This classic Thai snack will disappear fast at any gathering. A mix of peanuts, cashews, crispy garlic, makrut lime leaves, and chilies tossed in a seasoning mix that hits all the flavour notes - salty, sour, sweet, spicy and umami. Highly addictive!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the the full recipe card below.

• Raw peanuts, preferably skin-on. While you can make these with blanched peanuts, the skins do make them look better and the added fiber is a nice bonus. They also tend to taste better in my experience. Skin-on peanuts are available at most Asian grocery stores, and you'll probably see a few different types being sold—they're not all the same! My preferred peanuts are the smaller ones with the brightest red skins. Typically, they will also cost more than other types, but really not by much.
• Raw cashews. These are optional, but I find they really make the whole mix look and taste better! If raw cashews are not available at Asian stores, look for them at health food stores, and check the bulk section.
• Large cloves of garlic, we will be making garlic chips so we need large cloves for the most substantial chips.
• Makrut lime leaves. Frozen is okay for this, but be sure to dry them very well after they thaw as we will be frying them, and any water left on them will splatter aggressively in the oil.
• Lemongrass
• Small dried chilies, optional. While these are optional, they do make the mix look so much prettier so I like to add them even if I don't end up eating them. Once the chilies are fried they will be crispy and edible if they're not too spicy for you. I get the generic dried chilies from Chinese grocery stores which tend not to be very spicy, but if you want spicy, arbol chilies from Latin American stores will work.

Seasoning Mix (Tom Yum Flavour)

The classic version of these are simply tossed in salt, which you can absolutely do, but I prefer the more interesting "tom yum flavour" which I highly recommend you try!

• Salt. My recipe uses table salt, but you can use whatever salt you have, keeping in mind that larger grains such as Kosher salt measure differently, so check some online conversions to get the right amount.
• Sugar. The balance of sweet and salty is what makes these nuts incredibly addictive!
• True Lime brand lime juice powder. I specify the brand only because I have tried another brand (generic from a specialty food store) that was rather awful, and I have not seen any other brand here, though in Thailand Knorr also makes one. I love using lime juice powder as a way to add acidity and lime flavour when I don't want the liquid, and as a backup for when I'm out of fresh limes. I see True Lime sold in little packets at the supermarket, or you can also buy them on Amazon. I also use True Lime powder in my zingy and spicy Thai "Wing Zabb" recipe which I highly recommend!
• Chicken bouillon powder (optional). This is the secret to all your Asian aunties' delicious cooking! Chicken bouillon powder (most commonly Knorr brand) is a very commonly used ingredient in Asia, including Thailand. In our nut mix, it adds a the umami factor that other seasonings don't.
• Chili powder, optional, to taste. If you want the nuts to be spicy, add whatever kind of chili powder that you have on hand, though be careful with adding too much because a large amount of chili powder will dilute the other seasonings, so keep the amount no more than 1-2 teaspoons only.

How to Make Thai Chili Lime Peanuts

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. The full instructions are in the recipe card below, and if this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

1. Thinly slice garlic as evenly as you can; I recommend using a mandolin for this if you have one.
2. Dry the makrut lime leaves if needed so they are 100% dry. Fold each leaf in half and pull out the centre rib.
3. Tear the halves in half again, so for each leaf you will get 4 pieces.
4. Thinly slice lemongrass on a diagonal; no need to be precise here as we will not eat the lemongrass

5. Combine all the seasonings into a coffee grinder and grind into a powder.
6. Add about ¾ inch of frying oil into a wok or pot, then add 1 piece of garlic as you test piece. Once it starts to bubble, add the rest of the garlic.
7. Fry the garlic on low heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden (not brown) and the bubbling has almost completely stopped. Don't let them brown or they will be bitter. Drain on paper towel.
8. Fry the lime leaves on low heat until the bubbling stops, this should only take about 10 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towel.

9. Fry the lemongrass just until the bubbling has subsided significantly, but no need to wait for the bubbling to stop. Remove and discard as they are for infusion only.
10. Fry the chilies for about 15 seconds, stirring coostantly, just until they darken slightly. Remove and drain on paper towel.
11. Turn the heat up to medium and let the temperature come up to 350°F (175°C). Fry the peanuts until the are golden, about 7-9 minutes depending on the size. If peanuts have skins on, check the colour of ones that have split open. Do not let them brown or they will be bitter. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined brownie pan or casserole dish.
12. Fry the cashews until golden, 3-5 minutes. Remove and add to the peanuts to drain.

13. Pull the paper towel out from under the nuts.
14. While the nuts are still warm and oily, sprinkle the seasoning over the nuts evenly, then stir until they're all evenly coated.
15. Add the fried herbs and toss again to coat.
16. Wait until the nuts cool completely before eating. Enjoy!

Pro Tip: The Secret to Crispy Garlic

Of all the things you need to fry, the trickiest thing to get right is the garlic chips, and a common issue people have is the garlic chips nice and golden... but not crispy.

In order for something to become crispy, it has to lose most of its moisture, and this takes time. So if your heat is too high, the garlic will quickly reach temperature where it can brown, and the moisture will not have had enough time to evaporate, hence soggy garlic chips. The key is LOW heat, so there's plenty of time for the moisture to evaporate, but not so low that the garlic never turns any colour and becomes oil-sogged.

How do you know the moisture is gone? The bubbling! Bubbling of fried foods is due to water in the food evaporating. So as you fry the garlic, you'll notice that the bubbling decreases as the moisture runs low. The garlic is crispy once there is almost no bubbling left.

With the right heat, the bubbling of the garlic should be moderate, not super weak but not aggressive (see the video for a visual). And if you do it right the bubbling should start to die down before the garlic develops any colour, so by the time the garlic develops colour, the bubbling will be almost gone. It can take some trial and error to figure out the perfect heat setting, but I'd recommend starting , of your particular stove, so don't be discouraged if you fail the first time!

Frequently Asked Questions

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Thai Chili & Herb Peanuts (Tom Yum Peanuts)

These classic Thai snacks are highly addictive and frequently requested by people who've experienced them in Thailand!

Course snacks

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 130kcal

Ingredients

• 10 large cloves garlic peeled
• 15 makrut lime leaves large
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 10 small dried chilies optional, to taste
• Frying oil as needed
• 12 oz raw peanuts preferably skins on (see note 1)
• 6 oz raw cashews see note 2

Seasoning

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon lime juice powder see note 3
• 1 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder optional but recommended
• 1 teaspoon chili powder optional, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Thinly slice the garlic crosswise as evenly as possible. I recommend using a mandolin for this, if you have one, as even slices will be tremendously helpful when you fry them. Aim for a thickness of around 1-1.5 mm thick. Spread the sliced garlic out on a plate to let them dry while you prep other things, as the dryer they are the faster they fry.
  10 large cloves garlic
• Make sure makrut lime leaves are absolutely 100% dry, otherwise the oil will splatter when you fry them. Fole the leaf lengthwise and tear off the center stem, then tear each half into 2 pieces. (So each single leaf should give you 4 pieces, see the step by step photos above if you're confused.)
  15 makrut lime leaves
• Thinly slice the lemongrass on a diagonal. We will not be eating these so no need to be super precise or meticulous about it.
  1 stalk lemongrass
• Combine all the seasonings together in a coffee grinder and grind into a powder; this will help them stick better to the nuts.
  2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon lime juice powder, 1 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Line a large plate with a paper towel for the herbs, and line a 9x13 brownie pan with paper towel. (If you don’t have a brownie pan, a large mixing bowl will work, but the nuts will cool faster in a brownie pan).
• Put about ¾ inch of frying oil in a wok or medium size pot and heat it over low heat. Add one piece of sliced garlic as your test piece. Once the garlic start to bubble, add the remaining garlic and fry gently, keeping the heat low and stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden and the bubbling has gone almost completely. Remove with a wire skimmer and drain on the paper towel lined plate. Remember the garlic will darken slightly after it leaves the oil so take it out when it's still a little too light.
  Frying oil
• In the same oil, still on low heat, add the makrut lime leaves and fry until they stop bubbling completely, about 10-15 seconds. Remove with a wire skimmer and drain on the plate.
• In the same oil, still on low heat, add the dried chilies and stir until they darken slightly, about 10-15 seconds. Remove and drain on the plate.
  10 small dried chilies
• Using the same oil, turn the heat up to medium then add the lemongrass and fry, stirring frequently, until the bubbling has subsided. The lemongrass is for infusing only, we will not eat them as they are hard and chewy. Most Thai people will add them to the nuts cuz they look nice and it shows that lemongrass is an ingredient, but I prefer to discard them for easy eating. You can do either.
• Now it’s time to fry the nuts. Let the oil heat up to 350°F (175°C). Add the peanuts. If needed, top it up with more oil to keep the nuts barely submerged. Stir the peanuts frequently until they darken slightly, about 7-9 minutes, until the peanuts are golden (check by splitting one peanut open). The timing will vary greatly depending on the size of your peanuts and the heat of your oil, and remember they will brown further after leaving the oil. Use a wire skimmer to remove the peanuts and drain on the brownie pan.
  12 oz raw peanuts
• Now add the cashews to the same oil, still on medium heat, and fry until they are golden, stirring constantly, about 3-5 mins. Use a wire skimmer to scoop them out and add them to the peanuts. *Some cashews are higher in sugar content and take a short time to fry, so it's important not to walk away from them!
  6 oz raw cashews
• Shake the nuts pan a few times to allow all the excess oil to drain, then remove the paper towel from under the nuts. While the nuts are still warm and oily, sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the nuts, then stir or toss to coat them thoroughly. Add the fried herbs and toss again to coat. Allow them to cool completely before eating as the nuts will not be crunchy while still hot. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

1. You can find skin-on peanuts at Asian grocery stores. If available, get the smaller, redder peanuts as they taste better. Blanched peanuts will also work if skin-on ones are not available.

2. The cashews are optional, but I do find they taste better with the mix of the two. You can also change the ratio of cashews to peanuts to whatever you want. (Honestly, I only use 320 g of peanuts because my peanuts come in a 320 g bag!)

3. I use True Lime brand lime juice powder. Other brands may work but I have not tried them. 

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 0.03mg | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Chili Lime Peanuts with Thai Herbs appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Though I am calling this vegan pad thai, this isn't just a veganized version that I made up. It's a real Thai dish that I grew up eating called pad mee korat, and when I was thinking about a vegan version of pad thai, it dawned on me that pad mee korat was basically it, with just a few tweaks!

What is pad mee korat?

I have always thought of pad mee korat as the sister of pad thai given their similar flavours and ingredients. It's a rice noodle stir fry that is the local specialty of my mom's hometown, Korat, in the northeast of Thailand. This is why it's a dish my grandmother makes regularly!

While pad thai necessarily contains fish sauce and eggs, pad mee korat doesn't need either of those. But both dishes use the same rice noodles, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and has that same sweet-salty-sour profile.

Though my grandma usually makes pad mee korat with thinly sliced pork, it's not essential to the dish and you can substitute with the tofu used in pad thai, or simply omit it. I couldn't have asked for a better starting point for a vegan pad thai recipe!

​Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need. For the amounts and instructions, see the recipe card below!

Sauce Ingredients

• Soy sauce. Thai soy sauce is best but it's not necessary. Confused by different types of soy sauces? See this soy sauce explainer post here!
• Tao jiew. This is Thai fermented soybean paste that is essentially the Thai version of miso. It's sold in glass bottles (Healthy Boy Brand) at Asian grocery stores that sell a lot of Thai ingredients, though it is harder to find. You can substitute equal amount of miso or doenjang.  
• Tamarind paste. If buying pre-made tamarind paste, always buy ones from Thailand to make sure you have the right product. These are often labeled as tamarind concentrate (see pic below). You can also make your own tamarind paste from pulp and it's what I do. Never buy tamarind products from India as they are not the same!
  **Tamarind sourness varies from brand to brand, so if it's your first time, start out with a little less and you can add more later if needed.**
• Chili flakes, optional, only if you want to make it spicy. Store bought is fine, or you can easily make your own using my roasted chili flakes recipe. You can also leave it out of the sauce and let people add their own at the table.

Pad Thai Ingredients

• Dry rice noodles, medium size (2-3 mm wide). You need to soak them in room temp water for 1 hour, so don't forget to do this ahead of time! You can soak them the day before, drain, then keep them in the fridge until ready to use. If you did not plan ahead, you can do an emergency soak in hot off the boil water and for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse immediately under cold water.
  *If you have previously had trouble working with rice noodles, be sure to check out this ultimate guide to mastering rice noodles.
• Neutral oil, this can be any neutral flavoured cooking oil you normally use. I use avocado oil or canola oil
• Pressed tofu. Pressed tofu is the firmest tofu you can buy. It has a nice chew and will not fall apart in the wok. It's also the tofu that's traditionally used in pad thai. Sometimes they are labeled as "bean curd". If not available, use extra firm tofu or fried tofu. 
• Fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced. If stems are thick and hard, remove them. If they're small and tender you can leave them on.
• Shallots, chopped
• Garlic, chopped
• Palm sugar. Light brown sugar can be used instead. 
• Garlic chives, cut into 2-inch pieces. If not available you can substitute green onions (though they don't taste the same), but chop green onions smaller and use less as they are more intense in flavour than garlic chives.
• Bean sprouts. Be sure to get mung bean sprouts, not soybean sprouts. 
• Roasted peanuts, optional, roughly crushed or chopped. Peanuts are not typically added to pad mee korat, so feel free to skip them, but I add them here to get it closer to a traditional pad thai.
• Lime wedges, optional. I find a squeeze of fresh lime can add a nice burst of freshness.

How to Make Vegan Pad Thai

Here's a bird's eye view of all the steps so you know what's involved, for full instructions see the recipe card below!

1. Soak your noodles for 1 hour in room temp water. Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding tao jiew to a small bowl and mash with a fork to break up the soybeans, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to mix. 
2. In a wok or a large nonstick skillet, sear the mushrooms and tofu in a little bit of oil until golden brown and the mushrooms are cooked through. Remove from the pan. 
3. To the same pan, add the oil, garlic, shallots, palm sugar and cook, stirring frequently until the sugar caramelizes into a deep brown colour.
4. Deglaze with the sauce mixture and stir to mix.

5. Add the soaked rice noodles along with the mushrooms and tofu.
6. Toss until all the sauce has been absorbed. Taste the noodles, and if it is still undercooked, add a splash of water and keep it cooking longer.
7. Turn off the heat, add bean sprouts and garlic chives and toss to mix.
8. Once mixed, you can taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Plate and sprinkle with roasted peanuts and serve with a wedge of lime.

​Tips for Advance Prep

If you have all your ingredients ready, the cooking will take literally 5 minutes. So prepare ingredients as per these suggestions to enjoy weeknight pad thai!

• Make the sauce in advance (you can make a big batch!) and keep in the fridge. Saute the garlic, shallots, and sugar as per the recipe, then once you've added the liquid seasonings to the caramelized sugar, take it off heat and transfer it to a glass jar. That's your sauce! Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. This sauce will keep for a long time.
  *If keeping multiple batches of sauce in one container, remember to measure and note how much sauce you need per batch!
• Soak the noodles up to a week in advance, drain well then rest them briefly on a towel to ensure no excess water will pool in the container. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Chop all your vegetables and keep them in an airtight container and they will last for a week!

Vegan Pad Thai Recipe (pad mee korat)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 11 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 20 mins (+1 hr to soak noodles)
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings

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Description

This vegan pad thai is also known as pad mee korat. You'll get the same sweet, salty, sour balance and chewy noodles...but all completely plant based! It's an easy recipe, with an option to add eggs if desired.

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Ingredients

• 4 oz (112 g) dry rice noodles, medium size (2 mm wide)
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
• ¾ cup (85 g) pressed tofu, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp (35 g) finely chopped palm sugar, packed
• ¼ cup chopped shallot
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¾ cup (180 ml) garlic chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (50 g) bean sprouts, plus extra for serving
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Note: If you eat eggs, you can add 2 eggs to this recipe.

Sauce

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 ½ Tbsp fermented soybean paste or "tao jiew"  or substitute 1 tablespoon Korean doenjang or Japanese miso (what is tao jiew) 
• 2 ½ - 3 tablespoon tamarind paste, store bought or homemade (see note)
• ½ - 1 teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste
• 3 Tbsp water

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

1. Soak rice noodles in room temperature water for 1 hour or until they turn white. Drain and set aside. You can soak the noodles in advance, drain, and keep in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use, up to 2-3 days.
2. Make the sauce: Add tao jiew to a small bowl and mash roughly with a fork to break up the soybeans (if using miso or doenjang, place in a small bowl it with 1 Tbsp of water and stir to loosen the paste.) Add all remaining sauce ingredients and stir to mix. 
3. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to a wok or a large sauté pan and heat over medium high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and tofu. Spread them out and let sear until golden. Toss and continue to cook for 1 more minute or until the mushrooms are cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. 
4. To the same pan, heat about 2 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, shallots and palm sugar and cook, stirring frequently until the sugar caramelizes into a deep brown colour.
5. Deglaze with the sauce mixture then add the rice noodles, mushrooms and tofu. Keep tossing until all the sauce has been absorbed. Taste the noodles, and if they are still undercooked, add a splash of water and let cook until dry again. You can also add a little more tamarind if you think it needs it. 
6. If you want to add eggs: Once the noodles have absorbed most of the sauce, push the noodles to one side. Add eggs into the empty space, break the yolks and let the eggs set about half way. Then put the noodles over the eggs and let the eggs cook for 30 more seconds until the egg is set. Then toss to break up the eggs.
7. Turn off the heat, add bean sprouts and garlic chives and toss to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning. Plate and sprinkle with roasted peanuts, if using. 

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Notes

1. Only buy tamarind from Thailand, which is sometimes labeled as "tamarind concentrate. Sourness varies significantly between brands, so start with 2 ½ tablespoon and add more at the end if needed. Do not buy tamarind paste from India because it is much more concentrated.

The post Vegan Pad Thai Recipe (pad mee korat) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Don't let the amount of vegetables in this popular street food throw you off. I didn't love vegetables as a kid and I would devour these every time. Garlic chives become so tender they almost melt in your mouth, and with the soft & chewy dough that is crispy on the outside...and the sweet & sour dipping sauce...oh man...these are a MUST try.

Then there are these fried ones, which I only discovered later in life and fell in love with them immediately. They are a thousand times easier, but deliver the same flavours that I love in the classic ones. Instead of stuffing, the chives are mixed right into the batter, so no fiddly wrapping required! And IMO they're just as delicious if not more because they are crispy! Oh yeah, and it happens to be gluten-free and vegan and all that good stuff 🙂

Still have some leftover garlic chives from this recipe? Then it's time to make an authentic pad thai, or my best pork dumplings (gyoza)!

1. Place the chives in a mixing bowl, and add salt, sugar, soy sauce, baking soda, oil, white pepper and garlic, and mix until combined. Let sit for at least 20 minutes until the chives are wilted.
2. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by combining all ingredients and stirring until sugar is dissolved. This sauce will keep in the fridge for weeks!
3. Make the batter: Combine water, rice flour and tapioca starch in a pot and stir until there are no more lumps. Turn the heat on LOW and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula.
4. As the flour starts to cook and congeal into lumps, pull the pot off heat occasionally to smush any flour lumps against the sides to break them up. Continue stirring CONSTANTLY just until the mixture is thick enough that the chives can be evenly suspended in the batter (it can be thinner than in the pic). Remove from heat and continue stirring to break up any lumps of flour to make sure the consistency of the batter is even throughout.

5. Off heat, add the garlic chives into the batter until well combined.
6. Grease a 7-inch round cake pan with oil (or use any heatproof container). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth off the top.
7. Preheat a steamer with boiling water. If you're not using a bamboo steamer lid, wrap a towel around the lid of the steamer to prevent water from dripping onto the surface of the dumplings. Alternatively cover the dumplings with foil. Steam the dumplings for 15 - 20 minutes if using a 7-inch round pan, but this can be longer if you're using a smaller container (and therefore the batter is thicker). If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature of the middle should reach 190°F.
8. Let the dumpling cool completely then you can keep them in the fridge for up to a week until ready to eat.

9. When ready to eat, use an oiled knife to cut the dumplings into bite-sized cubes. If there is a lot of dough sticking to the blade between cuts, wipe it off and re-oil the blade.
10. To fry: In a non-stick pan, add just enough oil so it comes up just below half the height of the dumplings. Heat until hot and fry them until well browned and crispy, making sure to not let them touch while in the pan or they will stick together.
11. Flip and fry them on the other side until well browned.
12. Drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate and serve while they're hot and crispy with the dipping sauce!

Recipe Card

Crispy Garlic Chive Dumplings (Guichai Tod)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 4-5

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Description

A popular Thai street food, these garlic chive dumplings are chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside, and the chives just melt in your mouth. Easy to make, and can be done ahead of time as well!

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Ingredients

Dumplings

• 230 g (½ pound) garlic chives
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda (optional)
• 2 tsp neutral oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced (can also sub a ¼ tsp garlic powder)
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 100g rice flour
• 100g tapioca starch
• 1 cup (240 ml) water

Dipping sauce

• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 ½ Tbsp sweet soy sauce (I use ABC kecap manis)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2-3 teaspoon sambal oelek or pounded or minced Thai chilies to taste

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

1. Cut about 1.5 inch off the bottom of garlic chives and discard. Some garlic chives can harbour a lot of dirt at the bottom between the leaves, if this is the case, shake them in a bowl of cold water to remove the dirt before using.
2. After washing dry off the chives as best you can! If there is a lot of water left in the chives it will make the dough mushy. I shake off the water as much as possible, (use a salad spinner if you have it), then lay them on a tea towel, cover them with another, and roll them gently between the two towels. 
3. After washing and drying the chives (see important note) cut the chives into small pieces, a little shy of 1 cm, and place in a mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, soy sauce, baking soda, white pepper, oil and garlic and mix until combined. Let sit for at least 20 minutes or until the chives look wilted, and liquid has been drawn out of them.
4. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by combining vinegar, water and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add all remaining ingredients are stir to combine. This sauce will keep in the fridge for weeks!
5. Make the batter: Combine water, rice flour and tapioca starch in a pot and stir until there are no more lumps. Turn the heat on LOW and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula. As the flour starts to cook and congeal into lumps, pull the pot off heat occasionally to smush any flour lumps against the sides to break them up. Continue stirring CONSTANTLY just until the mixture is thick enough that the chives can be evenly suspended in the batter (think Greek yogurt consistency), then remove from heat and continue stirring to break up any lumps of flour. Be careful not to cook the batter too much or you will have a hard time incorporating the chives into it.
6. Off heat, stir the chives into the batter until well combined.
7. Grease a 7-inch round cake pan with oil (or use any heat proof container of your choice, but smaller containers will increase cooking time). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth off the top.
8. Preheat a steamer with boiling water. If you're not using a bamboo steamer lid, wrap a towel around the lid of the steamer to prevent water from dripping onto the surface of the dumplings. Alternatively you can cover the pan with foil. Steam the dumplings for 15-20 minutes over rapidly boiling water, or until fully cooked. Timing will change depending on the container you're using and how thick the batter is. If you have a thermometer, the internal temp of the centre of the batter should reach a minimum of 190°F.
9. Let the dumpling completely cool, or chill until ready to eat (it'll be easier to cut when cold). You can keep it at this stage for up to 1 week. When ready to eat, run a knife along the sides and flip it out. Use a sharp knife, grease it with oil, and cut the dumplings into bite-sized pieces. If there is a lot of dough sticking to the blade between cuts, wipe it off and re-oil the blade.
10. Fry the dumplings: In a non-stick pan, add just enough oil so it comes up just below half the height of the dumplings. Heat until hot and fry them on both sides until well browned and crispy, making sure to not let them touch while in the pan or they will stick together. Drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate.
11. Serve while they're hot and crispy with the dipping sauce!

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The post Crispy Garlic Chive Dumplings (Gui Chai Tod) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

This post is sponsored by Pine Brand Glass Noodles.

Why These Are 100x Better Than Takeout

• Actually flavourful filling. Too many takeout spring rolls are filled with bland noodles and measly shreds of carrots and cabbage. Not these. The filling is packed with tons of veggies and are so perfectly seasoned I sometimes just eat the filling straight up. This is a vegan filling that super tasty, but if you eat meat also check out these classic pork spring rolls and green curry spring rolls as well!
• Dipping sauce not necessary. Most takeout spring rolls are nothing without the sauce. Not these. The sweet-tart sweet chili sauce recipe adds a nice contrast, but these are so flavourful that you can do without.
• Secret ingredient: Taro root! Taro and deep fried foods are a match made in heaven. It adds a unique aroma and a slight creaminess that makes these feel substantial even without any meat.
• Umami and texture. Two types of mushrooms add umami and lots of texture to keep things interesting.

Ingredients for Veggie Spring Rolls + Important Notes

• Glass noodles. The best quality glass noodles are made from 100% mung bean starch, such as Pine Brand (our sponsor!). The noodles have a nicer chewy texture, and are more resistant to overcooking and tearing than ones made with a mixture of starches. Here are some of my other glass noodles recipes.
• Dried shiitake mushrooms. Use dried, not fresh, as they have more umami and are chewier. Not to mention the soaking water is very flavourful and is used as part of the recipe.
• Dried black fungus mushrooms. Also known as wood ear or cloud ear mushrooms, they provide a lovely crunchy texture. You can get them julienned or whole at most Asian grocery stores, but they can be omitted if not available. Also try using them in this ginger chicken stir-fry recipe!
• Taro root. Taro is a root vegetable that cooks up creamy similar to russet potato, but with a unique flavour and aroma that work in both savoury and sweet dishes. If you can, choose the larger taro root, which are creamier, rather than the small hairy ones. Asian stores often sell them pre-cut into chunks. Make sure you wear gloves when peeling taro btw as they can irritate your skin. If you've got taro leftover, use it in this Filipino sour soup recipe (sinigang) or Thai black sticky rice pudding.
• Neutral oil for cooking the filling
• Garlic
• White or black pepper
• Julienned cabbage
• Julienned carrots
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Salt
• Cilantro stems
• Green onions
• 8-inch spring roll wrappers for standard size, or 6-inch wrappers for mini spring rolls
• All-purpose flour or an egg for sealing the wrapper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Sweet chili sauce, for dipping, store bought or homemade (it's very easy to make!)

How to Make Vegetable Spring Rolls

Check out detailed recipes in the recipe card below, but here's a bird's eye view of what you'll need to do.

1. Saute garlic and pepper in oil until golden and aromatic.
2. Add carrots, cabbage and taro.
3. Add rehydrated shiitake mushroom and cook until veggies are done.
4. Add the glass noodles, cilantro stems and seasonings.

5. Stir fry the filling until the noodles are fully cooked. Let cool to lukewarm.
6. Wrap the spring rolls using a little more than ¼ cup of filling per an 8-inch wrapper (see the video tutorial for a demo on how to wrap spring rolls).
7. Use a flour slurry or a beaten egg as the glue to seal the wrapper.
8. Ready to fry or freeze!

9. Fry spring rolls at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 mins, or 7-8 minutes if frying from frozen.
10. They should be a deep golden brown and the bubbles should only be coming out the ends, not from the surface of the spring rolls
11. Drain on paper towel or a rack and let cool for a few minutes before cutting and eating.
12. Cut them on a diagonal for a pro look!

Storing Leftovers

You can freeze uncooked spring rolls in a freezer bag for a few months, and fry them directly from frozen whenever you're ready to eat for fresh-like-new crispiness. They will take just a few minutes longer to fry.

If you have leftover cooked spring rolls, just keep them in the fridge and they will last up to a week. To reheat, you can bake them in a 350°F (180°F) oven for 8-10 minutes until the outside is crispy and the inside is heated through. They can also be reheated in toaster ovens and the air fryer.

Frequently Asked Questions About Spring Rolls

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Ultimate Crispy Veggie Spring Rolls

These vegan spring rolls are made special with the addition of taro. They're so flavourful no sauce is required, but to take it to the next level serve with Thai sweet chili sauce! 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large spring rolls

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

• 0.5 oz (about 4 medium pc) dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated see note
• 0.25 oz dried black fungus mushrooms rehydrated, see note
• 1.4 oz dry glass noodles (1 small pack)
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ½-1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper see note
• 5.3 oz (2 cups) finely julienned taro root
• 5.3 oz (1¾ cups) finely julienned cabbage
• 4.3 oz (1 cup) packed julienned carrots
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 8-10 cilantro stems finely chopped
• 2 green onions chopped
• 12-14 pieces large 8-inch spring roll wrappers or 24 pieces 6-inch ones.
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or 1 egg for sealing the wrapper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping, store bought or homemade

Notes: 

• You can soak the shiitake and black fungus together in hot off-the-boil water for about 15 minutes. If you have at least 2 hours you can soak them in room temp water. Wash mushrooms before soaking.
• If you’re serving kids 1 teaspoon of pepper might be a bit much so I'd use only ½ tsp.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Remove mushrooms from the soaking water squeezing out excess water from the shiitake mushrooms (and do not throw away the soaking water). 
• Soak glass noodles in the mushroom water, adding more tap water as needed to submerge the noodles. Soak for 7-10 minutes until softened.
• While the noodles soak, remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and finely chop the caps. Finely dice the black fungus; if you find any hard parts (that's the root end) cut around them and discard. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl together with the taro, cabbage and carrots. 
• Once noodles are done, drain the water but do not throw it away (yes, we're STILL going to use this!). Don't toss the noodles so that the strands remain in alignment for easy cutting. Use scissors to cut the noodles into 2-inch pieces.
• In a wok or a large non-stick saute pan, add the oil, garlic, pepper and saute for about 2 minutes over medium heat or until the garlic starts to turn golden.
• Turn the heat up to medium high and add the mushrooms, taro, cabbage, carrot and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce; cook for 3-4 minutes until the taro is done. You can tell that the taro is getting close to done when some of the pieces start to break; you can then taste to see if they're cooked through.
• Add the glass noodles, cilantro stems, the remaining soy sauce, sugar, and about ¼ cup of the mushroom soaking water. Toss until the noodles are fully cooked, adding a splash more of the mushroom water if needed.
• Toss in the green onions and remove from heat. Taste the filling and add the salt if it needs it. (I find it usually does need the extra salt, but it’s always good to taste first).
• Transfer the filling into a large, shallow bowl and spread it out so it can cool quickly. 
• While the filling is cooling, peel the wrappers apart so it will be easier when you wrap. (Spring roll wrappers tend to stick together a bit right out of the package.)
• For the spring roll wrapper glue, you can use a beaten egg, or for a vegan glue, mix the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of water so you have a thick but spreadable paste.
• To wrap, follow the instructions in the video. Use a little more than ¼ cup of filling per roll if using a large (8-inch) wrapper. At this point you can freeze the spring rolls and fry them directly from frozen.
• Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a wok or a pot to 350 F. Add the spring rolls, a few at a time so as to not crowd the pot. Fry on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until golden brown and crispy. You can tell that the surface are crispy when the bubbles are only coming out of the ends, not the surface (more on this in the video). If they are frozen they may take 7-8 minutes.
• You can also bake them: Brush them generously with oil all over and bake (better if you have a rack) at 425°F (convection if you have it) for about 25 minutes or until they’re golden and crispy. If you don’t have a rack, flip them over half way through so they brown evenly. If after 25 minutes you still want them to be more brown, you can put them under the broiler for a minute or so per side; watch them carefully!  (They will be lighter in colour than the deep fried ones but will still be crispy.)
• For air-frying: I have not done this personally, but other sources say to brush them with oil and air fry them for 7-8 minutes at 350°F. 

Video

Also check out...

The post Ultimate Veggie Spring Rolls appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

If you think you know salad rolls, think again! These gorgeous bite-sized Thai salad rolls have become popular in Bangkok in the recent years, and it's something my mom always brought home for me during my most recent trip home. Keep it vegetarian or use your favourite meat for the filling. Lots of things will work here because the key is really the dipping sauce!

This dipping sauce creamy, garlicky, spicy, tart...this is the best thing to dip veggies in! Seriously...this has now become my favourite way to eat salad, and it's so easy!

These make a great vegetarian appetizer for the summer, but if you're up for something crispy and vegan, check out how to make veggie spring rolls for the ultimate treat!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Salad Rolls w/ Spicy Garlicky Creamy Dip

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: 20 pieces

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Ingredients

Spicy Garlicky Creamy Dip

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 Thai chilies, to taste
• 1 ½ Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ + ⅛ tsp fine salt
• 1 ½ Tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup good mayonnaise

Salad Rolls

Amounts not given as it depends on how many kinds of vegetables you want to put in. See video for an idea of the amount of "stuff" in each roll. 

• 10 sheets Vietnamese rice paper (one 8-inch round sheet makes 2 pieces)
• Baby salad greens (spring mix, arugula, baby lettuces)
• Cucumber, cut into 3 inch sticks, seeds removed
• Carrots, thinly julienned 
• Other veg you can add to the mix: Bell peppers, avocado, beets, sprouts, cilantro, mint, Thai basil
• Protein of your choice: Ham, tuna salad, shrimp, imitation crab, marinated tofu (see note)

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

For the dipping sauce

In a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and chilies into a paste. Add salt, and using a swirling motion, grind the chili garlic paste further until there are no more pieces of chili skin left. Add condensed milk, mayo, and lime juice; stir until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate while you make the salad rolls. 

For the salad rolls

(Note: it is easiest to watch the video for this part.) Cut rice paper in half with scissors, if it cracks around the edges where you cut them, do not worry. Soak rice paper in warm water for about 10 seconds, longer if the water has cooled down.

Lay on a clean work surface and let it sit for another 10-15 seconds until it has absorbed all the water around it and the sheet has softened. Fold about 1 inch of the rounded side in towards the center; press the fold gently to flatten it.

Gather about 4 leaves of baby greens, picking different colours and shapes, and place them neatly on top of each other. Lay the salad bundle down on the rice paper, about 2 inches above the edge closest to you, and making sure the top of the leaves are sticking out about half an inch over the left side of the paper.

Repeat with the another batch of salad greens and place it in the same manner on the right side of the paper. Place other vegetables and protein, but this time you want to center them on the paper. Wrap and roll tightly. Cut each roll in the middle to make 2 pieces.

Serve with the dipping sauce. If it needs to sit out for a while, be sure to place plastic wrap over them so they don't dry out. Enjoy!

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Notes

I use pressed tofu and a very simple mixture of 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce or brown sugar, and about ⅓ cup water. Taste and adjust the salty-sweet balance to suit your preference. Cut the tofu into sticks and let them soak in the marinade for at least 20 minutes.)

The post Salad Rolls w/ Spicy Garlicky Creamy Dip สลัดโรล appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Coconut rice is that perfect side dish that's a little more exciting than plain steamed rice, but still a plain enough of a canvas to accommodate many Thai and Asian dishes. It's easy to make, really as easy as cooking plain jasmine rice, but it adds a richness and aroma that can elevate your meal.

WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR THIS RECIPE

Coconut Rice in Thai Cuisine

While coconut rice is common in some Southeast Asian countries, in Thailand it's actually quite rare. In fact, I've seen more coconut rice offered in Thai restaurants in N. America than I ever saw in Thailand.

There is only one specific situation in which Thai people eat coconut rice: in an elegant set of dishes called kao mun som tum. The complete set has the coconut rice, green papaya salad, shredded sweet beef or pork jerky, chicken curry, and a spicy tamarind relish. It's was created for the royal family, hence the elaborateness of it. Today, it's hard to find, even I have only had it a couple of times, and never the complete set.

Oddly enough, N. American Thai restaurants have made it widely available. My guess is that Thai restaurant owners want to offer Westerners more than 1 option for side dishes because Westerners are used to having different kinds of carbs for their meals (potatoes cooked in various ways, for example), but Thai people only serve plain jasmine rice. And it caught on because...well...it's delicious and super easy!

Ingredients

You only need a few things to make coconut rice:

• Jasmine rice
• Water
• Coconut milk
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pandan leaf (optional)
• Toasted dried coconut for garnish (optional)

How to Make Coconut Rice

To make coconut rice in a rice cooker:

1. Combine water, coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaf (if using) in the pot of a rice cooker and stir. Turn the rice cooker on and let it heat up for a few minutes, just to make sure the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the jasmine rice a few times, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain it very well in a sieve.
3. Add the rice to the rice cooker and stir to break up any lumps. Let the rice do its thing as per usual!
4. Once the rice cooker clicks, let the rice rest for another 10 minutes before opening then fluff the rice with a spatula.

To make coconut rice on the stovetop:

1. Rinse the jasmine rice a few times, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain it very well in a sieve.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the water, coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaf (if using). Turn the heat on low and stir it for a minute to make sure the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
3. Add the rice, stir to break up any lumps, and cover. Allow the rice to simmer on low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat immediately once the rice is done to avoid scorching the bottom. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes before opening and fluffing the rice.

What to Serve with Coconut Rice

Even though coconut rice is only served in one way in Thailand as mentioned above, it's actually quite versatile and can be served with a number of dishes. For example:

• Green papaya salad and any pounded salads. This is the classic accompaniment, and the spicy, bright, tart flavours are balanced by the rich coconut rice. No green papaya? Corn and cucumber salad has a similar vibe and is fantastic with it.
• Light curries. Because the coconut rice is already quite rich, lighter curries are better suited such as this red curry with chicken and winter melon.
• Stir fries. Most stir fries are not too rich to pair with coconut rice, and many that are spicy and salty would be particularly great. This chicken and red curry stir fry (pad prik king) would be fantastic, as would this eggplant and Thai basil stir fry.
• Grilled or fried meats. Coconut rice works with fried and grilled meats for the same reason sticky rice works : it holds up better to the chewy meat than the light and fluffy jasmine rice. Thai fried chicken, grilled chicken, this amazing steak salad, or my favourite grilled pork jowl would all do well with coconut rice.
• Anything tart, salty, and spicy. Beyond Thai food, you can pair coconut rice with anything that's the opposite of rich and creamy. This is why in Malaysia they serve coconut rice with spicy sambal and salty crispy anchovies.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Coconut Rice ข้าวมัน (kao mun)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Makes 3 cups

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Description

A great side dish that's a little richer and more exciting than plain rice. Perfect for grilled meats, papaya salads, or any dish that's salty and spicy!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) uncooked jasmine rice
• ¾ cup (180 ml) water
• ½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk (see note)
• 1.5 Tbsp (22.5 ml) sugar
• Scant 1 tsp (4 ml) fine sea salt
• Optional: 8 inches of pandan leaf 
• Optional: Toasted dried coconut for garnish

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

To make coconut rice in a rice cooker:

1. Combine water, coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaf (if using) in the pot of a rice cooker and stir. Turn the rice cooker on and let it heat up for a few minutes, just to make sure the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the jasmine rice a few times, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain it very well in a sieve.
3. Add the rice to the rice cooker and stir to break up any lumps. Let the rice do its thing as per usual!
4. Once the rice cooker clicks, let the rice rest for about 10 minutes before opening then fluff the rice with a spatula. If you notice that the bottom has browned slightly, it's okay to mix this into the rice, but if it's too dark, then try not to stir this part up.
5. Place in a serving bowl and garnish the top with toasted coconut, if desired.

To make coconut rice on the stovetop:

1. Rinse the jasmine rice a few times, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain it very well in a sieve.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the water, coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaf (if using). Turn the heat on low and stir it for a minute to make sure the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
3. Add the rice, stir to break up any lumps, and cover. Allow the rice to simmer on low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. To check if all the liquid has been absorbed, insert a rubber spatula against the side of the pot all the way to the bottom, and push the rice to reveal the bottom to see if it's still wet.  
4. Turn off the heat immediately once the rice is done to avoid scorching the bottom. Let the rice rest for about 10 minutes before opening and fluffing the rice. If you notice that the bottom has browned slightly, it's okay to mix this into the rice, but if it's too dark, then try not to stir this part up.
5. Place in a serving bowl and garnish the top with toasted coconut, if desired.

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Notes

The ratio of coconut milk to water can be modified to make the rice richer or lighter. Use more water for a lighter coconut rice, and more coconut milk for something richer. Keep the total volume of liquid the same.

The post Coconut Rice ข้าวมัน (kao mun) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

If you love bubble tea, you are going to love this too. "Lod chong Singapore" is made from chewy tapioca noodles in refreshing iced coconut milk and coconut water flavoured with pandan leaves! Similar to cendol, this is a popular dessert in Thailand, especially in open air markets as a sweet cold treat while you peruse. It's vegan, gluten free, and easy to make; much more so than homemade bubble tea!

Why is it called Lodchong Singapore?

Lod chong is our term for cendol, the green dessert noodles popular all over Southeast Asia that are pressed and extruded rather than rolled and cut like these. For a long time I thought that this was the Singaporean version of cendol; but turns out, the reason for "Singapore" in the name is because the shop that popularized it was situated in front of a movie theatre called "Singapore Theatre." So, no relation to Singapore the country here! (*I believe they not only popularized but actually invented the dessert, though I am not 100% sure on this.)

What You'll Need

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make lod chong Singapore:

Step-By-Step: How to Make Lod Chong Singapore

Some FAQs about ingredients

Advance Prep & Storage

This part is a bit tricky because the noodles don't keep well. I've detailed how to store each component below, but here is my general "best practice": Make the syrup and coconut milk in advance. Make the dough the day-of, and don't refrigerate. Roll out and cook the noodles within a few hours of serving. Do not freeze anything.

Syrup & Coconut Milk. Make the syrup and the coconut milk well in advance to allow enough time for them to cool before using. The syrup will last indefinitely in the fridge, and the coconut milk at least a week.

The Dough. Unfortunately the dough does not keep well. In the fridge the starch will stiffen and become brittle, making it hard to work with. You can, however, make the dough up to 4 hours in advance, keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature until you're ready to roll (pun totally intended!).

The Uncooked Noodles. Once the noodles are cut, you should cook them as soon as possible. Left out they will dry and become brittle and break; and they might also stick together, especially if you have them sitting on top of each other in a big pile. But if you need to leave them for a bit, keep them covered with plastic wrap.

Cooked Noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, the clock starts ticking! It's a little tricky, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Once you drain the noodles, serve or assemble the dessert right away or they will start to clump together.
• If not serving right away, assemble the dessert with the jackfruit, syrup and coconut milk, but add ice only when ready to serve. The liquid will prevent the noodles from clumping, and even though they will slowly swell up, they will still be good for a few hours.
• Do not refrigerate the cooked noodles or the texture will harden and lose that soft chew.

Tips for Optimal Deliciousness

Once you've cooked the noodles, even if you're ready to eat, hold off for a bit. Assemble and let the noodles sit in the syrup and coconut milk "broth" for about 15 minutes. The texture will still be perfect, but the noodles will have had time to absorb some sweetness from the syrup and taste better. Again, the noodles will be good for a few hours in the broth, but they will continue to swell and become less chewy as time goes by. Do not refrigerate to maintain the best noodle texture.

When ready to eat, add lots of ice and stir really well to allow everything to completely chill and to dilute the coconut milk; the resulting liquid should be light enough to drink.

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Bubble Tea Noodles in Coconut Milk (Lod Chong Singapore / Cendol)

Chewy tapioca noodles and sweet jackfruit in chilled pandan-scented coconut milk

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 270kcal

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Equipment

• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Lod Chong Noodles:

• 4.2 oz Pine Brand tapioca starch plus extra for dusting about 1 cup
• 0.9 oz Pine Brand mung bean starch about 3 Tbsp
• ⅔ cup water
• 5 drops green food colouring

Pandan Syrup:

• 1 ¼ cup coconut water or water
• ¾ cup sugar (see note)
• 1 pandan leaf

Coconut Milk:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup coconut water
• ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• 1 pandan leaf

For serving:

• 5 pieces sweet jackfruit, fresh or canned julienned against the grain (see note)
• Lots of ice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the syrup:

• Add coconut water or water into a small pot. Tie the pandan leaf into a knot or two until it’s short enough to fit nicely into the pot and add it to the coconut water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to infuse.
• Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Cool completely.

Make the coconut milk:

• Combine coconut milk, coconut water, and salt in a small pot. Tie the pandan leaf into a knot or two until it’s short enough to fit nicely into the pot and add it to the coconut milk. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to infuse. Cool completely.

Make the noodles (please watch the video for technique!):

• Whisk the starches together in a large, heat-proof mixing bowl.
• Bring the water to a full boil, and once boiling, turn off the heat immediately (I do this in the microwave in a glass measuring cup). Add the food colouring and stir to mix.
• Working with the water right away while it's still hot, drizzle roughly 3 tablespoons of the hot water over the flour, then quickly toss with a spoon to distribute the hot water. The parts where the flour touches the water will clump up immediately. Repeat with more hot water, again 3 tablespoons at a time, until all of the flour starts to look clumpy. You should use MOST of the hot water, but you may not need all of it.
• Use your hand to squeeze the flour into a ball. It should be very rough but it should come together easily. If there is still dry flour, add a little more water. If it is too wet and sticks to your hand too much, you can add a little more tapioca starch, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Once a rough dough forms, transfer it onto a clean work surface dusted with tapioca starch. Dust the top of the dough lightly with more starch and then knead until a smooth dough forms, adding more starch if the dough sticks to your hands. If there are little lumps of flour in the dough, do not worry, this will all cook away.
• Separate dough into 2 pieces, and cover one with a tea towel while you work with the other. Re-dust the work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle about 2mm thick (1/16 inch). Don’t worry too much about the dimensions.
• Once you have the right thickness, cut down the sheet so you have long strips that are 2-3 inches wide. Then generously dust the strips and cut them into noodles, about 3-4 mm wide.
• Toss the cut noodles with a little extra tapioca starch to ensure that they do not stick together. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil, and meanwhile prepare a large bowl of very cold water. Once the water is boiling, “sprinkle” all of the noodles into the pot. Once the noodles float, keep them boiling for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
• To check doneness, put a piece of noodle into the cold water; it should be translucent all the way through and it should be nice and chewy with no starchiness left in the centre. If you find it too chewy, you can cook it a bit longer.
• Once done, scoop the noodles out with a wire skimmer and put them immediately into the cold water. Once cool, drain them immediately and place them into a bowl. Do not let them linger in the water unnecessarily or they will swell up.

If serving right away:

• Divide the noodles into a serving bowl or cup, add jackfruit, then add syrup to your liking (start with 2 tablespoon per serving), and about 4 tablespoon of the coconut milk. If possible, let it sit for 15 mins or so and the noodles will absorb some of the sweetness and will taste better overall.

  Add a lot of ice and stir well, allowing it to really chill before you eat. Eat with a big bubble tea straw or a spoon. Put out extra syrup for people to add more if desired.

If not serving right away:

• Once the noodles are cooked, you need to keep them in liquid or they will eventually stick together into a big clump. So place the noodles into a large bowl, add the jackfruit and pour all of the coconut milk over them. Add the syrup to taste, but make it a little sweeter than you like because the ice will dilute it some. Stir to mix and keep at room temp until ready to serve, ideally no longer than 2 hours. The longer they sit the more they will swell up with liquid and the texture will be less chewy.
• When ready to serve, portion the noodles out into bowls or cups and add a lot of ice and stir well, allowing it to really chill before you eat. Eat with a big bubble tea straw or a spoon. Put out extra syrup for people to add more if desired.

  For advance prep and storage: please see post above for details!

Video

Notes

1. If using water for the syrup instead of coconut water, use 1 cup of sugar.
2. Canned jackfruit has more persistent fibers, so it's best to cut against the direction of the fibers. If using fresh jackfruit, you can cut it in any direction.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Bubble Tea Noodles in Coconut Milk (Cendol) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here are all the ingredients you'll need. Super simple! But as with all simple dishes, it relies heavily on the quality of ingredients, so choose the best eggs and ripe tomatoes for this one!

• Eggs. Quality matters here. I like to use free range eggs with bright orange yolks which I find taste "eggier" and yields a more colourful dish.
• Tomatoes. I use roma tomatoes as they are not as watery, but any kind of tomatoes will work for this as long as they are ripe and flavourful.
• Fish sauce. You can sub soy sauce for vegetarian.
• Soy sauce. You can use gluten free soy sauce as well.
• Brown sugar, or white sugar. This is just to boost the sweetness of the tomatoes a little.
• White pepper, but black will also work.
• Green onions

Step-By-Step:

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but be sure to check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success!

1. Cut each tomato half into 3 wedges, then cut the wedges into thirds.
2. Beat the eggs with fish sauce and white pepper.
3. Add tomatoes, soy sauce and brown sugar into a preheated skillet.
4. Cook until the tomatoes are soft but still holding shape, then stir in the green onions (not pictured cuz I forgot!); remove them from the pan.

5. Give the pan a wipe then put it back on medium high heat. Add the eggs and quickly scramble them.
6. Keep scrambling until the eggs are about 80% cooked; there should be a little bit of raw eggs left.
7. Fold the tomatoes back in just until mixed and there is no more raw eggs.
8. Immediately transfer to a serving plate and garnish with more green onions.

Pro Tip: No Wok for This Stir Fry

While I use a wok for most stir fries, and you can use a wok for this recipe, I prefer using a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet. It has a large surface area for maximum amount of tomato juices to evaporate, so I won't risk having too much liquid in the dish. You'll also need to lift and scrape the pan in between so a lighter skillet is easier to manage than a heavy wok.

They Key to Juicy and Luscious Tomato & Egg Stir Fry

You might have seen versions of this dish that is drier, like just scrambled eggs with tomatoes in it. It's fine, but once you try a version that's juicy, saucy, with super tender eggs, you will understand why achieving this texture is so important to me.

There's nothing fancy you need to do to get that perfect juiciness - no extra sauce ingredients needed, because it's all in the technique.

Some recipes have you scramble the eggs until fully cooked first, take them out, and put them back in after cooking the tomatoes. With this method, the dish will end up drier because they are fully cooked and cooked twice, so some then add more liquid ingredients like water and cornstarch to get it to be saucy, making this more complex than it needs to be.

Enter the reverse method. If you cook the tomatoes first and take them out, you can add them back in when the eggs are only partially cooked, allowing the liquid eggs and tomato juices to mingle, creating a luscious, custardy texture. And the eggs are cooked only once, making it easier to achieve that just-cooked-enough tenderness.

This technique is much better understood via video, so make sure you watch the demo before you start!

Frequently Asked Questions

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

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Chinese Eggs and Tomato Stir Fry

The perfect lunch or dinner for when you're short on time, or when you've got ripe tomatoes that need using up. This classic Chinese dish is comforting, delicious, and super kid-friendly.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

• 14 oz ripe roma tomatoes see note 1
• 5 large eggs see note 2
• 2 ½ teaspoon fish sauce or sub soy sauce for vegetarian
• Ground white or black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil
• 2 ½ teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 green onion chopped
• Jasmine rice for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• To prep the tomatoes (also see the video below for cutting demo), cut each tomato in half lengthwise, then remove the core. Cut each half into 3 wedges, keeping the wedges together, then cut the wedges into thirds crosswise.
  14 oz ripe roma tomatoes
• Use a fork to beat the eggs with fish sauce and white pepper just until there are no more big gloopy bits of egg whites.
  5 large eggs, 2 ½ teaspoon fish sauce, Ground white or black pepper
• In a non stick skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat, and once hot, add the tomatoes, soy sauce, and sugar and stir to mix. Cook just until the tomatoes are soft but still holding shape, about 1-2 minutes depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes. Stir in the green onions then immediately pour them into a bowl.
  2 tablespoon neutral oil, 2 ½ teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 green onion
• *This step goes very quickly - once you add the eggs you've got literally 1 minute, so make sure you review the instructions and watch the video demo above before you start! 

  Wipe the pan with paper towel and return it to high heat. Add about another 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until hot again. Add the eggs and quickly use a rubber spatula to scramble them until about 80% cooked (there should be a little bit of raw eggs in the pan), then immediately add the tomatoes and "fold" them into the eggs JUST until mixed and the eggs are cooked through. Immediately transfer them onto a serving dish.
  2 tablespoon neutral oil
• Serve with jasmine rice. If you like it spicy, a drizzle of hot sauce, chili oil, chili crisp, or whatever your spicy condiment of choice would be appropriate here.
  Jasmine rice

Video

Notes

1. You can use another kind of tomato as long as they are ripe for maximum flavour. I use roma because they are less watery and widely available.
2. To scale this recipe up or down, use the following ratio: For every 1 large egg, use 80 grams of tomato, ½ teaspoon fish sauce, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, and a little less than ¼ teaspoon sugar. Add the green onions and white pepper to taste.

Like this recipe? You'd also love these!

The post Chinese Eggs & Tomato Stir Fry appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

What is pad see ew?

"Pad" means to stir fry, and "see ew" means soy sauce. It's a simple noodle stir fry dish with eggs, Chinese broccoli (also known as gai lan) and usually some sort of sliced meat added. With a salty-sweet flavour profile, it is immensely satisfying AND is very kid-friendly.

Outside of Thailand, this dish is almost always made using fresh wide rice noodles (also known as ho fun noodles), but in Thailand, a couple of other types of noodles can be used. When thin rice vermicelli is used, it's called "sen mee pad see ew", and in Southern Thailand you can also find another version made with thick egg noodles that we call mee lueang pad see ew.

Pad see ew with rice vermicelli is actually a lot more homecook-friendly because the noodles are dry, so they can be kept in the pantry ready for use at any time. In fact, this is the version more often cooked at home in Thailand. All you need are some eggs, garlic, and some Chinese broccoli (which can be substituted with other vegetables you have in the fridge). With the wide rice noodle version however you have to buy them fresh (if you can find the noodles at all), so some additional planning is involved!

Choosing the best noodles: it's more important than you think.

When I was testing this recipe I used a few different brands of rice vermicelli, and I was completely surprised by how different they were. My favourite brand for stir frying is Wai Wai, which is also the most popular brand in Thailand. These noodles are the thinnest of all the brands, and have a texture that's tender but still pleasantly a little elastic.

Mama brand would be my second choice if Wai Wai isn't available. It's slightly thicker than Wai Wai but has a good texture. Another great thing about Mama is that it comes in convenient 50g blocks, which you'll only appreciate after trying to pry apart the huge block of Wai Wai or Erawan noodles, only to have them fly off all over the place!

Perhaps the most widely available brand is Erawan. These noodles are the thickest of the three though, so I don't love them for this recipe. Erawan noodles have a texture that I find difficult to get right in stir fries; they require quite a lot of water to soften in the wok, which then means it's easy to overdo and so end up with noodles that are broken into little bits because they're overcooked. They also don't seem to have much of a chew when fully cooked, which isn't ideal for stir fries. They are still fine to use if they're the only one you can find though, and it's worth noting that I actually prefer Erawan for noodle soups and frying into crispy noodles.

Pro Tip: Properly soaking noodles

For stir frying, you want to use fully hydrated, but still raw, noodles. This takes soaking for 5-15 minutes in room temp water, and the exact time depends on the thickness or brand of noodles you're using. Use lukewarm water if you're in a rush and they'll soften faster, but do not use hot water as they will pre-cook a bit and then overcook in the wok. To check if the noodles are done soaking, pick them up in your fingers and they should be completely limp, showing no resistance to gravity at all.

Chili Vinegar, Pad See Ew's Best Friend

If you order pad see ew in Thailand, it will always be served with chili vinegar. Oftentimes the chili vinegar is permanently stationed on every table. When I was a kid I never used it because...well...I was a kid! But now I never have pad see ew without it. A little spicy acidity is exactly the counter-balance that the salty-sweet noodles need. Try it yourself and I'm sure it will greatly enhance the whole eating experience. And once you see how easy it is to make, you will have no excuse to not have it.

Chop up some chilies, any kind of chilies, and submerge them in vinegar. That's it. It just needs a few minutes to sit, so you don't need to make this ahead of time. You can also get fancy and blend them up, add garlic, or char the chilies for some smokiness, but for pad see ew the basic one will suffice.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here are all the ingredients you'll need, and as you can see it's incredibly simple. Perfect for a quick work-from-home homemade lunch!

• Chinese broccoli, also known as gai lan.
• Eggs
• Garlic
• Soy sauce
• Golden mountain sauce, which is a type of Thai soy sauce, but you can also use Maggi Seasoning as a substitute, or simply sub more of the soy sauce.
• Black soy sauce, which is the Thai equivalent of Chinese dark soy sauce, which can be used instead.
• Sugar
• Thai rice vermicelli, be sure not to buy the Vietnamese ones which are different.
• White pepper or black pepper.

Step-By-Step:

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but be sure to check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success!

1. Soak the noodles until fully softened, 5-15 minutes depending on the brand
2. Saute garlic until slightly golden.
3. Add eggs and scramble.
4. Add soaked noodles and toss.

5. Add seasonings, sugar and water.
6. Toss until all liquid is absorbed.
7. Add black soy sauce to desired colour.
8. Add Chinese broccoli and toss.

9. Once the chinese broccoli is wilted, it's done!
10. Serve with chili vinegar or another vinegary hot sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

Like this recipe? You'd also love these!

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Pad See Ew with Rice Vermicelli เส้นหมี่ผัดซีอิ๊ว

The easier pad see ew! These delicious-yet-simple noodles are super quick to make, and are kid-friendly. Can be served as a main dish with some added protein, or as a side to some grilled or roasted meats.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

• 5.3 oz thin dry rice vermicelli
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil
• 4 oz protein of choice optional (see note 1)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 eggs can use 2 if adding meat
• 5.3 oz Chinese broccoli (gai lan), stems thinly sliced, leaves roughly chopped
• ¼ - ½ cup water see note 2
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce see note 3
• Few dashes black or dark soy sauce for colour
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 4 teaspoon sugar

Chili Vinegar (optional condiment I highly recommend)

• 1-2 Thai chilies or another hot pepper such as a jalapeno
• 2-3 tablespoon white vinegar just enough to cover

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Soak the noodles in room temp (not cold) water until they are fully limp; 5-15 mins depending on the brand. Drain promptly and if desired, cut in half with scissors to shorten them for easier tossing. See blog post above for more on the best brand of noodles and how to tell if the noodles are done soaking.
  5.3 oz thin dry rice vermicelli
• Make the chili vinegar by placing the chopped chilies into a small bowl and add just enough vinegar to submerge. You can mash the chilies a bit with a spoon to extract the flavours into the vinegar, then let it sit until ready to use.
  1-2 Thai chilies, 2-3 tablespoon white vinegar
• If not adding meat, skip to the next step. If adding meat, heat a wok over high heat, then add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the meat and spread it out into one layer to get a nice char. Once they’re about ⅔ of the way cooked, toss them and keep stirring until they’re fully cooked. Turn off the heat then remove the meat from the wok and set aside in a small bowl.
  4 oz protein of choice
• Heat the wok over medium high heat, add the oil and garlic and stir until the smaller bits of garlic start to turn golden.
  4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon neutral oil
• Add the eggs and break the yolks, then let them set about half-way before scrambling.
  3 eggs
• Once the eggs are fully cooked, add the noodles and ¼ cup of water and toss to mix. Add the soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce, black soy sauce, sugar and white pepper, then use tongs to toss the noodles around until all the liquid has been absorbed.
  ¼ - ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce, Few dashes black or dark soy sauce for colour, 4 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• If using meat, add the meat back in along with any collected juices and toss well. Check the doneness of the noodles by tasting a small amount, and if it’s still under done, add a little more water and cook until all liquid has been absorbed. Be careful not to add too much water as noodles will become too soft and break into small pieces.
• Once the noodles are done, add the Chinese broccoli in and toss just until wilted. Turn off the heat, plate and serve with chili vinegar.
  5.3 oz Chinese broccoli (gai lan),

Video

Notes

1. If adding chicken, pork or beef, thinly slice and marinate in 1 teaspoon soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and ½ tablespoon water and let it sit while you prep.
2. Different brands of noodles require different amounts of added water. The longer the noodles took to soak, the thicker they are, and therefore the more water they'll need.
3. Golden Mountain Sauce is a type of Thai soy sauce. You can substitute equal amount of Maggi Seasoning, Bragg's Liquid Amino, or another type of soy sauce.

The post Pad See Ew with Rice Vermicelli appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

This is my vegan take on the more traditional dish: Ginger Shrimp & Glass Noodles Goong Ob Woonsen. Be sure to check that one out if you love shrimp!

This post is sponsored by Pine Brand Glass Noodles.

What You'll Need:

Here are all the ingredients for the recipe. The fresh mushrooms and veggies are used as toppings and you can substitute with whatever you prefer. However, I recommend including some kind of mushrooms as they provide a chewy, substantial texture.

• Vegetarian oyster sauce
• soy sauce
• black/dark soy sauce
• sugar
• toasted sesame oil
• glass noodles
• white and black peppercorns
• mixed mushrooms and veggies of your choice
• pressed tofu (optional)
• green onions (optional)
• dried shiitake mushrooms
• cilantro stems
• garlic
• ginger

How to Make Claypot Glass Noodles

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but be sure to check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success!

1. Soak glass noodles.
2. Pound garlic, cilantro stems and white peppercorns into a rough paste.
3. Mix all sauce ingredients.
4. Mix the sauce with the noodles.

5. Saute herb paste, ginger, and shiitake mushrooms.
6. Add noodles and sauce; toss and cover for 3 minutes.
7. Open and toss the noodles; cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Pan-sear mushrooms and vegetables and arrange on noodles.

No, you don't need a clay pot.

Traditionally "ob woonsen" is served in the pot that it is cooked in. Originally these used to be clay pots, but most restaurants now use an aluminum version.

The clay pot doesn't actually make any difference to the flavour, but it makes for a more exciting presentation. A heavy-bottomed pot will also work, or a nice enameled cast iron pot (like a Le Creuset). And if it's not pretty, you can always transfer it into a serving bowl!

The secret ingredient you can't skip

Dried shiitake mushrooms. Yes! It looks like one of those things you can skip with no major consequence, but this is how our vegan noodles have so much umami. Dried shiitake mushrooms are loaded with natural glutamates, and they have long been used as a "secret weapon" in Asian vegan dishes.

The mushrooms' soaking liquid is used in the sauce, then the mushrooms themselves get sliced up and tossed in - and trust me, these will be your favourite thing in the dish. Dried mushrooms have a satisfying chew, and they soak up sauce really well, so they become a burst of flavour in each bite.

What are glass noodles?

Thai glass noodles or woonsen are versatile, neutral flavoured noodles made from mung bean starch. They're also sometimes labelled as "bean threads" or "bean vermicelli." They are gluten-free and low GI.

The best quality glass noodles are made from 100% mung bean starch. Some cheaper glass noodles have pea starch and/or potato starch mixed in to cut cost, but this yields a texture that isn't quite as chewy and elastic as pure mung bean starch noodles. Pine Brand is one that is pure, and has been my family's go-to brand in Thailand for years.

*Thai glass noodles are not to be confused with Korean glass noodles that are used in the popular dish japchae. Korean glass noodles are thicker and are made from sweet potato starch. The two cannot be used interchangeably.

What else can you do with glass noodles?

Tons! Glass noodles are THE most versatile noodles that we use in Thai cuisine. You name it, we put glass noodles in it. Soups, salads, stir fries, spring rolls - even stuffed in chicken wings. No other noodles have this big of a resume!

They're also really quick to prepare; just a 7-minute soak in room temp water and they're ready to be used in the recipe. Once soaked, they only take a few minutes to cook.

If you're a fan of glass noodles, check these out!

Frequently Asked Questions:

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Claypot Glass Noodles (Vegan) - Pak Ob Woonsen

Glass noodles cooked in a clay pot with ginger and an umami-loaded sauce, topped with mushrooms and veggies of your choice. Quick, easy, vegan, and delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 185kcal

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Equipment

• A clay pot or a heavy-bottomed pot with lid

Ingredients

• 2 pc medium sized dried shiitake mushrooms (10 g) rehydrated (see note)
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon soy sauce (see note)
• 2 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce or use regular oyster sauce
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon black or dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ cup shiitake mushroom soaking water
• 2.8 oz dry glass noodles
• ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
• ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns
• 6 cloves garlic
• 8 cilantro stems or 3 cilantro roots chopped
• 15 thin slices ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 oz mixed mushrooms or vegetables of your choice see note
• 4 oz marinated pressed tofu optional
• 1 green onion chopped, or a handful Chinese celery leaves
• Jasmine rice for serving optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Soak the glass noodles in room temp water for 7-10 mins until soft and pliable.
  2.8 oz dry glass noodles
• Remove the dried shiitake mushroom from the soaking water and squeeze out the excess water, reserving the water for the sauce. Slice off the mushroom stems and thinly slice the caps.
  2 pc medium sized dried shiitake mushrooms (10 g)
• Pound peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until fine, then add the garlic and cilantro stems and pound into a very rough paste.
  ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns, 6 cloves garlic, 8 cilantro stems or 3 cilantro roots
• Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, oyster sauce, black soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and ½ cup (120 ml) of the mushroom soaking water (keep the rest of the water). Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce, ¼ - ½ teaspoon black or dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, ½ cup shiitake mushroom soaking water
• Drain the noodles and cut with scissors into roughly 3-inch sections, then add to the sauce and toss to mix (it won’t really cling to the noodles as the sauce is quite watery, but that’s okay).
• Put a clay pot or a heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat and add the oil, the garlic paste, ginger, and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Saute for 2-3 minutes until aromatic and the smallest bits of garlic starts to turn golden.
  1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 15 thin slices ginger
• Add the noodles and the sauce and toss to mix with the herbs, scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is stuck. Close the lid and turn the heat down to low. Once you can hear bubbling resume, start the timer for 3 minutes.
• After 3 minutes, open the pot and give the noodles a thorough tossing to distribute the sauce, then if you want the colour to be darker you can add a bit more black/dark soy sauce. Close the lid and cook for another 2 mins. *Be sure to keep the heat low to prevent the noodles from scorching.
• Open the lid again and taste to check the doneness of the noodles, if you want the noodles to be softer, add a splash of the remaining mushroom soaking water (2-3 tablespoons at a time), then toss and keep it cooking for 1-2 minutes more. Glass noodles are surprisingly resilient to overcooking, so don’t be afraid to add more water if needed.
• Once the noodles are done, take it off the heat and close the lid to keep warm while you cook your toppings.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, add just enough oil to thinly coat the bottom. Once hot, add the tofu slices and sear until browned on both sides. Remove the tofu, then add the mushrooms with a small pinch of salt and sear briefly until browned and cooked through. Repeat with any other toppings that need to be cooked.
  4 oz marinated pressed tofu, 8 oz mixed mushrooms or vegetables of your choice
• To serve: reheat the noodles briefly if needed, then top with the tofu, mushrooms and vegetables. Sprinkle green onions on top and serve it right in the pot! Serve by itself or with jasmine rice. *The ginger slices are not meant to be eaten so you can remove them before serving if you wish, or just tell your guests.
  1 green onion, Jasmine rice for serving

Video

Notes

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in about 1 cup of hot water for about 30 minutes or until they fully rehydrate. Timing will depend on the size. Save the soaking water for the sauce.
2. If you are serving with rice carb-on-carb style as is traditionally done, you may want to up the soy sauce to 2 Tbsp; but it's always wise to err on the side of less salty and add later on.  *If using the scaling function, use the metric amount, as the app cannot convert "1 tablespoon + 2 tsp" properly.
3. For toppings you can use anything you like but I recommend including some Asian mushrooms as they provide a nice chew. Oyster, shimeji, or enoki are all good options. Some crunchy vegetables are also good, such as sugar snap peas, carrots, or bell peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Clay Pot Glass Noodles (Vegan) appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

If you're tired of the same old roasted cauliflower, THIS is the recipe to try and the flavour will blow you away. Roasted cauliflower tossed with garlic oil, crispy garlic and five spice powder...YUM. You can apply the same technique to other roasted vegetables as well, such as Brussel sprouts or broccoli. A great way to get your veggies in cuz trust me it is addictive! And it would make a great side dish at your next Thanksgiving or holiday meal.

Recipe

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Roasted Cauliflower with Five-Spice

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 5 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Serves 2

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Ingredients

• 500 g cauliflower florets (about one medium head)
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil plus more for frying garlic
• ½ tsp salt (see note)
• ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp five spice powder, store-bought or homemade
• 3-5 dried Thai chilies, break in half and remove seeds
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1-2 green onions, chopped

Note: If your cauliflower is on the small side, reduce the amount of salt slightly.

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C.

Toss cauliflower thoroughly in 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil until thoroughly coated. Lift cauliflower out of the bowl, leaving behind any excess oil, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the florets out so they are not touching. 

Roast the cauliflower for 10 minutes, then stir the florets to promote even browning and roast for another 4-5 minutes until they have browned nicely. Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly on the pan until ready to use.

In a small bowl, stir together salt, sugar, white pepper and five spice powder until well combined.

In a wok, add chopped garlic and then add just enough veg oil to almost cover the garlic. Fry gently on medium low heat until golden. Pour the garlic through a strainer, reserving the garlic oil for another use. Return the wok to medium high heat without cleaning it; we want the garlic oil that’s left on the wok.

Add dried chilies to the wok and toast until darkened slightly and smells smokey. Add roasted cauliflower, sprinkle the dry seasoning evenly over the cauliflower, and pour the soy sauce in around the edges of the wok. Toss quickly until the cauliflower is thoroughly coated. Turn the heat off, add half of the fried garlic and chopped green onion and toss to combine. Plate, and sprinkle with the remaining fried garlic and green onions. Serve immediately on its own as an appetizer or as a side dish.

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The post Five-Spice Roasted Cauliflower appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

I am not a green salad person. I do not like green salad. But put this dressing on it and I'll eat an entire bowl anytime.

This recipe is a classic salad dressing that's super popular in Japan, and for good reason. You can put it on a piece of cardboard and it'll be delicious. In Japan, often times it's served simply on shredded cabbage. A pile of cabbage. Yep, that's how good it is.

A Kewpie Copycat Recipe

This is my attempt to recreate the popular Kewpie brand "Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing." My Japanese friend recommended it, and we got hooked after the first try, and I wanted to recreate it as it's not easy to find here in Vancouver.

My version is very close to the real thing taste-wise, the only noticeable difference is mine is a bit less viscous since I don't add the xanthan gum that's in the original. I also add black pepper which I prefer.

More Than a Salad Dressing

In Japan this dressing is also used as a dipping sauce for their hot pot (shabu shabu). As I said, it's good on anything! If you want to try making a hot pot, check out my classic hot pot recipe and simply use this dressing instead of (or in addition to) the Thai style dipping sauce.

Important Notes for Success

• Actually DEEP toast your sesame seeds. Get them darker than you think you should to get that roasted smoky flavour. Get them even darker than what I showed in the video. Admittedly I was nervous to push them further because I didn't want to burn them on camera!
• Use Kewpie mayo. You might be tempted to use regular Western style mayo, but trust me, they do not taste the same. If you want the awesome flavours I'm raving about, you need the Kewpie mayo. Also be aware that there are "knock-off" brands of Japanese mayo that comes in VERY similar containers, but they are NOT the Kewpie brand and they don't taste the same. Look for the kewpie doll on the bottle!
• Use neutral oil. For salads you may think you want to use healthy oils like olive oil or coconut oil. Don't! Those have flavours that will mess with the awesomeness of this dressing. If health is a concern avocado oil is what you want to go with - healthy and neutral and it's what I use. Otherwise canola or another vegetable oil works too.
• If using mirin, look for one with no sugar or syrup. Even though it is optional, if you're going to buy mirin, know that most brands out there are loaded with sugar or corn syrup, but traditionally made mirin should be made by fermenting rice. I like Eden Brand, which is the only one I've seen at a "normal" grocery store that doesn't contain added sweeteners.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

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Japanese Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing

A delicious copycat recipe of the Kewpie Brand salad dressing. 

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 180 ml

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds (see note)
• 3 tablespoons Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise (see note)
• 3 tablespoons neutral flavoured oil (see note)
• 1 ½ tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons mirin (optional, see note)
• 2-3 teaspoons honey or brown sugar or sub a sweetener of your choice
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a dry saute pan, add the sesame seeds and toast them over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Once they turn golden, turn the heat down to medium and continue toasted until they have a deep, dark brown colour. Once the desired colour is reached, immediately pour onto a plate to cool and stop the toasting.
• Grind the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle using a swirling motion until most of the seeds are broken up into a fine meal but you can still see some whole seeds.  Note: You can also grind sesame seeds in a coffee grinder, but be careful not to over-grind. I would do little pulses.
• Add all remaining ingredients to the mortar (serves as a handy mixing bowl!) and whisk to mix well and make sure the honey is completely dissolved.
• Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste. You can also increase the mayo if you want something thicker and richer. If it's the first time you're making it I recommend tasting it with some actual salad leaves rather than tasting it straight up to get a more accurate idea of where you're at.
• Store in the fridge and mix well before using. This should keep for at least a few weeks.

Video

Notes

• (I use avocado oil cuz it's healthy and neutral. If you really want to you can probably use olive oil, but not the extra virgin one cuz that has a strong flavour. You can always try though!)
• Even if you buy your sesame seeds pre-roasted, you can roast them again to refresh them and get them a little bit darker.
• Look for the Kewpie brand for the most "authentic" flavour.
• When choosing Mirin look for a brand that has no corn syrup or sugar added (if possible), such as Eden brand.

The post Japanese Deep Roasted Sesame Salad Dressing appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

I think this might be my favourite vegan tofu recipe yet and I can eat as much of it as I want without feeling guilty. But if you eat meat and love tofu, you've also got to check out this cult favorite mapo tofu recipe!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Soft tofu
• Carrot, julienned (I use a julienne peeler)
• Fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• Bell pepper, julienned
• Ginger, julienned
• Green onion, thinly sliced on a sharp bias

Sauce

• Soy sauce
• Tao jiew (Thai fermented soybean paste), or 1 tablespoon miso paste
• Chinese cooking wine
• Clove garlic
• Brown sugar
• Ground white pepper

How to Make Steamed Tofu "Deluxe" เต้าหู้นึ่งทรงเครื่อง

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Preheat the steamer so the water is on a full boil; make sure you add plenty of water so it doesn't dry out. 
2. Combine all sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Unmold the tofu onto a deep, heat resistant plate. Spread ginger juliennes on top of tofu. Set aside.
4. Heat a little vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat, then add mushrooms and spread them out so the pieces are in one layer; let it sear until browned. Once the underside is brown, toss the mushrooms so most of them flip over, and let them cook for another 30 seconds or so. 
5. Add carrot, bell peppers and a scant tablespoon of the sauce and saute until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the vegetables are softened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in a pinch of the green onions.  Place into a small bowl and set aside.
6. Pour all of the remaining sauce over the tofu. Place the tofu in the steamer and steam on a rolling boil for 7-9 minutes until hot all the way through (if you're not sure whether the inside is hot, you can insert a thin paring knife into the center of the tofu and leave it there for about 3 seconds, then pull it out and feel the blade whether it is hot or not).
7. Turn off the heat, open the steamer, and you'll notice there is a lot more liquid in the sauce now, and the sauce should be diluted to the perfect saltiness. But, if this is your first time making it, you can taste the sauce and adjust it as needed—add a little more water if it's too salty, or add a splash of soy sauce if it feels too bland. Remember this will get paired with the mild-flavoured tofu, so don't make the sauce too mild!
8. Once the sauce is as you like it, with the tofu still in the steamer, add vegetables on top and around the tofu. Top with remaining green onions then close the steamer lid for 30-45 seconds and use the residual steam to wilt the onion and warm up the vegetables. If there isn't much residual steam left, you can turn the heat back on. 
9. Serve with some jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Recipe Card

Steamed Tofu "Deluxe" เต้าหู้นึ่งทรงเครื่อง

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Serves 2

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Ingredients

• 300g (1 package) soft tofu
• About ⅓ of a carrot, julienned (I use a julienne peeler)
• 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ small bell pepper, julienned
• 4 slices ginger, julienned
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced on a sharp bias

Sauce

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp tao jiew (Thai fermented soybean paste), or 1 Tbsp miso paste
• 1 ½ Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 ½ tsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the steamer so the water is on a full boil; make sure you add plenty of water so it doesn't dry out. 

Combine all sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Unmold the tofu onto a deep, heat resistant plate. Spread ginger juliennes on top of tofu. Set aside.

Heat a little vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat, then add mushrooms and spread them out so the pieces are in one layer; let it sear until browned. Once the underside is brown, toss the mushrooms so most of them flip over, and let them cook for another 30 seconds or so. 

Add carrot, bell peppers and a scant tablespoon of the sauce and saute until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the vegetables are softened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in a pinch of the green onions.  Place into a small bowl and set aside.

Pour all of the remaining sauce over the tofu. Place the tofu in the steamer and steam on a rolling boil for 7-9 minutes until hot all the way through (if you're not sure whether the inside is hot, you can insert a thin paring knife into the center of the tofu and leave it there for about 3 seconds, then pull it out and feel the blade whether it is hot or not).

Turn off the heat, open the steamer, and you'll notice there is a lot more liquid in the sauce now, and the sauce should be diluted to the perfect saltiness. But, if this is your first time making it, you can taste the sauce and adjust it as needed—add a little more water if it's too salty, or add a splash of soy sauce if it feels too bland. Remember this will get paired with the mild-flavoured tofu, so don't make the sauce too mild!

Once the sauce is as you like it, with the tofu still in the steamer, add vegetables on top and around the tofu. Top with remaining green onions then close the steamer lid for 30-45 seconds and use the residual steam to wilt the onion and warm up the vegetables. If there isn't much residual steam left, you can turn the heat back on. 

Serve with some jasmine rice. Enjoy!

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The post Steamed Tofu "Deluxe" เต้าหู้นึ่งทรงเครื่อง appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Corn, uncooked (about 250 g of kernels)
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch or rice flour*
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Ice water
• Dried shredded coconut, unsweetened
• Green onions, chopped
• Black sesame seeds (optional)
• Jalapeno, seeds and pith removed, small diced (optional)
• Vegetable oil, for frying

*I have found that rice flour will yield a batter that fries up light and crisp, while cornstarch will yield a batter with firmer crunch. Both are delicious.

How to Make Corn Fritters ทอดมันข้าวโพด

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

1. Slice corn kernels off the cob with a sharp knife (see video @1:00 for my technique) and place the kernels into a mixing bowl.
2. In another bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch or rice flour, salt, coconut, green onions, sesame seeds, and jalapenos. Add 1 cup of ice water and stir just until the batter is smooth, adding the rest of the water only as needed.
3. The batter should be thin enough that it is easily pourable and is not gloppy, but not as thin as a crepe batter. (When in doubt, err on the side of the batter being too thick. It's much easier to add more water to thin it out if your first batch turns out to be too clumpy.)
4. Pour about ¾ of the batter over the corn and stir to mix well. If it looks like it needs more batter, add some or all of the remaining batter. Note: How much batter you need will depend on the size of your corn, and also whether you like your fritters with more or less batter.
5. Heat about 1-inch of vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat to 375°F. Drop the batter by the spoonful into the oil, 1 heaping tablespoon at a time.
6. Fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, flipping the fritters half way through. If the first batch of your fritters look clumpy, add a little more water to your batter so that the kernels spread into a nice round disc once they are dropped into the oil.
7. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with Sriracha Hot Sauce.

Corn Fritters ทอดมันข้าวโพด

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: Serves 3-4

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Ingredients

• 1 large ear fresh corn, uncooked (about 250 g of kernels)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch or rice flour*
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 - 1 ½ cup ice water
• ⅓ cup dried shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1-2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds (optional)
• ½ a jalapeno, seeds and pith removed, small diced (optional)
• Vegetable oil for frying

*I have found that rice flour will yield a batter that fries up light and crisp, while cornstarch will yield a batter with firmer crunch. Both are delicious.

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

Slice corn kernels off the cob with a sharp knife (see video @1:00 for my technique) and place the kernels into a mixing bowl.

In another bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch or rice flour, salt, coconut, green onions, sesame seeds, and jalapenos. Add 1 cup of ice water and stir just until the batter is smooth, adding the rest of the water only as needed. The batter should be thin enough that it is easily pourable and is not gloppy, but not as thin as a crepe batter. (When in doubt, err on the side of the batter being too thick. It's much easier to add more water to thin it out if your first batch turns out to be too clumpy.)

Pour about ¾ of the batter over the corn and stir to mix well. If it looks like it needs more batter, add some or all of the remaining batter. Note: How much batter you need will depend on the size of your corn, and also whether you like your fritters with more or less batter.

Heat about 1-inch of vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat to 375°F. Drop the batter by the spoonful into the oil, 1 heaping tablespoon at a time. Fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, flipping the fritters half way through. If the first batch of your fritters look clumpy, add a little more water to your batter so that the kernels spread into a nice round disc once they are dropped into the oil.

Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with Sriracha Hot Sauce.

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These addictive little munchies are my newest obsession! Think the satisfaction of potato chips crossed with soft silky tofu...crossed once more time with fried garlic, with a kick of chilies. Worth every effort. Perfect vegetarian appetizer for any party!

You're obviously a tofu lover because you're here, so don't forget to check out how to make mapo tofu which is my favourite tofu dish!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

Chili Garlic Tofu Bites เต้าหู้ผัดพริกเกลือ

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant

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Ingredients

• 300g medium-firm tofu or smooth tofu (this is trimmed weight)
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1-2 eggs
• ~1 cup fine unseasoned breadcrumbs (not panko)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 green chili (serrano, jalapeno, or use green bell pepper if you don't want it spicy)
• ⅙ of a red bell pepper or another type of red pepper (this is just for colour)
• 1 green onion
• ¼ + ⅛ tsp salt (you need fine-grain salt for this)
• ¾ tsp sugar (also fine or super fine sugar)
• ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
• Oil for frying

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Instructions

Cut tofu into small cubes, about 2 cm. Place tofu cubes into a container just large enough to hold them, then cover with 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoon of soy sauce. If this amount of water does not completely cover the tofu, add more water but make sure you also add proportionately more soy sauce too. Let it soak for about 15-20 minutes, tasting the tofu at 15 minutes to see whether they are sufficiently salty (should just be mildly seasoned, but we don't want them to be bland). If you want them to be more seasoned, let them sit longer. Once they are sufficiently seasoned, drain.

While you wait for the tofu to soak, prep the "toppings". Combine the salt, sugar and white pepper into one small bowl. Crush the garlic until they are broken into small chunks and keep them in another bowl. Slice green onions on a bias and put the white part with the garlic and keep the green part separate. Slice the green and red peppers into small pieces or rings and place them with the garlic too.

Prep the breading station:  Place the all-purpose flour, 1 egg, and the breadcrumbs into separate bowls. Note: The all-purpose flour is optional, you can omit the flour if you like a thinner coating. But if you prefer a thicker, firmer crust that is more resilient to breaking, include the flour.

Beat the egg really well, making sure there are no more egg white blobs. If the egg is very fresh and is quite thick, add a teaspoon of water to thin it out. Stir black pepper into the breadcrumbs.

Breading: Toss the tofu in the flour (if using), a few pieces at a time, them place them in a sieve and gently shake off excess flour as much as possible. Drop them in the egg bowl and turn them around to coat in the egg. Lift the tofu from the egg, one at a time, letting all the excess egg drip off the tofu, then place it into the breadcrumbs and immediately toss it in the breadcrumb to coat. Tip: To prevent gunky hands, keep your wet hand wet and your dry hand dry: so use one hand for the egg, and the other hand for the flour and breadcrumbs.

Coat each piece of tofu again in the egg and breadcrumb for a second coat (no flour). You may need to add another egg.

To fry: Heat about 1 ½ inch of frying oil in a small pot or wok and heat the oil to 325°F (I said 350 in the video, but I find that the coating is less likely to break if the oil is at 325°F). Drop the tofu into the oil and fry for 1 minute until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. If you hear loud cracking sounds while frying, that means one of the pieces has broken, so just find the culprit and remove it.

TIP FOR EXTRA CRISPY TOFU: I did not mention this in the video, but if you want extra crispy tofu, double fry them! Let the tofu cool first and then fry them again for 1 more minute. It's important to let the tofu cool down to room temp first before frying them again.

Garlic & Chili Topping: Add just a little bit of oil to a wok, then add all the garlic, white part of green onion, and the peppers; saute over medium low heat until the garlic is soft and golden. Turn off the heat, add tofu and toss to mix. Transfer into a mixing bowl, sprinkle about ¾ of the sugar-salt mixture over the tofu and toss to coat. Taste the tofu before you add in the final little bit—depending on how salty the inside of the tofu is, you may not need the rest. Toss in green onions and serve immediately!

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Pad mee sua, also known as pad mee tiew, is a very popular vegan noodle dish during the vegan eating festival in Thailand. My grandmother happens to love making this delicious and simple noodle stir-fry, and it has become her signature dish that I must have every time I come home! They're so satisfying and addictive! She usually puts pork in it, but I've chosen to make it vegetarian and so I'm using pressed marinated tofu which is delicious in this dish. You can absolutely use chicken, shrimp, beef, or no protein at all.

Jump to video!

In Thailand this dish uses a special type of noodles that we call "mee tiew" or "mee sua", but here I've discovered that you can substitute Chinese wheat, no-egg noodles that are similar in shape/size. Mine says "chow mein" on the package, but I find sometimes other chow mein noodles contain eggs. A note of caution, I've found that some noodles are only good for soup and do not hold up well for stir-frying, so when buying I would make sure the instructions on the back do say it is appropriate for stir-fry.

If you love noodle stir fries, also check out my pancit canton recipe and my vegan pad thai!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Vegan Noodle Stir-Fry - Grandma's Signature (Pad Mee Sua)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 150g dried Chinese wheat noodles, no eggs, see video for size (see note)
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 100g pressed tofu, marinated, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups cabbage, bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, stems removed, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Thai soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp Golden Mountain sauce
• 1 ½  tsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 cup garlic chives, 2-inch pieces

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Instructions

Add noodles to rapidly boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, just until they are pliable and release from each other but are still slightly undercooked. Timing may vary depending on your specific kind of noodles. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

In a wok, add just enough oil to coat the bottom followed by chopped garlic and pressed tofu. Once the garlic starts to turn golden, add cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms. Add a little splash of soy sauce over the vegetables and stir-fry for about a minute to wilt them slightly. 

Add the noodles, then drizzle the soy sauce and golden mountain sauce over the noodles and toss with tongs until the sauces are well distributed. Sprinkle sugar and white pepper and toss to mix well.

Check doneness of noodles, they should be done by this point, but if they're still too hard, you can add a splash of water and toss it around until all the water is absorbed.

Turn off the heat and immediately add garlic chives, tossing it until the garlic chives are slightly wilted.

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Sweet, creamy roasted kabocha squash glazed with soy sauce caramel, topped with roasted garlic, and drizzled with Thai basil oil. It's a fancy looking dish, but it's actually much easier and simpler than it sounds, I promise! It's a great side dish that adds subtle Asian flavours into your Christmas or Thanksgiving table, but it will still pair well with a traditional holiday feast.

This dish was inspired by a traditional Thai classic, kabocha squash with Thai basil stir-fry which was one of my favourites growing up. The combination of creamy kabocha squash, a salty-sweet-umami sauce, and Thai basil is one of the best I can think of. So I wanted to take this combo and present it as a vegetable side dish that would work with any traditional holiday meals; and the results were fantastic!

How To Make Soy Caramel Roasted Squash

1. Saute garlic chunks and remove from the oil.
2. Caramelize palm sugar in the garlic oil
3. Add soy sauce to dissolve the caramel and turn off the heat.
4. Brush squash with the glaze
5. Roast the squash and the garlic (meanwhile make the basil oil)
6. Glaze the sqaush again halfway through.
7. Drizzle with basil oil
8. Enjoy!

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Soy Caramel Roasted Kabocha Squash

A Thai-inspired veggie side dish for the holiday season or any time of year. The soy caramel glaze can be modified by using fish sauce or miso instead of soy sauce, and you can change up the squash too. This is also vegan and gluten-free if using gluten-free soy sauce. Be sure to watch the full video tutorial above before you start!

 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Pailin Chongchitnant

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Kabocha squash (about half a medium squash)
• 5-6 garlic cloves or as much as you'd like
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoon palm sugar chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground black or white pepper

Thai Basil oil

• 3 tablespoon neutral flavoured oil
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ cup finely julienned Thai or regular basil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Scoop out the seeds and fiber from the cavity of the squash with a spoon, then cut into 1-inch wedges (no need to peel it, and watch the video for safe cutting techniques). Place the squash on a large plate.
  1.5 lb Kabocha squash (about half a medium squash)
• Prep the garlic:

  Cut the root end off the garlic and crush the cloves with the flat of your knife until the cloves are broken into big chunks. Remove the peel, and tear apart or chop any chunks that are too big.
  5-6 garlic cloves
• Make the glaze:

  In a small pot, add the oil and garlic and turn heat on to medium low. Once the garlic is bubbling, cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to turn golden. Turn off the heat and remove from the oil.  Be sure to remove ALL the little bits of garlic otherwise they will burn in the next step.
  2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• To the same pot, add palm sugar and cook until it melts, then turn off the heat. OR if you want a deeper caramel flavour, keep the sugar cooking a bit longer until the colour darkens slightly and then turn off the heat.

  (If you chose to further caramelize the sugar, then when you add the soy sauce it will splatter aggressively, and you may need to add a splash of water to thin out the glaze)
  3 tablespoon palm sugar
•  Take the pot off the heat then add the soy sauce, (it will splatter vigorously), and once the splattering settles you can stir to mix. If it is thick, add about 1 tablespoon of water to thin out the glaze so it can be easily brushed onto the squash. Add the pepper, then throw the garlic chunks back in to coat in the glaze.
  1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon ground black or white pepper
•  Brush this glaze over the squash on both sides, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in one layer. Be careful to get as little glaze as possible on the baking sheet cuz it'll just burn in the oven.
• Put the garlic chunks inside the curve of the squash pieces, shaking off excess glaze before placing them down—this will protect them from over-browning.
• Roast for 10 mins, then take the squash out and brush with more glaze on both sides; then roast them for another 10-15 minutes or until fork-tender. If the garlic is starting to get too dark, you can take them out first. To check for doneness, pierce the thickest piece with a fork and it should go right through without resistance.
• While the squash roasts, make the basil oil: Add the basil, a pinch of salt and oil into a mortar and pestle and grind to bruise and blend the basil with the oil. You can also just blend everything in a small food processor, but you may need to make a bit more basil oil than you need to make it blend effectively.
  3 tablespoon neutral flavoured oil, A pinch of salt, ¼ cup finely julienned Thai or regular basil
• Assemble

  Place the squash on a serving platter in one layer and scatter the garlic pieces on top. Brush or drizzle the remaining glaze on the squash, then drizzle with basil oil. Serve warm or room temperature.

Video

The post Soy Caramel Roasted Squash with Thai Basil appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

Don't just make a vegan curry, make an AWESOME vegan curry! In this video I share with you my tricks and tips on how to maximize the umami in red curry without a drop of fish sauce!

You all know I love my meat and fish sauce, but I absolutely LOVED this curry and I did not miss the meat at all, and it's because of the little decisions you make along the way, and also one secret ingredient!

RELATED VIDEOS:
How to Make Red Curry Paste (part of the red curry chicken recipe)
The Best Coconut Milk to Buy 

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Vegan Red Curry แกงเผ็ดมังสวิรัติ

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
• Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 2 cups hot water
• 6-8 pc dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup bamboo shoots, canned, strips or sticks
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 3-5 tablespoon red curry paste (make your own with this recipe and omit shrimp paste, or choose one with no shrimp paste if buying)
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ Tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce
• 2 Tbsb palm sugar, chopped
• 6-7 kaffir lime leaves
• 300 g medium firm tofu (smooth variety if possible)
• A handful red peppers for colour (optional)
• 1 big handful Thai basil

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Instructions

Soak shiitake mushrooms in hot water for at least 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are fully hydrated. Remove from water (reserve the water) and squeeze out water from the mushrooms. Slice off the stems and discard, and cut the cap into ¼-inch slices.

Rinse bamboo shoots well, then boil in water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. This will remove the odour from the bamboo which some find unpleasant.

Add ¾ cup of the coconut milk into a heavy bottomed pot and reduce over medium heat until thick and the coconut oil starts separating from the coconut milk. If using canned coconut milk, this may not happen, in which case just proceed with the recipe.

Add curry paste and stir to break it up and mix with coconut milk, then and tomato paste and keep stirring until the oil starts to sizzle around the edges of the paste.

Add remaining coconut milk and 1 cup of mushroom water and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce and palm sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and tear in kaffir lime leaves and stir. Then gently add the tofu pieces and push them down so they are submerged, being careful not to break the tofu. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, if it looks a little thick, you can add more mushroom water. Add red peppers and cook for 1 minute. Stir in Thai basil and remove from heat. Serve with jasmine rice. Enjoy!

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