Gin Khao

Gin Khao: To eat rice.

The thai language uses very short simple sentences that can mean multiple things. For example: gin khao does not only refer to eating rice, but eating anything at any time of the day. So, you can imagine how many times I have used this phrase in the last six months! Here are some recipes I have come across during my stay in Thailand.

 

February 14th, 2011: Valentine’s Day Bananas Foster

This dish is so easy it can be made any night of the week. If you want to make your Valentine something really special this year, cook up some bananas foster, they will love it (and so will you)!

• 3 quartered bananas
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbs. rum
• 1/4 cup crushed walnuts or cashews
• vanilla ice cream

1. Melt butter in pan on medium heat.

2. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and rum. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated and the sauce is bubbling.

3. Add bananas and nuts to the sauce. Stir for one to two minutes.

4. Serve a spoonful into a bowl and top with vanilla ice cream. Drizzle extra sauce on top of the ice cream.

** For more details and step-by-step pictures, see post: Need a Last Minute Valentine’s Day Dessert?

http://www.kaboodle.com

February 3rd, 2011:  Curry Recipe

A dish I have made many times this semester is curry. I use basically the same recipe for red, yellow and massaman, I just use a different curry paste depending on what I am in the mood for. If I can make delicious curry with one hot pot, a rice cooker, one pan and a spatula, anyone can do it. It is simple, only takes 30 minutes, and is absolutely delicious; a definite crowd pleaser.

I have tried many combinations to create a sauce with a rich taste and creamy consistency. Here is the best one so far.

Makes two dinner servings and one leftover lunch.

• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 large potato
• 1 curry paste packet (massaman, red and yellow are very good with this recipe)
• 1 Tbs. cooking oil
• 1 small container of plain yogurt (can substitute with greek yogurt)
• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups rice
• 6 plum tomatoes cut in thirds (optional)
• 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper (optional)
• Strips of coconut heart (optional)

1. Boil potato until you can easily stick a fork into the middle. Drain and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside for later.

2. Dice one onion, both red and yellow peppers and cut coconut hearts into bite size pieces. Saute in cooking oil until the onion has become translucent and the peppers are tender. Set aside for later.

3. Cube chicken breasts and saute in a small amount of oil until almost completely cooked through (about 5-6 minutes).

4. Pour coconut milk in a pan turned to medium high heat. Add curry paste until sauce is boiling and oil from curry paste appears on the surface. Add in sauteed vegetables and stir well, making sure to completely incorporate the curry paste with the coconut milk.

5. Once sauce is boiling, add in chicken, diced potatoes and tomatoes.

6. Add in the container of yogurt and mix well. Depending on the consistency of the sauce, you can always add more coconut milk at this time to make it thinner. Once all ingredients are added, let the sauce come to a boil and it is ready to serve.

7. Serve curry over white rice with a piece of Roti or Indian Naan. Garnish with a wedge of lime, peanuts and red pepper flakes.

December 8th, 2010: Moo Deng

Tonight, Sean and I headed to the local night market to get one of our favorite foods in Thailand, moo deng. Moo deng, the literal translation being red pork, is a broth

and noodle soup that can be found on almost any corner in the Bangkok region. Anyone who knows me well knows that soup has never been my first choice (or in my top five for that matter). Especially broth based soups. More often than not, I find them lacking in flavor and just plain boring. Thais, on the other hand, have perfected the art of broth soup.

Moo deng food stalls cannot be missed from their appearance alone. A large vat of broth with an ever-flowing cloud of steam sits adjacent to a glass case containing large hanging slabs of red meat and crisp green morning glory. If you are still unsure, the 5 pound bags of hand-made noodles is a dead give away… you know you are in the right place.

Moo deng is served in a deep soup bowl full of broth, ramen-like noodles, thinly sliced pork, and dumplings. The pork itself has a sweet red seasoning similar to a rub.

The soup has a subtle flavor and is supposed to be jazzed up with the four typical condiments: red chili flakes, sugar, fish sauce and raw chili flavored white vinegar. My moo deng has a pinch of sugar, a generous spoon full of red chili flakes and multiple helpings of chili flavored white vinegar. This creates a taste sensation of sweet and sour, and of course spicy! Moo deng, even with the heat of Thailand, is delicious and refreshing.