CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
Thai Food known for its diversity and colorful first impressions is not only a cuisine to indulge into but to also adapt to in a number of ways being healthy and vibrant with a variety of recipes to suit various palates and taste buds. Thai cooking is simple, needs basic ingredients and is ready in minutes, a little precision and eye for detail coupled with a keen interest in cooking goes a long way in dishing out delectable delicacies from this exemplary melting pot of cuisine. Though we all have our very own favorite cuisines from Indian to Chinese, Italian to Mexican, here is a little collection of my pick on thai cooking which I wish to dedicate and share a few of my favorite Thai recipes with our readers to try out in their home kitchens and enjoy an amalgamation of distinguished flavors from Thailand.
THAI STYLE FISH CAKES
Ingredients
Bassa/ghol fish- 500 gms
Oil-2 tsp + for shallow frying
Butter-1 tsp
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Shallots- 3-4 no chopped
Lemon grass- 3-4 pieces
Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
Fresh basil leaves- 4-5 no
Green chilies- 1 tsp chopped
Thai red chilies-2-3 chopped
Ginger/ thai galangal-1 -2 no
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce-2 tsp
Red chili sauce-1 tsp
Thai red curry paste-2 tsp
Egg-1 no
Boiled mashed potato- 1 cup
Maida-2-3 tbsp.
Corn flour-2-3 tsp
Bread crumbs-1/2 cup
To serve with: sweet thai chili sauce/ hot and sweet dip/ red pepper mayo dip
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients as listed for the thai fish cakes.
- Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the thai ingredients one by one also add in the garlic, onions and saute them all for a minute.
- Add in the fish cubes, thai curry paste, sauces, seasonings to taste and let the fish cook for 3-5 mins, remove from the flame.
- As the fish starts cooking it will start breaking up and at that stage we can add in the mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, maida/corn flour a little beaten egg and mix it all into a semi hard dough texture, remove the ginger/galangal, lemon leaves, lemon grass pieces now.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan or tava, and using a tablespoon place spoonsful of the fish cake mixture on the pan and allow to settle and cook from one side and then carefully turn it over and cook on both sides to a nice golden brown color, remove once cooked for around 3-4 mins.
- Assemble the fish cakes on a serving platter on a bed of banana/pandan leaves and serve them hot with a choice of dips and sauces.
THAI RED CHICKEN CURRY
Ingredients
Oil-2 tsp
Ginger/thai galangal- 1 tbsp. sliced
Fresh basil leaves- 6-8 no
Lemon grass- 3-4 piece
Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
Thai small brinjal- 4-6 no
Thai red chilies-2-3 slit
Boneless chicken breast- 1 cup cubes
Baby brinjal-1 cup cubes
Carrot-1/2 cup cubes
Water-2 cups
Thai red curry paste-2-3 tbsp.
Sugar-1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Thick coconut milk- 1 and a half cup
Corn starch solution-2-3 tsp
Coconut cream-2-3 tsp for garnish
Fresh basil- for garnish
To serve with: steamed jasmine rice/ thai rice.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the red curry using chicken in this recipe.
- Heat oil and add in all the thai basic ingredients and saute them for a few seconds, add in the red curry paste a couple of spoons of water to prevent burning, add in the chicken cubes, brinjal and carrot cubes and saute for 1-2 mins.
- Add in water and allow the chicken and veggies to cook a little in the liquid for around 10-12 mins, now add in the thick coconut milk, salt to taste, sugar and mix well. Continue cooking for 12-15 mins and adjust thickness with a little corn starch solution if desired.
- Portion out the red chicken curry in a deep serving plate with gravy and enjoy it with a portion of steamed thai style jasmine rice/ steamed sticky rice, garnish the curry with coconut cream and fresh basil.
THAI GREEN CURRY WITH VEGETABLES
Ingredients
Oil-2 tsp
Ginger/thai galangal- 1 tbsp. sliced
Fresh basil leaves- 6-8 no
Lemon grass- 3-4 piece
Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
Thai small brinjal- 4-6 no
Thai red chilies-2-3 slit
Baby brinjal-1 cup cubes
Carrot-1/2 cup cubes
French beans-4-5 cut
Cauliflower or broccoli -1/2 cup florets
Mushrooms-1 cup cut 1 x 4
Babycorn-1/2 cup sliced
Capsicums-1/2 cup cubes
Water chestnuts-3-4 sliced
Paneer/ tofu- ½ cup cubes
Water-2 cups
Thai green curry paste-2-3 tbsp.
Sugar-1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Thick coconut milk- 1 and a half cup
Corn starch solution-2-3 tsp
Coconut cream-2-3 tsp for garnish
Fresh basil- for garnish
To serve with: steamed jasmine rice/ thai rice.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the green curry using vegetables in this recipe.
- Heat oil and add in all the thai basic ingredients and saute them for a few seconds, add in the red curry paste a couple of spoons of water to prevent burning, add in the all the vegetables of your choice and saute for 1-2 mins.
- Add in water and allow the veggies to cook a little in the liquid for around 10-12 mins, now add in the thick coconut milk, salt to taste, sugar and mix well. Continue cooking for 12-15 mins and adjust thickness with a little corn starch solution if desired.
- Portion out the red chicken curry in a deep serving plate with gravy and enjoy it with a portion of steamed thai style jasmine rice/ steamed sticky rice, garnish the curry with coconut cream and fresh basil.
SOM TOM RAW PAPAYA THAI SALAD
Ingredients
Raw papaya-2 cups, peeled and grated, place in chilled water
Long green beans/ french beans-1 cup thinly shredded
Tomato-1/2 cup juliennes/strips
Water-1/2 cup
Jaggery- 2-3 tbsp. grated
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
White vinegar-2 tsp
Fish sauce-1 tsp optional
Dried shrimps-2-3 tsp- optional
Lemon grass-2-3 piece
Fresh basil-4-5 no
Roasted crushed peanuts-2-3 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the Som tom raw papaya salad.
- In a saucepan combine together the water with jaggery and other ingredients and allow to slowly melt down and make it like a dressing.
- Add in the drained out raw papaya and beans and mix well, allow to cook for3-4 mins and turn off the flame.
- Add in the tomato cut into strips and mix well, add more lime or vinegar, fish sauce and dried shrimps being optional if needed and check for seasonings.
- Dish out the salad into a serving bowl and garnish with roasted crushed peanuts and serve warm with the meal.
PHAD THAI FLAT NOODLES
Ingredients
Thai flat noodles-1 packed, boiled.
Oil-2 -3 tsp
Butter-1 tsp
Ginger/ thai galangal- 2 tbsp. sliced
Lemon grass- 2-3 no
Lemon leaves- 3-4 no
Thai red chilies-2-3 no slit
Green chilies-2-3 no slit
Fresh basil leaves- 3-4 no
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Onion-2 no sliced
Carrot-1/2 cup shredded
Cabbage-1/2 cup shredded
Green capsicum-1/2 cup shredded
Mushrooms-1/2 cup sliced
Boiled shredded chicken-1 cup
Or cleaned prawns/ shrimps-1 cup
Or eggs-2-3 no as desired
Thai red/green curry paste-2-3 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Soya sauce- 2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Red chili sauce-2 tsp
Green chili sauce-2 tsp
White vinegar-1 tbsp.
Spring onion greens-1/2 cup chopped
Roasted crushed peanuts-1/2 cup
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the stir fry thai flat noodle recipe.
- Boil the noodles first and refresh, keep aside.
- Heat oil and butter add in the thai ingredients, garlic, and onions and saute for 2-3 mins.
- Add in the assorted veggies as desired and add seasonings, sauces etc to taste, add a little water and allow to cook/egg and other non-veg can be added at this stage as well.
- Cook on a medium flame for 3-4 mins, add in the noodles and give it a toss and cook for 4-5 mins, check for seasonings and serve the noodles hot garnished with greens and peanuts.
PUMPKIN COCONUT PUDDING
Ingredients
For the pumpkin mixture
Yellow pumpkin-1 cup peeled and grated
Green cardamom-2 no
Butter-1 tsp
Sugar-1/4 cup
For the semolina mixture
Butter/ghee-2-3 tbsp.
Semolina/sooji-1/2 cup
Green cardamom-2-3 no
Sugar-1/4 cup
Condensed milk-1/2 cup
Jaggery-1/2 cup
Milk-3-4 cups
Coconut milk- 2 cups thick
Tender coconut flesh/ malai- ½ cup shredded.
Assorted nuts- ½ cup fried – cashews, raisins, almonds etc.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the pumpkin coconut pudding as listed.
- Start with the pumpkin mixture in a pan, combine together the butter, sugar, cardamom and grated pumpkin and cook for 3-5 mins and ensure it is all getting dry.
- In another pan, start with ghee/butter and semolina, cardamom and dry roast it all there for 2-3 mins, add in the milk, sweetening agents as listed and mix well.
- Now add in the cooked pumpkin mixture here and combine it all together, reduce the flame and keep stirring. Add in coconut milk and cook for 4-6 mins.
- Finally, once the mixture starts cooking on a medium flame for around 12-15 mins and gets thicker, check for sweetness and adjust as needed. Serve the pudding warm garnished with the fried nuts and shreds of tender coconut.
Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.
He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef, Mobile: 91 9820939336.
