Thai Archives • Mushroompride

Thai Iced Tea Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Vanilla Bean SMBC – Delishar

“You hit the spot” said the husband who is a big fan of Thai Iced Tea. I made at least 3 batches of these babies to give away to people.

A dear friend of mine, Sharron bought a pack of Thai tea leaves back from her Bangkok trip. When she passed some to me, I immediately wanted to mess around with it. At first I was toying with the idea of making a chiffon but very quickly settled for cupcakes. It’s been a while since I last made them. Glad I made the right decision to make these babies! Gave some to Sharron, and I’m super glad that her lovely daughter who is a fan of Thai Iced Tea liked it too. 🙂 I’m pretty sure you can purchase the Thai tea leaves from golden mile complex, I saw a seller selling it on qoo10 as well.

Tried out a new technique of SMBC which does not require one to beat the meringue to stiff glossy peaks. However, I found the new recipe a tad bit too sweet as it uses a 1:2:2 ratio of eggs:sugar:butter. When I reduced the sugar, it seems like the buttercream had a much softer consistency which doesn’t quite hold its shape in our 34C weather for long. I’ll go back to my old Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe that’s more stable.

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Don’t you just want to take a bite into that luscious and velvety SMBC?! And that cupcake was moist, fluffy, milky, and addictive! I had one right after I finished frosting. At first cut only 1/4 for a taste test but couldn’t help myself but to gobble down the rest of the cupcake. And I’ll confess… I had another for breakfast! 😛

Don’t forget to participate in the current giveaway!! 5 pairs of Each-a-Cup drink vouchers to giveaway! Click HERE for details!

Thai Iced Tea Cupcakes

Sharon of delishar

Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter 113g, softened
1 cup evaporated milk or fresh milk
2 tbsp condensed milk
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Thai Iced Tea Leaves
1 & 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp cake flour
1 & 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 batch of condensed milk vanilla bean SMBC recipe included

Condensed Milk Vanilla SMBC

6 egg whites 180g (use fresh ones)
300 g caster sugar
454 g unsalted butter cool but slightly soft cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp condensed milk

Cupcakes

Method
Preheat oven to 175C.
Line muffin pan with paper liners.
In a saucepan over med low heat, add evaporated milk and condensed milk.
Heat until bubbling at the side, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and add tea leaves.
I used a tea baggie so I don’t have to strain it.
Cover and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes.
Then strain, making sure you get as much of the liquid mixture as possible.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together baking powder and flour.
Cream butter, salt, and sugar together on med high speed for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla extract.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on low.
Stream in 1/3 of the milk tea mixture.
Alternate between flour and milk tea until done.
Mix until JUST combined! Do not overmix.
Fill cupcake liners to about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine took about 22 minutes) or until a skewer inserted comes out clean or a few moist crumbs.
Leave to cool in tray for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cool completely on wire rack.

Condensed milk SMBC

Place sugar and egg whites in a large heat proof bowl.
Whisk continuously over a double boiler / bain marie (saucepan of simmering water, your bowl should not touch the water!) Make sure you whisk continuously, I would suggest a hand mixer. But if you are like me, and like to work (hard) for your dessert, hand whisk it.
Whisk and whisk until the mixture comes to a temperature of 160F or 71C.
Remove from heat and move mixture to stand mixer.
Whisk until mixture cools down, it can take about 10 minutes.
This is when I took my butter out from the fridge and cut them to about 1 inch by 1 inch cubes.
When meringue is cooled, glossy, and formed firm peaks.
Change to paddle attachment, add in butter cube, one by one on medium speed, allowing butter to be combined before adding another.
Then add your salt, vanilla paste, and condensed milk.
Beat until combined.
Frost your cuppies!

SMBC recipe makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes.
You can freeze the rest in an airtight container for up to 3 months or in chiller for up to a week. 🙂
Adapted from bowenappetit.com

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{Food Review} Wang Thai Kitchen 旺泰小橱 – Delishar

It is an open secret that I’m probably a Thai born in the wrong country/body. I love the culture, the food, the people, the language, and everything Thai. Tuk yang Thai, chan kor chop! Many of my recipes are Thai inspired, and I’ve been learning the beautiful language for over a year now. I love it when I’m treated like a local each time I visit Thailand. Well, hopefully someday we will get to live in that gorgeous country for a couple of years, or maybe when I retire.

I was ecstatic to find out that the invite for a food tasting session was at Wang Thai Kitchen. I was excited that I get to eat Thai food (and lots of it)! The restaurant itself is nestled in heartland of Toa Payoh’s HDB estate. The deco of the place is simplistic and gives a homely feel, like a family run business. To me, it pretty much says, “No frills, just good Thai food”.

True enough, the restaurant is managed by owner and chef, Ivan Then. Ivan travelled to the land of smiles to hone his culinary skills and knowledge in Thai cooking from native Thais. Given the understandings of our local palette and Thai cooking, he is able to fine tune the spices to appeal to the local consumers. I was surprised to find out that Ivan is the main and only chef whipping up an impressive menu! Who said men can’t multi-task? Ivan shared that being the chef is the only way to ensure consistency of his dishes, maintain the authenticity of his recipe, and be assured that his food remains MSG-free. To that, I fully agree.

While we waited for food to be served, I happily sipped on my glass of Thai Iced Milk Tea ($2.80). There is nothing better than sipping on a glass of iced cold Thai Iced Milk Tea on a hot hot day. Can never go wrong with that! The milk tea helps to tone down the fiery chilli peppers as we started eating, and allowed us to better enjoy our meal.

Mango Salad with Crispy Fish ($10) The mango salad is beautifully seasoned! The spice level is just to my liking, spicy enough to make me want more, but not so that it numbs my taste-buds. I love the sourness and crunch in this dish. Most mango salad does not come with crispy fish, so we were pleasantly surprised when this was served. I’m never a big fan of fried fish skin, but this… I liked! It was crispy to the last bite, and had a little tinge of sweetness. The 4 elements of flavours played out harmoniously in this dish, just the way Thai food should be!

Tang Hoon Seafood Salad ($10) This dish tasted as beautiful as it looks. The seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked. Each silky strand of tang hoon was coated with the right amount of lime juice, fish sauce, and spices. The cherry tomatoes & peppers were a nice touch as it lends its sweetness to compliment the dish.

Tom Yum Seafood Soup ($12) When the soup came, I was grinning so widely that I’m pretty certain I looked silly. I probably mouth to myself, “Wow! Clear soup tom yum!”. Yup, I’m a huge huge fan of tom yum, but it has to be the clear version, not the red base tomyum. As shown in the picture, the prawns were conveniently de-shelled and de-veined, but the head is still kept in-tack so the broth will have that extra oomph of seafood essence while it cooks. The dish has generous portions of seafood within the broth waiting to be devoured. The soup itself gives a very familiar feel, something that everyone can relate too. Perhaps it is due to my personal taste preference, but I secretly wished that it was spicier and has a tad bit more acid in it for sourness.

Thai Fish Cake ($2/pcs) These babies were made from scratch by Ivan. A single portion is enough for 1 person as the serving is generous! I liked how I can taste the spices in every bite of the fish cake, very moreish. Especially like the texture of the fish cake, I like my fish cake slightly denser and with a bit more bite to it. Ivan is not skimping on the amount of fish paste used in his recipe. However, I’d like to have a little more chopped greens in the fish cake for an extra play of texture. But that’s a personal preference of course.

Pandan Chicken ($2/pcs) The moist chicken pieces are beautifully infused with the fragrant pandan leaves. Ivan shared with us that the chicken were marinated, steamed, then deep fried to maintain the juiciness of the chicken. No short cuts for juicy chicken!

Green Curry Chicken ($6) In this thick creamy curry, you will find chunky pieces of tender chicken. Ivan uses fresh green curry paste which he makes from scratch on a daily basis. Talk about dedication!

Thai Fried Kway Chap with Seafood ($8) When I first saw this, I immediately thought Pad Thai, but I was wrong! Ivan give it a different twist by using Kway Chap, and it was delish! The rice noodle has a softer, silkier texture, but springy at the same time. There was enough wok-hei in each bite, although I would have preferred more. But I’m sure balance is key, too much of a wok-hei may be an over-kill. I’m salivating, while I type this and my tastebuds hardly forget what they like.

Green Curry Fried Rice ($8) Gorgeous fried rice as you can see. Each individual grain of rice is coated with green curry paste, the use of basil enhances the dish as a whole. I liked it that the chicken pieces are served on the side rather than fried in the rice. Eating the fried rice with the slices of cucumber cools off the spices, and refreshes my palette in preparation for the next mouthful.

Steamed Seabass ($28) The seabass did not have a tinge of fishiness and the presentation of the dish was very appealing. I really enjoyed the spicy and sour broth that accompanied the fish. As you can see, the fish is generously dressed with tomatoes, coriander, mushrooms, and red chilli. Ivan was definitely thinking of the customer’s dining experience as he has already pre-fillet the fish before steaming. Kudos to that!

Pork Knuckle ($28) This came as a surprise to us, as we were more familiar with the braised version of pork knuckle. It was a very nice touch to serve the pork knuckle on a bed of crispy deep fried mee pok / egg noodles. The skin wasn’t as crispy as I would like it to be but the meat was tender and pairs very well with the sweet and spicy dipping sauce (not photographed here).

Coconut Ice-cream with Red Rubies and Mango Caviar ($5) I will travel back to Wang Thai for this, it was that good! The red rubies has a nice crunch to it which goes very nicely with the smooth creamy coconut ice-cream. Ivan hand made the mango caviar to perfection. There was nothing you can fault with this dessert. It was a perfect ending for a fabulous lunch.

If I have to rate the whole food experience, I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. The menu at Wang Thai Kitchen is very reasonably priced, with generous servings. You can expect a great dining experience with sincere and down-to-earth service. And be assured that you are being served quality ingredients, accompanied with appealing food presentation from Chef Ivan who clearly takes pride in what he does. The array of selection available on the menu ensures that there is something for everyone.

I had a great time meeting all bloggers that was there for food tasting. It is always nice to meet new people! Of course, we need to have a group photo with the chef before we leave. Unfortunately the organiser, Steven from The “Perfect” Father was not captured in the picture. The bloggers who attended (from L to R) was myself, Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe, Adeline from The Accidental Mom Blogger, and Tony from Johor Kaki.

So if you are around the area, or would like to venture to an unfamiliar heartland for food, drop by Wang Thai Kitchen. Just a word of advice, do not attempt to leave the restaurant without trying their coconut ice-cream dessert, or you will be missing out something really good. 😉

Wang Thai Kitchen
Blk 92 Toa Payoh Lorong 4
Singapore 310092
Tel: +65 9181 9236
Lunch: 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5.30pm – 9.30pm

Bon appetit!!

Disclaimer: This blog post was written with entirely my own personal opinions. Delishar was invited to the above mentioned restaurant for a food tasting session, and no monetary compensation was given.

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Thai Stir-fried Morning Glory (Pad Pak Boong) – Delishar

When I first went to Thailand was was surprised to see ‘Morning Glory’ being offered on the menu. First thing that came to mind was the Morning Glory flower, and I thought it was a little weird. Nonetheless, I ordered it out of curiosity only to find out that it is actually Kang Kong! Kang Kong is known as water morning glory, or water spinach.

However, the dish taste different from the usual sambal kangkong that I’m used to. As with all other Thai food, I fell in love with it instantly. I love the crunch of the vegetable, the sharpness of spices used, and that lovely after-taste of fermented soybean that lingers with the spiciness of the hot chilli! Feels like a party in my mouth. LOL!

One thing that I love about stir-fried vegetables is the ease in preparation and speediness in cooking. This dish took me 10-15 minutes tops, from prepping to serving!

Pad Pak Boong (Thai Stir-fried Morning Glory)

Delishar

1 pack of kangkong / water morning glory cut to 2 inch pieces
1-2 chilli padi seeded and sliced on a bias (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp fermented soybean paste tou cheong
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
water
1 tbsp oil

Heat pan on med high, when pan is hot, add oil.
Add garlic and chilli and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add kangkong and stir fry until it starts to wilt.
Then add fermented bean sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and splash of water.
Stir fry until combined.
Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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Thai Chilli Paste & Basil Clams Spaghetti – Delishar

Believe it or not, this was actually the first time I cooked with clams. Clams are not something that I’d crave for, and I’ve had many sandy experiences with Clams when I ordered them at food centres. I wanted to make a dear friend lunch, and knowing that she loves clams, I decided to try cooking them.

I’m really glad that my friend enjoyed her lunch. She eats like a bird (very small portions), but after one regular portion, she said she was still hungry and wanted more! 🙂 Even I enjoyed the meal, given that I am not a big fan of clams.

Being me, I had to make something Thai fusion, so I thought of Hoi Lai Pad Nam Prik Pao. I bought a bottle of Thai chilli paste from Bangkok during my last trip, and this recipe gives me a reason to use it! Thai chilli paste is mildly spicy, sweet, sour, and has a hint of shrimp paste. It taste a little like sweet sambal chilli, I’ve not seen it selling at the local supermarket. But I’m sure you can get it at golden mile, or substitute for a sweet chilli paste. Better yet, if you feel up to it, make it from scratch using this recipe HERE.

Cooking this dish was really simple and took less than 30 minutes from prep to finish. The only inactive time was the soaking of the clams for it to purge out the sand. After rinsing the clams and gently scrubbing its shell. Lay them out on a tray with shallow salt water, then loosely tent it with aluminium foil. Remember to leave vents! Soak for 30 minutes to an hour in a cool area. Rinse again, drain, and you are ready to cook dem clams!

Thai Chilli Paste & Basil Clams Spaghetti

Delishar

This gorgeous mess is also known as Hoi Lai Pad Nam Prik Pao Spaghetti

4 servings of pasta
600 g clams
1 stalk lemongrass minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot minced
2 red chilli seeded & minced
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Thai chilli paste Nam Prik Pao
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 cup seafood stock/chicken stock
3 tbsp cooking oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
lime wedges to serve

Cook your pasta 1-2 minutes shy of al dente.
Heat pan on med high, and add oil.
When oil is hot, add garlic, chilli, shallot, and lemongrass.
Saute until soft and fragrant.
Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and Thai chilli paste.
Saute for 30 seconds, until combined.
Add clams, and stir fry until half cooked.
Pour in stock, and bring to boil.
Lower heat to medium, and cook till clams are cooked through, and opened up.
Add cooked spaghetti, toss to combined.
Remove from heat, and toss in basil and parsley.
Add juice of 1/2 lime, toss to combined.
Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

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Duck in Pineapple Thai Curry (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang) – Delishar

I’m currently in the USA now, spending time with the husband’s family. It has been really liberating to be disconnected from technology during my time away. No wifi, no mobile data, no computers, and no ipad. But at the same time, I miss blogging, interacting with readers like yourself, and creating in my kitchen.

My mother-in-law has been more than generous with sharing her kitchen space with me, and I’m grateful for that. I’m also appreciative that I get to not worry about what to make in the kitchen, and get fed good food by good people. 🙂

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Before I left for our annual visit to the USA, I made this amazing Thai red curry with pineapple and duck. I love duck by the way, if I can have it everyday, I probably would. And by now, you would have realised that I love Thai food as well, so this was a perfect combination. Hot, sweet, slightly sour from the pineapples, and loaded with gorgeous aromatic Thai spices in this glorious thick curry over delicious roast duck breast. Oh my yum!

I would have used cherry tomatoes if not for the husband. He doesn’t like those sweet-juicy-mouth-bursting little babies. He finds it explicit that I describe it that way. Oh well. But I’d highly recommend that you use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomato like I did. Visually it’ll be much more appealing too.

duck-pineapple-thai-curry-process

Duck in Pineapple Thai Curry (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang)

1/3 cup coconut cream
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste more if you want it spicy
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 to mato wedges or 6 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh pineapples cubed
200 g roasted or smoked duck meat sliced
Juice of 1/2 lime
Fish sauce to taste
Brown sugar to taste
Handful of fresh basil

In a pot, combined coconut oil, coconut cream, and curry paste over medium heat.
Cook until coconut oil starts to separate, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in coconut milk, tomatoes, and pineapple.
Bring to a simmer, then add duck meat.
Allow to simmer until duck is heated through.
Season with fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice.
Remove from heat, and stir in fresh basil leaves.
Serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Adapted from Simple Thai Food

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Thai Style Crispy Chicken and Sponsorship by Le Creuset! – Delishar

I would like to start out this post by sharing with you an exciting announcement. Le Creuset is now an official sponsor of Delishar! That means more yummy creations using Le Creuset’s world renowned cast iron cookware and stoneware!

Le Creuset is known for it’s range of gorgeous cast iron cookware. And because they were made to last, they make perfect heirloom pieces. I have never own a cast iron, but I read enough to know the many benefits of owning one. From how the pan seasons to the even heating of cast iron. You can imagine my excitement when Le Creuset decided to collaborate with Delishar. Finally, I can put my many cast iron cookbooks to use!

First on my list, to put the cast iron skillet to good use is this crispy skin chicken dish. Because cast iron heats evenly, distributes heat, and retains heat so well, it is the perfect cookware to sear the skin on the chicken to produce a crispy golden crust. The satin black interior enamel was designed for higher surface temperature cooking. Just what I needed to achieve that crispy crackling skin.

I can’t wait for patina (a film that develops on the surface of the enamel as a result of natural oils and fats from cooking/baking) to build up. This film will protect the surface of the skillet, and help it to achieve and maintain a non-stick coating. Which will reduce the need for oiling the surface!

When I flipped through my cookbooks, I realised that almost all of recipes are non-Asian recipes. Le Creuset products are not only for western cooking but it works equally well for Asian cooking. This recipe will be one such example. Did I mentioned what I love the versatility of stovetop to oven cooking all in a single skillet.

Show Le Creuset some love by visiting their Facebook Page, and keep yourself informed on all the exciting promotions!

LE CREUSET LOGO

Preheat oven to 190C.
Preheat your pan on medium low heat.

While your pan is preheating, pat dry chicken with paper towels.

Season both sides with turmeric, salt, and black pepper.

Check if pan is hot by sprinkling a couple drops of water.
If it sizzles and evaporate almost immediately, your pan is ready.
Add oil, swirl to coat pan, then add chicken thighs skin side down.
And listen to the melodic searing sound.
Allow to sear for 7 minutes or until the skin of the chicken is golden and crispy.

When chicken is searing, prepare the sauce.
Add chilli flakes, fish sauce, lime juice, coriander root, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and brown sugar in a bowl.
Stir till brown sugar is dissolved.

When chicken is golden and crispy, remove pan from heat.
Set aside chicken pieces, and drain away the grease.
Go ahead, tap on the crispy skin of the chicken for that beautiful crackling sound.
You know you want to.

Return chicken back into pan, meat side down.
And pour in the sauce.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.
Allow chicken to rest in pan for 5 minutes for juices to redistribute.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately.

P.S. I hope you are enjoying the new and improved look of Delishar! I’m still trying to tie up some loose ends, so bear with me a little while more. 🙂

Thai Style Crispy Chicken

Sharon of Delishar.com

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

6 chicken thighs
1 tbsp oil
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 lemongrass minced
1 tsp chopped coriander roots & stems
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Chilli flakes to taste optional
Chopped coriander to taste

Preheat oven to 190C.
Preheat your pan on medium low heat.
While your pan is preheating, pat dry chicken with paper towels.
Season both sides with turmeric, salt, and black pepper.
Check if pan is hot by sprinkling a couple drops of water, if it sizzles and evaporate almost immediately, your pan is ready.
Add oil, swirl to coat pan, then add chicken thighs skin side down.
And listen to the melodic searing sound.
Allow to sear for 7 minutes or until the skin of the chicken is golden and crispy.
When chicken is searing, prepare the sauce.
Add chilli flakes, fish sauce, lime juice, coriander root, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and brown sugar in a bowl.
Stir till brown sugar is dissolved.
When chicken is golden and crispy, remove pan from heat.
Set aside chicken pieces, and drain away the grease.
Go ahead, tap on the crispy skin of the chicken for that beautiful crackling sound.
You know you want to.
Return chicken back into pan, meat side down.
And pour in the sauce.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.
Allow chicken to rest in pan for 5 minutes for juices to redistribute.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Disclaimer: Le Creuset sponsored Delishar with the 26cm cast iron skillet in flame, as seen in the pictures above.

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Thai Chicken Curry Noodles – Delishar

Recently, the husband took me to a modern Thai restaurant for our lunch date. I looked through the menu and decided on stepping out of my comfort zone by ordering something new. I had no idea what I will be getting when I ordered the Chiang Mai Noodles. But hey, I have never had bad Thai food before! Excluding those from the USA taste like nothing, and adds almost a can full of bamboo in each dish.

I was pleasantly surprised when the waitress served up a piping hot bowl of thick Thai chicken curry noodles. Hot, spicy, lemak, and chicken that falls off the bone! So delicious, I wished it came in a bigger serving. Although quite honestly, I was already full to the brim.

So as I was planning what to make for dinner after my helper thawed out the chicken mid wings; I thought of making my version of Chiang Mai Noodles. A one pot meal in my Le Creuset French oven of course! Do you know the difference between a Dutch oven and a French oven? A traditional Dutch oven is made fully of cast iron, and a French oven is a Dutch oven coated with enamel. This serves as a protective layer for the bare cast iron from rusting and creates a non-stick surface. The enamel coating also means that there is no need to season the pan after each use, and before storage. Cooking acidic food will not be a problem, unlike bare cast iron where the acid may strip the seasoning on the pan, and result in dis-colouration and metallic-tasting food. Another reason to love my Le Creuset French Oven even more!

Everything was cooked in the French oven. The rice sticks were cooked in the curry broth, soaking up every ounce of that spicy elixir. The chicken was cooked until it was fall off the bone tender. Just writing up this recipe post is making my mouth water so badly! I guess that’s the disadvantage of being a cooking blogger. I practically look at food all day. From researching recipes, impulsively ~~browsing~~ buying recipe books, documenting my recipes, and updating this cooking blog. I am always hungry. So let’s get cooking, shall we?

Don’t forget to participate in the current giveaway!! 5 pairs of Each-a-Cup drink vouchers to giveaway! Click HERE for details!

thai chicken curry process

Thai Chicken Curry Noodles

Sharon of Delishar

9 chicken mid wings
4 tbsp thai red curry paste or to taste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 russet potato 1 inch cubes
3 servings of dried rice sticks pad Thai noodles
1 lemongrass bruised
4 slices of galangal / blue ginger
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 tbsp oil optional if your curry paste already has oil
Fish sauce to taste
Handful of bean sprouts
Lime wedge and cilantro to garnish

Heat pan on medium with curry paste, garlic, galangal, and lemongrass.
Saute for a minute until fragrant.
Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth, then bring to boil over medium-high.
Lower heat to medium low and add chicken.
Cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, then add potato cubes.
Cook for about 10 minutes, and add rice noodle stick.
Allow to cook for 7-10 minutes until noodles are soft but not over cooked, and potatoes tender.
Stir constantly to avoid sticking at the base.
Season with fish sauce to taste.
Serve garnished with bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro.

This recipe was made in my trusty 26cm Le Creuset French oven.
I like my bean sprouts raw for the crunch, plus the hot curry will help cook it when stirred in.
You can blanch it if you prefer it cooked.

thai chicken curry 5

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Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom Goong Moo) – Delishar

The family hasn’t been feeling all that well lately, probably due to the haze. There’s a lot of coughing going around at home. Appetite hasn’t been all that great, so making food that are both easily consumable, and nourishing was my way of helping the family feel better. The Thais have this as part of their breakfast, very much like how we will eat congee in the morning.

We are not a family that likes congee, especially the girls. The girls prefers something with more of a bite as compared to the mushy texture of congee. Plus, who doesn’t like slurping on soup? The broth was made with ginger and lemongrass. Ginger has many healing benefits, to aid digestion, fight flu/cold, reduce nausea, has anti-inflammatory properties, reduce muscle soreness and aches, lower blood sugar, decrease risk of heart disease, fight infections… just to name a few. And lemongrass has many therapeutic properties too. It is a good source of vitamins A and C, folate, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and manganese. Some of it’s medicinal properties includes analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, astringent, insecticidal, sedative, and that’s not the whole list.

When herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, and lemongrass comes together. You can be so certain that it will be a dish packed full of flavours. The husband was dubious when he first saw a bowl of rice with clear broth. However, when he took his first spoonful, his eyes opened wider as it lit up. Looked at me and said, “Wow!”. And his face was inseparable from the bowl. lol! I used prawn and pork as my protein here, because that is my family’s preference. You can also use chicken, fish, beef, seafood, or even tofu slices with vegetable broth and soy sauce to make it a vegetarian alternative.

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In celebration of Le Creuset‘s 90th anniversary, I am hosting a 5 pcs Le Creuset Skillet Bundle giveaway worth $572! Stand a chance to win the bundle that includes:

1 Skillet 26cm in Dijon Yellow
1 Spatula medium in Caribbean Blue
1 Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean Blue
1 Bowl in Dijon Yellow
1 Bowl in Caribbean Blue

To take part in this giveaway, simply complete the rafflecopter at the end of the post.

Thai Rice Soup Process

Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom Goong Moo)

Delishar

250 g pork fillet sliced
16 shrimp peeled and cleaned
6 cups pork or chicken broth
3 cloves garlic minced
2 lemongrass bruised and cut to 2 inch pieces
6-8 slices of ginger
2 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp corn flour
white pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped chinese celery
2 tbsp chopped spring onion
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Juice of 1 lime
1 heaping tsp of sugar or to taste
2 tbsp sesame/peanut oil
4 servings of cooked white rice
Fried shallot to garnish
Thai chilli flakes optional

Marinate pork in soy sauce, shao xing wine, white pepper, and corn flour.
Heat pan, and add sesame oil.
Stir-fry garlic, and ginger until garlic begin to turn golden.
Add pork, and stir-fry until pork is no longer pink.
Pour in stock, lemongrass, and season with fish sauce.
Bring to boil and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Then add prawns, lime juice, and sugar.
Allow to cook for a minute.
Add celery, parsley, and spring onion, then allow to cook until prawn is done.
Remove from heat and serve over cooked rice.
Garnish with fried shallow and thai chilli flakes.

Vegetarian variations:
Use tofu instead of pork and shrimp.
Substitute stock with vegetable stock, and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

3 thai rice soup

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8). Giveaway bundle includes: Skillet 26cm in Dijon yellow x 1, Spatula medium in Caribbean x 1, Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean x 1, Bowl in Dijon x 1, Bowl in Caribbean x 1. The winner will be selected by random.org and will contacted by email. The winner will need to respond within 48 hours. If there is no response from the winner after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. The winner will need to self-collect the prize at Le Creuset’s office; therefore, it is open to Singapore entrants only.

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Thai Beef Salad Wraps – Delishar

This is inspired by the traditional Thai beef salad, but made slightly easier as I omitted the roasted rice powder. But what lacks in the crunch from the roasted rice, was substituted by the crunch from the cucumber ribbons. The only reason I omitted the roasted rice was because I do not have a mortar and pestle, and using my food processor to process that little bit of roasted rice is not going to be efficient/effective.

I do like the extra freshness this version of Thai beef salad gives though. Crisp romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, freshness of the mint leaves, plus a bit of bite from the red onions goes so well together. Wrapping everything up makes it easier to eat as well. The dressing has a good balance of sweet, sour, savoury, and spiciness. I used flank steak because I prefer leaner cut of meat. But feel free to substitute to a cut of your preference.

Thai Beef Salad Wraps

Delishar

Serves 4 as a starter

Seared beef

1/4 cup pineapple juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil

Dressing

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic pressed
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves cilantro
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime

Toppings

8 pieces romaine lettuces
1/2 to mato thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber ribboned using a vegetable peeler
Handful of mint leaves
1/4 red onion thinly sliced

Marinate flank steak in pineapple juice for at least 30 minutes.
Pat dry beef, then season with salt and pepper.
Heat pan on medium high heat, then add oil.
Sear flank steak 3-5 minutes on both sides depending on your preferred done-ness.
Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing beef into thin strips.
Assemble wraps with romaine lettuces, cucumber, tomato, beef, onions, and mint leaves.
Then spoon some of the dressing over beef.

Thai beef salad wrap insta 1

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Thai Spatchcock Chicken with Fragrant Rice – Delishar

When Mekhala Living sent me the care package, I was over the moon when I saw a bottle of Thai Fragrant Seasoning. I though to myself, “Finally, my prayers answered!”. A walk down the supermarket aisle, and on the spice rack you will see Italian spices, cajun spices, garlic & onion spice mix… etc. But what you will not find is a Thai spice mix. Dried spice mix like this makes life so much easier, no mincing and chopping of spices. Plus, I can bring it to the USA with me and still have Thai spices readily available!

The Thai Fragrant Seasoning is made from the usual Thai herbs and spices such as basil, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass. Mekhala uses only the best organic produce from Thailand. And since I was making a spatchcock chicken with Thai seasoning, I took it a step further by using the Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil to give it extra fragrance. Coconut and thai spices are a match made in heaven!

Thai Spatchcock Chicken 3

I love roasting spatchcock chicken, simply because it cooks faster and more evenly. Do not know how to Spatchcock a chicken? Click on this link here to watch the video. I can stare at the crispy skin all day, and when you cut into the chicken, the juice… oh, the juice…Succulent chicken with crispy skin, what’s not to love? My girl kept saying, “Mom, I want the skin, please?”

I served the Thai chicken with Fragrant Coconut Rice, using the Lemongrass Turmeric Paste also included in the care package. That added a lot of flavours to the rich coconut rice! My youngest could not stop going on about how much she love the ‘yellow’ rice. I had 2 portions myself that night. The paste will make an awesome marinate, or simply fried rice. It’s a very good alternative to use if you love the Thai flavours but could not handle the heat. Great for kids to have very little spice tolerance too! Overall, this was an excellent meal! Thank you Mekhala Living!

Also see Crispy Tom Yum Chickpeas using Mekhala’s Tom Yum Paste

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Thai Spatchcock Chicken with Fragrant Rice

Delishar

Thai Spatchcock Chicken

1.6 kg whole chicken cleaned
1 heaping tbsp of Mekhala’s Thai Seasoning or you can use cajun/italian/curry etc
1-2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Turmeric Ginger Coconut Rice

2 tbsp of Mekhala’s Turmeric Ginger paste
2 cups of rice rinsed
200 ml coconut milk
2-3 tsp grated ginger
1 knotted pandan leaf
water to fill up to your rice cooker mark for 2 cups rice

To Serve

Lime wedges
Chopped cilantro

Thai Spatchcock Chicken

To spatchcock a chicken, lay it on a cutting board with breast down.
Use a kitchen spears to cut and remove the back bone.
Flip chicken over, open and lay it as flat as possible on the cutting board.
Press firmly on breastbone to flatten.
Transfer to lightly greased baking tray.
Make a paste by mixing coconut oil, salt, pepper, and thai seasoning.
Massage the paste all over the top and inside part of the chicken.
Cling wrap it, and allow to marinate for an hour to 24 hours.
When ready, bake in middle rack of preheated oven of 200C for 50 minutes or until cooked.
Check by piercing leg, the juices should run clear.

Turmeric Ginger Coconut Rice

In your rice cooker, add rice, ginger, and coconut milk.
Top up enough water till your rice cooker marked 2 cups.
Stir in turmeric ginger paste.
Add pandan leaf.
Press cook.
Remove pandan leaf and fluff rice before serving.

Substitute for Mekhala’s turmeric ginger paste: 1 tbsp grated ginger + 2 tsp grated turmeric / 1 tsp turmeric powder + 2 garlic cloves minced + 1/4 tsp salt

Thai Spatchcock Chicken