With Asian Heritage Month underway, let’s celebrate with some amazing recipes courtesy of Thai Trade Toronto. These recipes are from well-known Toronto chefs highlighting some key ingredients that are imported into Canada from Thailand.
Curry Rice Noodle by Chef Nick of DaiLo
Ingredients:
- 9 oz Rice noodles, submerged under boiling water (DO THIS FIRST BEFORE PREPPING ANYTHING ELSE) – Use brand Kosa 3 MM Rice Noodle
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
- 2 tablespoon yellow Thai curry paste
- 2 teaspoons ginger, fresh ground
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 2.5 cup coconut cream
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
- 4 wedges of lime for garnish
- Coriander leaves for garnish
- Sliced chili for garnish
- Sliced shallot for garnish
Directions:
- Heat coconut oil in a pot on medium high heat. Add both curry pastes and the ginger and sauté while stirring for 1-3 minutes until fragrant. Add coconut cream, chicken stock, palm sugar, and fish sauce and bring up to a boil. Add the chicken legs and bring down to a simmer. Cook chicken for 30 minutes.
- Stain noodles in a colander and shake all excess water out. Place noodles in curry sauce and cook for 2-4 minutes. Tip – for quickest noodle hydration results pour boiling water over rice noodle’s and soak for 10 minutes, then soak in cold water. Do this before preparing the rest of the ingredients for this recipe
- In 4 bowls place one drumstick and equal amounts of noodles in each bowl. Ladle hot curry broth over the chicken and noodles. Enough broth to completely cover noodles.
- Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges and chilli and enjoy!!
Arroz Caldo /uh-ros kal-doh/ by Chef Wesley of Bawang Toronto
Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ inch piece of ginger peeled, sliced into strips and chunks
- 1 medium white onion or shallot chopped
- 4 scallions finely sliced
- 2 whole chicken legs (thigh + drum)
- 1 cup of jasmine rice (my go-to is Ox Head Jasmine Scented Thai Hom Mali Rice)
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 6-8cups of water
- freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Directions:
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-low heat and add onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until the onion starts to become transparent, which should take about 3-5 minutes.
- Add chicken, fish sauce, and ground pepper. Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is nearly all cooked.
- Pour in the chicken stock and rice and increase the heat to high until it comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the pot simmer. Let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently until the chicken is tender and the rice is fluffy and cooked.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, strip the meat off the bone then place the chicken back in the pot. Continue to simmer for another 15-20mins before it’s ready to serve.
- Garnish with fresh scallions, minced ginger and fried garlic (if you have it). Add some fried tofu if you like or whatever other protein you want. Top it with a boiled egg and squeeze of lime, and you’re good to go!
Chef Afrim Pristine’s Summer Pea, Mozzarella and Thai Hom Mali Rice Arancini
Ingredients (Yields: 8-10 arancini):
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 cup Thai Hom Mali rice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 150gr brick mozzarella, cut into 16 1/2 inch dice
- 24 fresh peas
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Directions:
- Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a medium sized sauce pan, keep warm
- Melt the butter in a medium saute pan. Add shallots and cook over medium heat, gently stirring until softened, about 3 minutes
- Add Thai Hom Mali rice and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently
- Add 1 cup of the stock to the pan and cook, stirring gently until all the stock is absorbed by the rice
- Add the remaining stock, 1/4 cup at a time and cook, stirring gently until the rice is al dente, about 20-25 minutes
- Stir in Parmigiano reggiano, a few pinches of salt and pepper
- Transfer the cooked rice to a bowl and let cool for 10-15 minutes
- Stir in 1 egg and parsley and then refrigerate rice for another 10 minutes
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper
- In a shallow bowl, beat the remaining egg
- Put the flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates
- Season, the breadcrumbs with a pinch or two of salt and pepper
- Using moistened hands, form small ball portions of rice
- Tuck a piece of mozzarella and 3 peas in the centre of each rice ball and seal any holes
- See the balls on the baking sheet
- Dredge the rice balls in the flour
- One at a time, dip each ball into egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs, rolling and pressing it into a compact ball
- Heat 1/2 of oil in a large cast iron pan
- Once oil is hot, add half the rice balls and cook over medium-high heat, rotating the rice balls. Cook entire surface area to a golden brown, around 6-8 minutes
- Drain the rice balls on a paper towel
- Transfer to a dinner plate and serve with tasty tomato pasta sauce
