Thai squid salad 

Ingredients 

500g fresh squid 

2 tbsp (3" from the root, thinly sliced) lemongrass 

2 tbsp thinly sliced shallots 

2 tbsp chopped garlic 

¼ cup (½-inch sliced) spring onion 

5 to 7 chopped red bird's eye chilli  

¼ cup chopped mint leaves  

¼ cup thinly sliced green mangoes 

2 tbsp lime juice  

2 tbsp fish sauce 

1 and ½ tbsp sugar  

Method

Clean squid inside and out; cut into bite size pieces or according to your choice. In a big salad bowl add chillies, garlic, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Mix well. Set aside.

In boiling water add the squid. Wait for 2 minutes then remove squid from the boiling water. Cooking seafood is very tricky as over cooking will spoil all efforts. 



Add boiled squid in a salad bowl. Add mangoes, lemongrass, shallots and mint leaves. Sprinkle with chopped chillies. 



Note: One can always adjust the salad according to your choice. Enjoy the spicy squid salad from Thailand.

Traditional Thai fried rice

Prik nam pla sauce for the Thai traditional fried rice -

Ingredients 

¼ cup fish sauce 

1 tsp lemon juice  

2 tbsp sliced bird's eye chilli

1tsp thinly sliced garlic  

1tsp thinly sliced shallots 



Method

Mix all together. Serve with Thai fried rice. Enjoy your spicy Thai fried rice.

Note: Thai fried rice can be prepared with chicken too. 

Traditional Thai fried rice

Ingredients 

250g headless shrimp (about 22 pieces in 1 kg)

1 whole egg 

1½ tbsp crushed garlic  

½ cup sliced onion 

½ cup sliced tomato  

½ tbsp soya sauce 

1 tbsp fish sauce 

½ tbsp oyster sauce  

½ tbsp sugar  

2 cups boiled rice  

½ cup (cut into 1-inch pieces) spring onion  

½ cup chopped coriander 

½ tsp white pepper 

2 (angle slice to serve) cucumber  

Lemon wedges

Oil



Method

Clean shrimp. Make a butterfly cut to take out the sand vein. Wash and squeeze. In a large skillet, at medium high heat, add 2 tbsp oil and the crushed garlic; fry until softened. Add the shrimp and cook for 7 minutes. One can use small shrimps but that will not give a traditional look of a Thai dish. If you are using smaller shrimps cook 3 minutes.

Add egg. Wait until egg is semi-cooked and add tomatoes, onion, fish sauce, soya sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and rice while stirring very quickly; 2 minutes maximum.

Add spring onion. Turn of the heat. Sprinkle with coriander, white pepper and serve with the sliced cucumber and lemon wedges.

Deep fried chicken wings 

Peek gai tod nam pla and Thai sweet chilli sauce - 

Ingredients for chicken wings 

600g chicken wings  

1 tbsp fish sauce, ½ cup pandanus leaves  

¼ tsp white pepper powder  

½ tsp chicken powder  

2 stalks (three inches from the root) lemongrass  

2 cups oil (for deep fry), 1 tbsp wheat flour  

Salt - a pinch

Ingredients for Thai sweet chilli sauce - 

3 red spur chillies 

5 garlic cloves, ¼ cup sugar  

¼ cup white vinegar 

1 cup water, 1 tsp salt 

Method for making sauce -

Crush the garlic and chilli very finely. Mix sugar, vinegar, water and salt in a small pot. Bring it to boil. Add crushed chillies and garlic. Cook until it thickens. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

PREPARATION FOR CHICKEN WINGS -

Cut the pandanus leaves into 1-inch lengths. Marinade the chicken wings in a mixing bowl with pandanus leaves, fish sauce, chicken powder, white pepper powder, and mix well. Slice the lemongrass very thinly and mix well with the wheat flour. Deep fry until golden brown. Set aside. In the same oil fry the marinated chicken wings, arrange the chicken wings in a longish platter, top with the fried lemongrass and serve with Thai sweet chilli sauce. 

STEAMED SNAPPER WITH LEMON, CHILLI AND GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients 

One whole snapper (700g to 800g)

2 crushed shallots  

2 lemongrass (3-inch from the root, crushed)

4 or 5 bird's eye chilli (round thin cut)

3 tbsp thinly sliced garlic  

2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp fish sauce 

3 tbsp lemon juice  

Coriander leaves and lemon slices for garnish



Method

Mix lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add garlic and chillies. Set aside. Clean the fish. Do not cut any flings. De-scale. Rub the fish with salt on both sides. Make small cuts on both the sides. Rinse.

Fill the fish stomach with the crushed shallots and lemongrass. Arrange the fish into a steamer. Steam for 20 minutes in medium heat. Transfer the fish into a serving plate. Pour the lemon sauce over the fish and garnish with coriander leaves and lemon slices. Serve hot.

Papaya salad (som-tam)

Ingredients 

1½ cup peeled and thinly sliced green papaya  

½ cup thinly sliced carrot  

3 bird's eye chilli

2 garlic cloves 

2 halved cherry tomatoes 

¼ cup (1-inch cut) green bean (borboti)  

¼ cup peanut 

2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)  

2 tbsp palm sugar  

2 tbsp lime juice  

2 tbsp fish sauce 

Method

Crush garlic and chillies in a mortar until fine. Add green beans, dried shrimps and peanuts, crush them into half. Add tomatoes; crush a little just to break them. Add lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce mix well. Adjust according to your taste. Add papaya and carrots. Crush a little just to break. Mix well with a spoon. 

Stir fried chicken with ginger (gai pat king)

Ingredients 

200g boneless chicken breasts  

½ cup black fungus (ear mushroom)  

½ cup shred ginger  

1 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce  

1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar  

1 tbsp crushed garlic  

2 red spur chilli (angled cut)

Method

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok at medium high heat. Add garlic and fry till until softened. Add chicken, cook until the chicken is almost done. Add ginger cook until done (3 to 4 minutes). Stir in oyster sauce, soya sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Add mushrooms and chillies, cook until done.

Note: If you do not like too much ginger, use ¼ cup.

Photo courtesy:  Shaheda Yesmin