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Geoff 'PAV'ey and Cindy Con'WAY'

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Top Two


November 8, 2009

The food on this trip has been amazing, but the Thai food has been the best. North to south it’s sweet, spicy, sour and bitter; usually all in one bit. In Nepal, I’ve been reminiscing about some of the great food I’ve had. These are my two favorite recipes so far. Well, recipe might me too strong a word. This is my best guess at how these dishes are made.

Tropicana Rice Salad

2 egg yolks – hard boiled
2 tbps cooking oil
2 tbps white vinegar
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove - minced
½ tsp yellow curry
1 cup rice – cooked and cooled
¼ white onion – chopped into large pieces
¼ cup raisons
1 carrot – cut into matchsticks
1 tomato – cut into 1/8ths
¼ cup pineapple – cut into ¼” cubes
2 green onion – cut into 1” lengths
¼ chicken breast – cooked and cubed

1. Place egg yolks, vinegar, sugar, and oil into a bowl. Blend thoroughly
2. Add soy sauce, garlic, and yellow curry powder
3. Add all other ingredients and blend thoroughly
4. Serve



Red Curry

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
50g chicken
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp red curry paste (see below)
2 kaffir leaves, torn in quarters (or the grated rind from 1 lime)
½ large red chili - thin slices, seeds removed
Sweet basil leaves – 1 stem
¼ cup broccoli
¼ cup potatoes – cut into ½” cubes
¼ cup carrots – julienned
¼ cup yellow onion – cut into wedges

1. Heat cooking oil over low heat until a drop of water sizzles
2. Add curry paste and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant
3. Add vegetables and red chili and cook for 1 minute (add water if needed)
4. Add chicken and cook until vegetables are tender but firm and chicken is cooked
5. Add coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, Kaffir leaves, and basil
6. Remove from heat. Serve with plain rice.

Red Curry Paste
4 dried large red chilies, soaked and chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp lemongrass, chopped
½ tsp ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp coriander root, chopped
¼ tsp Kaffir lime peel – chopped fine
1 tsp shallot – chopped
1 tbsp garlic – chopped
1 tbsp turmeric – chopped

1. Add all dry ingredients into a mortar and grind until it turns into a powder
2. Add chili and pound until small
3. Add remainder of the ingredients and pound until smooth.