Tag: lemongrass
Green Curry with Tofu
This is the first time I have attempted green curry at home. We always order it in Thai restaurants and really enjoy the flavor. My problem with attempting Thai recipes at home was the numerous ingredients. I finally went to an Asian grocery store and stocked up on galangal which comes frozen and can be stored in your freezer for a long time. It is nice to have fresh kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass but they are not always available. So, I bought frozen lemon grass and stored the fresh lime leaves in the freezer as well. They may not be as aromatic as the fresh ones but it is better than not having them at all. This was a good first try- will keep improving….
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 1 inch galangal or ginger
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass or zest of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons honey
Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor and process till a paste is achieved. You may need to add some water to process. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 to 4 heads small bok choy, whites and greens separated and chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- Salt
- 3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a wok like saucepan with the coconut oil. Add the green curry paste and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bok choy whites and sauté for 2 more mintues. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add salt and water if needed. Cook on a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with kaffir lime leaves and cilantro. Serve with soba noodles.
Penang Curry- My Version
A great version to make at home…
Curry Paste
- 2 to 3 dried chilies, soaked in warm water until soft and seeds removed
- 1 inch galangal, grated
- 3 to 4 stalks lemongrass, grated
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 small shallots
- 2 tablespoons cilantro stems
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
Roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peanuts in a small frying pan till aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Take out and grind in a spice grinder. Add to a mortar and pestle. Add the soft red chilies to the spices in the mortar and pestle.
Add the grated galanga, lemongrass, cilantro stems, garlic and shallots to a small food processor and process till smooth. Add the mixture to the mortar and pestle. Add the shrimp paste to the whole mixture and pound the paste till incorporated together and relatively smooth. Add the salt and keep aside.
- 1 can low-fat coconut milk
- 3 to 4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thin
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, sliced thin on a bias
- 1 cup haricot verts (green beans), cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice and zest of one lime
- ½ cup basil, shredded
Heat a saucepan on medium heat and add the curry paste. Add ¼ cup of coconut milk and sauté on medium heat while stirring constantly. Make sure the milk does not burn. Keep adding as the liquid evaporates and more is needed. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beans and bring to a boil and cook for a minutes. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Simmer and add the lime leaves, palm sugar, fish sauce, juice and zest of the lime. Mix well and check for seasonings. Turn off as soon as the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with basil and serve with rice.
Shrimp and Mushroom Laksa
Popular in Singapore and Malaysia, this noodle dish is a labor of love. I have tried to make a bit easier but it is still a bit time consuming and requires quite a few ingredients- but it is so worth it. I would recommend this for a Sunday dinner!
- 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned, deveined and shelled, shells reserved
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half
- 2 carrots, sliced in one inch pieces
- Salt
In a large saucepan, add the reserved shells, onion, carrots and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer till reduced to about 5 cups, about 45 minutes. Strain and keep aside.
Marinate the shrimp in 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and keep aside.
Paste
- 2 large shallots, cut in quarters
- 3 green onions, trimmed and chopped
- 2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 large lemongrass stalks-bottom 7 inches only, outer layer removed, stalk cut into 1 inch length
Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- One 14 ½ ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 to 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 pound Thai flat rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions
- Juice of a lime
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 bunch Asian greens (I used yu choy, a leafy green), bok choy or spinach, about 4 cups
Heat a large saucepan with the peanut oil and add the puree and sauté on medium heat for 9 to 10 minutes, till the mixture is dark brown. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the 5 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add the honey, fish sauce, lime juice and soy sauce. Check for seasonings as the broth is simmering and add more soy, lime juice or honey as needed. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp are cooked but not over done.
Divide the noodles and greens in 4 to 6 bowls and top with the shrimp and hot broth. Serve immediately.
Rice Noodles with Shrimp Curry and Chinese Broccoli
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 8 allspice berries
Toast the spices in a dry cast iron pan on medium heat until fragrant and grind in a spice mill. Keep aside.
- 1 pound rice noodles, cooked according to package directions. Drizzle a bit of oil, mix well and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass, chopped finely
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice and zest of one large lime
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 14 ounces can of coconut milk
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 bunch Chinese broccoli, chopped
- 3 green onion, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Heat a wok like pan with the coconut oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemongrass, garlic and ginger and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the spice mix, turmeric, cayenne pepper, juice and zest of lime, salt, fish sauce and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Chinese broccoli and shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and add the green onion, mint, cilantro and basil.
Dip the noodles briefly in hot water, drain and add some to each serving bowl. Top with the shrimp curry and serve warm.
Thai Style Cheeseburgers with Lime Cilantro Mayo
My love of Asian cuisine continues with these delicious cheeseburgers.. they are really good. Feel free to marinate the meat overnight for extra yummy flavor and serve them with oven baked fries!
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon grated galangal or fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/3 cup basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup mint, chopped
- Zest of one lime
- 1 stalk lemongrass, smashed and chopped
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoons oil
Transfer all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix well and let sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. Take out half an hour before cooking. Form into 4 to 6 patties, depending how big you want the burgers.
Heat a frying pan with the oil and cook the burgers to the desired doneness. Top with cheese and serve on toasted rolls.
- 4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, sliced and toasted
- 4 to 6 cheddar slices
- Baby spinach
Lime Cilantro Mayo
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- Zest of one lime
- Juice of one lime
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and serve with the cheeseburgers.
Chicken Breast with Kumquats
This was a great dish to make. Someone mentioned kumquats a while ago and how the didn’t know what to do with them. Kumquats look like tiny little oranges. They are quite tart if eaten raw but provide a great tangy citrus flavor if cooked correctly. It reminded me of a chicken and kumquat dish I had at Spice Market in NYC. It was a very memorable and delicious meal- I am sure the yummy cocktails helped a lot.
I started thinking of that dish and decided to look it up online. After a lot of visualizing, I came up with this recipe. I first put the dressing together. I was able to get fresh lemongrass at whole foods. The kaffir lime leaves are available at the Asian stores. I bought a big pack and have them stored in the freezer. These two flavors are quite important to this dish.
I coated the chicken with a spice mix and marinated it for a few hours. All together, this dish has a few steps but it is very worth it.
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Jungle Shrimp- A Malaysian/Thai Style Shrimp
I have recently started writing for the Patch– which is a online blog owned by AOL. Most towns around Maplewood have their own local patch.
I recently did a restaurant review for the Chatham patch and talked about a restaurant called Taste of Asia. We had a really nice meal and I decided to replicate a dish called jungle shrimp. It was delicious at the restaurant and I came home and did a lot of research to figure out the ingredients. It turned out it had a lot of Thai flavors. I went shopping to Whole Foods and bought some kaffir leaves, lemongrass and palm sugar. I made a sauce out of orange juice, tamarind and fish sauce etc.
I sauteed the shrimp with some sweet peppers and onions and added the sauce. The dish was delicious- not the same as what we had at the restaurant but very enjoyable.
I loved the complex flavors of the sauce with the tamarind and the palm sugar. I served the dish with some fried rice to make it a complete meal.
If you are able to get all the exotic ingredients- no problem. You can substitute the palm sugar with honey, tamarind with lime juice, kaffir limes with lime zest, etc. The idea is to get a similar flavor- it doesn’t have to be exact. I would highly recommend it!
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