Yousif Al-Amin, 129 TCCS

Welcome to my cooking series, Have Yous Eaten Yet? Today I share a two part episode with an appetizer and main course with both recipes listed below.

In the first part of episode 1, I will show you how to make a Thai/Vietnamese Fusion Pad Grapow Summer Roll!

In the second part of episode 1, I will show you how to make an authentic Thai Green Curry (แกงเขียวหวาน).

Vietnamese/Thai Fusion Pad Grapow Summer Rolls

Ingredients:

• ½ kg chicken breast, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, diced
• 2-3 shallots OR 1 large onion, diced
• 5-7 Thai bird’s eye chilis, halved
• ½ cup Thai holy basil
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 package of glass noodles
• 1 package medium sized Vietnamese summer roll papers

Directions:

1. Turn heat on med-high. Heat up 1 tbsp of cooking oil and add shallots/onions and chilis. Cook for 1 minute or until brown, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add ½ kg of minced chicken and work into the mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes or until nearly fully cooked.
3. Add 2 tbsp oyster sauce and 1 tbsp of fish sauce (or more to taste) and finish cooking chicken.
4. Add Thai holy basil and stir in for 10 seconds. Turn off heat.
5. Boil water in a medium sized pot. Once boiling, throw in glass noodles (you can halve or quarter them before cooking). Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly – the noodles will cook very quickly.
6. Strain noodles and add to basil chicken, mixing thoroughly.
7. Fill up a large bowl with lukewarm water. Add summer roll paper and soften the paper for about 10-15 seconds.
8. Place softened paper onto a cutting board and place about 1.5 tbsp of chicken/noodle mixture in the middle of the paper.
9. Starting from the bottom, roll to about halfway and then fold in the left and right sides. Finish rolling and then enjoy!

Thai Green Curry – แกงเขียวหวาน

Ingredients:

• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 green curry paste packet (~100g)
• ½ kg chicken breast, cubed
• 6-8 kaffir lime leaves, cut into strips
• 2-3 pieces of lemongrass, sliced into thirds
• 1 large or 2 small onions, cut into 1 inch thick strips
• 5-7 red Thai chilis, halved
• 10 Thai eggplants, quartered
• ½ tbsp salt
• ½ cup Thai sweet basil
• Optional: 1 chicken stock cube

Directions:

1. Turn heat on med-high. Add 150 ml coconut into a pot and warm, stirring and lowering heat if it comes to a boil.
2. Stir in 1 packet of green curry paste.
3. When it nearly comes to a boil, add in chicken breast and stir. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in remaining coconut milk (~250 ml), kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass. Let simmer for a few more minutes, lowering or turning off heat if it starts to boil.
5. Add either about 750 ml of water or (optional) 1 chicken stock cube mixed into 750 ml of boiling water.
6. Add in Thai chilis, onions, and Thai eggplant. Continue to simmer for 3 more minutes.
7. Throw in ½ tbsp of salt (or more to taste) as well as Thai sweet basil.
8. Check to make sure chicken and eggplants are fully cooked. Once ready, turn off heat.
9. Serve with Jasmine rice.