Tab Tim Grob (ทับทิมกรอบ) – Mock Pomegranate Seeds in Sweetened Coconut Cream

By on September 20, 2009 in She Deglutenizes, She Thais, She Veges


Shaved ice desserts and the year-round steaming hot weather of Southeast Asia go together. No further explanation is needed for that statement. Everywhere you look, you see shaved ice dessert stalls. And always sitting gorgeous in the midst of many, many cold dessert components is Tab Tim Grob[1] (ทับทิมกรอบ).

This beautiful dessert stands out. It really does. In fact, if I were to follow the dubious tradition of crowning food items (cf. durian is the king of fruit and mangosteen is the queen of fruit), I’d say this exquisite, refreshing, and fragrant cold dessert more than deserves to be put on the throne. Continue Reading →

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Spicy Chinese Sausage Salad – Yam Kun Chiang (ยำกุนเชียง)

By on July 27, 2009 in She Deglutenizes, She Thais, She Tosses

Thai Sausage Salad recipe
Dried Chinese sausage (aka lap cheong or lap chong), which the Thai call kun chiang (กุนเชียง), is widely used in Thai cuisine. It was also a staple in our house.

When I was a kid, my nanny would cut a few links of kun chiang into thin diagonal slices and saute them in a pan just to crisp up the outsides. A portion of glistening, perfectly seared pieces of aromatic dried sausage would then go on top of steamed Jasmine rice followed by a couple of glugs of Maggi sauce.

That was usually how my nanny got me to wear a skirt from time to time or sit still long enough for her to braid or curl my hair in an attempt to turn little Leela into something that vaguely resembled a girl.

Thai Sausage Salad recipe
As for the rest of the seared kun chiang pieces, she would turn them into a simple spicy salad, Yam Kun Chiang (ยำกุนเชียง), for the older members of the family. The salad has been a favorite in our family for many years. It can be eaten by itself as a first course. It’s also great as an entrée served with rice or plain rice porridge. For my grandfather, kun chiang salad and a glass of frosty cold Singha beer form a celestial match. I’ve been known to put Yam Kun Chiang inside a split baguette and eat it like a Banh Mi sandwich.

Thai Sausage Salad recipe
This salad couldn’t be simpler to make. The only part that takes any effort at all would be searing the sausage pieces. Kun Chiang is both sweet and fatty; care needs to be taken in making sure that the sausage is not over-caramelized or over-crisped.

Spicy Chinese Sausage Salad: Yam Kun Chiang
(Serves 4)
Printable Version

Thai sausage salad
4 links (300 g) of dried chinese sausage (lap cheong or lap chong), sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch thick pieces
1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3-4 fresh bird’s eye chillis, finely chopped or cut into very thin slices
1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Lime juice, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste

  • In a nonstick pan, over medium heat, sear the sausage slices until crisp on the outside.
  • In a bowl, toss all the ingredients, except lime juice and fish sauce, together.
  • Season to taste with lime juice and fish sauce.
  • Serve immediately.
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    How to Make Jaew แจ่ว – Thai Dried Chilli Dipping Sauce

    By on June 28, 2009 in She Deglutenizes, She Drizzles and Smears, She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Thais, She Uncooks, She Veges

    nam jim jaew
    In Thailand, when you buy Gai Yang (grilled spatchcocked chicken) or Mu Ping (Skewered grilled pork), the vendor almost always gives you two kinds of Nam Jim or dipping sauces to take home along with the grilled protein. One, of course, is the indispensable sweet and tangy chilli sauce; the other is one of the many varieties of the smokier, less sweet dipping sauce, Jaew (แจ่ว).

    Though not as well known internationally as its sweeter cousin, Jaew is no less a favorite among Thais. This explains why two kinds of dipping sauces accompany every grilled meat purchase — to eliminate the agony which customers would otherwise have to go through in choosing one or the other.

    It’s difficult to pin down the definitive Jaew recipe since every family has their own way of making it. One thing, however, remains constant: just as the sweet chilli sauce is always made of fresh red chillies, Jaew is always made with dried red chillies. Traditionally, the chillies are lightly toasted over open flame and pounded into tiny flakes. Fresh galangal, another traditional ingredient, is prepared the same way. Then, true to its northeastern origin, toasted rice powder is also a required ingredient in many family recipes. The herbs and aromatics then go into a mixture of fish sauce, lime juice, and sometimes palm sugar. As you can see, Jaew, for all intents and purposes, is the dressing for Laab (Larb or Lahb) – (ลาบ) even though most people wouldn’t see it that way.

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    Thai Dried Chilli Dipping Sauce (น้ำจิ้มแจ่ว)
     
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    Author:
    Recipe type: Condiment, Sauce
    Serves: Makes approximately one cup
    Ingredients
    • ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
    • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
    • ½ teaspoon galangal powder, optional
    • ⅓ cup fish sauce
    • Juice of one lime
    • 2 teaspoons grated palm sugar (or brown sugar)
    • 1 tablespoon of toasted rice powder (Khao Khua ข้าวคั่ว)
    • 1 tablespoon of dried red pepper flakes (coarsely ground).
    Instructions
    1. Mix everything together in a bowl.
    2. Adjust the taste with more fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar, if necessary. The sauce should be predominantly sour and salty.
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