21 March,2010 12:15 AM IST | | Sanjeev Kapoor
Give your family a taste of eastern cuisine with this spread of Thai dishes
Thai Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
5-6 dry oyster mushrooms, soaked and choppedu00a0u00a0
200 gm tofu, cubedu00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp olive oilu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
10-12 medium shallots, halvedu00a0u00a0
1 medium onion, choppedu00a0u00a0u00a0
3 lemon grass stalks, slicedu00a0u00a0
1-inch piece galangal, slicedu00a0u00a0
4 cups vegetable stocku00a0u00a0u00a0
2 fresh red chillies, diagonally slicedu00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp bean sproutsu00a0u00a0u00a0
3/4 cup coconut milku00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leavesu00a0
1 tbsp chilli oilu00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
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Method
Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add shallots, onion, lemon grass and galangal and sautu00c3u00a9 for two minutes.
Add vegetable stock. Add oyster mushrooms, tofu and fresh red chillies and salt. Mix and cook for one minute.
Add bean sprouts, coconut milk and fresh basil and stir to mix well.
Take it off the heat once it begins to boil.
Pour the soup into a serving bowl.u00a0 Drizzle chilli oil, sprinkle roasted peanuts and serve immediately.
Egg Nestsu00a0
Ingredients
2 eggsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp chopped coriander rootsu00a0u00a0
1 garlic clove, choppedu00a0u00a0u00a0
3 fresh red chillies, roughly choppedu00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
6-7 black peppercorns, crushedu00a0u00a0
4 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 medium onion, roughly choppedu00a0u00a0
1 medium red capsicum,u00a0
1/2 inch piecesu00a0
1 medium yellow capsicum,u00a0
1/2 inch piecesu00a01 medium green capsicum,u00a0
1/2 inch piecesu00a0
5-6 fresh mushrooms, chopped
Method
Crush coriander roots, garlic, fresh red chillies, salt and crushed peppercorns in a mortar with a pestle.u00a0
Break eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly.u00a0
Heat two tbsp oil in a non-stick pan.u00a0 Add the crushed mixture and sautu00c3u00a9. Add the onion and the three-coloured capsicums, mushrooms and salt and cook for two to three minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
Heat a little oil in another non-stick pan.u00a0 Make a cone with gateway paper with a very small hole in the pointed end. Pour the eggs into this cone and move it above the surface of the pan so that a trail of egg flows into it and sets in threads. Keep moving the cone to make three to four crisscross layers of threads.u00a0
Using a spatula, transfer the nest onto an absorbent paper and make more nests with the same method.
Place the nests on a flat surface, place some of the mixed vegetables over each and fold the sides over. Serve immediately.
Cucumber with Chicken and Fresh Red Chilliesu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Ingredients
3 large cucumbersu00a0u00a0u00a0
250 gm chicken minceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
10-12 small fresh red chilliesu00a0u00a0u00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp sesame oil u00a0u00a0u00a0
8-10 garlic cloves, crushedu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp dark soy sauce u00a0u00a0
1 tsp sesame seeds
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Method
Slice the cucumbers without peeling into roundels. Sprinkle salt and mix well. Let them stand for 30 minutes, then place on a damp cloth and squeeze out the excess juice.
Heat a non-stick pan, add one tbsp sesame oil and crushed garlic. Sautu00c3u00a9 for one minute and add red chillies and cucumber roundels. Stir well.
Add chicken mince and stir, using the spoon to break the lumps in the chicken mince. Cook till the chicken is done.
Add dark soy sauce and cook till dry. Drizzle the remaining sesame oil and sesame seeds and stir-fry for one minute.
Serve hot.u00a0
Prawn on Sugarcane Stick
Ingredients
300 gm medium prawns, shelled and deveinedu00a0u00a0
4 sugarcane sticks, each six inches long
1/4u00a0cup flaked white fish filletu00a0u00a0
1 tsp saltu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tsp sugaru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
3 garlic clovesu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 fresh red chilliesu00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp lemon juiceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Sauce
3 garlic cloves, choppedu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 fresh red chillies, finely slicedu00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 1/2 tsp sugaru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 tbsp vinegaru00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tsp soy sauce
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Method
Put the prawns in a mixer container. Add fish, salt, sugar, garlic, fresh red chillies and lemon juice and grind to a fine mixture.
Transfer into a bowl and divide into four portions. Dampen your hand and take each portion of the fish mixture and wrap around a sugarcane stick. Heat a grill pan and place these sticks on the pan and grill.u00a0 Brush a little oil on the surface, flip and continue to grill till both the sides are evenly golden.
To make the sauce, put the garlic in a bowl. Add fresh red chillies, salt, sugar and vinegar and mix well. Add soy sauce and mix well. Let it stand for at least half an hour before using.
Put the sauce in small serving bowls, place one prawn on a sugarcane stick in each bowl and serve.
Shopping list for next week
PUNGENT FEIJOADA
400 gm red kidney beans/rajma, 200 gm tamarind, 1 packet dried red chillies, 1 coconutu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
SANNAS
200 gm parboiled rice, 200 gm raw rice, 100 gm split black gram skinless, 100 ml coconut milk, 1 packet dry yeast
CHICKEN XACUTI
800 gm chicken, 1 small packet fennel seeds, 1 small packet poppy seeds, 1 nutmeg
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GOAN CHILLI PICKLEu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
500 gm mild green chillies, 200 gm garlic, 200 gm ginger, 8-10 whole red chillies, reshampatti, 1 bottle vinegar, 1 small bottle sesame oil, 1 small packet fenugreek seeds split/ methi dal
