Thai Food; How Hard Can It Be?
Discussion
I'm in a bit of a pickle. Met a girl, and sometime soon she'll be coming over to mine for dinner, which I'm cooking from scratch. I've asked her what her favourite dishes are, and Thai is top of the menu. So, I'm attempting to make a Thai green curry, however as I'm only just getting into serious cooking (normally the sauce is a simple out of the jar job, but now I want to experiment with my own dishes) I'm a bit concerned it is too difficult, but ever the optimist, and not wanting to let her down, I'm going to give it my all. Been looking for recipes, and so far the best is Gordon Ramsay's http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/gordon-... which seems doable but very complex, is there a way to simplify it a bit, and is there anyone out there with their own pointers?
You must be serious about the lass if you are considering that recipe ! Don't get me wrong when i have time/able to get the ingredients, i make my own pastes but this recipe always works for me if i am in a rush or cooking for a hoard,used this recipe for 30 at the waterski club the other night and got clean plates.
1/2 jar of Green Thai Curry Paste Lotus or Amoy Brand 21ogram jar
1 tin of coconut milk unshaken,
12 Birds eye chilli finely chopped
half pack of fine green beans 300gram chopped in half
450gram approx chicken breast/sirloin beef/uncooked kingprawns
approx 40 ml fish sauce
2 tsp palm sugar
juice of a lime
feeds 4 lightweights or 2 heavy weights
open coconut milk and take a rough dessert spoon of the solid fat and pop into a saucepan,add the curry paste and stir until aromatic approx 5 mins on medium heat,add the rest of the coconut milk and combine.add the chilli/fish sauce,more or less to your taste.you now have your curry sauce.at this point either let it go cold and refrigerate until needed or add your beans and simmer for 5 mins,then add your meat.chicken/meat in handy bite sized pieces and simmer for 5-10 mins or until cooked.prawns about 5 mins until pink,squeeze your lime into the sauce and roberts your relative ! serve with boiled rice.you can add to this recipe,a couple of stalks peeled lemon grass,1/2 tsp shrimp sauce,thai basil,baby aubergines etc if you want but this gives you a quick cheap GTC which will win you as much praise as a more complicated recipe
oops forgot the coriander,roughly chop half bunch and sprinkle on top of plates before serving
1/2 jar of Green Thai Curry Paste Lotus or Amoy Brand 21ogram jar
1 tin of coconut milk unshaken,
12 Birds eye chilli finely chopped
half pack of fine green beans 300gram chopped in half
450gram approx chicken breast/sirloin beef/uncooked kingprawns
approx 40 ml fish sauce
2 tsp palm sugar
juice of a lime
feeds 4 lightweights or 2 heavy weights
open coconut milk and take a rough dessert spoon of the solid fat and pop into a saucepan,add the curry paste and stir until aromatic approx 5 mins on medium heat,add the rest of the coconut milk and combine.add the chilli/fish sauce,more or less to your taste.you now have your curry sauce.at this point either let it go cold and refrigerate until needed or add your beans and simmer for 5 mins,then add your meat.chicken/meat in handy bite sized pieces and simmer for 5-10 mins or until cooked.prawns about 5 mins until pink,squeeze your lime into the sauce and roberts your relative ! serve with boiled rice.you can add to this recipe,a couple of stalks peeled lemon grass,1/2 tsp shrimp sauce,thai basil,baby aubergines etc if you want but this gives you a quick cheap GTC which will win you as much praise as a more complicated recipe
oops forgot the coriander,roughly chop half bunch and sprinkle on top of plates before serving
Edited by markreilly on Friday 14th May 19:12
Green curry paste (Thai brand) and Tom Yum soup base are the things to get. Both from Waitrose if I recall:
Recipes are on the containers.
You'll need coconut milk, chicken, shallots (or onion) plus anything else you might want to add like green beans or mini Thai corn for the green curry; plus prawns and mushrooms for the Tom Yum soup.
Lots of fresh coriander, some chopped red chilli, a squeeze of lime juice over everything to add that 'home made' touch, and the job's a good-un.
Cheat and get microwave rice.
Recipes are on the containers.
You'll need coconut milk, chicken, shallots (or onion) plus anything else you might want to add like green beans or mini Thai corn for the green curry; plus prawns and mushrooms for the Tom Yum soup.
Lots of fresh coriander, some chopped red chilli, a squeeze of lime juice over everything to add that 'home made' touch, and the job's a good-un.
Cheat and get microwave rice.
t since he can't keep his drink down Cheers for the advice guys, ideally I want to try to make my own paste, not just because I'm really trying to make an effort with this girl, but cooking has always been a second passion of mine after motor racing (maybe I should just combine the 2 and start doing hospitality catering for race teams!), I had intended to do a curry anyway but it would have been a tikka masala or something similar, which seem to have much simpler recipes but I'm getting more ambitious with every new dish I try! I shall probably buy a jar of ready made paste to cover myself if I make a hash of it (like I did when trying to make peppercorn sauce for steak n chips night, turns out my interpretation of "add a dash of brandy" is different to the chef who made the recipe!) but who knows, maybe it'll turn out a success?
Next thing is, with an Indian curry I tend to accompany the dish with a side, like naan, pappadum or bhaji, what sort of sides should I do for a green curry?
Next thing is, with an Indian curry I tend to accompany the dish with a side, like naan, pappadum or bhaji, what sort of sides should I do for a green curry?
dpbird90 said:
Cheers for the advice guys, ideally I want to try to make my own paste, not just because I'm really trying to make an effort with this girl, but cooking has always been a second passion of mine after motor racing (maybe I should just combine the 2 and start doing hospitality catering for race teams!), I had intended to do a curry anyway but it would have been a tikka masala or something similar, which seem to have much simpler recipes but I'm getting more ambitious with every new dish I try! I shall probably buy a jar of ready made paste to cover myself if I make a hash of it (like I did when trying to make peppercorn sauce for steak n chips night, turns out my interpretation of "add a dash of brandy" is different to the chef who made the recipe!) but who knows, maybe it'll turn out a success?
Next thing is, with an Indian curry I tend to accompany the dish with a side, like naan, pappadum or bhaji, what sort of sides should I do for a green curry?
Keep it simple:Next thing is, with an Indian curry I tend to accompany the dish with a side, like naan, pappadum or bhaji, what sort of sides should I do for a green curry?
Tom Yum soup as the starter.
Rice on the side with the main.
You as dessert.
Mobile Chicane said:
Green curry paste (Thai brand) and Tom Yum soup base are the things to get. Both from Waitrose if I recall:
Cheat and get microwave rice.
I have used the Green curry paste, actually it was made for me, and tried it since. I have seen it in all the main supermarket chains.Cheat and get microwave rice.
Except, I use my silly song playing rice cooker. Tasty meal, easy peasy!
smack said:
sleep envy said:
kaffir lime leaves - a bugger to find but they make the difference
Asian supermarkets in Chinatown if you are in London. Else, I have bought them in the past off the spice sellers on fleabay.smack said:
sleep envy said:
kaffir lime leaves - a bugger to find but they make the difference
Asian supermarkets in Chinatown if you are in London. Else, I have bought them in the past off the spice sellers on fleabay.
New Moon Loon in Gerrard Street, got everything you could ever need for any Asian dish.
smack said:
sleep envy said:
kaffir lime leaves - a bugger to find but they make the difference
Asian supermarkets in Chinatown if you are in London. Else, I have bought them in the past off the spice sellers on fleabay.I am always making Tom Yum Gung as it is one of my favourite soups and is piss easy to make very tasty and authentic. I also find making some Thai fish cakes and salad with a good splash of sweet chilli sauce is again very easy and very tasty. I adore Thai food but I do find it time consuming to get right.
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