Thailand Travel & Food

Recipe: Dal Makhani (Kidney Beans & Lentils in Spicy Cream Sauce)

2007-12-07T11:22:00.001-08:00

This is a classic Punjabi dish - a very rich, satisfying dish that's full of protein...

1/2 cup whole black lentils
2 cups kidney beans, pre-cooked

1 onion, chopped finely
1 tomato, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TB ginger, grated
1 TB tomato paste
2 TB heavy cream
1 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. amchur (mango powder) (optional)
1 TB butter
2 TB oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oil in a pan and saute onions until lightly browned. Add salt, chili powder, garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add lentils. Add enough water to cover lentils and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender. Add cream, cumin, coriander, amchur, butter, and kidney beans and cook 5 more minutes on low heat.

Recipe: Thai Waterfall Salad (Nam Tok)

2007-12-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

This interesting dish is a twist on the classic Thai beef dish, using gluten in place of the beef. The combination of the khao koor and sesame creates a crunchy texture, while the sauce has a nice citrus-herb punch.

3 large wheat gluten steaks (depending on size - use as much as you think you need...)

For marinade:

1 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
1 TB tamarind water
1 TB lime juice
1 tsp. roasted chili powder

1/4 cup soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 TB shallots, minced
2 TB cilantro, chopped
2 TB mint, chopped
2 TB khao koor
1 TB white sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp. roasted chili powder

kaffir lime leaves, chiffonade, for garnish

Cut wheat gluten steaks into strips and place in combined marinade ingredients for 1-2 hours. Remove from marinade. Heat 1 TB oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add gluten and fry for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Add remaining ingredients and stir to heat through. Serve and garnish with lime leaves.

Recipe: Mango Lassi

2007-12-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

The Indian version of the "smoothie", this is a wonderful, fruity, and refreshing drink. I seriously doubt it would hurt to put a couple of ounces of your favorite liquor in this to make it a "big boy" drink - try light rum...

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup condensed milk
3 mangos, peeled and cored
1.5 TB honey
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

Peel and core mangos. Add all ingredients to blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with a mint leaf.

Recipe: Thai Fried Rice with Basil (Khao Pad Krapow)

2007-12-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

Do not use freshly cooked rice for this recipe, or it will become gummy after cooking in the wok. Use leftover rice from the day before, or alternatively, if you don't have the time, prepare the rice, let it cool and dry out, and then place it in the freezer for 2 hours. This should help dry the rice to a sufficient state. If the rice is still too wet, it will stick together.

2 TB cooking oil
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 garlic clove, minced
4 fresh red Thai chilis, chopped
1 cup button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup long beans, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Sauce mixture:
3 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
1 TB lime juice
1/2 tsp. white pepper, ground
1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tomato, diced, for garnish
1 cucumber, sliced, for garnish

16 Thai basil leaves

Heat oil over medium heat and fry garlic and chilis until garlic is light brown. Add onions, long beans, carrot, scallions, and mushrooms and stir. Cook 1 minute and add rice. Stir to combine and fry 1 minute. Add sauce mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Add basil leaves, stir, and remove from heat. Serve garnished with tomato and cucumber and a few basil leaves.

Recipe: Vegetarian Kim Chi

2007-12-05T11:05:00.001-08:00

1 large pickle jar, or similar container
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1 cup daikon radish, shredded
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
2 TB sea salt
2 TB roasted chili powder
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 TB sugar
1/4 cup vegetarian fish sauce
5 scallions, diced

Sterilize glass jar and lid in boiling water for 1 minute.

Coat shredded cabbage, radish, and carrot with sea salt in a bowl and toss. Let sit for about 3-4 hours until cabbage is just barely limp. Mix roasted chili powder with 4 TB water and let sit for about 2 hours until water is a very deep, red color.

Combine salted, shredded vegetables with chili-water mixture, sugar, ginger, scallions and vegetarian fish sauce in the sterilized jar. Fill jar the rest of the way up with water. Shake jar vigorously to mix all ingredients well. Let sit in the fridge, without opening, for 3 days to properly ferment.

Recipe: Garlic Naan (Indian Flatbread)

2007-12-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

Usually made in a tandoor, this version is made in a good-old western oven...

1lb white flour
1oz dried yeast
1 tsp nigella seed (also known in Indian stores as charnushka or kanolfi seed)
6 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp ghee or melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp. garlic, minced
oil or ghee to coat

1. Mix sugar into warm water until dissolved.
2. Add yeast to sugar-water mixture and wait until yeast froths (proofs).
3. In another bowl, mix salt with flour and nigella seeds.
4. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add yogurt, ghee, and yeast mixture.
5. Add garlic and knead well until it forms a smooth dough. Shape into a ball. If dough is sticky, add more flour until elastic.
6. Coat another bowl with oil or ghee and roll dough into it until fully coated.
7. Shake off excess oil and cover with damp cloth.
8. Wait 2 or 3 hours, until dough doubles in size.
9. Knead the dough and divide into around 6 equal portions. Flatten each portion to 1/2" thick.
10. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake for 10 mins. Brush with ghee or butter, sprinkle with a little bit more minced garlic, and serve.

Recipe: Roasted Rice Powder (Khao Koor)

2007-12-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

This crunchy, toasty concoction adds a unique flavor and texture to Thai dishes, such as this one - "Tofu and Long Beans with Crying Tiger Sauce"...

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

Heat a wok or pan over medium heat. Add rice and toss continuously over heat until golden brown. Place rice in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a coarse powder.

Recipe: Fresh Bean Curd Skin (Yuba)

2007-12-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

Bean curd skin is sold dried in both sheets and sticks, but it is much tastier if you make it fresh. You can then use it in any recipe calling for bean curd skin, like this one for bean curd skin roll with Cantonese black bean sauce.

Make sure that you are not using "drinking" soy milk. The only ingredients your soymilk should have are soybeans and water.

2 cups soy milk

1. Pour soy milk into pan and bring to the threshold of boiling over medium heat. Small bubbles will begin to form around the edges of the soy milk.

2. Turn off the heat and let a "skin" form on the top of the soy milk - this is your yuba. Remove skin with chopsticks and place in a dish. Let pot remain over low heat and repeat process, continuing to let skins form, removing each one to the dish. It should take about an hour to finish the pot of soymilk.

Yuba can be used in many recipes, but is actually quite good by itself, with a little soy sauce sprinkled over it.

Recipe: Chinese Cabbage Rolls

2007-12-05T10:30:00.001-08:00

1 head of napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage)
1 block tofu
1/2 cup enoki mushrooms
4 green onions, diced thinly
1 rib celery, diced thinly
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup water chestnuts, diced
3 TB oil, divided (preferably peanut)
1 block tofu
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup enoki mushrooms
4 green onions, diced thinly
1 rib celery, diced thinly
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup water chestnuts, diced
1 tsp. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Shao Xing wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
very small pinch five-spice powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 TB toasted white sesame seeds

Seperate the cabbage into individual leaves. Place about 1" of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add cabbage leaves, place lid on pot, and steam for 1 minute, until the leaves are soft and pliable. Set aside. Dice tofu into 1/4" cubes and saute in 2 TB of the oil until slightly brown. Mix hoisin, soy, sesame oil, and white pepper together in a small bowl and add fried tofu. Let marinate for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms, celery, carrots, and green onion in the remainder of the oil on high heat. When the vegetables are slightly caramelized, add tofu and marinade and stir. Remove from heat and add toasted sesame seeds. Take each cabbage leaf and place 2 TB (or less if the leaves are smaller) of the tofu-vegetable mixture at the base of each leaf. Roll the leaf up, using toothpicks to secure the end if necessary. Place cabbage rolls into a hot steamer and steam for 6-7 minutes. Let rest on paper towels for 3 minutes to absorb excess moisture.

Recipe: Jasmine-Scented Thai Basil Rolls

2007-12-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

12 rice paper spring roll wrappers
1 cup Thai basil leaves, whole
3 cups jasmine tea, strongly brewed

For filling:

1 small bundle of mung bean thread, soaked until tender and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup mint, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup fried tofu, diced
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1/8 tsp. sesame oil

Roasted chili paste (nam prik pao) for dipping

Toss filling ingredients together in a bowl. Dip each wrapper in hot tea until it becomes flexible. Place a couple basil leaves on the center of the wrapper, top with a bit of the filling, and roll the wrapper up. Serve with nam prik pao for dipping.

Recipe: Evil Jungle Prince with Vegetables

2007-11-20T08:32:00.001-08:00

1/2 cup oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup baby corn
1/2 cup zucchini, large dice
1/2 red bell pepper, large dice
1/2 cup long beans, cut
1/2 cup water chestnuts, diced
1/2 cup fresh bamboo shoot, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup napa cabbage, large dice
1/2 cup bean sprouts

For curry paste:

10 red Thai chilis
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only
2 kaffir lime leaves, chiffonade
1 TB shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, crushed

2 TB oil, divided
1/2 cup coconut milk
2-3 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
20 basil leaves
1 cup shredded cabbage
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Pound curry paste ingredients in a mortar and pestle until smooth. Heat 1 TB oil in pan and fry curry paste until aromatic. Add coconut milk and soy/veggie fish sauce and stir to combine. Cook 2 minutes and remove from heat. Heat the remaining 1 TB oil in a wok on very high heat. Fry vegetables until browned and crisp-tender. Stir coconut-curry mixture into vegetables and heat through. Add basil leaves and cook 30 seconds more. Remove from heat and serve over a bed of shredded cabbage. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Recipe: Oyster Mushroom & Bamboo Curry

2007-11-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

This is a very common soup in Isan (Northeastern Thailand) and Laos. It's usually made with all manner of weird fish skins and fermented stuff, but this recipe is a little more palatable for us vegetarians. This recipe is also known as keng Lao in Thailand and keng noh mai som in Laos.

Yanang is a green leafy plant used in Thai and Lao cooking. You can buy the extract in Asian groceries, or conversely, you can also find bamboo shoots that have been preserved in "bai yanang". Either method is acceptable, but the latter will give a flavor that we'll call "foreign" to Western palates. If you can't find it, you can omit it altogether, but add 2 tsp. of white vinegar to the soup instead.

1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup yanang extract
1 cup bamboo shoots, julienned
2 cups oyster mushrooms
1 cup diced winter squash (kabocha, butternut, etc.)
2 tsp. glutinous rice flour
6 red Thai chilis

2 TB shallots
2 TB lemongrass, white parts only, minced
2 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Add stock, yanang, and rice flour to a pot, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add bamboo, mushrooms, squash, chilis, lemongrass, shallots, and soy/veggie fish sauce.

Recipe: Thai Roasted Eggplant Salad

2007-11-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

4 japanese eggplants
4 large green chilis (jalapeno, fresno, poblano, etc.)
10 red Thai chilis, chopped
4 TB lime juice
3 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
1 TB palm sugar
1 TB oil
1 cup fried tofu, diced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Fry shallots and garlic in oil until brown and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Heat a charcoal grill and roast eggplant and green chilis over hot coals until charred on all sides. Place eggplant and green chilis in a closed paper bag for 10 minutes to loosen the skins. Remove skins, tops, stems, etc. and cut eggplants and chilis into several long strips each.

Mix lime juice, soy/veggie fish sauce, red Thai chilis, and palm sugar together until palm sugar is dissolved. Place roasted eggplant and green chili slices on a platter, top with tofu, and spoon sauce over top. Garnish with crispy fried shallots and garlic and a sprig of cilantro.

Recipe: Nobu-style Tofu with Miso Sauce and Mizuna Greens

2007-11-19T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is a preparation inspired by one of the most celebrated Japanese chefs in the world, Nobu Matsuhisha. The classic Nobu dish employs black cod, but we've substitued a tasty piece of grilled, caramelized tofu.

Our little twist is that the tofu is served over mizuna greens, a common Japanese green, with a bit of yuzu dressing (you can substitute a mixture of lemon and lime juice for the yuzu), which is also Nobu-inspired, though I first experienced it at Morimoto in Philadelphia. Hajikami (pickled ginger shoots) can be found in jars in Asian groceries. If you can't find them, just omit. If you ever have the chance to eat at one of Nobu's restaurants, they are highly recommended.

2 blocks of extra firm tofu
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 TB brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp. white pepper

For miso sauce:
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup white miso paste
1/2 cup sugar

4 cups mizuna greens or baby arugula
1 TB fresh yuzu juice (or half-lemon, half-lime juice)
2 TB grapeseed oil
1 tsp. garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Hajikami, for garnish
Crispy fried shallots, for garnish

Slice blocks of tofu crosswise to form 4 tofu "steaks". Combine soy, brown rice syrup, and white pepper. Brush this mixture on the tofu and grill over low heat until tofu is nicely browned on both sides.

Bring sake and mirin to boil in a pan for 20 seconds to evaporate alcohol. Turn the heat down to low and stir in miso. Once miso is incorporated, turn heat up to medium and add sugar (continue stirring to keep from burning). Stir until mixture is smooth, being careful not to boil (which removes the nutrients from the miso).

Blend yuzu (or lemon-lime) juice with grapeseed oil, garlic, pepper, and soy and toss with greens. Place 1 cup of greens on each plate and garnish with fried shallots. Place one tofu "steak" over greens and ladle miso sauce over the top. Garnish with hajikami, if desired.

Recipe: Mee Krab (or Mee Krob)

2007-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

Contrary to the famous words spoken by our friend, Eric Cartman - ("You know, that stuff you can get as an appetizer at Thai Food restaurants? Mee krob, dude, it's WAY grosser than sh*t. I'd scarf down a whole wet bucket full of sh*t before I ate another plate of mee krob.") - this is a terrific dish, with an explosion of unique flavors. I can assure you that this version does not taste anything like the aforementioned fecal matter...

8 oz. rice vermicelli noodles, uncooked
oil, for deep frying
2 cups
2 eggs
4 TB pickled garlic, thinly sliced
4 TB shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Thai red chilis, thinly sliced
Cilantro sprigs

For sauce:
1 TB tomato paste
2 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
2 TB palm sugar
2 TB lime juice
1 TB tamarind water

Break the noodles into small lengths. Heat the oil to 375 degrees and begin dropping noodles into the hot oil (a little bit at a time). They will puff up and brown almost immediately. Remove from hot oil and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat until all noodles are fried. Beat eggs and drizzle into hot oil to form a cooked ribbon of egg. Remove egg from fryer and chop. Add tofu to fryer and fry until golden brown. Remove tofu and drain on paper towels.

Add 1 TB oil to a wok or pan and heat. Fry pickled garlic and shallots for 1 minute. Add tofu to pan and stir. Cook 1 more minute and remove from pan.

Combine sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve sugar.

Place a pile of crispy rice noodles on a plate, topping with a little bit of the fried egg and the tofu mixture. Spoon sauce over dish and garnish with bean sprouts, sliced chilis, scallions, and cilantro.

Recipe: Tandoori Grilled Vegetable & Tofu Skewers

2007-11-19T11:55:00.001-08:00

If you don't have a tandoor oven (and if you need to read this recipe, you don't...), this dish can be prepared over a hot charcoal grill. After writing this, I'm kind of wondering how much trouble it would be to build (or at least procure) a traditional tandoor oven. Probably a lot...

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB garlic, finely minced
1 TB ginger, grated
1 TB ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp. roasted chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. black pepper, ground
2 tsp. salt

Assorted firm vegetables (zucchini, carrot, cauliflower, squash, potato, mushrooms, etc.)
1 block tofu
Bamboo skewers, for grilling
Cilantro, for garnish

Mix yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and spices in a bowl and set aside. Cut vegetables and tofu into large chunks, big enough to fit on wooden skewers for grilling. Mix tofu and vegetables with marinade, stirring to cover. Let marinate for 8 hours, or overnight.

Place bamboo skewers in cold water for 1 hour to soak (so they won't burn on the grill). Remove tofu and vegetables from marinade and skewer. Try to get one type of vegetable on each skewer instead of a variety. This way, the vegetables that cook faster can be pulled off the grill earlier. Brush grill with oil and grill vegetable and tofu skewers over hot coals until browned all over and cooked through. Serve over rice with a cilantro sprig as garnish.

Recipe: Indonesian Gado Gado (Vegetables with Spicy Peanut Sauce)

2007-11-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

This classic Indonesian dish of blanched vegetables and spicy peanut sauce is one the most popular dishes in the region, with a million different incarnations. The dish is usually topped with shrimp crackers (we've used rice crackers instead) and fried onions. You can fry the onions yourself by dusting the slices in flour and deep-frying, or you can just used pre-prepared fried onions.

1 cup napa cabbage, chopped
2 cups long beans, chopped
1 cup baby corn
1 cup snap peas
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup fried tofu, diced
1 cucumber, seeded, peeled, and chopped
2 cups red leaf lettuce, roughly chopped
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup rice crackers, broken into pieces
2 TB crispy fried onions

For peanut sauce (sambal kacang):

1/2 tsp. laos (galangal) powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 TB soy sauce
1 TB tamarind water
1 tsp. roasted chili powder

Blanch cabbage, beans, cauliflower, baby corn, snap peas, and broccoli in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove. Blanch bean sprouts for one minute and remove. Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter and place blanched vegetables, tofu, sliced tomato, and cucumber slices on top. Combine sauce ingredients in a pan and heat until combined and smooth. Ladle hot peanut sauce over entire platter (or serve on the side for dipping) and serve.

Recipe: Vegetarian Korean Bulgogi Wraps with Gochujang Marinade

2007-11-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

The one and only time I've seen a vegetarian version of this dish was at a great restaurant called The Peaceful Dragon in Charlotte, NC. It's quite easy to make your own, and they're very tasty...

12 large leaves of red leaf lettuce or romaine lettuce
1 lb. wheat gluten strips

For marinade:

2 TB soy sauce
6 TB gochujang (fermented korean red pepper) paste
2 TB honey
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 TB ginger, grated
3 green onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
2 TB white vinegar
1/2 TB sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil

Vegetarian kim chi, as needed
4 oz. bean thread noodles, prepared
1.5 cups mung bean sprouts
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate gluten strips for one hour. Meanwhile, combine cucumber/carrot strips, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil in a bowl and refrigerate.

Remove gluten from marinade, reserving marinade, and grill over hot coals until browned and crispy on all sides. Heat marinade in a pan and simmer until reduced by half. Place reduced marinade in a serving bowl.

Serve cucumber/carrot salad, grilled gluten, marinade/sauce, bean thread noodles, bean sprouts, and kim chi on a platter with the lettuce leaves. Place a bit of all the ingredients in the leaf and wrap up to eat.

Recipe: Vietnamese Bun (Spicy Noodle Salad)

2007-11-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

For salad:

2 cups red leaf lettuce, chopped
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup cucumber, peeled and seeded, julienned
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Thai basil, chopped

8 oz. rice vermicelli (very thin rice noodles), prepared

1 TB oil
1 cup fried tofu, diced
1 cup baby bok choy or napa cabbage, chopped
1 cup sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 TB red Thai chilis, chopped
1/2 cup scallions, cut into 1" lengths

Roasted peanuts, for garnish
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Vegetarian nuoc cham, for dressing, recipe follows

Toss salad ingredients together and place in bowls. Top salad with prepared rice noodles. Heat oil in pan and stir-fry tofu, bok choy, red pepper, chilis, and scallions for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Place tofu-vegetable mixture on top of noodles in each bowl and garnish with roasted peanuts and cilantro. Serve with a side of vegetarian nuoc cham.

Vegetarian Nuoc Cham:

4 TB sugar
3 TB water
1/3 cup soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 red Thai chilis, minced

Combine sugar, water, soy/veggie fish sauce and lime juice and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add garlic and chilis and let stand for 1 hour before serving.

Recipe: Thai Pumpkin Soup

2007-11-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

This recipe uses kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), but you can also use any firm winter squash (like butternut) or regular pumpkin.

1 TB oil
1/4 cup shallots
4 red Thai chilis, chopped
1/2 TB ginger, grated
4 cups kabocha pumpkin, cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
1.2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
1 cup fried tofu, diced

Heat oil in pot and fry shallots, ginger, and chilis for one minute, until aromatic. Add coconut milk, pumpkin, stock, and cilantro. Add salt and simmer until pumpkin is tender about 10 minutes. Add soy sauce/veggie fish sauce and stir. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Add black pepper and tofu and stir. Ladle into bowls and top with scallions.

Recipe: Rice-Stuffed Tofu (Inari) with Soy-Mirin Sauce

2007-11-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

A classic sushi preparation using tofu and sushi rice... If you can't find inari pouches (pre-made fried tofu pockets), you can deep fry big slices of tofu and cut a pocket in them (after they're cool) with a knife.

12 inari pouches (deep-fried tofu pockets)
prepared sushi rice
shredded, toasted nori
black and white sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 TB mirin
2 TB soy sauce

Stuff each tofu pocket with a little bit of the sushi rice. Place stuffed tofu into broiler, with rice side up, until rice is slightly brown and crispy on the top.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable stock in saucepan. Add soy sauce and mirin and stir to combine.

Remove tofu from broiler and place on a platter in a circular pattern. Pour sauce over tofu and garnish with a bit of shredded nori and sesame seeds. Serve as an appetizer platter.

Recipe: Spicy Bhutanese Stew (Jasha Maroo)

2007-11-16T08:20:00.001-08:00

Another hearty recipe from the Himalayan foothills. Starting to notice they don't really have a very wide variety of produce up there in the higher elevations?

1 lb. gluten strips, chopped into small pieces
1.5 TB sesame oil
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup leek, finely chopped
2 TB Shaoxing wine
1 tomato, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 cup vegetable stock
salt, to taste
cilantro, for garnish

Add sesame oil to pan and saute gluten pieces, garlic, leek, onion, and jalapeno until slightly browned. Add wine and tomato and stir. Add stock to pan and stir. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes on low. Add more stock if necessary. Salt to taste and serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Recipe: Tibetan Mushroom Barley Soup

2007-11-16T07:55:00.001-08:00

This is an extremely simple, yet tasty, recipe. Use pot barley if you can find it, but pearl barley will do (just don't cook it quite as long). Using yak butter would make it truly authentic, but good luck finding it...

2 TB butter (or margarine)
2 cups assorted wild mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, crimini, or whatever you like)
1/4 cup barley
4 cups vegetable stock
1 TB soy sauce
salt, pepper to taste

Saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat until softened. Add barley and stock and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, until barley is done, and add soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipe: Tibetan Roasted Potato Soup (Shogo Tang)

2007-11-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

3 potatoes
1 TB butter
1/2 TB ginger, grated
1 TB garlic, chopped
1 tsp. roasted chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns
2 cups water
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup Tibetan tea (or any similar tea)
2 scallions, chopped

Prepare the tea, making sure not to make it too strong, and mix with the 2 cups of water and 1 cup of stock. Heat a broiler and broil potatoes until brown and very slightly charred (but NOT burnt). Turn and brown other side. This process should take about 30-40 minutes. When the potatoes are done and cooled, peel the potatoes, chopping up the both the browned peel and potatoes into small chunks. Fry the garlic, ginger, chili powder, and ground peppercorns in the butter for 1 minutes, or until aromatic. Add potatoes and potato skins and mash while adding water and tea, until you get a smooth-chunky consistency (you'll know when you get there). Ladle into bowls and top with chopped scallions.

Recipe: Wheat Noodles with Thai Yellow Curry (Khanom Jin Nam Prik)

2007-11-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Wheat noodle (Khanom Jin) dishes are very popular in the South of Thailand, with the most famous being a combination of the tasty wheat noodles with a fiery yellow ground fish curry. We've approximated that recipe, removing the fish and substituting tofu, which is ground into the curry in the same fashion as the fish normally is to try to achieve a similar texture. Krachai is relied upon heavily in this recipe, and really cannot be substituted. Krachai (also known as lesser ginger, rhizome, and chinese keys) is hard to find fresh in the West, but can usually be purchased at Asian groceries in jars. Used the brined version in jars rather than the powdered version if you can help it. The wheat noodles used in Southern Thailand are easy to approximate using soba (buckwheat) noodles.

2 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup krachai, peeled and thinly sliced
2 TB soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
4 TB Thai yellow curry paste
1 block of tofu, diced and fried to golden brown
2 bundles somen (buckwheat) noodles
1 TB oil
2 TB garlic, chopped
2 TB shallots, chopped
1 cup water spinach, chopped (or regular spinach)
1 cup long beans, cut into small pieces
1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
Thai chilis, chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup sweet basil, chopped, for garnish

Add oil to pan, heat over medium high, and fry garlic and shallots for 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and combine with sliced krachai and curry paste. Pound in a mortar and pestle or process in a food processor until you have a smooth paste. Add fried tofu to paste and continue to pound or process until tofu has broken down to crumbles and the mixture is well combined.

Add coconut milk to pan and begin adding tofu/curry mixture a little bit at a time and stir to combine. Add soy sauce/veggie fish sauce. Meanwhile, prepare noodles, rinse in cold water when done, and set aside. Add noodles to bowls and spoon hot coconut curry mixture over the noodles. Serve with green vegetables and bean sprouts on the side and garnish with chopped chilis and basil.