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I debated what to post for my turn, I decided to go with something a little different from my usual fish dishes. I recently did a Thai Cookery Course which was run by the Michelin Star recommend Global Village Restaurant in Dingle. Anyone who has eaten there knows that Martin Bealin travels the world getting new ideas and recipes for his restaurant hence the name Global Village. For anyone going to Dingle this summer it's definitely worth a visit.

All the recipes all use the basic traditional Thai curry paste which is the building block of Thai cuisine. There are a few unusual ingredients but all should be available in asian food stores.

10 dried red chillies, de-seeded and soaked in cold water. (You can use fresh if you prefer)
1 medium onion (red or white), chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped.
2 stalks of Lemongrass, sliced - take off the tough outer leaves.
1 tablespoon of Galangal - available in Asian Food suppliers
1/2 bunch coriander leaves.
4 kaffir lime leaves - If using fresh leaves remove the mid-rib
2 teaspoons Belcan, wrapped in foil and grilled until fragrant **
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce (nam pla)

** Balacan is also know as shrimp paste. It's vile smelling but is a staple ingredient in most curry pastes. Fermented from tiny, salted shrimp, store it in an air-tight container in your fridge. It keeps for months. Wrap it in foil and place it 180 oven for 5-10 mins. You will know it's ready when you smell it and it goes crumbly. This should be easily available in Asian stores.

To make the paste;
1. Place the chillies, onion, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, coriander leaves and stems and kaffir lime leaves into a food processor. Add some oil - on the course they recommend using sunflower or vegetable oil instead of olive.
2. Place the belacan in a piece of foil and cook in the oven as instructed above or else place in the frying pan with the dry spices, when it's ready crumble it into the processor.
3. Roast all dry spices in a pan, shaking and stirring the pan constantly, allow to cool then grind with either a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Now add to curry paste.
4. All the fish sauce and process to a think paste.

The paste will keep in the fridge for a few weeks or can be easily frozen.

TOM YUM GAI
This is a noodle soup and was one of my favourite dishes from the course.

200g Thin Rice Noodles
1 tbs Vegetable Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Small Red Pepper, cut into small strips
3 Tbs of Thai curry paste
500ml of Chicken stock
4 Kaffir Lime leaves
75g Green beans, ends trimmed and cut into small lengths (about 2cm)
400ml Coconut Milk - Do NOT shake the tin!!
2 Chicken breast fillets or 3 - 4 thighs
1 tbs Fish Sauce
Limes & Coriander for garnish.

1. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water to soften.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add the red pepper and cook for another minute. Put the thick layer of coconut creamy milk at the top of the tin into the sauce pan with the curry paste and cook for a minute of so.
3. Add the chicken stock, chicken breast/thigh and kaffir lime leaves, bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add beans and cook for 1 minute, add the remaining coconut milk and cook until everything is heated through. Season with the fish sauce.
5. Place the noodles in individual bowls, pour over the soup and garnish with coriander and lime juice.

I've tried this with both breast and thigh meat and the thigh meat is far tastier.

Thai Chicken Curry

750g Chicken thigh fillets - again you can use breasts if you prefer. I've also made this with prawns and it was gorgeous.
1 can Coconut Milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons of curry paste
1 teaspoon palm sugar - brown sugar will do if you don't have palm
4 kaffir lime leaves
Basil leaves
Coriander leaves

1. Remove the cream from the top of the coconut milk tin. Place this in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the curry paste and bring to the boil. Cook on a medium heat for around 5 minutes until it starts to seperate. Lower the heat and add the sugar.
2. Add the remaining coconut milk to the pan.
3. Add the chicken and bring to the boil. Stir and cook on a medium heat for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is done. Turn down the heat.
4. Add the Kaffir lime leaves and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Just before serving add the basil and coriander leaves.

Serve with Jasmine fragrant rice.

I also have recipes for Thai Fish Cakes ( tbh, the spicy Crab Cakes I posted in year 1 are nicer!!), Thai beef Salad, Thai inspired meatballs and a Vegetable Curry, but I think I've done enough typing for tonight! I can add the others if anyone wants the recipes.

Once the paste is made the dishes are so easy and very tasty.

Thai Beef Salad - This can also be made with lamb.

1 Steak - we used sirloin on the day of the course.
100g Salad leaves
100g Cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, sliced
1/2 Red Pepper, thinly sliced
1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1.5 tablespoons Fish Sauce
1.5 tablespoons Palm Sugar (or brown)
1/2 cup of whole mint leaves
Handful of Coriander leaves.

1. Preheat the oven to 180.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or non-stick frying pan over high heat.
3. Cook the steak for a minute or two on either side to seal it. Put it on a baking tray into the oven until it's cooked to your preference. Allow to stand for a while when you remove it from the oven - Honestly I think it could be just cooked as normal in the pan and allowed to stand before finely slicing it.
3. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
4. To serve, toss the beef with the salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onions, mint and coriander leaves and the dressing. Serve immediately.

Looks very interesting Kendee, what would you recommend to cook with it? Chicken? Coconut milk?

Also, since you mentioned that you did a Thai course recently (lucky you!!!!) I was wondering if I could pick your brains a teeny bit please? I am cooking a meal for 12 adults soon and I was contemplating a sort of Thai theme, I had been thinking of the MM Crab cakes for a starter and then and MM pork with coriander and coconut milk with jasmine rice for main. But I am a bit stuck for some nice side dishes to put in the middle of the table...can you suggest anything? I would like this meal to be a bit special and as delicious as possible (but also 'doable' given I will be cooking for 12). I saw a recipe in Jamie Oliver for a Thai watermelon and feta salad & thought I would try out the whole menu for myself and dh one sunday to road test it iykwim? Anyway, any tips or pointers you have regarding extras for this menu would be greatly appreciated

Is it just me who can't see the recipe for the Thai Beef Salad?

I love Tom Yum Gai. Delighted to have a good recipe for it! Thanks for posting.

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Even though I just had thai curry I am starving looking at the Tom Yum Gai!

Not part of the food club but will be definately be making it. Have everything except the Belcan - is it massively important?

I can't see the beef either but I think it's a work in progress at mo..

bookmarking this for myself to try

Sorry I submitted and then edited to add dishes, was terrified I'd loose what I had typed!

Valex - I did get a recipe for Thai Fish cakes but much preferred the crab cakes from year one. Everyone cooked different dishes on the day so I will give them a try again but it's hard to beat the crab ones! We actually didn't do any side dishes unfortunately, we did do a melon salad with ginger and mint which was lovely and refreshing after all the food! I think your menu sounds lovely, I love both of those dishes.

Zingy Melon Salad;
Watermelon, cut into chunks
Knob of fresh ginger, chopped to a fine dice
Fresh Mint Leaves
Fresh coriander leaves
Juice of limes

In a bowl combine all the ingredients except the lime, give it a gentle toss and and squeeze over the lime juice.

Deer - I asked the same about the Belacan, if you can't get it there is no substitute but it can be left out though it will obviously alter the taste of your paste.

Going to edit and add it now Ebyss!

Cheers - I might get away without it as I have no sense of smell so can't taste the subtlities !

I don't usually like Thai restaurant food (mostly take out around here) but I had dinner recently cooked by a Thai woman - home cooked traditional food and the difference was amazing. Going to try this.

Sounds fab Kende, looking forward to trying these out. Some ingredients that i've ever heard of so will pay a visit to the Asian store.

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

Mmmmmm sounds Delish!! I could make the paste tomorrow I actually have everything but the shrimp paste is there any easy alternative (I'm house bound)

Love the sound of the watermelon salad too yum!!

Have a few to catch up on but I looooove Thai food and want to see the beef salad too please

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My Blog : http://www.Thisismeandfood.com

You cannot control a situation, but you can control your reaction to it..

These looks great Kendee. I'm going to make up a batch of the paste and freeze it too (but will be leaving out the chilis and the prawn paste too - sigh - I have chiliphobics in this house).

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Sounds delish kendee

I really want to know why you're not supposed to shake the tin of coconut milk though?

Sounds fab will give a go this weekend
If you can, please post the Thai inspired meatballs
Thanks !

Thai Beef salad recipe added

Ebyss - I think you could probably half or quarter the amount chillies if your chilliphobes prefer

Kimbaby - You can just leave the shrimp paste out.

Snoozer - so you can take the creamy part off the top first

The meatballs are essential ordinary meatballs with a thai sauce. The idea was that it's an easy way to introduce your children to thai flavours.

Thai Style Meatballs

500g Lean Beef Mince
1 Onion, finely chopped
Salt
1 Egg beaten
1/2 cup plain flour
2 Tablespoons Oil
3 Tablespoons curry paste
1.5 cups of Coconut Milk
1.5 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed
1 tablespoons brown/palm sugar
2 tablespoons mint, chopped for garnish

1. Chop onion, add to beef mince - I prefer to cook the onion off before adding it to the beef. Add egg and mix. Mould into small balls and roll in flour. Dust off any excess flour.
2. Heat oil in pan and cook off meatballs, a few at a time. Drain on absorbent paper.
3. If there is any remaining oil in the pan, add the curry paste to this and cook over a low heat till fragrant.
4. Add coconut milk and stir.
5. Add the fish sauce, peanuts and sugar.
6. Pour this sauce over the meatballs and heat in the oven for 10 mins till warmed through.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

All sound delicious, thanks for posting.

Next time I'm down your neck of the woods I'm inviting myself for dinner

Fab thanks for that !

I love the variation on the Thai meatball recipe!
Have all the ingredients bar the peanuts but will add a tbs of peanut butter to compensate.
Cant wait to try this tomorrow

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Scarecrow

Actually have just realised I made a similar paste on a Thai Cookery course in Dublin last summer. However I found shrimp paste hard to source locally so instead I use Nom Pla. This might help anyone who is not based close to Asian Food Stores. Great recipe though Will try it again over the BHW.

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Scarecrow

I was looking for shrimp paste before and couldn't find it anywhere locally.

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

You know you'd be very welcome!

Scarecrow - peanut butter is a good idea, we always have that, I couldn't live without it!

Cool I have nam pla there. Great

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My Blog : http://www.Thisismeandfood.com

You cannot control a situation, but you can control your reaction to it..

LOL!
Cook off tomorrow
I just love Thai Food

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Scarecrow