbsp ground dried chili pepper

Preparation:
1) Prepare the ground dried chili pepper. Those photos show you big amount because I made for the next time . It's easy to find and you can buy any store. Put dried chili pepper on the pan with medium heat.
2) Stir constantly to avoid burning until dried chili pepper turn to dark red.
3) Here I used mortar and pestle to grind the dried chili pepper. You can use the electric grinder for more convenient.
4) Set aside ground dried chili pepper for the dish.
5) Bring 1/2 cup uncooked rice to toast.
6) Stir constantly to avoid burning until rice turn to dark colour.
7) Bring toasted rice to grind , you can use the grinder to save sometime and more convenient.
8) Set aside toasted rice powder.
9) Clean and peel shell shrimp.
10) Grind shrimp.
11) Wash cilantro, mint and green onions.
12) Chop green onions, mint and cilantro.
13) In a pan, pour water 1/4 cup on high heat to cook the ground shrimp.
14) When the water is boiling, add ground shrimp to cook.
15) Stir for a minute until shrimp is cooked.
16)Add toasted rice powder, ground dried chili pepper, fish sauce and lime juice.
17) Mix well until all ingredients get together.
18) Add chopped vegetables.
19) Stir well and taste. It should be a little bit hot and sour. You should be able to taste tartness from the lime juice and the fish sauce.

Steamed Thai Banana with Sticky rice in Banana leaf.

Steamed Thai Banana with Sticky rice in Banana leaf or " Khao Tom Mud " in Thai. This is very traditional Thai dessert. It made with sticky rice, Thai banana, coconut milk, sugar and banana leaves. Thai people know Khao Tom Mud in every city or village. This is dessert recipe but it is very filling and could be served as a main course. I love it, and it may be impossible to find person who had it before doesn't like eating it. I have to learn how to make this recipe. I have to imagine how did my grandmother make it for me since I was little. I saw people made it at my wedding too and I did research some more recipe to learn how to make Khao Tom Mud. It is fun to work on banana leaves to wrap the food. This is very talented to me to learn to appreciate banana leaf here because I can't just walk to my yard and tear the banana leaves from banana tree. Hope you enjoy very traditional Thai dessert.

Ingredients:
1) 2 cups sticky rice
2) 3/4 cup coconut milk
3) 1/4 cup sugar
4) 1/2 salt
5) 7 ripe Thai banana
6) Banana Leaf

Preparation:1) Soak the sticky rice in water for 3 hours or overnight.
2) This is ripe Thai banana.
3) Peel bananas and cut into halves.
4) After soak sticky rice with water, drain and set aside.
5) In a pot, add coconut milk, salt and sugar. Turn on medium heat. Stir until ingredients are dissolved.
6) Add the sticky rice into a pot.
7) Stir constantly until the rice becomes tender and all the coconut milk is absorbed.

8) Remove from the heat and place to another bowl.
9) Cut banana leaves into 8"x10". Make sure you clean banana leaves very well and dry them off.
10) On a piece of banana leaf. Spoon sticky rice into the middle.
11) Place a sliced of banana on top of sticky rice.
12) Wrap it up as my photos are shown you how to wrap it step by step. Fold the bottom up over the filling.
13) Fold the top down to filling.
14) Then, fold the left and right corners to the center.



15) Place into the steamer.
16) When you finish work, bring to steam for 45 minutes or until sticky rice is cooked.

17) When it is cooked, you can see the banana leaves has been changed from green to brown. Remove from the heat and enjoy it. Remember we don't eat banana leaf.

Stir-fried Plain Noodle with Shrimp

Stir-fried Plain Noodle with Shrimp or "Phad Mee Song Kerng" in Thai. This is very easy and yummy noodle dish that I would love to share with you. I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients:
1) 15 shrimps
2) 1 carrot
3) 2 cups cut Napa
4) 6 dried shitake mushroom
5) 1/2 pack of plain noodle
6) 5 green onions
7) 1 onion head
8) 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
9) 2 Tbsp thin soy sauce
10) 3/4 Tbsp sugar
11) 1 Tbsp lime juice
12) 2 Tbsp canola oil
Preparation:
1) Clean and peel shell shrimps.
2) Soak dried shitake with water for half an hour or until soft.
3) This is plain noodle. I used only half package.
4) Pour 8 cups of water on a pot to boil on high heat. When the water is hot, add noodle to boil for 7-8 minutes.
5) Drain and set aside.
6) When the shitake is soft. Press out of water and cut the stem.
6) Then slice into 1 " length.
7) Peel carrot and cut the end of green onions. Wash dirt.
8) Cut green onions into 1 " length and shred carrot.
9) Wash napa and cut into a bite size.
10) Peel onion and wash dirt, and cut into small pieces.
11) Heat canola oil in a pan on medium heat.
12) When the oil is hot, add cut onion into the pan , stir fry until fragrant.
13) Add shrimps.
14) Season with sugar, thin soy sauce, oyster sauce and lime sauce.
15) Stir until shrimps are getting cook.
16) Add sliced mushroom and shredded carrot.
17) Stir well until all ingredients mix well.
18) Add cooked plain noodle.
19) Mix all together.
20) Add cut napa.
21) Mix thoroughly.
22) Add cut green onions.
23) Stir well until all ingredients get mix together. Enjoy your stir-fried plain noodle with shrimp.