Tantalising Thai temptations best for monsoon season

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 favourite 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. Mail: chefkaviraj249@gmail.com