Thai Cuisine Recipe

INGREDIENTS :
Carrots or raw papaya or
cabbage or cucumber, shredded2cups
Fresh bird's eye chili peppers, bruised8
Unsalted, toasted peanuts,
oarsely ground4tbsp.
Dry shrimps, ground5 - 6tsp.
(4 servings)


SALAD DRESSING :

Fish sauce1/4cup
Brown sugar1/2cup

Lime juice1/2cup
Garlic chopped2cloves

1. To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2. Grate the carrots or any of the vegetables mentioned above, rinse in cold water and drain well.
3. Toss the salad with the salad dressing adding the creshed bird's eye chili peppers should your salad spicy. Add a teaspoon of the peanuts and ground shrimps and toss thoroughly.
4. Plate the salad and garnish with ground peanuts and ground shrimps.

Tips.-
Som tam became famous during the Vietnam war when American G.l'.s came to Thailand for R and R and were introduced to this salad from the North East. Raw papaya is difficult to get in some countries so we suggest you use carrots or cabbage instead. It is recommended that once this salad is tossed it should be eaten immediately since Thai salad dressings do not have oils which help salads stay fresh longer.
Do you know that the flesh and oil from papaya is used to make meat tenderizers? NO wonder it helps your digestion.

INGREDIENTS :
Chicken stock2cups
Fresh mushrooms, quartered5oz.
Fish sauce4 - 5tbsp.
Fresh prawns, peeled8oz.
Kaffir lime leaves2leaves

Bird's eye chili peppers4whole
Fresh coriander leaves4sprigs
Fresh lemon grass, sliced thin3tbsp.
Fresh lime juice5 - 7tbsp.
(2 servings)



1. In a pot, bring to the boil the chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.
2. Allow the stock with the herbs to boil for one minute to allow the herbs to impart their scent to the stock. Add fresh mushrooms and boil until done (one minute).
3. While the liquid is still boiling add the prawns and season with fish sauce and lime juice. Garnish with bird's eye chili peppers and coriander leaves, serve immediately. Do not over cook the prawns, once the prawns turn white, turn off the heat.

Tips...
Both lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves are available in Asian grocery stores the world over. They are usually dried then exported so rehydrate them before using. Tom yum kung is a well known dish. It has a delicate flavor, so when you season the soup, add the lime juice last and a little at a time, tasting the soup as you season. Should you add too much to the soup it cannot be corrected, hence make lime juice the last flavoring ingredient.

INGREDIENTS :

Prawns 1lb.
Fresh lemon grass, sliced thin1/2cup
Shallots, thinly sliced1/4cup
Young ginger, julienne1/4cup
Kaffir lime leaves, sliced very thin4 - 5leaves
(4 servings)


DRESSING :
Lime juice3tbsp.
Fish sauce 4tbsp.

Sugar2tsp.
Fresh spur chili peppers,
thinly sliced6


GARNISHES :
Lettuce
Mint Leaves
1. Peel the prawns and clean well. Blanch the prawns in boiling water until just done and soak them in cold water to stop them from over cooking, drain and put aside.
2. Toss the prawns and salad ingredients with the dressing. Mix all the herbs well and spoon this salad onto a platter lined with fresh lettuce leaves. Decorate the dish with fresh mint leaves.
Tips.-
This dish has many variations and is very popular with drinkers in Thailand because its spiciness goes well with either beer or whisky.