Thai Green Curry

I always like green thai curry.
A dish that i order quite frequently when i dine at Thai Express.
I like the rich coconut taste, the spice and slightly sweet aftertaste.

Couple of weekend ago my MIL cooked Thai green curry using a singapore brand ready mix green curry taste. $2.00. Taste good.

I know that Carrefour has a corner for Thai foodstuff. Went to check it out and they have a ready made green curry paste that has Thai words on it. Imported from Thailand, must be authentic.
Cheaper than the Spore brand as well. Selling at $1.50.

i have 2 stalks of lemon grass in my freezer, so i decided to 'beef' up the taste a bit with extra lemon grass and onions...

Spiciness level: Singapore brand vs Thai brand: 5 vs 1

What do you need?
- 1 packet of green curry paste
- 1 stalk of lemon grass (bruised and chopped)
- 2 small red onion (diced)
- chicken (~500gm i use half pack of frozen chicken inner fillet)
- half pack of french beans
- 1 pack of coconut milk (small)
- 1 tbsp of sugar







How to do it?
Heat pan and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Fry onion and lemon grass until onion becomes soft and golden brown.

Add green curry paste and fry for 3-5mins, this is to release the aroma and taste of the spices.

Add 2 cups of water and chicken meat. Mix well, cover pan with lid and simmer on low heat for 5 mins.

i like my green curry with sweet aftertaste so i added 1 tbsp of sugar. Mix well and adjust taste to your liking.

Add coconut milk and french beans. Cook for a further 5 mins and turn off heat. Do not over cook the coconut gravy.

Serve with lots of steaming white rice and 1 glass of ice cold water. Very spicy.

Winter Melon Soup

Another of my favourite soup for the following reasons:
1) its cheap, one piece 1 - 1.5 inch thick costs ard $2
2) it has a very subtle sweet taste
3) its easily available in the supermarket
4) its has cooling properties

What do you need?
- chicken bones of 1/2 chicken
- 1 piece of winter melon (ard 1 to 1.5 inch thick)
- wolfberry (1 handful)
- 5 dried dates
- 2 dried figs
- 6 small dried scallops

How to do it?
Blanch chicken bones with boiling water to remove the bloody water

In a big pot, bring water to boil (approx 2 - 3 litres)

Remove skin and seeds of winter melon, cut into 2 cm thick slices

Wash wolfberry, dates, figs and scallops

Dump all the ingredients into the pot of boiling water, bring to boil.

Cover with lid and continue to simmer for at least 1.5 - 2 hours on medium to low heat.

Can simmer up to 4 hours if you have the patience.

See the colour of the soup at the end of 2 hrs....

Yummy!

Hotdog and red bean buns

Same receipe, different fillings. Receipe for the sweet dough is here.

In the round cake tin, i have the red bean buns. In the baking trays, i have the hotdogs and cocktail hotdog buns.

After baking, my buns look like this...

The cocktail hotdogs ones are cute. Can finish one in 2 bites. Good for party snacks.

Clam and fish porridge

What do you need?
- 1 cup rice (for 2 pax)
- 1 pack of clams
- 4 pieces of fish (marinate with soya sauce, sesame seed oil and pepper)
- 4 pieces of sliced ginger
- 2 stalks of coriander






How to do it?
Wash clam, soak clams in salt water (add generous pinch of salt) for at least 30 mins.
In a clean pot, wash rice grain and cook porridge.

Rinse clam well, add clams to pot of boiling water with ginger slices, boil for 3 mins or until all clams are opened.

Fish out the clams, remove clam flesh and put them into the porridge pot. Remove the ginger.

Pour clam soup into the porridge, bring to boil.
There is usually sand at the bottom of the soup. Be careful not to stir soup. Scoop soup gently from the top.
Add slice fish cook for 3 mins until fish is cooked.
Keep adding clam soup to achieve the texture of your preference.
Personally i like thick porridge, not those watery ones.
Add chopped coriander.

Serve with dash of pepper, sesame seed oil and soya sauce to taste.
Garnish with fried shallots and coriander leaf.