Thai Cuisine Recipe

Some echos of Thailand, this punch uses banana and Thai oranges to create a semi-thick non-alcoholic punch suitable for children. If you can find them, use a sour orange, with plenty of vitamin C.

Ingredients for 2 People
3 Bananas
1 Green Orange
100 gms Sugar
300 gms Water
100 gms Crushed Ice

Preparation
1. Boil the water with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved and leave it to cool to form a syrup.
2. Chop the bananas, put into a blender, add the syrup and crushed ice.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Put into the glass garnished with a slice of orange and slices of banana.

I was shocked when I first visited Europe and when I asked for a lemon soda, I was given a fizzy clear sickly sweet drink that had never been near a lemon. That was my first brush with bottle lemonade (yuck). Here's how I make lemon soda in Thailand. If you've never made fresh lemonade, you may be suprised at the taste, just as I was suprised at the taste of supermarket bottled lemonade! Imagine a lazy summer day by the pool sipping lemonade when you drink it.

Ingredients for Family
3 Lemons
500 ml Soda Water (Fizzy Mineral Water)
200 ml Water
150 gms Sugar
200 gms Ice

Preparation
1. Boil the water with sugar until it has completely dissolved, then leave it to cool. This is your sweetening syrup.
2. Squeeze the lemons to get juice.
3. Then mix the syrup with lemon juice, soda-water and stir it together. Add the syrup slowly to adjust the sweetness to your own tastes.
4. Put ice it to the glass and pour the lemon soda over it, its nice to present with slices of lemon and orange in it.

This drink is made in Thailand using 'Hellbruboy' (a contraction of it's full name 'Hale's Blue Boy' Brand Syrup) a brand name sticky sweet red syrup drink that is added to hot water to make a hot drink. It can be bought in Thai supermarkets, look for the Thai name เฮลซ์บลูบอย. You can substitute strawberry milk shake syrup, it has a similar look but a different taste, sorry there really is no suitable substitute.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Sweet Red Syrup Thai drink
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Condensed Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar
150 ml Water
100 gms Crushed Ice

Preparation
1. Boil the water
2. Add the HellbruBoy, milk and sugar into a cup, add the boiling water and mix with spoon.
3. Leave the 'brew' to cool.
4. Put the crushed ice into a serving glass, pour in the 'brew' and pour the condensed milk over the top.
5. Serve immediately.

Ice tea is popular in Thailand and this is a common sweet drink made from ice tea.
Ingredients
2 Teaspoons Black Tea Leaves.
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Condensed Milk
100 gms Crushed Ice
150 ml Water

Preparation
1. Boil the water.
2. Brew the tea for at least 2 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and stir.
4. It is a good idea to sieve the tea at this point, if you leave tea in the water too long it becomes bitter.
5. Leave to cool.
6. Put the crushed ice into a glass add the tea and pour condensed milk over the top.
7. Serve immediately.

One of my favorite drinks in Thailand is a melon ice drink, similar to commercial drinks, however this one is made with fresh fruit rather than synthetic flavour and tastes all the better for it.

Ingredients
1-2 Kgs Sindria (Sweet Red Watermelon)
500 gms Ice
2 Thirsty People

Preparation
1. In a food processor blend the ice until it is finely broken up.
2. Chop the red part of the melon. Remove excessive seeds, but it isn't necessary to remove every one.
3. Add the melon chunks to the blender.
4. Blend a little more until the melon is puried and well mixed with the ice.
5. Serve in tall glasses with a straw.
A wondeful simple way to enjoy fresh fruit.

Soft rice soup is very common in Thailand, it's made by boiling rice overnight until it becomes soft, more like a fine pureé than a rice dish. There are many easier ways to make this dish though. In Thailand we have instant Jog in packets, you can also buy Rice Semolina in supermarkets in the west, this can be used to make Jog and another way is to make rice soup and liquidize it with a hand blender.

Ingredients for 2 People
100 gms Rice Semolina
1 Chicken Stock Cube
500 ml Water
1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Tablespoon Chopped Celery
40 gms Pork Liver

Preparation
1. Clean the pork liver and slice it. Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes and set it aside.
2. Into a saucepan, place the rice semolina, 500 ml water and bring to the boil.
3. Add the chicken stock cube and salt. Boil and stir for 10 minutes.
4. To serve, place the rice into a bowl, add the pork liver, chopped coriander, celery and a dash of white pepper. This is served with the usual Thai condiments, of flaked dried chillies, some fresh soya beansprouts and thin slices of ginger. All of these add the flavours and if you can, it's best to add a little of each.

Serve With
Soya Beansprouts
Chop Ginger
Flaked Chillies
Fried Garlic

The green topping on these pancakes is made from Bi Tua (pandan), the sweet reed with the bubblegum like flavour used in many Thai desserts.

Ingredients
100 gms Rice Flour
230 ml Water
80 gms Cooked Thai Rice
50 gms Shredded Coconut
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Preparation
1. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth.
2. Warm a mini pancake pan on a medium heat.
3. Rub oil onto the surface with a piece of oiled kitchen paper.
4. Pour a little mixture into each dimple and over with a lid for 1 minute. You want them nearly cooked.

Ingredients for Topping
200 ml Evaporated Milk
100 ml Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Wheat Flour
1/2 Salt
5 Tablespoons Sugar
2-3 Tablespoons Bi tua Water

Preparation
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and cook through very slowly until it thickens.
2. Spoon the mixture onto the pancakes, then finish cooking the pancakes with the mixture on top.