Thai vegetarian?

[kima]

I enjoy eating and cooking food from many different cultures but one area I don't have much experience with is Thai food. I was wondering if any of you lovely people had any recipes- vegetarian or fish preferred that you could share with me. I have acsess to alot of Thai ingredients here so that should not be a problem. Any recipes that you have success with and think would be good for a beginner would be most appreciated!! Merci beaucoup! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[emilycat]

Hey, Kima!

Here's a thread with a bunch of Thai (some are more generalized Asian dishes) fish dishes; I also have many vegetarian ones; I'll bring my book to work today and type some up for you.
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/001971.html

And by the way, I've made the Salmon with Thai Basil Sauce that I posted on that thread several times; it's really incredible.

Emily

I'm back!

Here are some to get you started:

From The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking


Spicy Eggplant and Broccoli in Ginger Sauce

If you like eggplant but have never tried Asian eggplant, try this recipe. Asian eggplants are more delicate and sweet than the globe variety. Remember to cook the eggplants only until just done. Otherwise, they become mushy.

2 pounds Japanese eggplant, preferably the small dark purple variety, halved lengthwise and slice into 2/3-inch-thick pieces, then soaked in water to prevent blackening
3 T. vegetable oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. ground chili paste
2 T. minced fresh ginger
1/2 small yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces, blanched and shocked in ice water
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom sauce
1/2 c. water
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/4 c. fresh Thai basil leaves, halved
6 fresh clinatro sprigs for garnish

Remove and drain the eggplant.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic, chili paste and ginger. Stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the eggplant and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, broccoli, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss until well blended. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3 to 5 more minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the water and cornstarch with a whisk or chopsticks until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture, 1 T. at a time, to slightly thicken the stir-fry sauce just enough to coat a spoon. Add the red bell pepper and basil and remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Thai Jungle Curry

A wonderful confusion of greens (thus the jungle connotation), this dish is especially delightful when the vegetables are freshly picked, as they often are at farmers' markets.

1 T. vegetable oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 (1/4-inch) piece galanga, thinly sliced
2 1/2 t. red curry paste
2 c. unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 pound tender green beans, trimmed and halved
1 c. canned bamboo shoots, boiled 5 minutes, rinsed and drained
1 c. julienned carrots
2 zucchinis, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
3 Kaffir lime leaves, cut into slivers
12 fresh Thai Basil leaves

Heat the oil in a fry pan over moderate heat. Add the shallots, galanga and red curry paste and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 T. of the coconut milk and let the mixture bubble for 2 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and add the green beans, bamboo shoots and carrots. Cover and simmer until vegetables are just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, soy sauce, salt and sugar and cook until last vegetable begins to wilt. Stir in the lime leaves and basil leaves and remove from heat. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Spaghetti-Squash Salad with Poached Shrimp and Basil

When I first saw our cooks prepare this dish for staff meals, I thought it was ingenious! Green papayas traditionally are used in this recipe, but since they can be difficult to find, spaghetti squash makes a great substitute. Besides, I find this adapted version much more attractive.

1 (2 to 3 pound) Spaghetti squash

Dressing
2 T. fish sauce
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. ground chili paste, or to taste
1 samll yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 ripe roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into thin wedges
1/3 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
20 fresh Thai Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
20 fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

Garnish
1/4 c. chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 c. fried shallots (optional)
12 fresh cilantro sprigs

Fill a large soup pot with enough water to cover the squash and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the squash in half lengthwise and using a large spoon, scrape off the seeds and innter skin of the cavity. When the water comes to a rolling boil, drop the squash in and cook until slightly tender in the center, 3 to 5 minutes. (It's better to undercook than to overcook.) Remove from heat and rinse the squash with cold water until it is cool enough to handle. Use a fork to gently scrape off the flesh starting from one side and working across the squash to the other. The flesh will break off into strands. Scrape off onlyh one layer at a time, otherwise the strands will be too thick. (You may scrape to within 1/4 inch of the skin.) Soak the squash strands in ice water for about 15 minutes to "crisp" them. Drain and dry in a salad spinner.
Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, salt, chili paste and onion in a large mixing bowl. Add the spaghetti squash, tomatoes, shrimp, basil and mint and toss gently. To serve, portion onto individual plates and garnish with the roasted peanuts, fried shallots and cilantro sprigs.

Yummy Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

If I could have just one thing in Bangkok, it would be this soup. Called tom yum goong, it's as characteristically Thai as you can get. Using freshwater shrimp with the tails and heads intact, the Thais make this soup very hot and very sour. It's so memorable that it can be an "entree."

2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1 t. ground red chili paste
1 fresh red chili, any kind (optional)
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 t. whole black peppercorns
2 T. vegetable oil
1/3 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve the shells)
5 cups homemade unsalted or canned low-sodium chicken stock
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces and bruised with the back of a knife
3 thin slices galanga
3 Kaffir lime leaves, cut into thirds
3 T. fish sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 c. drained canned straw mushrooms or slice white mushrooms
2 red ripe tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
10 fresh Thai Basil leaves
5 fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped

Place the garlic, shallot, chili paste, chili, cilantro and peppercorns into a mortar and pound into a paste.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over moderate heat. Add the shrimp shells and brown until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spice mixure to the post and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken stock and let simmer for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shells and discard. Add the lemon grass, galanga, lime leaves, fish asuce, brown sugar, mushrooms and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook until amost done, about 2 minutes. (Shrimp will continue to cook in the hot broth.)
Remove from heat and add the lime juice, basil and cilantro. Serve piping hot.

Singapore Noodles

Delicately spice, this noodle dish is always a favorite at our banquets and catering events. Slender, fluffy, and radiating bright yellow from the curry powder and turmeric (hence the Malayan connection), these noodles are always the first to be gobbled up. Here I've included prawns, but if you want to serve this as a side [or vegetarian] dish, simply omit them.

1/2 pound dried rice vermicelli, boiled 2 1/2 minutes, rinsed and drained.
2 T. vegetable oil

Sauce
3 T. unsweetened coconut milk
2 T. soy sauce, preferably light
1/2 t. salt
2 t. sugar
1 T. curry powder
1/2 t. ground turmeric
1/4 c. homemade unsalted or canned low-sodium chicken stock

Stir-Fry
2 T. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. minced fresh ginger
1/3 pound raw prawns, peeled and deveined
1 samll yellow onion, sliced
2 c. shredded baby bok choy
1/2 lb. bean sprouts
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
1 c. Vietnamese dipping sauce

Toss the cooked rice vermicelli with the 2 T. oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat the 2 T. oil in a wok or large nonstick fry pan over moderate heat. Toss around in the pan until prawns turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove prawns (but not the oil or seasonings) and set aside on a plate.
Into the same pan, add the noodles. Reduce heat slightly. Using chopsticks or a kitchen fork, turn the noodles while adding the sauce. Cook until sauce evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the baby bok choy, bean sprouts and green onions and the reserved prawns. Toss until vegetables are wilted and thoroughly hot, 2 to 3 more minutes. (If the pan seems dry, splash with 2 to 3 tablespoons water.) Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Vietnamese dipping sauce on the side.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

2 small cloves garlic, sliced
1 t. ground chili paste
1 fresh Thai Bird Chili, chopped (optional)
1/4 c. fish sauce
2/3 c. hot water
2 T. fresh lime juice with pulp
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. shredded carrots for garnish

Place garlic, chili paste and chili in a mortar. With a pestle, pound into a paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, finely mince the garlic and chili.
Combine the garlic mixture with the remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Ladle sauce into serving bowls and float the carrot slivers on top. This will keep for 1 month if refrigerated.



[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 04-10-2001).]

[KathrynY]

Kima, I'm glad you made this request. I am also very interested in Thai food as it'a favorite of ours and it would be fun to start making it at home instead of always going out.

Emilycat - these recipes look yummy! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Thanks for posting them.

BTW, does anyone have a recipe for those tasty little marinated veggies they use as garnish in Thai restaurants?

[kima]

Thankyou very much ERmilyCat- you have no idea how amazed I am every time someone takes the time to type up recipes for me. I know we aren't complete strangers but really you have no obligation t help me and the fact that you and everyone else takes time out of their busy lives to share still amazes me.
Can you tell me how a Thai meal (dinner) is put together. Is it like Chinese food? Any simple menu ideas??
I saw a book in the store yesterday called Real Thai Vegetarian by Nancy(I think) Mc Dermott. I almost bought it and after I try a few of your recipes I might get it. Do you know anything about this book? I think she wrotr another one called Real Thai Cookbbok. Thanks again Emily!!

[Andrew]

Here's my favoirte Thai recipe!

Thai Bbq Chicken Appetizer ****
Serving Size: 3

3 chicken breast halves without skin
1/4 c Garlic Chopped
1 Tbsp Cilantro Chopped
1 Tsp tumeric Ground
1/4 tsp Chiles Dried and ground
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 Tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp Fish sauce
1/2 C Coconut milk light

Dipping sauce:
1/4 cu fish sauce
1/4 cu rice vinegar
2 pkgs aspartame sweetener Or sugar
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cu lime juice fresh squeezed

Process all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth. Marinate
chicken, refrigerated, overnight. Discard marinade. Grill over hot coals until done,
brushing frequently with coconut milk. Serve garnished with cilantro
sprigs, accompanied by steamed rice and bowls of dipping sauce.

276 Calories; 7g Fat (30% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 47mg Cholesterol; 51mg Sodium