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Preparing Thai
Food Titbits
A simple kind of titbit is fun to make. You need shallots, ginger, lemon or
lime, lemon grass, roasted peanuts and red phrik khi nu chillies. Peeled shallots and
ginger should be cut into small fingertip sizes. Diced lime and slices of lemon grass should be cut to the
same size. Roasted peanut should be left in halves. Chillies should be thinly
sliced. Combinations of such ingredients should be wrapped in fresh lettuce
leaves and laced with a sweet-salty sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, dried shrimps and
lime juice.
Dips
Mixing crushed fresh chillies with
fish sauce and a dash of lime juice makes a general accompanying sauce for any Thai
dish. Adding some crushed garlic and a tiny amount of roasted or raw shrimp paste
transforms it into an all-purpose dip (nam phrik). Some pulverised dried shrimp and
julienned egg-plant with sugar makes this dip more complete. Serve it with steamed rice,
an omelette and some vegetables.
Salad Dressings
Salad dressings have similar base ingredients. Add fish sauce, lime juice and sugar
to enhance saltiness, sourness and sweetness. Crushed chillies, garlic and shallots add spiciness and
herbal fragrance. Lemon grass and galanga can be added for additional flavour.
Employ this mix with any boiled, grilled or fried meat. Lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber,
cut spring onions and coriander leaves help top off a salad dressing.
Soup Stocks
Soups generally need good stock. Add to
boiling water crushed peppercorns, salt, garlic, shallots, coriander roots, and the
meats or cuts of one's choice. After prolonged boiling and simmering , you have the
basic stock of common Thai soups. Additional galanga, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves,
crushed fresh chillies, fish sauce and lime juice create the basic stock for a Tom Yam.
Curries
To make a quick curry, fry curry or chilli paste in heated oil or thick coconut
milk. Stir and fry until the paste is well cooked and add meats of one's choice. Season with fish sauce or sugar to taste. Add water or
thin coconut milk to make curry go a longer way. Add sliced eggplant with a garnish of
basil and kaffir lime leaves. Make your own curry paste by blending fresh (preferably
dried) chillies, garlic, shallots, galanga, lemon grass, coriander roots, ground pepper,
kaffir lime peels and shrimp paste.
Single Dish Meals
Heat the cooking oil,
fry in a mixture of crushed chillies, minced garlic, ground pepper and chopped chicken
meat. When nearly cooked, add vegetables such as cut beans or eggplants. Season with fish sauce and garnish with kaffir lime
leaves, basil or balsom leaves. Cooked rice or fresh noodles added to the frying
would make this a substantial meal.
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