11:23 AM 3/31/98
rfc 5/7/95

Here are recipes for 2 Thai dishes - Pad Thai and Green Curry.  The recipes
come from a cookbook, but I have forgotten the name - the cover is a picture
of the author (Thai lady) surrounded by Thai dishes.  Anyway, I have also
added my dad's versions of the recipes, but when I cook them they never turn
out as good as my dad's...Anyway, here goes!

Pad Thai (serves 4)

1/2 lb Thai rice noodles
12 medium shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 c. preserved radish, sliced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp nam pla
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 c. peanuts, coarsely ground
1/2 c. vegetable oil
200 grams bean sprouts
1 tbsp tamarind, dissolved in 3 tbsp water
juice of 1 lemon
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Garnish:        1 cup bean sprouts
                cilantro
                lemon wedges
peanuts, coarsely ground

Soak noodles in cold water, to cover, about 15 minutes.  Drain.  Put noodles
in bowl and pour hot water over them.  Let stand about 10 minutes.  Drain and
rinse with cold water; set aside.

Squeeze juice of tamarind (soaked in water).  Put oil in wok/skillet over
medium heat.  Add garlic and onion.  Stir fry until onion turns translucent.
Add shrimp and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until shrimp turns pink.  Add
ketchup, sugar, nam pla, radish, tamarind juice and lemon juice.  Stir well.
Pour in eggs and slightly set for 3 minutes before mixing with remaining
ingredients.  Add noodles, bean sprouts, and peanuts.  Mix well.

Spoon onto serving platter and arrange bean sprouts on one side, lemon wedges
on other, garnish with cilantro and sprinkle with peanuts.

(My dad prepares this without the radish and tamarind.  He also uses limes
instead of lemons and brown sugar instead of white sugar, and sprinkles dried
crushed chili to taste.  Yummy!)


Nam Prik Gaeng Keo Wan (Green Curry Paste)

10 green fresh chiles with seeds
2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
2 tbsp lemon grass, minced
2 tbsp cilantro roots, chopped
1 tsp. cilantro (coriander) seeds, pounded
1 tsp kha, chopped (I don't know what this is!)
1 tsp. caraway seeds, pounded
7 black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp shallots chopped
1 tsp kapi (I don't know what this is either!)
4 tbsp. vegetable oil

Stir fry all ingredients except kapi and vegetable oil over low heat until
brown, about 5 minutes.  Put all ingredients into mortar and pound together
or use blender.  Add kapi and vegetable oil.  Mix to smooth paste.

(My dad uses commercially prepared curry paste - Cock Brand is the one he gave
me last and you can buy it as well as yellow, red, massaman curry pastes in 
14 oz. tubs which will last you forever)

Green Curry

(Gaeng Keaw Wan Gai)

1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 to 2 tbsp. green curry paste (or to taste)
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp nam pla
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Put oil in skillet over medium heat.  Stir fry green curry paste about 1minute.
Add chicken and stir-fry until chicken is done.  Add remaining ingredients and
bring to a boil.  Simmer about 15 minutes.

(My dad likes to boil the chicken in water first, dump water out, then add
coconut milk.  He also adds Thai eggplant (small green round things that look
like peas), fresh basil leaves.  The other addition which I now cannot eat
green curry without is salt pork or corned beef slices fried until crispy,
chopped and then sprinkled liberally over the green curry and rice before
eating.  Mmmmmmmm!!!!!)

Happy eating!  

Nisa