To Cook Thai Food

Som Tum" (Papaya Salad)

This particular dish is from the northeastern part of Thailand (E-san). Combined with barbecue chicken, and sticky rice, it makes a perfect meal!

Ingredients:
1 fresh green papaya
5 Thai chilies (prik kee noo)
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/2 cup green beans cut into one inch lengths
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
1 quart cup of tamarind juice

Preparation:
Peel the skin off of the papaya, then use a cheese grater to shred the papaya. The seeds are not used! After you have finished, sprinkle some salt onto the shredded papaya, and let stand for 30 minutes

Directions:
Now you will need a mortar and pestle. (You can use a regular mixing bowl, but you just don't get the right effect.) Combine all of the ingredients except for the tomato into the mortar bowl and mix thoroughly. Then add the tomato and briefly mix (do not pulverize the tomato into liquid- you want it to be kinda' "bruised")

Pad Thai

Ok. Here it is. Hands-down the MOST popular Thai dish known to mankind.

Ingredients:
1 pack dried rice stick noodles or "sen lek"
1/2 cup dried shrimp
1/2 cup baked tofu cut into small strips
1/2 cup ground peanut
1 cup fresh beansprouts
1/2 cup chives cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound chicken meat cut into small bite-sized pieces
6 eggs
2 teaspoons pepper powder
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons smashed garlic
2 tablespoons smashed onion
1/2 cup of water

Preparation:
1. Soak the rice stick noodles in tepid water for roughly 15 minutes. Then cut the noodles into 4-inch pieces. Strain the noodles, then set them aside.
2. Using a large skillet (preferably a wok) heat the vegetable oil and add in the garlic, onion and tofu.
3. After stirring for 2 minutes, add in the dry shrimp, and stir. Then, one at a time add in the peanuts, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pepper and chicken, stirring the mixture the entire time.
4. Add the eggs and continue to stir the mixture. Then add in 1/2 cup of water.
5. Add the noodles, and be sure to stir! The noodles tend to burn if not continuously stirred.
6. Check to see if the taste of the dish is suitable to you, if not, then add in either fish sauce (salty), sugar (sweet), or soy sauce (salty). Here is where a matter of preference comes into play.
7. The final step is to add in the bean sprouts and chives, just before turning off the burner.

Pad Thai is normally garnished with a heaping portion of uncooked beansprouts on the side as well as a sprig of cilantro on top.