Tag Archives: Thai Food

Saturday Morning Market…Not this week…

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Saturday Morning Market…Not this Saturday morning or until further notice although as it is a food market it is still open…I, however, do not want to take that chance so for the foreseeable I will regale you with fruits and vegetables that I have already discovered…it will help me while away the time …instead of just eating…sigh…

Saturday Morning Market 28st March

I have also taken this exile as a prompt to have a clear-out..some 500 plus posts are now in the Trash and at some point, I probably will resurrect some of them and the others will go to the permanently deleted bin…

In the meantime, I will share with you some of the lovely fruits and vegetables that I have already discovered here and love to eat or not…

This tiny little sweet and sour fruit is part of the Sapindaceae family which includes lychee, longan and rambutan.

It is a tiny little fruit which grows wild and is often called the wild lychee the tree it comes from is enormous and the fruit so tiny it also quite rare to find… I came across this fruit quite by chance when I took a ride back from the market in a tuk-tuk. I have not had the pleasure of finding any since maybe one day as they are a beautiful little fruit.

My tuk-tuk driver had a bag of these in the back of his tuk-tuk and me being nosey asked him what they were he told me to try some which I did ..of course…when I expressed my pleasure he gave me some…Thais are very generous… if you try what they offer and you like it you will always be gifted some. He told me that he had a tree in his village which was where he got the fruit from…his snack for the day…

korlan fruit on bunch

When peeled they look like very small lychees and I could find very little information about this lovely little fruit… It may be found locally on markets or often people just sit on the sidewalk with a few fruits and vegetables from their land which they are selling to make a few baht but this is also where you come across unusual fruits and vegetables which are not commercially grown or they are just grown wild.

Korlan fruit with one peeled

Found also in Laos and Myanmar it is not grown commercially or generally cultivated so quite rare.

Korlan... the rare wild fruit juice has a delicious and unique taste of sour and sweet variety with health benefits from vitamins and antioxidants.

It is said to regulate blood sugar and also to improve concentration and stress. Locals say eaten daily or taken as a syrup/extract made from the fruit it gives increased energy and boosts the immune system, therefore, combating flu viruses and colds. I could certainly do with some of them right now…

korlan fruit in chilli sauce

My daughter in law said they were also eaten with dried chilli, fish sauce and lime they were quite nice and as I didn’t have enough to make a syrup we enjoyed them just like this… this type of dip/sauce is quite commonly eaten with fruits.

The stones if I had thought I could have maybe sprouted them and had my own tree…next time methinks…

Have you come across this fruit?? Do you have any recipes using this fruit?? If so I would love to hear from you in the comments x

The Tamarind is very plentiful here and used in many Thai dishes …I love just eating the fruit it has quite a sour taste but I like it…It is sold in little packs here on the markets the seeds already removed or as a paste to add to food. It is also sold dried and sugared as a snack food and although sugared is still has quite a sour…taste…

These rather plain brown pods of fruit do, however, have the capacity to elevate your food to something else.

Tamarind like many fruits and vegetables has a long history of healing and aiding stomach disorders and is used as a laxative.

Tamarind preparations are used for fevers, sore throats, inflammation of joints and sunstroke. The leaves dried or boiled are made into poultices to help reduce swollen joints, sprains, boils, haemorrhoids and conjunctivitis.

Tamarind is also great as a marinade for meat as it breaks down and tenderises tougher cuts of meat. It is used to make jams and syrups it is also one of the secret ingredients of Lea & Perrins  Worcestershire sauce which is a fermented sauce which has many uses.

Great for smoothies a mango and tamarind smoothie is very nice it also has many other culinary uses.

This little dip is a recipe from Bali given to me by my grandson’s girlfriend it is very easy to make but made more special by the addition of tamarind. 

Called Rujak sauce it is lovely with mangoes.

  • Take 200 gm of palm sugar shaved.
  • 15 gm of tamarind flesh and 5 tbsp of water leave to infuse for 5 mins and then drain and keep the tamarind flavoured water.
  • 6 or more Thai chillies.
  • 1/4 tsp shrimp paste and 1/4tsp salt.

Blitz all these ingredients together and you have fiery little sauce.

It is hard for me to pick a favourite dish made with Tamarind  Beef Rendang is a recipe given to me by my friend Mamik and it is very nice the beef is amazing. It is also my go-to recipe if I want that special dish to impress although there are many ingredients and it has quite a long prep time it is so worth it and as I said earlier if I am having guests a really lovely dish.  rich and flavoursome it tastes amazing…This recipe will be in my cookbook…

Another of my favourites is Miang Kham although I have made it at home some markets sell all the little bits ready cut in bags with the sauce much easier and they taste just the same as much of the food sold on the markets here is made in home kitchens and sold on the market…

miang-kham-1188212_1920

 

Ingredients: Filling:

  • 3/4 cup grated coconut (this is often available in the baking section of most supermarkets) if you are not as lucky as me and can buy from our local fresh markets.
  • 2 small limes, unpeeled (try to get limes with thin skin), cut into small cubes
  • 6 tablespoons shallots, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 6 tablespoons roasted peanuts
  • 6 tablespoons small dried shrimps
  • 4-5 fresh Thai chillies, cut into small slivers
  • 4 oz fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small cubes.

Ingredients: Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon shrimp paste, roasted until fragrant
  • 2 oz fresh galangal, cut into slivers and roasted until fragrant (see note below)
  • 1/4 cup grated coconut, roasted in a low-heat oven until lightly brown
  • 4 oz small dried shrimps.
  • 2 oz shallots, peeled and coarsely cut
  • 1.5 teaspoons fresh ginger, sliced
  • 8 oz palm sugar (broken into small chunks)
  • 2 tablespoons table sugar
  • 1 tbsp tamarind soaked in 3 tbsp water for about 10 mins.
  • salt for seasoning

Let’s Cook!

The Sauce.

In a pestle and mortar, pound together the shallots and galangal until fine (note about galangal: it’s ok to use dried galangal as long as it’s placed in a dish of lukewarm water for a few minutes to reconstitute). Add roasted shrimp paste, ginger, coconut and dried shrimp, and continue pounding until smooth. Remove the mixture and place in a pot with 1.5 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, add palm sugar and table sugar, then reduce heat and simmer, wait until reduced to 1 cup or a bit less. Add tamarind liquid. Taste, and adjust by adding a bit of salt. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

Wrapping Leaves

Your choice of what leaves to use is up to you. Some use lettuce or spinach leaves due to ready availability, but to get an authentic flavour you should use the fresh Betel Leaves.

To serve:

Roast the coconut in a low-heat oven until lightly brown. Spoon the roasted coconut into a serving plate. In separate small bowls, arrange each filling ingredient listed above. With a fresh wrapping leaf in hand, fold it once across the bottom then sideways to form a pocket. Place about 1 teaspoon toasted coconut in the leaf together with a small amount of each filling to create a bite-sized quantity. Spoon the sauce on top, pop in your mouth and enjoy!

Although this can be a little time-consuming to prepare it is well worth it.

Thank you for reading this post I hope you have enjoyed it and the recipes xxx

About Carol Taylor:

 Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you again for reading enjoy your weekend and stay safe and healthy xxx

 

 

 

 

 

CarolCooks2…This week in my kitchen 27th March…Everything cooked from scratch…

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In my kitchen… where you will get an insight into what I have been cooking this week…Plus a bit of chat and trivia it would be boring otherwise…wouldn’t it?

This week in my Kitchen 27th March 2020

I am also guessing that for many of you life has changed this last month or two and if you are now at home it also gives the chance to cook more especially as you have time and maybe cannot buy as much or any of the things you normally buy so are having to make your own or improvise…and make do…

It is not so bad here and I have heard reports that it is calming down elsewhere in the world…Overstocking and buying surplus to your needs is not the Thai way…maybe some people could learn from that…we also share here and help if someone can’t get something or we buy a little more some for us and some for a neighbour…It is just the way of life…Being kind to others…

A green curry was the plan but we had run out of green curry paste so Penang curry it was…we had no mushrooms so added stem broccoli, sugar snaps and potato…It turned out to be a very nice curry…

smart

Quite spicy but not over the top spicy…just right…

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken legs with the thigh which I skin and halve as some like the drumstick and some the thigh or 8 pieces of chicken.
  •  1 dessert sp of Penang curry paste.
  • 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves very finely shredded
  • 4oo ml Coconut milk
  • 1-2 potatoes, peeled and cut into thick half slices
  • 8 long stem broccoli
  • 15 sugar snap peas

Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan add your curry paste and cook for about a minute stirring add lime leaves and fish sauce stir to combine.

Add you chicken pieces and stir to coat with curry paste then gradually add your coconut milk and the potatoes slowly bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 35-40 mins until chicken is cooked and potatoes nearly cooked then add your sugar snaps and broccoli and cook for a further 10-15 minutes we like our vegetables to still have a little bite to them…

Serve with rice of your choice.

My daughter in law loves foraging and it is that time of year when Krachiew (ดอกระเจียว) which is a Thai traditional plant can be found growing wild in the forests/jungle and the rice paddys although I do have some in my garden… found mainly here in the northeast but can be found in other neighbouring countries such as Myanmar and Laos. When foraging keep an eye on the ground as they are easy to miss or to trample on…these are some which were picked this morning…

Commonly eaten as vegetables here..they have a sweet crispy flavour and have a unique fragrance which also makes it popular as ornamental plants because the flowers are so beautiful, colourful, and can have many colours.

Krachiew flowers and young shoots here in the northeast are popular for cooking, they are either made into a paste and made into a unique curry found here ( however on trying) to translate the ingredients I don’t think I would be eating it as I don’t eat the animal or agree if my translation was correct…  we eat them lightly steamed or raw with a fiery chilli dip.

This flower stem comes out from underground rhizomes.  The leaves are single leaves and are green which closely resemble the ginger plant. The flowers appear just after the morning sun and are best picked then.

Foraging is very much part of life here but wherever you live if you know your wild plants there should be the opportunity to forage and many wild greens are packed full of nutrients just ensure they are really well washed.

dandelion flowers

What was once classed as weeds are now eagerly sought by many as foraging has had an upsurge… known to be full of nutrients and tasty we are realising that our forebears across the old world knew what was good for them… and still today the arrival of the first shoots of green is eagerly awaited by country cooks and celebrated in a bounty of dishes. From dandelion, nettles, wild mustards, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel, plantain and wild onions, these “weeds” are in vogue again… once consumed to revitalize the body after winter these spring greens are part of a medicinal spring cuisine thousands of years old.

They can be served fresh in salads, cooked up into traditional spring pies or as braised vegetable dishes, sautéed with lots of oil, garlic and onions…how about a lovely cream of dandelion soup or nettle broth and dumplings?

Do you forage for spring greens? Do you have a recipe tried and tested you would love to share? 

This week I have also been baking bread…I used Sally’s Yeast-free soda bread recipe and very nice it is…I made one larger loaf instead of two loaves I didn’t have two smaller loaf tins I just adjusted the cooking time added oats and raisins it was very nice warm with some butter…This cocooning is not good for my waistline I am eating more and walking less…

smart

I am sure this loaf won’t last long…

I hope this has given you some ideas...the stockpiling and panic buying has horrified me  I have family and friends in the U.K. who can’t even get milk for their babies ..yet it is on e-bay for extortionate prices…If anyone I know is doing that and profiting from other peoples misery and worry then I will unfriend without hesitation…It is disgusting behaviour there is no need if everyone just shopped as normal there would be enough for everyone. Appalling behaviour… however I have noticed in the U.K. that if reported to Trading standards anyone charging extortionate prices will be prosecuted …I say good…

That’s all for this week from me please stay safe and think of others we are all in this together…x

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Smorgasbord Health Column – Food Therapy -Aubergines -Don’t forget to eat your purples! by Sally Cronin

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Don’t forget to eat your purples and now I have found purple carrots and purple sweet potatoes I am loving my purples…The goodness in eggplants/aubergines is a given …There is lots of good information here about the benefits of eating the eggplant from Sally….#recommended read and then just click the link for lots of great recipes…Enjoy and be healthy …Love y’all xx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

As a follow on from the recent series on the Weekly Grocery Shopping List of foods that contain the nutrients the body needs I am going to repeat my series from 2017 on the health benefits of some of our most common foods.

Food therapy is a broad term for the benefits to the body of a healthy, varied and nutritional diet of fresh foods.

Most of us walk through the fresh produce departments of our supermarkets without really paying much attention to the individual fruits and vegetables. This is a great pity because the vast majority of these foods have been cultivated for thousands of years, not only for their nutritional value but also for their medicinal properties. If you eat a healthy diet you are effectively practicing preventative medicine. A robust immune system, not only attacks external opportunistic pathogens, but also works to  prevent rogue cells in the…

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Thailand…Down on the Farm…Jambulan Plum and Mulberry’s…

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Down on the farm this Jambulan plum- tree is another tree which is bearing fruits for us and another one which was new to me…It is so exciting all these wonderful tasting fruits that are coming into season.

Jambulan is a nutritious seasonal fruit found in abundance in Asia. Its season is April to July. It can be found growing in forests, backyards and along the roadsides. Natural wild-growing trees have a single seed. The hybrid varieties are seedless.

A purplish-black oval-shaped fruit when it is mature has a sweet and sour flavour which can be acidic and astringent. It is rich in the plant pigment anthocyanin and if you eat too much it is likely to leave you with a purple tongue and you may get the same feeling as I did when as a kid I ate too much of that sour lemon sherbet which made your fingers where you dipped and licked wrinkly and your tongue tingle. Who remembers that??

It can be used to make Jams and jellies but due to the very low pectin levels must be mixed with fruit with high pectin or a commercial pectin substitute.

It makes a lovely accompaniment for pulao or rice pilaf. Just mix chopped deseeded Jambulan with fresh yoghurt and combine. Add chopped coriander and powdered cumin and stir. Taste and season with salt.

The pulp is used to makes sauces and fermented beverages like shrub, cider and wine. Now if you are wondering what shrub is ( and I was) it is flavoured vinegar. Which makes wonderful drinks with soda and ice or with cocktails…But that is another post for another day.

Jambulan Jelly.

  • 1 3/4 cups of chopped and seeded Jambulan.
  • 1 1/4 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup of liquid pectin
  • 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice.
  • 7 cups of sugar.

Combine the Pectin, juice and water with the Jumbulan and bring to a fast, rolling boil. Add the sugar and stirring bring to a fast-rolling boil for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and skim of any foam. Pour quickly into hot pre-sterilised jars and seal.

N.B: If the fruit is too astringent then it can be soaked in saltwater before cooking.

The Jambulan plum can also be known as Java plum, black plum and Jambul it is also often eaten just as a healthy snack sometimes with a little salt to taste. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and flavonoids.

The fruit, seeds, bark and leaves all have medicinal properties and it is believed to have its origins in Neolithic times. In  India, it is known as  ” Fruit of the Gods”

They can vary in size due to the soil and the weather conditions but can survive and thrive in dry, humid conditions.

The seeds when dried and powdered are a known effective treatment for diabetes. Bark powder mixed with the juice of the fruit is an effective treatment for coughs and colds. Leaves, when they are ground, are effective against dysentery and also for healing wounds.

Bark powder is also used as a cure for tapeworm. I am always amazed when I come across fruits like this as to how much they are still relied on in the villages here as cures for so much.

Mulberry’s…these berries which I again discovered by chance are very similar to our Blackberries maybe not quite as juicy but they taste very similar called Mon Ton here. So I thought I would treat the men to an Apple and Mulberry crumble.

Yes, everyone from she who doesn’t cook desserts hardly ever…A dessert!

I  have always cooked dishes like crumble the way my mum always did but for once I thought I would try something new and deconstruct it!

The original crumble is lovely but you always get that bit between the fruit and the crumble which goes soggy…Don’t you??

https://carolcooks2.com/2018/03/28/apple-and-mulberry-crumble/

Mulberries are also one of the favourites of the silkworm who produce the silk for the famous Thai Silk…Read about it here

Discovering all these fruits and plants which have medicinal uses made me think when a few years ago when I got stung by a jellyfish one of the ladies in a close-by restaurant went and picked some leaves crushed them and mixed them with something and put it on my sting and gave me the rest to take home and apply when needed…It worked…

At the time I was in so much pain and I didn’t ask the name of what she mixed it with or the name of the leaves she picked but my point being she knew what to use and it was obviously a remedy which had been passed down.

I am not saying that conventional medicine is not an option at all as sometimes it is a necessity and has saved many lives but there are times when if we know what to use we can find very effective drug free ways to heal and cure ourselves and our families.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this little fruit I hope to bring you a few more I have at least one more which is ripe and ready to eat so until next time.

Stay safe and have a great week :)xxx

CarolCooks2…This week in my kitchen…Everything cooked from scratch…A non-dairy cream, pancakes and more…

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In my kitchen… where you will get an insight into what I have been cooking this week…Plus a bit of chat and trivia it would be boring otherwise…

This week in my Kitchen 13th March 2020

Lily has arrived as the school has finished now until May…This is our hot season so the kiddies have their long holiday now…she is also my little cooking buddy …cheesecake being first on the agenda as she wasn’t going to be outdone by her brother who is 8 years her senior this child is so competitive very quiet about it but she loves giving big brother a run for his money…

Her cheesecake was passionfruit we tweaked the recipe a little we added a cup less cream so it has more of a cheesecake taste not so sweet as Astons one with the mandarins…Both very nice though…

I talked about how fast-growing bamboo last week well I think my curry tree is on par with that…I had two both in pots but this one was doing poorly I think it outgrew the post so hubby planted this sorry looking thing in the corner by the pond …Well, it has perked up from day one and the number of new shoots and leaves it is a different tree…it obviously loves the freedom its roots have to spread…My Jackfruit tree now the squirrels have decided the mangoes and bananas on the other side of the garden are more to their liking is heavy with fruit…I need to pass some of these on as there are just too many for us they make a lovely jackfruit salad as you know while young but if left as they grow so big there will not be room to grow…

As my repertoire of tried and tested Indian Recipes grows I use more and more of these curry leaves and luckily fresh rather than dried.

Chettinad Masala Powder:

Ingredients:

  • 16 dried red chillies
  • 4 tsp of black pepper
  • 3 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tbsp dried unsweetened coconut
  • 4 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4-star anise
  • 8 cloves
  • 4 x 1-inch sticks of cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 20 fresh/dried curry leaves

Dry roast all the ingredients you may have to do this in a couple of batches depending on your pan but be careful not to burn the spices.

Transfer to a plate or dish and allow to cool down before grinding to a powder.

chettinad Masala roasted spices

 

Store in an airtight container. This recipe makes enough for 3/4 curries.

I always grind my own spices as it is so easy to do they are fresh and much cheaper than buying those small pots or packages with of course additives.

It also makes a lovely present with a handwritten recipe everyone likes to receive a homemade gift …I love to send them x

Now here the thing all the coconut milk I get here is 100% not so apparently when purchased in many stores in the UK  unless you buy from an Asian store…The max % if you buy from big stores is about 60% and some of them are the same brand I buy here which are 100%…

When my son told me this I was appalled but as he said it is cheaper for manufacturers to add guar gum and the like … for example coconut extract (56 per cent), water, stabiliser (E466), emulsifier (E435), antioxidant (citric acid). E466 is another name for carboxymethyl cellulose. E435 is another name for polysorbate 60. 

Mine here 100% Coconut Milk…

Box cover coconut milk

 

 

Kitchen Tip:  Try to find a brand which only contains coconut milk 100% if you can’t and use one of the other brands be careful not to let the liquid boil as it will separate. 

I am trying to cut down not only on added sugars but fat and I have seen many recipes for making a non-dairy cream with coconut cream that I thought it was time I tried it as this is the home of coconuts…haha…

Coconut milk is in the fridge as are the stainless steel pot and the whisk blades…Once cold we are ready to go…Wow..that was easy it whipped up in about 2 minutes if that… I added nothing and it was very nice even hubby who loves fresh cream and lots of it had to admit it tasted good…I think it is easier here as our coconut milk is 100% no additives at all…I will be making this in future and it is so much healthier.

STRAWBERRIES AND COCONUT CREAM

A non-dairy cream which would go with any dessert. I am impressed and I think any vegan/vegetarian or even me who is neither will all be in agreeance at how good this cream is…A lovely non-dairy cream.

I came across this recipe for Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes when I was reading through my blog posts this morning( I have had the biggest purge) ever and as I have a glut of bananas I thought why not treat everyone to breakfast pancakes…

Maple Walnut Banana Pancakes…

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 3/4 of a cup of rolled oats
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 1 tsp of baking soda
  • 1 tsp of maple syrup
  • Chopped banana, blueberries, walnuts and maple syrup to serve.

Put the banana, oats, eggs, baking soda and maple syrup in the blender and blitz until smooth and well combined.

Heat your pan and add some mix cook for about 2 mins each side I did find they cooked quite quickly so watch you don’t burn them…

banana maple syrup pancakes

Serve with sliced banana, blueberries or fruit of your choice, walnuts and maple syrup…They were actually very yummy…

Grapow moo is something I make a few times a week with morning-glory(not) the flower as a side dish which is a lovely Thai vegetable stir-fried with garlic and chillies.

grapow moo cooking adding herbs

Get the recipe here

Morning Glory…One of my favourite vegetable stir-fries…

Stir-fried Morning Glory or Pad Pak Boon Fai Daeng is also known as water spinach…It is a very popular vegetable dish in Thailand and one I have for breakfast/brunch quite often with rice.
This is a very quick dish to cook once you have all your ingredients prepared..5 mins at the most.
Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of Morning Glory
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic
  • 3 or more Thai Chillies
  • 2 tbsp of Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tbsp of Thai Fish Sauce
  • 1 tbsp of fermented soybean paste or oil with soya beans
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh veg or pork stock


Let’s Cook!
Wash and cut your morning-glory into 4-6 inch pieces.
Bash the chillies and garlic in a pestle and mortar
Heat the oil in a pan until very hot.
Add the garlic and chillies and stir-fry ( stirring) for 15-20 seconds be careful not to let the garlic burn.
Add morning-glory and all other ingredients except for the vegetable stock.
Stir-fry for 40 seconds and add vegetable stock and stir-fry for another 10 seconds.
Serve with steamed rice.
Enjoy!

That’s all for this week from me I hope you have enjoyed my chatter and recipes…x

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Saturday Morning Market…Toddy Palm Fruit, Ma Prang Fruit…

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Lively and bustling the markets here sell everything from meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, curry pastes, rice, clothing, garden pots and knives you name it it is sold here…On a Saturday I will share with you what I have found…I love Saturdays as the small traders come with their produce from their little bit of land this is where I find the unusual the fruits or vegetables which are not raised commercially but just local grown like they have been for centuries…

Saturday Morning Market 29th Feb

Today my shopping included some lovely asparagus, gai lan(kai lan) which is a green vegetable with yellow flowers often translates into Cantonese vegetable by the Thais it is similar to broccoli but has much smaller flowers, a stronger taste which is very slightly bitter… a lovely vegetable either lightly steamed or used in a stir fry. Some lovely what I call Brussel tops, limes and mangoes as I need to make more mango chutney…Some lovely yellow Thai fruit which is similar to a plum it is called Ma Prang …Thais liken it to a much smaller mango but to me, the taste and smell are different than mango although the skin is tougher than a plum I think it has a similar texture and taste albeit it is sweeter.

The Toddy Fruit was a discovery though only one stall had very few and they were going like hotcakes…

toddy-palm-fruit

Toddy Palm or as it is also known Palmyra palm, Doub palm, Tala palm or wine palm.

The fruit or the palm sugar is also used to make a variety of sweet desserts.

Let’s Cook!

Thati Manjula has a sweet taste and gelatin texture which is ideal for a number of sweet dishes such as milkshake by blending with nut milk and adding vanilla and other flavours like cinnamon, cardamom or rose-water and can also be enjoyed chilled.

Make payasam by heating nut milk, coconut milk and palm sugar. Add coconut powder and almond flour to thicken the mixture. Finally,  pour into a mould here a folded banana leaf would be used and allow it to cool. Add chopped tropical fruits like pineapple or mango, shredded coconut and or nuts it is now ready to eat.

More interesting facts about the Toddy Palm.

It is a huge palm which can reach 30 metres in height and is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

The fruit which grows in clusters is hard-shelled and needs to be opened by someone who has a sharp machete. This lady looks very adept with her knife unlike me who is quite liable to lose a few fingers.

Traditionally the sap is collected by tapping the top shoots and hanging and collecting the dripping sap in earthenware pots. The juice which is collected in the mornings is refreshing and light with a sweet sugary taste.

This fruit ferments very quickly and juice collected in the evening after fermentation is a  sour fermented beverage.

Toddy sap fermented is called arrack or when concentrated to a crude sugar called Jaggery.

What is Jaggery?

Jaggery is sometimes called non-centrifugal sugar because it is not spun during processing thus removing the nutritious molasses. Jaggery is found all over Asia but called by different names.

Namtam tanode here in Thailand, Gur in India, Panela in Columbia, Gula Melaka in Malaysia.

Is it more nutritious than sugar?

Jaggery contains more nutrients than refined sugar due to its molasses content.

Medical benefits.  

The tree sap is also a laxative and believed to have medicinal properties.

It is purely organic and a natural coolant for the body. It is known to contain Vitamins A, B-complex and C. It is also known to contain essential minerals like zinc, potassium, iron and calcium. It is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

It can be used to treat nausea and vomiting and also worm infestation.

The sap is used as a tonic, laxative, for treating ulcers and liver problems. The pulp of the fruit is known to cure a number of inflammatory conditions of the skin.

Other uses:

Like a lot of trees and plants, their leaves and bark have many uses. The skin of the stem is used to make rope or woven into cots. The leaves are used to make hand fans, mats, hats, umbrellas and used as writing materials. The tree trunks are used to make canoes in Cambodia.

The Palmyra tree is the official tree of Tamil Nadu. Highly respected in Tamil culture, it is called Karp aha Veruksham (celestial tree) this is because all its parts have a use.

This fruit is not available in Europe or the US although it is sold in cans and it’s derivatives like palm sugar should be available.

I hope you enjoyed reading and learning a little about this very versatile tree and its fruit.

Lots of ants eggs, rats, fried insects, dried fish some of which I have not seen before and are locally caught. It seems to be the season for ant eggs and Meliantha which is a lovely green herb which is used to make ant egg soup.

Today there seemed to be lots of various other unknown delicacies and ones which just looked …mmmmmm…  questionable even to me…lol

I will leave them for another day when my daughter-in-law is with me and can translate and advise me…

Thank you for reading this post I hope you have enjoyed xxx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a fabulous weekend xxx

 

CarolCooks2…This week in my kitchen…Salt Fish, Papaya Salad with Blue Crab and Gingerbread Cake…

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Welcome to my kitchen...I have been baking more than I ever have for a long, long time…Testing recipes for my cookbook…Come and join me…

Watermelons…we were gifted another one yesterday and although it is very kind I think like the bananas both us and all our neighbours are now both banana and watermelon weary we have run out of ideas… I am eying those mangoes which are growing nicely they will be a few weeks yet though and the Jackfruit…

ข้าวกระยาสารท​ (Krayasart) is an ancient Thai dessert sweet…this sweet, fragrant sticky roll is lovely to eat but also so important that they are made for a merit-making ceremony …with Krayasart dessert as well.

Merit making is an important part of daily life here for many Thais…In Thai Buddhism, the word “merit” is frequently used, especially in relation to giving. In Buddhist societies, such merit–making is common, especially those meritorious deeds which are connected to monks and temples.

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We were out walking and came across these delicious bites being sold…I will definitely be back for more…made with sugar, honey, sesame seeds, boiled rice, coconut and peanuts they are a delightful bite…

Som Tum Khao Phod...Spicy Papaya Salad with crab and sweetcorn…

frozen-blue-swimming-crabs-4782916_640

We love Papaya salad and it is a staple in our house there are many variations here some have Pla ra (Thai: ปลาร้า, pronounced [plāː ráː]), also called ปลาแดก pla daek, is a traditional Thai seasoning produced by fermenting fish with rice bran or roasted rice flour and salt fermented in a closed container for at least six months.

I don’t as I am not too keen on the taste however Aston does this recipe doesn’t but if you are familiar with Pla ra I am sure you know how much to add.

Crab is used in this salad but you could use prawns, mussels and or squid.

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Ingredients: 

To serve 2/3 persons.

  • 2 blue swimmer crabs…cooked and broken into pieces
  • 1 corn cob cooked and charred on the BBQ and then sliced off the cob or steamed and sliced we just like a bit of char on our corn.
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimp(optional)
  • 300 gm shredded green papaya
  • 50 gm shredded or julienned carrots
  • 1 long snake beans chopped in 1” long pieces
  • 6 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 shallots sliced or 2 green onions sliced I use either depending on what I have in my fridge or garden.
  • 2/3 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2-10 chillies depending on heat required
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar…optional or as required per your taste…I use very little maybe a tsp.
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts ( optional)

Let’s Cook!

Prepare vegetables, julienne green papaya and carrots, cut cherry tomatoes in half, boil crab, and cook sweet corn or out of a can is fine just drain. If you get everything prepared first, the salad will take you only less than 5 mins and it is ready to serve.

Put Chilli(s) in the mortar smash them couple times with pestle (be careful if you smash them too much, it can get spicy!), then add lime juice and then sugar, smash them again until sugar is dissolved.I normally add my lime in cheeks and leave them in the salad as do Thais.

Add the cherry tomatoes and smash it with the pestle couple times so the tomatoes juice come out if you are using dried prawns add now.

Add fish sauce and peanuts, mix them with the pestle, then add papaya and carrots in batches and mix them again. I use a long-handled spoon with my pestle it is easier to pound and turn mix over to combine…It takes a little bit of practice but you will soon get the hang of it.

Lastly, add your cooked crab but just mix them in with a spoon instead and it’s done!

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Enjoy!

Cakes…I have never made so many cakes for a long time they were spoilt with the banana bread and are now demanding cake…

I attempted to make a ginger cake and as I have made a few cakes over the years I didn’t read the recipe properly…It was an absolute disaster, rock hard didn’t rise and went into the bin…on reading the recipe as I am nothing if not a trier I will not let a recipe beat me…I should have warmed the syrups and sugar with the addition of some water…The baking soda I should have combined with the milk…sigh..that will teach me…

Take two…

Ginger Bread Cake…

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Ingredients:

  • 175 gm flour sifted
  • 1 level tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 level dessert spoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 level tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp of milk
  • 75 gm treacle or molasses
  • 75 gm golden syrup
  • 75 gm brown sugar
  • 75 gm butter
  • 1 large egg beaten

Sift the flour and the spices together. then mix the baking soda with the milk and set to one side.

Heat the treacle, syrup, sugar,butter plus75ml of water in a pan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved do not boil.

Add the syrup mixture to the flour and spices and mix..beating until smooth.

Then add a little at a time of the beaten egg mixing thoroughly after each addition then add the milk stirring in thoroughly.

Pour the batter into a prepared 2 lb loaf tin or round tin and bake on 170C/Gas 3 for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hrs as per the recipe…my oven tends to run hot and 55 minutes was ample.I would check after 50 minutes depending on your oven.

This one rose and was a nice texture and not suitable for building a wall like my first effort…That will teach me to read the recipe…

This week we also had some salt fish we went to a market which comes here about every six months where there are lots of beautiful clothes which are made from handwoven cloth from the very North of Thailand by the hill tribes also lots of dried and salt fish, pork and beef dried and flossed in different ways quite a lot of different foods so of course, we brought some to try…The fish was very, very salty and you can’t eat very much(or) I can’t it also has quite a strong smell… it is eaten with sticky rice, raw garlic cloves and chillies…Yes, you just bite into a raw chilli…

Thank you for reading I invite your comments as always xx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a fabulous weekend xxx