Recipes: Some tasty Thai treats

Rujira Herd, chef at the Krua Thai Cookery School in Liberton Brae, serves up a tantalising starter and main course

Tom Yum Kung (hot and sour king prawn soup with mushrooms)

Serves two

Ingredients

100g prawns

2 lime leaves

4 slices galangal

Half stem lemon grass

50g mushrooms (cut into quarters)

1 stem fresh peppercorns (cut into 1 inch)

20g onion

1 cup stock

1 tsp fish sauce

Half teaspoon sugar

Three-quarter tbsp ‘chilli in oil’

Three-quarter tbsp milk

Three-quarter tbsp lemon juice

Garnish

Chopped coriander spring onion and red chilli

Method

Bring stock to boil (high heat) and add all ingredients, milk and lemon juice, except prawns.

When mushrooms are nearly cooked (approx one minute) add prawns till cooked (approx one minute).

Sprinkle with chopped coriander and spring onion. Serve hot.

Lemon juice and milk can be added before or after, it makes no difference to the taste.

Gang Ped Gai (chicken red curry with galangal and lemon grass)

Serves two

Kreuang-Gang Ped (red curry paste)

Ingredients

2 tsp seedless red chilli (approx 1-2 chilli per portion)

1 fresh red chilli

5-6 slices galangal

1 stem lemon grass (20g)

25g onion

7-8 cloves garlic

1 tbsp chopped coriander root/ stem

Half cm fresh turmeric

1.5 tsp shrimp paste

Half tsp black pepper

Lime skin

Pinch star salt, anise powder/cumin

Method

Using mortar, pound all ingredients (except shrimp paste) until a smooth paste for approximately 30 minutes to achieve a traditional texture.

Add shrimp paste and continue to pound until mixed well together.

Using blender, grind in a coffee mill for a faster process.

After pounding, fry in oil until aroma begins to prolong its life (by a few weeks) and keep refrigerated.

Chicken red curry

Ingredients

200g thinly sliced chicken

60g aubergine (cut into 4-6 pieces)

4 lime leaves

1 tbsp oil

3 tbsp Krua Thai red curry paste

1 tsp sugar

2-3 tsp fish sauce

10g basil

1 cup coconut cream

4-6 tbsp stock

10 gram Kra-chai (Thai finger roots)

Three-quarter tablespoon lemon juice

1 stem fresh pepper corns

5-6 slices red chilli

Method

Heat oil (low to medium heat) and fry curry paste.

Add chicken, fresh peppercorns and stir well till half cooked (high heat). Add aubergine then coconut cream, sugar, fish sauce, till cooked (approx 3 mins).

Finally, add lemon juice, Kra-chai, chilli, lime leaves, basil and serve.

Kra-chai

A Thai root similar to ginger. It is light browny-grey in colour and grows as finger-like tubers. The skin should be scraped off and the tuber thinly sliced, mainly for use in spicy Thai dishes. Kra-chai can be purchased in most Oriental shops and the staff will help if you have any problems.