Real Thai Recipes » One-Dish Meals

Shrimp Paste Rice

cee — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:25:20 +0000

The first step is to make the sweet pork (muu waan/หมูหวาน). Slice the pork thin (1 1/2″ x 1″ x 1/3″) (4cm x 2.5cm x 1cm) – see picture. Fry it in about 1 teaspoon of oil on high heat. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper, and palm sugar. Cook until it’s no longer raw. Lower the heat to medium low. Keep adding a little water every now and then to keep it from getting to dry and burning. Cook for about 10 minutes until shiny and sticky. Set aside.
The next step is to make the egg strips. Crack one egg in a bowl and whisk until mixed. Wet a tissue with oil and wipe the inside of the pan. You don’t want a lot of oil for this one. A non-stick pan comes in handy for this kind of thing. Pour the egg in and tilt the pan so the egg evenly coats the bottom of the pan, about 1/8″ (.25cm) deep. Fry on medium heat until set and golden (not brown). Flip once. Take off heat and allow to cool. Roll the egg and slice thin to create strips. Set aside.
Fry the shrimp in oil until crispy, about 30 seconds on medium-high. Strain and set aside.
Slice your chilies & shallots thin. Peel the mango’s skin and chop with a knife to make thin strips (or use a cheese grater).
Add a little oil (about a teaspoon) into your pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is hot, add the rice, shrimp paste and fish sauce. Stir well to mix. Cook until the rice is warmed up and mixed well.
This dish is usually served by packing the rice into a bowl, and using it as a mold. Turn it upside-down onto a plate and remove. Then add all the other things around the rice on the plate, with the egg on top of the rice. Garnish with cilantro.
When you eat it, mix it all together and squeeze the fresh lime juice on top.

Thai-Style Omelette

cee — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:12:17 +0000

Add the oil to the pan on high heat. Wait until the oil is dancing around in the pan and almost smoking.
Crack the egg into a bowl. Add the fish sauce and pepper, and whisk with a fork until mixed and frothy.
Pour the egg mixture into the oil at a slowish rate, so that it’s a stream of egg hitting the hot oil.
Cook until lightly browned. Flip and cook the other side until browned as well. About 1-2 minutes.
Remove and serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro (optional) and serve with Sri Racha sauce.

Garlic and Pepper Chicken

cee — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:52:37 +0000

Rinse and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (see picture).
Smash the garlic lightly with the side of a knife. Remove the skin if not using thin-skinned Thai garlic.
Heat the oil in a pan until very hot. Add the garlic and keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
When (very) lightly browned, add the chicken (or meat, or whatever you’re using!). Cook until done (not raw). If it gets dry and sticky, add some water to the pan about 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
Add the palm sugar, fish sauce and pepper. You may need to add a bit more water here so that it mixes well.
Mix well and serve on rice (for a one-dish meal), or in a plate (to share with friends). Garnish with cilantro.

Rice Noodles with Dark Soy Sauce

cee — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:58:11 +0000

Create the chili and vinegar sauce, if you don’t already have some on hand: chili and vinegar sauce recipe
Add all the soy sauces, water and 2 teaspoons of the chili & vinegar sauce together in a bowl and set aside. The rest of the chili and vinegar sauce can be stored in the fridge for a long time.
Chop the salty pickled radish (not the sweet kind) into small bits. Also chop up your coriander and scallions.
Steam the noodles in a bowl set in about 2″ of water (make sure the water level is below the rim of the bowl — you want to steam them, not boil them) for about 3 minutes, until the noodles are hot and softened.
While the noodles are cooking, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the bean sprouts for about 30 seconds in the boiling water. Drain and place on a plate.
Place the finished noodles on top of the bean sprouts on the plate.
Top the plate with the salted radish, then pour the sauce on top.
Finish with scallions, coriander, garlic & pepper. Mix well and enjoy!

Drunken Noodles

cee — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:10:31 +0000

Separate the noodles by peeling them apart one at a time. Set aside.
Prepare your ingredients: Slice the baby corns into 1/2 lengthwise. Crush the garlic and chilies, and set aside. Pick off the leaves & flowers of the basil, and set aside. Chop the large chili into rings.
If you’re using tofu, pre-fry it in hot oil until browned. Set aside.
Add the oil to a pan, and heat on high until it’s dancing around. Then add the garlic, chilies and green peppercorns. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
When the garlic turns light brown, add the veggies & meat/seafood if adding. Keep stirring and cook until finished, about a minute. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to help things not stick.
Add the tofu (if adding), then the noodles. You may need to add a bit more water if the pan gets too dry. Don’t add a lot, or the noodles will get mushy.
After frying for a minute or two, add the soy sauces, sugar and oyster sauce. Stir well to mix.
Add the basil & vinegar. Stir to mix. When the basil is wilted it’s done.

Garlic and Pepper Crusted Pork

cee — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:55:54 +0000

Smash the cilantro roots and salt in a stone mortar & pestle until a paste.
Add de-skinned garlic, and smash. Then add peppercorns and smash until paste.
Cut your meat into 4 equal slices, and put in a bowl. Add your paste, soy sauce and the sugar. Mix to cover the meat. You can also stab the meat a bit with a fork so the marinade seeps in better.
Coat with flour. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 10 hours.
After you’ve waited, fry on medium heat in about 1/2″ of oil. Cook until the meat is cooked through and dark brown, flipping once (about 2 minutes on each side). The meat will be pink and not white, since it’s marinated. Do not overcook or burn the garlic crust.
It’s best to wait until cooled before cutting, so you don’t lose any juice.

Stir Fried Pork with Holy Basil

cee — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:15:03 +0000

Smash chilies with a stone mortar & pestle if you have one, or use the side or back of a knife. Smash garlic, and set aside with the chilies.
Clean basil by picking off the leaves and flowers, and discarding the stems. Rinse and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan until very hot on high heat. Throw in the chilies & garlic, and stir until browned. You should sneeze from the chili. (You may want to open a window.)
When the garlic is ready, add the pork. Break it up in the pan with your spatula, to make sure it cooks evenly. Fry until no longer red.
Add sugar, soy sauce & fish sauce. Stir and let absorb.
When dry, add the water and the basil leaves. Stir until basil is wilted, and serve on rice.
If you want to top with a fried egg, add a bit more oil in the pan, and allow the oil to get very hot. Crack an egg in the middle. If it’s hot enough the egg will bubble up and sizzle. When browned on the edges, flip and wait until browned on the other side. Remove and place on top of the rice.

American Fried Rice

cee — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:01:22 +0000

Cook the rice, and dry out a bit, best is mostly covered overnight in the fridge. If you’re going to make it right away, cook with a bit less water than normal, and let air out for 10 minutes or so before cooking
Fry the egg in a good amount of oil (about 4 tablespoons) on high heat. The egg should bubble up and sizzle like crazy if the pan is hot enough. The edges should brown and get crunchy too. When browned, remove and set aside.
Cut the ends of the hot dogs in an X pattern, up about 1/3 of the way. This will create extra surface area to get crispy when you fry it. (See picture).
Fry the hot dogs in the oil, until crispy, set aside with the egg. Dump the remaining oil.
Fry the onions in 1 teaspoon of fresh oil on medium high until translucent, then add the butter. When the butter is melted, throw in the rice.
Stir well to mix, and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the ketchup, golden mountain soy sauce and raisins. Stir well and cook for another minute or two.
Put on a plate and top with the fried egg and hot dogs.

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles

cee — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 05:54:35 +0000

Separate the noodles from each other, and place on a plate.
Cut the Chinese Broccoli stems at an angle so they cook easier, in about 2″ (5cm) long pieces. Make sure to clean well.
Fry the garlic on high in the oil until lightly browned and fragrant.
Add the pork (or chicken) and fry until cooked through. Keep stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add the noodles. Keep stirring so they don’t stick.
Add the Chinese Broccoli, and mix well. You may need to add a little bit of water so everything cooks & doesn’t stick. Don’t add too much that the noodles get clumpy though. Add around 1 teaspoon at a time.
When the Chinese Broccoli is cooked (leaves are wilted and stems are darker green, about 1 minute), add the soy sauces, sugar and white pepper. Mix well.
Push the noodles to the side and add a little bit of oil to the pan. Crack the egg into the pan on top of the oil. Scramble in the pan and let sit until solid. Break it up a bit and mix with the noodles.
Dish out and serve with soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili powder and white pepper so you can flavor to your taste preference at the table.

Vegetarian Pad Thai

cee — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 07:26:46 +0000

Soak the rice noodles in room temperature water for 30-45 minutes before you cook. Do not soak in hot water or your noodles will get sticky. You want them to be soft enough to bend, but still firm. When finished soaking, drain, rinse, and set aside.
Prepare the tamarind paste by squishing 1/8 cup tamarind pulp with 1/8 cup water in a small bowl with your fingers. Take out all the tamarind veins and seeds, and squish the fruit until the water turns into a thickish paste. Strain the pulp with a strainer and set aside.
Prepare the sauce by adding 1 tablespoon of that tamarind paste you just made with the soy sauce & palm sugar in a small bowl. If your palm sugar is rock hard and doesn’t dissolve, you can cut into small bits and microwave the mixture for 10 seconds or so. That should soften the sugar enough to dissolve.
Fry the tofu in hot oil until medium brown on each side. Remove from oil and set aside.

Add more oil to the pan, if necessary. Wait until the oil is hot, and ‘dancing’ around (look at the surface — is the oil moving?) Add the pickled radish and fry for a few seconds to get the flavor out.
Add your noodles and stir. You may want to add about 1/8-1/4 cup water too, depending on how hot your wok is. When the noodles soften a bit, add the sauce and the 1/8 teaspoon of the chili powder (leave the rest for garnish). Mix well — but be careful not to make a noodle mush. Try to keep the noodles separated as much as possible, covering the entire bottom of the pan. Spread them out.
Cook until the noodles are soft — it may take a minute or two. Taste to be sure they are done. If they get too dry, you may need to add a bit more water.
When the noodles are done, push them to the side to create room for the egg. Crack the egg into the space and scramble it with your spatula and cover the bottom of the pan. Throw the noodles on top of the egg.
Add the chives, 1/2 of the peanuts and 1/2 bean sprouts. Mix well, and remove to a plate. You may get egg bits stuck to the pan. Scrape them off and eat them. I call these ‘wok crispies’. You actually want to try to get them.
Garnish with the rest of the sprouts on top, a slice of lime, and a pile each of the white sugar, the rest of the peanuts and the rest of the chili powder. You can also garnish with a few uncut garlic chives and 1/4 small banana flower too.