Chicken coconut soup (Tom Ka Kai)

Chicken coconut soup (Tom Ka Kai)

400ml coconut milk

1 chicken fillet, cut into small dices

4-5 king prawns (optional)

1/2cup water

2 stalks lemon grass, finely chopped

2in length fresh galangal, chopped (optional)

4-5 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

100g button mushrooms, cut each in half

4-5 baby corns, cut each in half

1tsp soy sauce, 1tbsp fish sauce, and hint of granulated sugar

2 Thai red chillies, chopped

1 lime

1tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1)    Heat the coconut milk and water in a pot until it is boiled. Add the chopped lemon grass, galangal (optional) and kaffir lime leaves (optional). Stir for a few minutes.

2)    Seasoning the soup with 1tbsp fish sauce, 1tsp soy sauce, hint of sugar and lime juice. Stir again for a minute.

3)    Add the diced chicken and prawns (optional). Boil until it is cooked.

4)    Add the chopped mushrooms and baby corns. Boil until they are cooked.

5)    Stir constantly. Remove from the heat and add some chillies.

6)    Add some coriander leaves before serve.

7)    You can add 1tsp ‘Mae Pranom’ chilli oil for a nice kick of favour (optional). 

Pineapple fried rice

Pineapple fried rice

1 sweet fresh pineapple

1 onion, chopped

2 Thai red chillies, finely chopped

2 chicken fillets, cut into small pieces

6-8 king prawns

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 cups cooked Thai jasmine rice

1tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, hint of granulated sugar

2tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

1)    Cook the Thai jasmine rice in a rice cooker. Leave it in a bowl when it is cooked.

2)    Cut the pineapple in half (horizontally) and remove the pineapple from both halves. Keep the pineapple skin. Put it on a plate.

3)    Heat the oil in a wok and wait until it is hot. Add the chopped garlic and red chillies and stir until the garlic is golden.

4)    Add the chopped chicken and king prawns. Stir fry until they are cooked.

5)    Season it with 1tbsp fish sauce, 1tbsp soy sauce and hint of sugar. Stir fry for a minute.

6)    Add the chopped onions and pineapple chunks. Stir until they are cooked.

7)    Add the cooked rice and stir until the rice is mixed well with the ingredients. Transfer it to the pineapple skin to serve.

A Thai take on a well known British favourite - Thai style bangers and mash

6 pork sausages of your choice (Cumberland and chilli ones would go well with this recipe)

1 baked potato and 1 sweet potato, mashed

200g fine green beans, cut into 2in length pieces

1 red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

½ cup coconut milk

1tbsp fish sauce, 2tsp soy sauce, 1tbsp oyster sauce and hint of sugar

1)    Prepare mash potatoes. Add ½ cup of coconut milk and mix it will. Set aside.

2)    Grill the sausages.

3)    Heat the oil in a wok and wait until it is hot. Add the chopped garlic and stir until it is golden.

4)    Add the fine beans and chopped red onions. Stir fry them until they are done.

5)    Serve the sausages with coconut mash potatoes and stir fried green beans.

My cooking style - 'Thai-fusion cooking'

I have learnt so much about Western food I have found that there is no need to draw a line between Western and Eastern ways of cooking. Understanding differences and cooking culture is a key to a new way of cooking which fuses Western tastes with Eastern styles.

My blog will provide you with Thai-British way of cooking - ‘Thai fusion cooking’ I would call it as I know that a purist approach to Thai cooking can seem troublesome from a Western perspective. There are so many unfamiliar Thai ingredients, cooking utensils and cultural differences in cooking techniques and styles of presentation and eating. My blog will introduce you to a new way of cooking designed to be accessible to Western cooks and agreeable to Western tastes. 

Many of the recipes on my blog are adapted with my own twist on traditional Thai dishes. Some are my own recipes. My style of cooking is creative and experimental- you too can adapt any of the dishes by adjusting seasoning or tweaking the ingredients to suit your personal preference. Many of the ingredients will be unfamiliar. Some major UK supermarkets are beginning to stock a few Thai foods but for most you will to go to specialist Thai food shops or web sites. Fortunately, there is a growing number of these suppliers. In some recipes I have mentioned particular brands of ingredient. Those brands are the ones I have tried and found they are good. Of course, you can replace them similar ingredients of any brands you like.

Last but not least, enjoy your experience of Thai fusion cooking (eating and learning more about Thai food) and I do hope that this blog will guide you to new experiences of cooking and healthy eating!

Cultural differences and cooking culture - let's start with 2 golden rules

The first rule is that eating is an essential part of Thai culture (and I am sure that this is true for Chinese, Asian and some European cultures as well). “Have you eaten yet?” is a question that you would hear when Thais greet each other. Thai food, and particular ways of eating and ordering it, are central to most social occasions. For example, in Thailand there is no such a thing as a ‘starter’. Soup or any other small dishes are eaten as main courses in Thailand. Nor are there any dishes on a table that would belong only to one person. The Thai way of eating is for all at the table to share and enjoy every dish together. All Thai restaurants have to adapt to suit Western ways of eating. This is a rule that you have to remember when you cook Thai food. It is not just about cooking- the variety of foods and ways of eating mean that you might need to change some of your perceptions. Choose a couple of dishes from the menu or cook them for one meal and share them with your family and friends.

The second rule is that Thai food is well known for its complex flavours. Combinations of sweet and sour, spicy and salty, or sweet and spicy, are common. Typical Thai dishes have 4 main favours: salty, sweet, sour and spicy. In one meal, it is recommended to mix some spicy dishes with some non-spicy ones to tone down the spicy dishes. This is one way in which Thai food is different from other Asian food. Western people familiar with Chinese food may find Thai food is a different taste experience.

Welcome to my 'Thai food explained' blog!

Hi :) Welcome to my 'Thai food explained' blog. This blog will be useful for both cooking enthusiasts and people who would like to try Thai food but do not know where to start.