Yum! Yum! Yum!

• Take 1 tsp of oil in non-stick pan and sautee tofu cubes until all sides are slightly roasted; that makes the tofu little firm outside as well helps in retaining it's shape.
• Take 1 cup of water and boil the water. add carrot and beans to this boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 min, until the vegetables becomes slightly tender. Take the water pot off the stove and then add Broccoli at the end. leave there for 2 min. Drain the water and keep the vegetables aside.
• Heat the non-stick pan and sauté Bell Pepper and Baby Corn slices for 2 min. 

1. First heat the non-stick pan and add 1 Tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, add soy sauce, vinegar to it. mix it well. now add Thai Red Curry Paste to the pan. Add water so that it will get sauce consistency. Add sugar to it and taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
2. Now add the semi cooked vegetables Carrot, Beans, Broccoli, Red Bell Pepper, Baby Corn and coat them well with the sauce. Add Tofu cubes and stir fry it on high gently with out the Tofu breaking and vegetables mushed up. 
3. Add fresh Thai Basil leaves on top and switch off the stove and transfer to serving bowl and garnish with chopped spring onion. 
4. Serve hot with White Jasmine Rice or Sticky Rice.

Will be back with another international recipe
take care until then!
-Mythreyi

Hello All, It's true that I have given a break to some of Thai Recipes these days. Today I am excited to bring this easy peasy Spicy Thai Red Curry to the table. Vj and I used to go to Thai Restaurant a lot in those newly weds days. There used to be place called Thai Garden in Plano, it is one of a kind for Thai Dishes known best in the town. After trying several dishes there I have started cooking some of the Signature Thai Recipes at home, I haven't mastered their Spicy Southern Thai Fried Rice yet ( hmm, my mouth waters now) but I have mastered several Thai Dishes including Thai Curries.

Spicy Thai Red Curry

The preparation of these curries is so easy if you have Red Curry or Yellow curry pastes at hand. I always use Thai Kitchen brand pastes and sauces for my Thai Cooking. And another critical ingredient is Coconut milk, there is always plenty of coconut milk in my pantry. So putting these two ingredients along withe some vegetables and meat, will bring this Spicy Thai Dish to the table in no time, that is comforting for this cold weather. Why late, make it your own, Here is the recipe, Njoy!

Ingredients:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste - 3 Tbsp
Onion ( shallots) - 1/4 of medium size
Thai Red Chili - 2
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1 tsp ( or as per taste)
Tofu or Chicken  cubes - 1/2 cup
Vegetable Blend - 1 cup  ( used Fresh Baby Corn, Bell Pepper, Peas, Broccoli)
Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Thai Basil Leaves - 5

Method:

1. Heat oil in Nonstick pan ( or heavy bottomed pan). Add Onion Slices, Thai Chili, once they sauteed well add Coriander and Cumin powder. Now add Red Curry paste and mix it well and saute for 3 min. 
2. Add Tofu pieces and toss them well with red curry paste and seasonings. Once the Tofu becomes tender and browns outside then add rest of the vegetables mix well. Add slat and saute for 3 min. 
3. Add coconut milk to the pan and cook for 5 min bringing it to boil. Taste and adjust any salt or other seasonings. ( if it is too spicy for you, add 1 tsp brown sugar to soften the flavors). 
4. Now switch off the stove and transfer Red Curry to serving bowl and top with Fresh Thai Basil leaves and serve hot with white rice.

I always love serving Thai Curries with this nice Rice Mold setting, that gives a lot of restaurantish touch and I am sure it blows away your hubby's mind. And a candle lit up on the side makes it even more romantic...! Did you hear me? :-)



If you want to serve this in traditional Thai style try serving along with some Jasmine Rice or Sticky Rice.

Notes:

• I haven't used chicken in my recipe here, I have used Tofu. 
• If you are using chicken use chicken breast meat that cooks fast. Cook or 5 to 7 min so that the chicken cooks properly and becomes tender in step #2.
• For Red Curry I always use lot of green and yellow colored vegetables ( Broccoli, Green Bell Pepper, Peas, Yellow Bell Pepper, Baby Corn) to make it contrast to this Red Color Curry. 
• You can add variety of other vegetables like Green Beans, Cauliflower, Carrot etc.
• The vegetables needs to be added towards the end. These should not be overcooked. These should be semi cooked so that the color and crunch of vegetables is persisted in this curry.

One day at Sprouts I have spotted cute round white Thai Baby Eggplants. I have seen several varieties  of Eggplant before but this one is totally new to me. These resemble more like Green Striped Baby Eggplants that we get in some parts of Andhra, in India. So I have picked up these cute baby eggplants with no intention what to make with these. I have used Eggplants before in several Thai dishes esp in Green Curry, where Eggplant is paired with Ginger and Green Chilli, to enhance the flavor of it. My mom makes the Vankaya Fry ( Eggplant Stir-Fry) with Ginger, Green Chilli and Grated Coconut Combination, That tastes superb...! My all time favorite is Eggplant Stir fry made with Garlic, CuminSeeds, Coconut Powder seasonings. So Today I set my mind to try some Thai Dish with these eggplants, I have searched several recipes but nothing seemed exciting, as most of those are either gravy curries or mixed with meat. So I came up with my own Fusion recipe, by mixing Indian and Thai flavors into it. And the end result is Superb and Delicious, Here it is Enjoy!

White Thai Eggplant Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
White Thai Baby Eggplant - 6
White Onion - 1/2 medium
salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
Cilantro  - 1 Tbsp ( Coriander Leaves)

Spicy Seasoning:
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Green Chili - 2 medium
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut Powder - 2 tbsp

Preparatory Steps:

• These thai eggplants will have lot of seeds in it, so you need to saute them in oil first to make them soft. Trim the stem edge and Cut the Eggplant into round circle and saute them in 1 Tbsp of Oil and keep them aside.
• Grind the ingredients under Spicy Seasoning into fine paste in a small mixie jar. 

Method:

As I have told before VJ and myself always agree on Thai when we have to eat out. We used to go to a place called Thai Garden in Plano, TX which is our favorite Thai restaurant since our college days.  Today I am featuring this Yellow Curry dish that I have prepared when i was in Bangalore. I am quite surprised at the availability of all fresh Thai Ingredients in Foodworld and Namdharis stores there in Whitefield. I have always made Thai Dishes with the store-bought sauces or curry mixes. But today the specialty of this dish is it all made from scratch including the coconut milk. Our wonderful Nanny made the coconut milk from the fresh coconut from the tree in backyard in the house we stayed in.  Here is the recipe, Enjoy!

Thai Yellow Curry

Ingredients:
Yellow Curry Powder - 1 Tbsp
Cumin Seed Powder - 1 tsp
Minced Garlic -  4 cloves
Galangal ( or Ginger)  stick - 1 inch
Green Thai Chili - 3
salt - 1 tsp
Fish Sauce - 2 tsp  ( or Oyster Sauce)
Lemon grass - 1 stack
Thai Basil Leaves - 10
Brown Sugar - 1 Tsp

Coconut Milk - 2 Cup

Green Bell Pepper - 1
Red Bell Pepper - 1/2 medium
Fresh Baby Corn - 5
Onion - 1/2 medium
Peas - 1/3 cup
Tofu - 1/2 cup ( cubed)
Spring Onions - 1 bunch
salt - 1tsp
black pepper - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 Tbsp




Yellow Curry Sauce:
First grind Yellow Curry Powder, Cumin Powder, with fresh garlic, ginger, Thai Chili, Thai Basil Leaves, Lemon Grass, along with salt and fish sauce. Add Brown Sugar at the end and grind it well.

Mehtod:

1. Heat the Oil in the non-stick pan
2. Add Onion slices, followed by bell peppers, Fresh Corn, Peas and add salt and black pepper.
3. Add slightly sauted Tofu slices and mix well with vegetables. Switch off the stove.
4. Boil the Coconut Milk and add the Yellow Curry Sauce to it. 
5. Let it boil for few minutes until the sauces simmers into coconut milk.
6. Now add the sauted vegetable mixture to the coconut milk and keep the flame in low and simmer with all the vegetables. ( for 10 min)
7. Top with some spring onions and garnish with Fresh Thai Basil Leaves. 
8. Switch off the stove and transfer into serving bowl.
9. Serve it on top of cooked white rice or jasmine rice.

Tips:

• You can add any vegetables, like carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans etc... But Bell pepper, Corn and Peas would be good color mix and will compensate the spiciness of yellow curry sauce.
• Fish sauce or Oyster sauce or little smelly. If you don't like fish you may not withstand the smell. You can avoid this sauce. add little bit soy sauce, mixed with vinegar.
• Add Cooked chicken breast in place of TOFU to make it for non-veg lovers.
• Or add shrimp to this curry if you have a taste for seafood.

Take a close peek...

Have a Good Night and take care,
-Mythreyi

I am not sure if these Lettuce Wraps fall under Thai or Chinese cuisine. But once I have tried these Lettuce Wraps (Chicken) at Pei-wei (Asian) and they tasted wonderful. The stuffing is moderately spiced, crisp and flavorful. and when you wrap this in a cool and fresh lettuce leaves it makes it cooler and crisper in your mouth and you will definitely get a feeling that you want more...Since then I fallen in love with this dish and in search of recipes to make it at home, but with a requirement of vegetarian version. And to my disappointment I didn't find one, so  I got to make my own recipe and Hoola! I made this with Tofu today and it came out very well. Here is the step-by-step recipe to make it easier for you, Enjoy! :-)

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
Tofu - 1 package ( about 12 oz)
Cabbage - 1/4 of medium
red onion - 1 small
carrot - 1 medium
spring onions - 1 tbsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Chopped Walnuts - 1/2 cup
chopped ginger - 1 tbsp
chopped garlic - 1 tbsp
green chili - 1 medium
crushed red chili - 1 tsp

oil - 1 tbsp

Sauce:
Soy sauce - 1 Tbsp
red chili sauce - 1 tsp
honey - 1 tsp
vinegar or lime juice - 1 Tbsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp (optional)

For Layering:
Fresh Lettuce Leaves - 8 - 10 ( Iceburg)
peanuts - 1 tbsp
crushed red pepper - 1 tbsp
fresh mint leaves - 2 stems




Method:

Add tofu, along with salt and black pepper.Stir fry on high for 2 to  3min. Transfer this to a plate and set a side.





How to Serve:
Arrange the Tofu stuffing in a plate. Carefully remove the lettuce leaves from the head; wash them and arrange in a tray. Arrange, chopped peanuts, crushed red pepper, mint leaves in a plate.





Take a Lettuce Leave, put one spoonful of stuffing in the middle, add some nuts, red chili, mint leaves. Wrap it and eat immediately and Enjoy this for Light Dinner. 





This came almost close to the one that I tasted at Pei-Wei.and I am happy with results and this is a keeper now!




Tips:

• Walnuts are used in place of chicken to get some protein and some crunch.
• You can use some water chestnuts also to add more crunch. I did not find in the stores, so i did not use in this recipe. If you use water chestnuts, you can reduce other vegetable and nut measures. 
• I have used very less amount of salt only for vegetables, because my soy sauce is very salty. Based on yours adjust the salt measure.

take care and keep smiling
-Mythreyi

This simple rice dish prepared in Thai Style is balanced with adequate amount of spice and softened with sweet baby corn, flavored with Sweet Basil Herbs. This sure tickles your tongue and rejuvenates your taste buds. Don't trust me, try it for your self  :-) Here is the recipe, Enjoy!

Baby Corn Basil Fried Rice

Ingredients:
Rice ( cooked) - 2 Cups
Baby Corn Kernels -  6 to 7
Thai Green Chili - 1 or 2
Crushed Red Pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Red Chili Sauce - 1 tsp
Chili Garlic Sauce - 1 tsp
salt - 2 tsp
black pepper  - 1/4tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Basil - 8 to 10 leaves (fresh)
Lime Juice - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat Oil in the non-stick pan. Once the oil is hot, add the crushed red pepper flakes.
2. Slice the green chili length wise and add it to the pan. Chop the baby corn length wise ( 1 inch sticks) and to the pan and stir fry for 2 min.
3. Add salt,black pepper, Red Chili sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce. and Fry it on high flame for another 4 to 5 minutes. 
4. Add the cooked rice and mix it well, so that the rice is coated and sauteed with all flavors. Taste and adjust the seasonings. 
5. Add the chopped basil leaves to the pan and cook for another 2 min. Finally add the lime juice and Turn off the heat and Transfer it to the serving bowl. 

And serve hot, this tastes good when it is hot, so serve it immediately after you made this. This will be perfect for Dinner for Two for those Friday Nights or will be good for lunch box when you have left over rice.

Tips:

• This rice is little spicy in nature. If you want less spice version, reduce the crushed red pepper flakes and green chili in amount. or in addition add Tomato Sauce (ketchup).
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes are very important for this recipe. You don't have them handy, crush the red chilies in the mortar. (usually i save all my extra red pepper flakes seasonings that comes with Domino's Pizza :-))
• Adding the red pepper to the oil makes it spicy and will coat the rice with adequate spice. That is the secret tip in this recipe...
• Though you made this ahead, make sure you heat it up for 1 min in microwave before serving.
• I have used Sweet Basil in this recipe, you can replace that with Thai Basil also.

When I have invited my sweet sister Sowji to my home for Christmas who is expecting a baby she said 'She was feeling like eating Thai Fried Rice'. So I could n't resist making it for her, and here is the recipe for you  give it a try and enjoy this Thai Traditional Bliss.


Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 6 Cups
Ginger - 1 inch stick
Green Bell Pepper - 1
Carrots - 2
Green Beans - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1/2 ( medium)
Cucumber - 1/2 ( medium)
Onions - 1 medium
Thai Chillies - 5
Red Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Hot Chili Sauce - 1 tsp
Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
Thai Basil  Leaves  - 10
Yellow Curry Paste - 1 Tbsp
Oil - 1Tbsp

Preparation:
1. Take the Wok (or Wide Pan) and put it on the stove and add Oil to it.
2. After 1 minute once the oil is hot add few drops of Soy Sauce.
3. Add the ginger slices followed by Onions and chillies. Fry them until the raw smell of the onions is gone.
4. Add Red Pepper Flakes and Black Pepper followed by Green Bell Pepper Slices, Carrots and Green Beans.
5. Saute all the vegetables on High Flame in the wok.
6. Add the Cooked Rice to the wok and Add the salt and Soy Sauce, followed by Yellow Curry Paste.
7. Mix it well so that all the vegetables and flavors get into the rice.
8. Add Tomatoes and Basil Leaves mix it on high flame for 5 minutes
9. Remove the wok form the flame and  transfer it to the bowl and garnish with cucumber slices.
10. Top it with Crispy Chicken or Spicy Chicken Wings and Enjoy this Yummy Thai Basil Rice.



Hint:
You can add variety of vegetables like Orange and Red bell Peppers and Broccoli to this rice.
Ginger and Red Pepper Flakes are the secret ingredients which brings the special Thai flavor to this dish.