THAI VERMICELLI SALAD WITH SHRIMPS [Yum Woon Sen]

originally uploaded by moonberry.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 medium size shrimps
• 100 grams ground pork
• 40 grams mushroom
• 20 grams chinese celery, cut into 1" long
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 20 grams shallot, sliced
• 6 chilies, coarsely chopped
• 20 grams peanuts
  
• 40 grams glass noodle
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 5 tablespoons lime juice
  

  (For 2 Serving)
  

HOW TO:

1. blanch pork and shrimp in boiling water, drain
2. blanch mushroom and glass noodle until soft, set aside
3. Mix all ingredients in a big bowl, then season with fish sauce, sugar and lime juice . Transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately with fresh vegetable such as cabbage, cucumber, string bean, etc.

Pineapple Prawn Curry [Kaeng Khua Supparod]

originally uploaded by kepibear.

This dish does not take long to cook and the main characteristic of this curry is that it does not have very much sauce. The sauce is fairly thick and creamy. If you are unable to find kaeng khua curry paste, red curry paste is a good substitute.

INGREDIENTS :

• Vegetable oil 2 tbsp.
• Kaeng khua curry paste 2 tbsp.
• Coconut milk 1/2 to 1 cup
• Prawns or shrimps, fresh and peeled 1 lb.
• Fish sauce1 - 2 tbsp.
• Sugar 1 - 2 tsp.
• Pineapple, peeled and cubed 1/2 cup
  (1 - 2 servings)

HOW TO:
1. Using a sauce pan or a deep frying pan, heat up the vegetable oil until hot and add the kaeng khua curry paste to the oil. Use a medium heat and take care not to burn the curry paste. Should the paste become lumpy and become difficult to spread and stirfry, add a little coconut milk.

2. Cook the paste for 5 minutes over a low to medium heat. Add coconut milk and blend well. Bring the sauce back to a boil.

3. Once the curry sauce is boiling, add the prawns and quickly season the curry with fish sauce and sugar. When the prawns are almost cooked, add the pineapple and mix well. The curry should be fairly thick, almost the same consistency of white sauce. Spoon this curry into a bowl and serve with rice.

**Tips**
Should your curry be too runny when finished, spoon out the prawns and pineapple and cook the curry sauce until thick, Cream can be used to replace coconut milk but you will not get the coconut aroma in your curry. Again this dish should be eaten with steamed rice or crusty French bread.

Sour Curry with Vegetables and Shrimp [Gaeng Som Gung]

originally uploaded by bigcityb.

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 fresh prawns
  
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 2-3 tablespoons of sour curry paste
• 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate mixed with 3 tablespoons water
  
• 1-2 tablespoons palm sugar (to taste)
• 2 cups of very coarsely chopped green vegetables

HOW TO:
1. Peel, de-vein, and behead the shrimp, leaving only the small tail shells on.
2. Add the sour curry paste
3. Mix and leave to marinade for one hour.
4. Heat a wok and then stir fry the prawns in the marinade until they just starts to change colour.
5. Remove from the stove and set aside
6. Heat the stock to simmering point.
5. Add all the ingredients except the prawns, and return it to the boil.
6. Add the prawns, and the marinade and simmer until the prawns are cooked through.
7. Add the pineapple, bring to the boil and then serve.
note: that this can also be prepared as a stir fry dish by simply omitting the chicken stock.

**TIP:If it is a little dry, then add a couple of tablespoons of stock to the wok.**