RECIPES FROM SIAM

Crab croquette (Poo ja)

Ingredients 

1 cup crab meat  

½ cup mince chicken  

2 tbsp mince shrimp 

1 tbsp mince garlic 

¼ cup coriander leaf  

1 red spur chilli, thinly sliced   

1 tbsp coriander root, crushed

¼ tsp white pepper 

¼ tsp salt, 2 eggs 

3 cups oil for frying 

1 cup bread crumbs  

For seasoning sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

½ tbsp soya sauce (Formula 1)

½ tbsp fish sauce (Formula 1) 

1 tsp sugar 

Method

Mix crabmeat, mince chicken, mince shrimp, an egg, coriander root, garlic, white pepper, salt and 2 tablespoon of bread crumbs. Once thoroughly mixed, add seasoning sauce. Pack this filling on to small ramekins or crab shell and steam for 10 minutes. Remove from the steamer and leave to cool. 

Remove the crab croquette (this is not necessary if the mixture is filled in the crab shells). Beat the remaining egg well, dip the crab croquette in the beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs. If using crab shell, brush the egg and coat the bread crumbs only on the surface, and fry spread-side down. Deep-fry in hot oil until it turns light golden-brown. Arrange on a serving dish, sprinkle coriander leaves and shredded red spur chilli. Serve with hot Thai sweet chilli sauce.

Sweet green chicken curry (Kaeng khiaw-waan gai) served with pandanus leaf

Ingredients for green curry chicken 

200g (thinly sliced) boneless chicken breasts  

250ml coconut milk  

1 cup water 

1½ tbsp green curry paste 

2 eggplants (cut into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes and soaked in water)

1½ tbsp fish sauce 

1 tbsp palm sugar 

1 cup sweet basil  

2 red spur chillies - (sliced diagonally) 

Method

In a wok, heat 125ml coconut milk, add green curry paste and stir continuously until you see oil separate on the surface. Add chicken and fry in the paste. When the chicken is half-cooked, add remaining coconut milk and water; bring to a boil. Add the seasoning — palm sugar and fish sauce. Bring it to boil. Add egg plant. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Add basil and red spur chillies. Check the balance and adjust as needed. 

Ingredients for pandanus rice 

2 pandanus leaves 

¼ cup water, 1 cup uncooked rice 

1½ cup water 

Method

Cut the pandanus leaves into ½-inch pieces. Blend the leaf with ¼ cup water. Strain the juice. Wash the uncooked rice and add 1½ cup water and the pandanus juice. Cook the rice.

Note 

The pandanus rice is optional. Boiled rice is perfectly fine.

Photo courtesy: Shaheda Yesmin