Thai Street Food

About two years ago I started a craft night series with my girlfriends and two years later we are still going strong. Every month one of us hosts a WI (=women institute) event where the hostess teaches the rest of us something, anything crafty, and provides nibbles and drinks. We always have so much fun and it is so lovely to spend some time with other crafty friends. So far we have learned how to cross-stich, make vanilla essence, jewellery, soaps, cook Japanese dumplings, make vanilla and lavender sugar, decorate Halloween cupcakes, embroidery stitch, decorate cakes, make cake-pops, Italian bread, olive oil body scrub, and paint boxes and frames. Last night we all gathered at our friend Amy's to learn how to cook Thai Street Food. When Amy was in Thailand last year, she attended a Thai cuisine class and last night she shared some of the secrets with us. We loved preparing, cooking and eating all together.

Everything was so good that I thought I would share the recipes with my dear readers. Enjoy!

Thai Fish Cakes

Ingredients

300g fish fillets (i.e. salon, cod, haddock...) - chopped roughly

100g prawns

1 tablespoon red thai curry paste

small bunch of coriander

1 teaspoon salt

100g green beans - chopped finely

2 tablespoon of oil

Method

Put fish, prawns, red thai curry paste, coriander and salt in food processor and blend yo a fine paste, add beans and pulse to mix. Refrigerate for one hour. With greased hand shape a tablespoon of mixture into small patties. Heat oil in frying pan and fry cakes for 10 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Makes enough for 4 people.

Thai Spring Rolls

Ingredients

cabbage (1/4) - shredded

glass noodles (a bundle), placed in water to soften

50g mushrooms - finely sliced and chopped

50g carrots - finely sliced and chopped

bunch of coriander

1 clove of garlic - crushed

a pinch of pepper corn - crushed

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons of oil

spring roll pastry sheets

a little egg and flour

Method

Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic, pepper, vegetables and fry gently until veg is a little softer, add glass noodles and remaining ingredients. Lower heat and stir continuously for a few minutes. Place on a plate to cool.

Take the pastry sheets and cut to a triangle, place the point away from you so it presents as a pyramid. Place little veg mix in the middle and tuck the corners in with the point still exposed. Place a dab of egg and flour mix on exposed point and wrap remaining side up to form a spring roll. Heat oil in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Makes 15-25 rolls depending on size.

Papaya Salad

Ingredients

1 small papaya - peeled and shredded

1 teaspoon light muscovado sugar

1/4 garlic clove - chopped

1/4 red chilli - chopped

5 French beans - chopped

a few roasted peanuts - chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce

4 cherry tomatoes - halved

juice if 1 lime

Method

In pester and mortar or small bowl break down the garlic, chilli, green beans. Add the sugar, peanuts, fish sauce, tomatoes and lime juice. Add papaya and toss. Serves 1.

Buon appetito!