I have made many trips to Bangkok and
each time, Thai food hogging starts immediately after landing, catching the
first bite at the airport, stopping at street stall for a second bite and
ordering the third meal at home.
The romance of Thai cuisine dates back
many years ago, in another century, when relishing food was purely aping the
taste of my cousins. They liked so I liked. During my long summer holidays, my
cousins in Bangkok would take me to narrow food lanes, in the interiors of the
city, thick with fragrant smoke. We would sit on plastic furniture and eat the
most unique dishes, sometimes slimy stuff, sometimes deep fried critters, and
sometimes sea-food infused with herbs, rich in taste, so spicy that I had tears
staining my cheeks. The taste was enchanting and whenever I asked what I was
eating, they would say “Just eat, don’t ask”
Thai food is the riot of flavors of
sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy, all in balanced proportions. On another
holiday in Bangkok, I had attended Thai cookery class to learn the basics of
Thai cuisine. Most of my knowledge on Thai authentic meal comes from learning
from house help in my cousin’s home. But for travellers, I am told, there are
number of premier cooking schools introducing rich Thai cuisine heritage,
offering personalized, individual, family and group culinary courses. It will be interesting to get insight into the unique art of Thai Cuisine.
Some of the major hotels like Oriental
hotel, Dusit Thai hotel and some more popular hotels provide cooking course for
their visitors based on creditable choices of the menus
served at their restaurants.
I have many good memories of Bangkok and
those memories were refreshed this week, when Rushina Munshaw invited me to her
APBCookStudio for Thai Cook-up by
Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The feast began with a lemon-grass
drink, followed by Thai bhel and then a cooking demonstration for making Green
and Red curry paste, chicken in basil and Thai curry. We were then grouped in
pairs, to cook up the Thai dishes at our own cook stations.
It was a fun afternoon, cooking, eating
and enjoying the morning, meeting other food lovers, was happy to meet Raynah
Coutinho, Public relation manager, who shared her experiences of living in Thailand informing us about different point
of interests.
I am happy to Share with you the basil chicken as demonstrated by Rushina.
Please note, for vegetarians, mushrooms
can be substituted for chicken
Kai
Phad Kaphro (Basil Chicken)
Courtesy
Rushina Munshaw
Ingredients
250gms boneless chicken breast, cut into small
pieces
2tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 red chilies dissected and chopped
2tbsp fish sauce
pinch of sugar
20 Thai Basil leaves +12 deep fried for
garnish.
Method
Heat oil in wok, add garlic and chilies, stir
fry till golden brown
Add chicken, stir fry till it changes color
Season with fish sauce and sugar and continue
stir frying for 3-4 minutes
Stir in the fresh basil leaves
Garnish with fried basil leaves and sliced
chilies and serve with white rice.
Rushina had given me some freshly made red and
green Thai curry paste to take home. Sunday was a treat time for my family and
they loved the Thai curry that I made for lunch.
This
is how I made Thai Curry
Ingredients
500gms Chicken thigh cut into strips
100gms coconut powder dissolved in 2 cups of
warm water
½ cup green curry paste
3tbsp vegetable oil
5-6 Thai chilies; cut slantwise
5-6 kaffir lime leaves
2tbsp tamarind juice
½ cup Zucchini, diced
½ cup button mushroom, halved
½ broccoli diced
4-5 basil leaves
1tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp palm sugar
1 chicken stock cube
Method:
Stir-fry chicken thigh strips till fragrant
Add a cup coconut milk and chicken stock cube
In another wok stir-fry green curry paste and
sauté till fragrant
Transfer the curry paste mixture in the chicken
coconut broth and continue to stir gently till it is mixed.
Add mushrooms, broccoli and Zucchini.
Leave until cooked and then add the remaining
coconut milk
Adjust the seasonings as desired using fish
sauce, sugar, kaffir leaves, basil leaves, chilies, tamarind juice and sugar.
Serve hot.
