Thai Dessert Festival

If you like Thai food and are in Central Thailand at the moment then make an effort to go to the Thai Dessert festival that is happening this weekend in Chachoengsao. In the field opposite the city hall you will find many stalls set up selling a large variety of Thai desserts and meals. Of course I went in order to take pictures for the photo albums at enjoythaifood.com. And also to taste some of the delights. You already know my favourites if you have been reading my food blogs. At this stall you can see some miniature fruits that are for sale. They look like the real thing don’t they? Though, they taste a lot sweeter! Chachoengsao is famous for their delicious mangoes,  so make sure you try these with sticky rice. Yummy! The festival starts at 5 p.m. Just make sure you don’t eat too much for lunch!

 

Phrik Khee Nuu

Phrik Khee Nuu is a small bush with the height of 30-120 cm. It has flat, oily and smooth leaves. It has small and slender fruits about 2-3 cm long. When young the fruit has dark green color but when it ripens it will gradually change to a bright red color. It has hot spicy taste. The fruits are used either fresh or dried as ingredients in various Thai dishes to add spiciness and heat. It is also known as  Chili Padi, Bird’s Eye Chili, Bird Chili, or Thai pepper in English.

 

Vietnamese Coriander

Vietnamese Coriander is a seasonal plant with strong fragrance, because it has oil glands throughout every part of the plant. The bush grows to about 3-35 cm tall.  The trunk of the bush is green mixed with a light red color. The stem stands up straight, the top part is upright as well, but the bottom part will lay down on the ground. The stem will also have joints that connect together and often you will find that the root comes out from that joint area.
Leaves have a spear shape or oval shape, 2.5-3 cm wide and 5.5 to 8 cm long.  The flower blossoms in bunches, and each single small one has creamy white, pink or purplish in color. The fruit is small.
The charm of this kind of vegetable is that the fragrance can quench the smell of raw meat.

Vietnamese Coriander is a popular vegetable among Thai people, especially people from the the north and northeast (Isaan). They like to have it with spicy dishes like chili sauce, Laab, Goi, etc. or have it as a component of these and other foods. Villagers like to plant Vietnamese Coriander in a pot around their house so it can be picked at any time as needed (to cook). Vietnamese Coriander is also called by other names such as Pa-G-Mee, Pug-Phaeo, Haum-Chan or Phrik Mah.

 

Thai Salt Baked Fish

Tilapia is considered one of the most delicious of the fresh water fish.  Thai people like to have Tilapia in many different ways and forms whether fried, grilled, baked or even processed into other products like sun- dried.  Today we have an easy and simple dish of the baked fish menu by using Tilapia.  The ingredients and how to do are so easy and are as the following steps.

• Tilapia  (while Bass also work well) weight 1500 grams (about 3-4 lbs)
• Salt 500 grams (1 lb)
• 2 egg whites

How to do salt baked fish…
1. Take off the scale on the fish, cut fish belly and take out the entrails and clean the whole fish thoroughly.  Use the paper towel to absorb the water on the fish.
2. Use the tray or oven safe baking dish that fish can fit perfectly in it.
3. Mix egg white and salt together.
4. Then take the salt mixture and apply on top of the fish thoroughly both sides. This one might be a little bit difficult because the side that have to face the tray seems like the salt doesn’t want to stick onto the fish (don’t worry, it will be just fine).
5. Bake the fish at 425 Fahrenheit (or about 220 Celcius) for 30 minutes and it will be just perfectly done.
6. Serve with “The sauce”.
The sauce

• 10-12 Fresh Thai chili
• 3 cloves of Garlic (peeled)
• 4 Tbs Sugar
• 2 Tbs Fishsauce
• 3 Tbs lemon juice

Blend all the ingredients together until all the ingredients are well mixed. Taste should be spicy, sweet and sour. Not recommend to pound all the ingredients together because it could get a nasty smell from the green chili.

 

Tod Mun Plah Grai (Fried Fish Cake Thai Style)

Tod Mun Plah Grai (Fried Fish Cake Thai Style) is another popular recipe for those who like to have fish. In addition to being easy to find to eat and for sale in a busy general community area Tod Mun Plah Grai is also an easy dish to make on your own at home. Or if inconvenient to make it yourself, you can buy it pre-made and then fry it yourself.

How to make Tod Mun Plah Grai so tasty and delicious, here are some tips and steps to do.
Ingredients

• 300 grams (10 ounces) Notopteridae fish meat (you can substitute any mild white fish), crushed or finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp red curry paste
• 1 cup long yard beans, finely chopped
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt, bring to thawed in 1 Tbsp ice cold water
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

How to do…
1. Bring the Notopteridae fish meat, red curry paste, long yard beans, kaffir lime leaves, and egg to mix and knead together until sticky.
2. Season with fish sauce, sugar and salted water and knead until sticky and well mixed.
3. Add the vegetable oil into the wok and place it on medium heat. When the oil is hot then reduce the heat to low. Then put the Tod Mun in to fry, by making it into a thumb sized ball and spread it out into a flat disk about 1 cm thick and 1 ½ -2 inches in diameter. Fry until it cooks and turns golden on both sides. When it is cooked, scoop it up to drain out the oil. Arrange on a plate and serve with the sauce.

The sauce ingredients

• ½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 small cucumbers
• ½ -1 tsp pounded fresh Thai chili (depends on whether you like more or less spicy)
• 2 Tbsp grounded roasted peanuts (optional, depends on your preference)
• 2 coriander stalks, coarsely chopped

How to do the sauce…
1. Wash cucumbers with water thoroughly. Then cut in half lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise.
2. Add Thai sweet chili sauce into a mixing bowl. Follow with cucumber, fresh Thai chili, peanuts and coriander. Stir well. Then serve with Tod Mun.
Tip
Immerse the bowl that holds the Tod Mun mixture in crushed ice or refrigerate it over night. And then fry it the next day, so this will allow Tod Mun to inflate, rise, and look delicious.