THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (44 page)

Blending Chinese ingredients with local spices creates a type of fusion cooking that is unique to Singapore, called Nonya. These dishes are a specialty of “Hawker Centers,” open-air centers with fast-food street stalls selling everything from satay to stir-fried noodles to spicy crab. Don't miss them if you travel to Singapore.

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons sweet (dark) soy sauce

1 tablespoon Black Bean Paste (see recipe on page 10)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice wine

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)

1 cup water

1. Prepare the marinade by combining the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces, Black Bean Paste, sesame oil, rice wine, black pepper, garlic, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
   
2. Add the pork slices to the bowl of marinade and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover the pork and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
   
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
   
4. Transfer the pork to a clay pot or other ovenproof braising vessel.
   
5. Stir together the tamarind and water; pour over the pork.
   
6. Bake the pork in a 350-degree oven for 1½ hours, until very tender.
   

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup sliced domestic mushrooms

¼ cup green onion slices

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons Red Curry Paste (see recipes in Chapter 1)

¼ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

1 can coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1½ pounds cooked shrimp

1. In a wok or large sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high.
   
2. Add the mushrooms, green onions, garlic, and ginger; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
3. Stir together the hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and curry paste, and 5-spice powder until well combined. Add the mixture to the wok.
   
4. Stir in the coconut milk and adjust seasoning to taste with the salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp are heated through.
   

½ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ — ¾ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 cup carrot slices

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

1–2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups broccoli florets

1. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, cornstarch, 5-spice powder, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and honey; set aside.
   
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, onion, and garlic. Stir-fry for approximately 4 minutes.
   
3. Add the broccoli and continue cooking another 2 to 4 minutes.
   
4. Stir in the sauce. Cook until the vegetables are done to your liking and the sauce is thick, approximately 2 minutes.
   
5. Serve over rice noodles, pasta, or rice.
   

1 pound sweet potatoes or yams of varying varieties, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

1. Place the sweet potato pieces in a large saucepan. Add just enough water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and cook until the potatoes are soft. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
   
2. Stir in the sugar and salt. After the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut milk. Adjust the seasonings by adding salt and/or sugar if necessary. Adjust the consistency by adding more water and/or coconut milk.
   

5 cups Red Curry Cambogee (recipe on page 250)

1 pound sirloin, trimmed, and cut into bite-sized pieces

2–3 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

½ cup chopped peanuts

2 cups bean sprouts

1. In a large saucepan, bring the curry sauce to a simmer.
   
2. Add the meat and potatoes and simmer until done to your liking, about 20 to 30 minutes.
   
3. Garnish with the peanuts and bean sprouts.
   

½ pound Chinese wheat noodles

Vegetable oil for frying

½ pound firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

½ pound dried tofu, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons minced ginger

½ teaspoon yellow asafetida powder

1 bunch choy sum, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons sambal oelek

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups mung bean shoots or bean sprouts

1. Cook the noodles al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain; set aside.
   
2. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the firm tofu cubes and deep-fry until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu cubes to paper towels to drain; set aside.
   
3. Add the dried tofu pieces and deep-fry them until they blister. Remove and drain on paper towels; set aside.
   
4. In another wok or skillet heat the sesame oil over high heat. Add the ginger and stir-fry 1 minute.
   
5. Add the asafetida and choy sum, and stir-fry until soft.
   
6. Stir in the soy sauce, sambal oelek, and lemon juice. Add the noodles and tofu pieces. Stir-fry until hot, about 2 minutes more.
   

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 cups cooked meat or shrimp in bite-sized pieces

2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1–2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

¼ cup oyster sauce

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 package rice sticks, soaked in hot water until soft and drained

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the ginger. Stir-fry until soft.
   
2. Add the cooked meat or shrimp, green onion, and red pepper flakes to the wok; stir-fry until hot.
   
3. Stir in the oyster sauce, curry powder, and soy sauce. Add the rice noodles and toss. Serve immediately.
   

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon Tabasco

2–3 serrano chilies

½ stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed, inner core finely chopped

3 (2-inch-long, ½-inch wide) pieces lime zest

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ pound oyster mushrooms, cleaned and separated if large

1. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth and the Tabasco to a boil. Meanwhile, crush the chilies with a mallet to break them slightly open: A good whack will do it.
   
2. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the boiling broth, reduce the heat, and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking. Remove the chilies before serving.
   

4 cups water

5 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup fish sauce

6–8 hard-boiled eggs

1 large pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 cup thinly sliced bamboo shoots

Rice, cooked according to package directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the soy sauce, black pepper, salt, sugar, fish sauce, and hard-boiled eggs; simmer for 15 minutes.
   
2. Add the cubed pork and the bamboo shoots and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
   
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Adjust seasonings to taste.
   
4. To serve, mound some rice in the bottom of soup bowls. Ladle soup over the rice.
   

6 ounces dried Chinese mushrooms

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

½ teaspoon grated ginger

1½ pounds chicken breasts and legs

1 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and rinse under cold water; drain again and squeeze dry. Remove any tough stems. Cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces; set aside.
   
2. Place the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the ginger and stir-fry briefly.
   
3. Add the chicken and fry until the skin turns golden.
   
4. Stir in the water and the sugar. Add the mushrooms.
   
5. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.