.: evil jungle prince :.

If we all suffer something in common in this country, it is the general lack of time, and our culinary culture suffers because of it. Soaking noodles for two hours before eating just generally isn't an option, and in my opinion is not even necessary. So let's talk about how to make delicious pad thai on the go.

1. Start by preparing your liquid seasonings. Mix 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar), 1 tsp white sugar, 2 tsp fish sauce, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 large tsp chili flakes, and a dab of tamarind concentrate. Mix until the sugars are dissolved and then set aside.

2. Cut a bunch of green onions into 1-inch lengths, at a diagonal angle. Set aside. Place a handful of peanuts in a plastic sandwich bag and hit them softly with the bottom of a soup can until "chopped" looking. Set aside. Cut 1/3 of a block of firm tofu into rectangle shapes and set aside. Rinse a handful of bean sprouts and set aside. Rinse some fresh cilantro and set aside. Coarsely chop two red shallots and set aside. Shred 1 tsp worth of white radish, salt, drain by squeezing, and set aside.

3. Bring a pot of hot water to a boil and place 1/2 package of pad thai rice noodles into the water, stirring and testing continually until the noodles are al dente and not soggy. This goes very quickly so DO NOT OVERCOOK. Pour the water and noodles into a colander and rinse with very cold water until noodles are cool/cold. Set aside noodles.

4. Fry two red shallots in a wok (or any onion will do), coarsely chopped with a pinch of salt in peanut oil until fragrant and beginning to color. (Here now you can fry an egg if you like but I don't like eggs so I omit them.) Add fresh shrimp and fry until pink. Add tofu and drained radish, frying briefly, then add noodles.

5. Turn up heat after adding noodles and stir fry for a minute until noodles turn color. Add liquid seasonings and combined, frying for about 30 secs to one minute -- this process flavors the noodles and gets rid of some of the excess liquid. Turn off wok burner and then combine noodles with green onions and bean sprouts. Serve, topping with peanuts, cilantro, a couple reserved green onion pieces, and squeeze lime juice over the top.

Voila, pad thai in under 20 minutes. Enjoy.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Coconut, chili peppers, lemongrass... I needed no more convincing that this dish was to be last night's dinner. I wasn't disappointed.

1.Begin by making a curry paste by combing the following in a food processor: 5-8 dried chillies (soaked and drained), pinch of salt, 5 slices galangal or ginger, 3 tsp chopped lemongrass, 4 tsp chopped garlic, 3 tsp red shallots, 10 white pepper corns, 1 tsp shrimp paste (optional).

2. Open a can of coconut milk and carefully remove the frothy, thick cream from the top. Place a portion over medium heat, together with a little peanut oil, and the curry paste. Fry until fragrant. Season with 2 tsp fish sauce and 1 tsp palm sugar. Add remainder of coconut milk (non-cream) and simmer mixture until thick.

3. Add scallops and 2 julienned kaffir lime leaves. Simmer until scallops are cooked (about 5-10 mins max). Adjust seasonings (salt, sugar, fish sauce) to taste.

Serve with more fresh kaffir lime leaf and julienned red pepper. The red pepper topping provides a bonus heat which will set your mouth on fire, which to people like myself is a very good thing. :-)

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 05:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Yesterday the new camera arrived, so I wasn't in the mood to cook anything elaborate when I got home -- I just wanted to play with my camera. As a result, I prepared this simple dish with these beautiful Asian eggplants purchased from Aj Liquor & Oriental Mart, my best friends in the grocery world.

My apologies I didn't dress this dish up more visually -- a little coriander would have done wonders -- but I was so excited about using the new camera that my mind was elsewhere. This is an easy to prepare dish that I've made before. Done correctly, it is a real pleaser. The key ingredient here is Thai basil, which gives the dish that unique Thai herby pungency. If you don't have Thai basil on hand, don't bother -- the dish just wouldn't be the same.

1. Fry two cloves garlic and 2-3 chillies in oil.

2. Cut the eggplants into asymmetrical shapes. (Don't cut them with flat surfaces or they will stick to the pan.) Fry briefly in the aromatic oil and then add half a cup of water. Cover and allow to cook/steam for 5-7 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

3. Add 1 tsp sugar, 2-3 tsp fish sauce to the cooked eggplants. (Don't fuss with them too much as they are soft and will fall apart otherwise.) Add a bunch of Thai basil and then turn off heat. Serve.

Tip! If you live in an area nearly devoid of Asian ingredients like me, you may want to do what I do and freeze a bunch of Thai basil in a plastic bag the next time you find yourself in an Asian market. Thai basil is often times a key ingredient in dishes and without it some dishes would not be worth cooking. It's important to have on hand and frozen basil will work in a pinch if you do not have access to fresh Asian herbs. Visually it is an inferior option but the unique taste of Thai basil is retained even after freezing.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Although I've posted this dish before (which includes what I consider to be the best pad khe mao (Thai drunkard's noodles / ผัดขี้เมา) recipe I've tested so far), I can't stop myself from paying tribute once again after preparing it over the weekend. It is, after all, one of my absolute favorite dishes.

No doubt about it, pad kee mao is a tricky dish to make. In this entry I thought I'd focus on some pad kee mao tricks and tips I've garnered over time which may be helpful to the virgin pad khe mao maker. If you have some additional tips, please do share them!

Because pad khe mao is a multiple-stage dish, I suggest preparing ingredients in advance of the noodles. Once the noodles begin boiling in water, things happen very quickly -- too quickly to be measuring out ingredients and chopping vegetables.

Part of the appeal of this dish is the marinated tofu. Plain tofu just wouldn't do. In my recipe, Step 1 suggests that the tofu marinade happen first so that while everything else is happening, the tofu has a chance to soak up its spices.

Another must for this dish is the use of Sen Yai noodles. These are broad, flat rice noodles that are slightly thicker than a finger. Use of the smaller, pad thai type rice noodles just won't do as part of the appeal of this dish is the toothy texture of the larger sized noodle.

Speaking of Sen Yai noodles, their preparation will likely be the biggest stumbling block to a great pad khe mao. To prepare them, first make sure that all your fresh ingredients are chopped, measured, and set aside already. Nothing should distract you from your noodles. Place them in boiling water and keep them moving so they do not stick together. Continually test them by removing a sample noodle and chewing it -- the desired texture is "toothy" or al dente. In other words, the noodle should retain a lot of chew-factor but not so much that it would be awkward to eat. Also, keep in mind that the noodles will become slightly softer after being added to the wok with the other ingredients so side on the "more toothy" side than the "too soft" side. Cardinal rule: never leave your noodles boiling alone on the stovetop. If you do, they'll cook too thoroughly and be ruined. Never use overcooked noodles in this dish.

Once your noodles are ready, drain them and rinse. Do not allow them to sit for than a minute or two, or they will begin to stick to one another. (This is why all your fresh ingredients should have been prepared in advance.) If for some reason they must sit for more than a minute or two, rinse them again with water a second time so that they won't stick to one another.

A seasoned wok is important for this dish. In Step 4 of my recipe, the wok is turned up to the highest heat in order to reduce the marinade and to properly fry the noodles. If your wok is not seasoned properly, your noodles will begin to the stick to the wok. Ideally, the noodles will become ever so slightly charred by the high heat but not stick to the sides of the wok.

Like many Asian dishes, pad khe mao has a few ingredients which are absolute musts. To leave them out would be to totally alter the dish and be left with something lacking substance. The key ingredients for this dish are: Thai basil, white pepper, and properly prepared Sen Yai noodles.

Be sure and get quite drunk and over do it before eating this dish. You'll appreciate it more. After all, they are called drunkard's noodles.

Do you have some additional pad khe mao tricks and tips? Please share them with us!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I've been awfully sick with a cold this past week, which is a strange thing considering I had another cold just a few weeks prior. The second cold however was deadly in comparison. I've done my best to mitigate its effects somewhat by consuming a lot hot teas, soups, salted plums, and other remedies; this soup serves as an extension of those efforts.

Most everybody knows and loves tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่), or Thai coconut soup. Preparation is very simple -- the only challenge is making sure that one has all the proper ingredients on hand, particularly key ingredients. These key ingredients are: kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal. Ginger will serve is a decent substitute for galangal, but without the presence of kaffir lime leaves or lemongrass, this dish just wouldn't be the same.

1. Combine coconut milk and water to desired consistency. (I tend to only use about half a can of coconut milk and about a can of water, in other words a 1-to-2 relationship. Coconut milk is super fatty so if you count calories, go easy on it.) Then add 5-6 slightly bruised bird's eye chillies, 6-7 torn kaffir lime leaves, 1 large piece of galangal, one stalk of lemongrass (cut thinly in the tender white area and in large chunks in the green area), and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer until the kaffir lime leaves begin releasing some of their oils, judging by taste.

2. Add chicken and simmer until the chicken changes color. Simmer for a few minutes, allowing the chicken to permeate the soup.

3. Turn off the heat and add fish sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice to taste. (About 2-3 tsp each until the balance of salty-sweet is reached. After you have made this dish a few times, determining this amount will become second nature. Trust your instincts and make it the way you want it.) Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Whew, I do feel a lot better after eating this. There's nothing better than a hot gingery soup to clear out sinuses and to help sweat out a cold. I am definitely on the road to recovery.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Pad kee mao is definitely one of my all-time favorite dishes. I don't remember how or where I first tried this dish, but I find it so vastly more interesting and so infinitely more flavorful than pad thai that I wonder why so few others know about it.

In any case, I wanted to shout hoorah! after making tonight's pad khe mao, because although I have made this dish a half dozen times for sure, it's never really turned out just the way I craved it. Tonight however I got it just right so the recipe follows for future reference. (I don't claim this as authentic by any means -- it's just presented here as "the way Jonny likes it.") Warning: my version is extremely spicy!!

Ingredients:

6 ounces of sen-yai rice noodles
1/4 cup of firm tofu, cut into small cubes
2 cloves chopped garlic (for frying)
1 clove sliced (as topping)
1 tablespoon chopped shallots or onions
2-3 tablespoons white rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons of palm sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons ground, dried red chili
2 green jalapeno peppers, 1 red (chopped/sliced finely)
1 red jalapeno (sliced thickly as topping)
Handful of coriander leaves, plucked from stems (retain stems for frying)
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
Dash white pepper, ground
4-5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions/Recipe:

1) Prepare fresh ingredients. Combine ground pepper, rice vinegar, dried chili, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and tofu in a bowl. Marinade tofu in mixture while proceeding with further steps.

2) Soak sen-yai noodles in water for 15 mins. Place soaking sen-yai noodles on the stove and bring to very slow boil, removing the sen-yai noodles while they are still toothy. Do not walk away from the noodles or they will become soggy. Drain with cold water and set aside.

3) Season wok with oil. Add the shallots, japapenos, garlic, and coriander stems to oil, frying briefly to make the oil aromatic. Add noodles, tofu, and marinade.

4) Turn wok to high. As the noodle marinade/sauce begins to become reduced, add the Thai basil leaves, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Just before serving, add the green onions and turn off heat.

5) Top noodles with freshly sliced garlic clove, red jalapeno, and coriander. Serve with a side of fresh cucumber to cool the tongue while eating. You'll need it!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Lunch today was pad thai served in a bowl. My goal was the use up the last of my firm tofu, so I sliced the remainder into pieces, coated them in flour, fried them in peanut oil, and worked from there.

Here's a shot of the noodles. Unlike American restaurant pad thai, they don't have a red tint and are more brown in color. I am told that American restaurant pad thai is pink because the chefs use ketchup to flavor the noodles. Is this true? I don't know but would be interested to hear the real scoop.

I craved something sweet after lunch, so I concocted this mango black tea smoothie, made by simply blending freshly brewed mango flavored black tea, sweetened condensed milk, and ice. Very refreshing! I would have loved to have photographed this with a plumeria flower on top, or at least something similar, but the only flowers out in the garden right now are cucumber blossoms. The thought of using these in my cocktail sort of cracks me up. Perhaps they might work atop a Bloody Mary, though? ;-D

Following is the pad thai recipe I used (swapping fried tofu for the original shrimp and eggs as protein):

1. Add 1/2lb of Sen Lek noodles to cold water to soak. (By the time you prepare the remainder of your ingredients, they will be ready. Time them this way.)

2. Season your wok with oil. Prepare a handful of fresh cilantro for topping, crush a handful of peanuts in a plastic bag, chop half an onion, chop two green onions, shred 1/4 cup of fresh ginger, mince 1-2 cloves of garlic, chop one green jalapeno into thin slivers. Wash 1/2 lb of beansprouts.

3. Prepare the seasoning in a small bowl. Mix 2 spoonfuls fish sauce, 2 spoonfuls of tamarind juice, 1 spoonful sugar, and half a spoonful of paprika.

4. Add the garlic, onion, jalapeno, ginger and fry until oil is aromatic. Add drained noodles and fry briefly. Add seasoning from bowl and fry briefly. Add fried tofu. Add bean sprouts. Stir and remove from wok.

5. Top with cilantro, crushed peanuts, and a squeeze or two of fresh lime.

I've read that some recipes call for adding some amount of the peanuts to the noodles themselves while frying. This way every mouthful gets an amount of peanuts to enjoy. However, I prefer them as a topping only.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I tried preparing a new dish for lunch, Thai chcken salad with peanut sauce. Yum! I really enjoyed it, particularly the peanut sauce which was prepared with a bit of Thai curry... this leant the sauce a distinctly Thai taste, quite apart from the peanut sauces I have made with Malaysian dishes.

The salad itself was super easy: I simply boiled the chicken for fifteen minutes and then tore it into shreds. As for the peanut sauce, it was easy too. I mixed 1 tsp masaman curry paste, 2 tsp fish sauce, 2 tsp peanut butter, 3 tsp tamarind juice, 3 tsp sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, crushed peanuts, and coconut milk to taste. This was heated on the stovetop for about 15 minutes until the oil began to separate.

My Xmas gift to myself this year was getting these portaits of historical Korean figures framed -- they're now hung prominently above my desk where I can enjoy them every time I sit down and use the computer. As far as I can tell, they were painted by hand sometine back in the 1950s in Korea... probably for tourists or military men, I would guess; on the back of each is a sentence or two on who each person is and when they lived, written in broken English. I got them off eBay for only about $10.00 each... I was thrilled.

My favorite, which was the only one I paid more than $10.00 for (it had 3 bidders and went up to $25.00) is this one. On the back it reads: Lon-Kae was a brave woman who fought for her country during Japanese invasion of 1592. According to Wikipedia, this event was the so-called Seven-Year War. Unfortunately, however, I can't find anything about Lon-Kae. Can anybody tell me anything about her?

Currently listening to:
Title: Milk from the Coconut
Play:
Artist: Total Coelo
Album: I Eat Cannibal & Other Tasty Trax

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)