Classic Red or Yellow Curry

Classic Red or Yellow Curry

Red and Yellow curry is almost similar but I often add a bit more of my own lemongrass paste to it. Fresh kaffir lime leave is very importance when making curry.

 Fresh lemongrass paste help to flavor the curry because store bought curry paste keep so long and the flavor is not as fresh as homemade curry paste. You need 1 T of this paste. Keep the rest in the fridge for later use.

2 stalk of lemongrass white part only thinly sliced

2 to 3 big pieces of galangals thinly sliced

7 Kaffir lime leaves thinly sliced

1 t of salt

7 cloves of garlic

5 shallots

1 big red dried Mexican pepper soaked wash thinly sliced

1/2 t turmeric or fresh turmeric

Blend them in a blender or use mortar pastel pound it to paste.

For the curry you need the following ingredients,

1.8 oz of chicken breast cut to bite size (chicken leg taste better)
1 can of coconut milk
1 T of oil to stir fry the curry paste
2 to 3 T of red or yellow curry of your choice (the amount of curry paste is up to you)
1 T of lemongrass paste
2 cups of water (sometime I add a bit more water to it)
2 cup of potatoes, or yam or sweet potato, or red potato of your choice, cut to bite size
2 cup of long bean, or bamboo shoot cut to 1 inch long
2 cup of carrot cut to bite size
1 onion slice (put it last)
2 T of fresh kaffir lime leave thinly slice
2 to 3 T of sugar (curry need a bit of sugar to keep the spicy flavor down)
2 to 3 T of fish sauce
 4 star aniseeds (this will give curry a better taste)
1 cup of Thai basil leave (this is optional but many Thai people use it.)

In a large soup pot turn the heat to medium high add oil until hot fry 3 T of curry paste, 1 T of lemongrass paste and star aniseeds until fragrant then add ¼ cup of coconut milk  fry until the curry paste bubble then add chicken to it with 1 cup of water first

Cook until the chicken no longer pink then add potato, carrot, long bean or bamboo shoot and the rest of coconut milk and the last 1 cup of water to it.  Stir and cook for 3 minutes then add sugar, fish sauce, continue to cook until the vegetable are tender and the meat is cooked through, now add kaffir lime leaves turn the heat to low and cook for at least 15 minutes to combine all the flavor (curry is almost like stew the longer you cook it will taste batter.  Add white onion cook for 2 minutes, taste and adjust your curry turn the heat off let it cool a bit then add basil leaves.

Note curry will not taste good while it is hot so you have to let it cool a bit the best thing about curry it tastes better the next day just like stew.   In Cambodia we often serve curry with French bread and noodle not much with rice. 

Enjoy!

Classic Thai Chicken Sate and Peanut Sauce with Cucumber Salad

A Classic Thai Chicken Sate and Peanut Sauce with Cucumber Salad

2 lbs of chicken breasts cut to bite size set aside

1 ½ to 2 T of brown sugar

1/2 t of 5 spices powder

1 T of cumin

3 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 t of turmeric

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1 to 2 T of fish sauce

1/2 T of curry powder

Mix and marinate all the ingredients with chicken for at least 3 hours for flavor

Grill the meat on high heat for 4 minutes each side depend on how thick or thin your cut is until it all done

Turn the heat off ( note chicken sate get dry quickly, cook when you ready to serve)

For Peanut sauce

Mix in a sauce pan on low heat the following ingredients

1/4 cup of coconut milk

1/4 cup of water

2 T of peanut butter ( note peanut butter will thicker easily so don’t add more wait until it is cool down)

1 T of sugar

1 T of fish sauce

1/2 t of curry powder

1/4 t of cumin

1 to 2 T of lime juice

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro for garnish

Crush roasted peanut for garnish.

For cucumber salad

1 small sliced cucumber (1 cup)

2 minced garlic cloves

2 thinly sliced shallots

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 T fish sauce

2 T of sugar

2 T of vinegar

2 Thai chili chop

Mix and adjust everything to your taste for an hour before serve, keep in the fridge

Enjoy!

Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken

I  try few orange chicken recipes on line include my own and nothing taste as good as panda express because we don’t have the right ingredients to do it.  To make it easy and fast just go to Safeway and buy a bottle of Panda Orange sauce or a big  jar from Costco. The only thing I add different is ginger, water chestnut and orange zest to it.

4 chicken breasts cut to bite size

Tempura batter mix

Oil for deep fry

Mix and deep fry the chicken according to package direction, drain and set aside

1 T of julienne fresh ginger

1 T of orange zest

1 T of roasted sesame seeds for garnish

1 green onion for garnish

1 bottle of store bought Orange sauce

Heat oil in a fry pan, fry ginger and orange zest until fragrance

Then add chicken, Orange sauce to it (add enough sauce to cover the meat), stir fry until well combined and everything heat through, turn the heat off add sesame seeds and green onion for garnish.

Serve hot or warm with rice.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

There are many kind of sweet and sour chicken and it is easy to make,  you might have all the ingredients in your cupboard ready to cook, all you need is chicken breast.  You can make with chicken, shrimp, or pork.  Easy part is buy store bought tempera, mix and deep fry the meat.   As any deep fry you have to eat right away don’t keep it too long.

For the chicken

4 chicken breasts cut to bite size

Store bought Tempura shrimp batter mix according to package direction

Oil for deep fry the chicken and set aside. 

1/2 cup of diced red bell pepper

1 cup of pineapple chunk drain set aside

1/2 cup diced of white onion

Roasted Sesame seeds for garnish

1 stalk of chopped green onion for garnish

For the sweet and sour sauce

1 cup of Pineapple juice (pineapple juice is best not water)

1/3 cup of sugar (more or less up to you)

1/2 cup of ketchup  

1 T of soy sauce

3 T of white vinegar

1 to 1½ T of cornstarch (depend on how thick you want the sauce to be)

1 drop of red food coloring

 

On medium heat Combine everything in the sauce pan stir until the sauce is boiling and thicken, turn the heat off set aside (you might have some sauce left keep in the fridge for later use)

In a fry pan heat 2 T of oil until hot

Add red bell pepper stir fry until tender

Add pineapple, and sauce (add enough sauce to cover the meat) heat everything until all combine; turn the heat off let cool a bit before serve.

Garnish with Sesame Seeds and green onion

Serve with Rice

Enjoy!

Mango Sriracha Salsa

Mango Sriracha Salsa

You can serve this salsa with chip, grill chicken, shrimp, or steak. Adjust the chili to your taste.

2 shallots

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup of onion

1 Jalapeño

1diced mango

2 diced Roma tomato

1 T of salsa seasoning mix

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

1/3 cup of ketchup

1 T of Sriracha chili sauce

1/2 t salt

1 T of lime juice

1/2 T of sugar

Grill or roast the first 4 ingredients shallots, garlic, onion, and Jalapeno (the onion and garlic flavor won’t over power the rest of the ingredients)

Then mix the entire ingredients together taste and adjust the flavor.  You can serve with chip, grill chicken or grill steak.

Enjoy! 

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Chicken BBQ

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Chicken BBQ

 

This recipe for those who like Sriracha Chili sauce and it is very easy to do. It is very spicy folk if you don’t like spicy food reduce the amount of chili sauce. 

4 to 5 lbs of chicken wing, leg, drumstick, thigh, but not chicken breast, wash clean and set aside

In a Ziploc bag combine all the ingredients for the marinate

1 T of sesame oil

2 T of salt

1/2 cup of Sriracha Chili sauce (or less)

1/4 cup of ketchup

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of orange marmalade or apricot

3 to 4 cloves of minced garlic

1 T of fresh minced ginger

1 cup of minced cilantro 

Mix and marinate the chicken in the Ziploc bag overnight or at least 4 hours for the flavor

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Pour the chicken marinate and the liquid in 9x13 baking dish (spray the baking dish)

Bake in the oven for30 to 45 minutes or until your chicken is done turning few times for color
Note Chicken wings and thigh cook faster than drumstick and leg.

There will be a lot of marinate sauce left done baking do not through it away

Cook rice noodle or spaghetti or linguine according to package direction

Then mix the noodle with the left over sauce garnish with chopped cilantro, Roasted Sesame seeds or crush peanut and lime juice to give it a Thai Classic style noodleJ

 

It is also best to grill

Turn the grill to medium until hot spray the rack before put the chicken on, using the marinate brush on the chicken throughout the grilling process until each side is golden in color and the chicken is done.

Enjoy!