Thursday, March 10, 2011

Stir-Fried Calamari with Thai basil

Stir-Fried Calamari with Thai basil or" Phad Kra Prow Pla Meuk: ผัดกระเพราปลาหมึก" in Thai. Phad Kra Prow is one of the most popular of all Thai dishes, both in Thailand and here in North America.If you've enjoy eating Phad Kra Prow at Thai restaurants , try this wonderful homemade recipe. You will love it.Quick and easy.

Ingredients:
1) 1 Lb calamari
2) 4 sprigs Thai basil
3) 6 cloves garlic
4) 4 fresh chillies
5) 1 red bell peeper
6) 1 white  onion
7) 1 " length ginger
8) 1 cup green beans
9) 1/2 Tbsp sugar
10) 3 Tbsp thin soy sauce or fish sauce
11) 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
12) 2 Tbsp canola oil
13) 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
14) 2 Tbsp water

Preparation:
1) This is frozen calamari. It is fully cleaned trimmed and ready to be cooked. You can thaw overnight in bag in the refrigerator, or place the package under cold water for 10-15 minutes until thawed.
2) When the calamari thawed, wash it very well and drained.
3) Pour 2 cups of water to boil on high heat. When the water is boiling, add calamari to scald for 1-2 minutes.
4) Drain and set aside.

5) Peel garlic and onion then wash all vegetables.
6) Slice thinly onion, ginger and cut red pepper into 1" length.
7) Wash green beans and cut the both end of green beans. Cut green beans into 1.5 " length and Pick Thai basil leaves from the stems.
8) Remove chilies stems then use a mortar and pestle to crush the chillies and garlic.

9) Heat canola oil in a pan on medium heat.
10) When the oil is hot, add crushed the chillies and garlic then stir for a few second until fragrant.
11) Add sliced onion.
12) Add scalded calamari.
13) Seasoning with thin soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and lime juice.
12) Stir well and mix all ingredients together until calamari get into the sauce.
13) Add cut green beans.
14) Add cut red bell pepper.
15) Add sliced ginger.
16) Add Thai basil into the pan.
17) Stir quickly then remove from heat.
18) Place on the plate and serve immediately.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Thai Sweet Blue Sticky Rice with Mango

Thai Sweet Blue Sticky Rice with Mango or " Khao Nieow Ma Muang :ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง " in Thai. I have Thai friend from Wisconsin send me a dried of Centrosema or the butterfly peas. We call "Dok Un Sun: ดอกอัญชัน" in Thai. She teach me how to make a beautiful colour of sticky rice with mango. Here I try it. Thank you, Peepom and my husband to help me to make it and it looks yummy. I made Thai sweet sticky blue rice with out topping this time. The previous entry I show you how to make the topping for Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango. Here is the link to find the recipe how to make it. http://amporn-oleski.blogspot.com/2010/05/sticky-rice-mango-version-2.html

Ingredients:
1) 2 cups sticky rice
2) 10 Centrosema or the butterfly peas "Dok Un Sun: ดอกอัญชัน"
3) 1 and 1/2 cup coconut milk
4) 1/4 tsp. salt
5) 1/2 cup sugar
6) 2 pandanus leaves
7) 3 mangoes
8) 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seed ( Optional for garnish )
9) 1 sprig Mint ( Optional for garnish)

Preparation:
1) This is perfect mango for sticky rice mango. And remember it has to be ripe mango.
2) Centrosema or the butterfly peas , Dok Un Sun: ดอกอัญชัน in Thai.
3) Wash sticky rice until water is clear and soak with the warm water for 3 hours or over night.
4) Drain and bring to steam.
5) Wash and cut pandanus leaves into 2" length then put on the bottom of sticky rice.
6) Place the soaked sticky rice on the top then bring to the steamer.
7) Pour water to boil in steamer on high heat, when the water is boiling. Then steam the sticky rice.
8) Steam sticky rice for 30-45 minutes or until grains look clear.

9) On the mean time, we can prepare the sweet coconut milk for the cooked sticky rice. In a pot, add 1 and 1/2 cups of coconut milk.
10) Add salt 1/4 tsp and 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir in a pot on medium to low heat. Stir frequently until sugar dissolves.
11) Add dried Dok Un Sun: ดอกอัญชัน into the pot.
12) Let the pot is boiling for 2-3 minutes until you see the mixture change colour into blue.
13) Bring the mixture to strain through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth.

14) When the sticky rice is cooked. Mix the steamed sticky rice in the mixture.
15) And cover it to let the coconut milk get in the rice for 15 minutes.

16) Peel mangoes and wash them well. First you have to slide through the top at the stem. Then you use the peeler to remove the skin.

17) Hold mango with your hand, and slide from the top to the bottom. And slice it again on the other side of mango. Discard the seed.
18) Cut mango into 1 cm. wide.
19) Place sweet sticky rice in a plate.
20) Arrange the cut ripe mango a side of sticky rice. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seed and garnish with mint. Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Stir-Fried Wide noodle with shrimp and dark soy sauce

Stir-fried wide noodle with shrimp and dark soy sauce or "Phad See Ew Gung:ผัดซีอิ้วกุ้ง" in Thai. This is standard launch for Thai and I think it is very popular in the US too. My husband loves Phad See Ew too and it isn't difficult to make it and taste good. Normally, we make it spicier at the table. We don't put the spicy in the pan. This is good for who don't like spicy food. There is nice flavor in the wide noodle with all ingredients.

Ingredients:
1) 1 package wide noodle
2) 15 medium shrimps
3) 6 sprigs Chinese broccoli
4) 4 cloves garlic
5) 2 eggs
6) 1/2 Tbsp sugar
7) 1 Tbsp thin soy sauce or fish sauce
8) 3 Tbsp dark soy sauce
9) 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
10) 2 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation:
1) Clean and peel shrimps.
2) This wide rice noodle . You ca find at any Asian market.
3) Place wide rice noodle on a plate, heat in microwave about 2 minutes, and separate clumped noodles into single strips.
4) Discard yellow or hard leaves of Chinese broccoli, wash dirt and peel garlic.
5) Then cut leaves into 2" length, peel stems skin.
6) Mince garlic and slice the stems into 1" length.
7) Put oil into a pan with medium heat.
8) When oil hot put garlic into the pan and fry until fragrant.
9) Add shrimps.
10) Seasoning with thin soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce.
11) Stir until shrimps are cooked.
12) Scramble the eggs into the pan.
13) Stir well until egg is almost cooked.
14) Add noodles.
15) Stir-fry thoroughly until all ingredients get in the noodles.
16) Add cut Chinese broccoli into the pan.
17) Stir thoroughly until Chinese broccoli is getting soft, then remove from heat.
18) Place noodles on a plate and serve immediately. Enjoy!