It's Korean & Thai Dishes In A Day

Yes. Today I had Korean green onion pancakes (Pajeon) for lunch and Thai fried chicken (Gai Thod) for dinner LOL

My lunch...

 

Recipe for this delicious savoury pancake - Korean Green Onion Pancake (Pajeon) -  can be found HERE

 

What you need:

 

For the pancake:

10 stalks green onion, cut into 5 inches long

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salted soya bean paste

1/2 tsp sugar

3 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Method:

1. Mix plain flour, water, soya bean paste, and sugar in a bowl, mix well til smooth
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Arrange green onion parallel to each other, in the shape of rectangle
3. Pour batter over the green onion evenly
4. While cooked, keep patting, press slightly and keep it in nice shape with spatula
5. A few minutes later, when the bottom turns crispy and golden brown, flip it
6. Cook another 1 minute and transfer to serving plate
7. Serve with dipping sauce

 

The dipping sauce...

 

Dipping sauce:

Mix 2 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, chopped shallot, chopped red chilli, chopped green onion (the green part), 1 tsp chopped garlic
(original recipe used roasted sesame seeds but I didn't use)

My dinner...

 

Recipe for this finger licking scrumptious, crispy yet succulent Thai Fried Chicken (Gai Thod) is from HERE

What you need: (modified)

600g chicken cut of your choice (I used chicken drumlettes)
3 coriander roots, cleaned and chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp oyster sauce
dash of soya sauce
dash of fish sauce
3 tbsp water
1/4 cup rice flour

Method:

1. Blend pepper, garlic, coriander roots, salt to a paste
2. Mix the paste with the rest of the ingredients
3. Marinate chicken with the paste mixture, leave it overnight in the fridge
4. Deep fry chicken just before serving and serve immediately with homemade thai sweet chilli sauce

Thai sweet chilli sauce

Source: SheSimmers

 

What you need:

 

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 red chillis, desseded

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp water

 

Method:

1. Puree garlic, chillis, vinegar, sugar, water and salt
2. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture thickens up a bit and the garlic-pepper bits begin to soften, about 3 mins
3. Combine the cornflour and water. Whisk in the cornflour mixture and continue to simmer one more min. The cornflour will help the sauce to thicken slightly thereby causing nice suspension of the garlic-pepper bits, otherwise you get a thin sauce with all the little pieces floating on the surface
4. Let cool completely, store in a glass jar and refrigerate

The best way to eat the chicken...

 

Slurp! :)

 

My lunch is posted here for Aspiring Bakers #37:Korean-Feast of Hansik (Nov 2013) hosted by Grace of Life Can Be Simple

And my dinner is posted for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings

AFF Thailand - Thai Green Mango Salad (Som Tum Mamuang)

All the Thai dishes I tried were all my favourites, including this one
Sour, spicy with a hint of saltiness as well as sweetness. All in one. Yummy and so refreshing. Addictive, too!

Recipe is from HERE

What you need:

2 medium sized green mangoes (original recipe: 400g)
5 shallots, thinly sliced (original recipe used 2)
2 red bird's eye chillis, cut
15g dried shrimps (original recipe: 20g)
20g peanuts, toasted (original recipe: 40g)
2 tbsp fish sauce (original recipe: 4 tbsp)
4 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp palm sugar
a handful of coriander (I omitted)
1 tsp light brown sugar (my addition)

Method:

1. Peel and grate mangoes, soak in ice cold water to make it crispy
2. Fry dried shrimp without oil til crispy, pulse in a chopper til coarse (I pulsed 3 times)
3. Slightly crush chillies, shallots, dried shrimp and peanuts in a mortar
4. Add in fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and brown sugar, mix well
5. Mix in grated mangoes, toss
6. If desired, garnish with more crushed peanut and coriander (I didn't)

 

 

This post is for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings

AFF Thailand - Thai Fried Rice Noodles with Soy (Phat Si Ew)

Last time there's this Thai food stall in now renovated Takashimaya food court where they sold delicious Thai food. The name is Tuk Tuk. One of the dish I frequently ordered from them was seafood fried kwayteow. So good! Too bad I didn't see them around anymore
After they went missing from Takashimaya food court, I saw they opened a small eatery in Suntec City. Got the chance to eat there once. But now they're gone, also
Still can't locate them til now. Such a waste. Perhaps anyone in Singapore know?

In the meantime, let's make my own Thai fried kwayteow. But I used chicken instead of seafood :)
It's simple to prepare and most importantly, taste delicious. Comparable to the Tuk Tuk version :)
One thing was, I guess I stirred too much most of the noodles broke into small pieces :(

 Recipe is from HERE

What you need:

500g fresh rice noodles - mixed with a dash of soya sauce
150g chicken breast - sliced and marinate with a dash of soya sauce, oyster sauce and pepper
3 eggs
150g kai lan, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce (original recipe: 2 tbsp)
1 tsp fish sauce (I added)
pinch of sugar

Method:

1. In a hot wok, char noodles for a minute with a little oil
2. Stir around but not to move too much, so it won't break. Set aside
3. Heat wok with oil again. fry garlic, add chicken til lightly browned
4. Push meat to one side, heat wok and add a little more oil, crack egg. Let set before lightly scrambling it
5. Add in kai lan, stir fry for 2 mins, add in charred noodles
6. Add in seasonings, fry for a few more mins
7. Adjust the taste

 

 

This post is for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings

 

Triple Chocolate Biscotti

This month's LBT challenge, biscotti
Recipe is from Dorie Greenspan via Brown Eyed Baker
So good, so chocolaty, especially eating it dipped in black coffee in the morning...heaven!

What you need:
(below is half recipe)

1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
scant 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
45g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup fine sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp coffee emulco (original recipe: vanilla extract)
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate (original recipe: chopped almond)
57g semisweet chocolate chips
Demerara sugar, for dusting (original recipe: sugar)

Method:

1. Place oven rack in the centre and preheat oven to 180degC. Line a baking sheet
2. Sift flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt
3. Beat butter and sugar (medium speed) til pale, about 2 mins
4. Add in egg and coffee emulco, beat another 2 mins
5. Reduce speed to low and add in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mix only til a dough forms
6. Add in white chocolate and chocolate chips, mix
7. Turn the dough onto a work surface, knead for awhile
8. Roll dough into about 12 inches long log. Carefully transfer onto the baking sheet
9. Flatten it with the palm of your hand, til it's about 1 inch high and about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular. Sprinkle the log with Demerara sugar
10. Bake the log for about 25 mins, til it is just slightly firm. The log will spread and crack, it's fine
11. Remove baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the log for 20 mins (leave the oven on)
12. Using a long serrated knife, cut the log into slices about 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet and bake the cookies again for 10 minutes
13. Transfer to cooling rack, let cool completely and keep in an airtight container

It's really good to eat it plain - the use of butter in the recipe resulting in a crunchy biscotti but not as hard as those biscotti recipes without butter

Anyway biscotti is supposed to be hard, because traditionally it's eaten as a breakfast sweet treat dipped in black coffee

For this biscotti is no exception, either. It's super yummy to eat it after dipped in black coffee :)

 

 

 

 

Who can resist this??? Chocolate and coffee lovers, this is a must try!

 

THB #26 Raisins Oatmeal Cupcakes

The 26th bake for The Home Bakers - hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours, where we bake from the book Coffee Cakes by Lou Seibert Pappas

I did some adjustment for this cake, just to make it to something at least one of the family member can enjoy. That one family member is usually me LOL

I baked half recipe in cupcake pan - I got 7 cupcakes. Using buttermilk as one of the option besides low fat yoghurt, omitted dark molasses, replaced vanilla extract with dark rum, replaced whole-wheat flour with plain flour, replaced cranberries with golden raisins and lastly, omitted nuts (for this, by accident. I totally forgotten about it LOL)

I must say this cake is not bad. It's tasty, and can taste the crunch from the oatmeal, pretty fluffy and moist - thanks to the rum soaked golden raisins :)
Great to eat this cupcakes as breakfast with a cuppa :)

For full recipe, please view Kit from I-Lost in Austen, whom has chosen this cake


This post is for The Home Bakers hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours

 

 

Also I'm submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up, an event initiated by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY  where the star ingredients used for this month of November is Oats, hosted by Vivian from Vivian Pang Kitchen

Thai Lemongrass Tea - Nam Tak Rai (AFF Thailand) & Korean Sweet Pancakes with Brown Sugar Syrup Filling - Hotteok (AB)

Two in one post today :)
The drink is from Thailand. The snack is from Korea. Two different countries. But they go really well together :)


Thai Lemongrass Tea (Nam Tak Rai)

 

 

Really simple to make. Taste so good. And great for body, too :)

 

Recipe is from HERE

 

What you need:

(with some modification)

 

3 litre water

3 lemongrass (discard the root) - pound lightly

thumb size of old ginger - peel and pound lightly

honey rock sugar (as desired)

 

Method:

1. Bring all the ingredients to a boil (except rock sugar)
2. Simmer for 15 minutes
3. Add in rock sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes
4. Discard lemongrass and ginger
5. Serve hot

 

Now, the companion: Korean Sweet Pancakes

This popular street snack in Korea. Served hot and folded in a paper container, every bite will burst with melted brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Chew it together with the chewy dough, it's just so yummy!

 

 

 

 

Recipe is from HERE

 

What you need:

 

1 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp instant yeast

1 tbsp. oil

2 cups plain flour, plus 1/2 cup for kneading, filling and shaping

1/2 tsp salt

 

 

Filling:

(to mix well)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbsp chopped walnut (I didn't use)

 

Method:

1. Mix lukewarm water, sugar, yeast and oil. Stir well
2. In another bowl, mix plain flour and salt
3. Add in the flour mixture into the yeast mixture, mix with rice scoop or hand (I used rice scoop)
4. Let the dough sit for an hour (I let it sit for I 1/2 hour), then knead for awhile to let the gas bubble out
5. Spread about 1/2 cup of plain flour on cutting board (this is a lot of flour, but it's necessary since the dough is real sticky)
6. Knead dough for awhile, cut into 8 equal sized balls
7. Flatten, put filling at the centre (about 1 heaped tbsp), seal to make a ball
8. Place on a heated non stick pan with about 2 tbsp of oil (medium fire)
9. Let cook for about 30 seconds til bottom turned light brown, turn over and press the dough with spatula til thin and wide (about the size of a CD). Let cook til golden brown at the bottom
10. Turn over again and turn heat very low. Cover pan and cook another 1 minute (to let the sugar filling melts)
11. Serve immediately

 

Note:

*This snack won't taste so nice after cooling down - in my opinion (DH didn't mind eating it cold LOL). The best is to serve it immediately

*This recipe makes 8 pancakes. I made 4 pancakes and I froze the other 4 dough balls (in separate plastic wrap). After thawing, it worked just as good as the first 4 pancakes I made :)

*Another great filling recommended is mozzarella cheese. I shall try it next time :)

 

 

The tea is for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings

 The green strange-looking dog at the back is clay modelling done by Ian, and he's so proud of it he wanted me to use it as prop :)


And this yummy snack is for Aspiring Bakers #37:Korean-Feast of Hansik (Nov 2013) hosted by Grace of Life Can Be Simple

 

 

I just realized that this post is my 100th post for Aspiring Bakers :)

 

AFF Thailand - Rice with Shrimp Paste (Khao Klub Gapi)

Another dish I always order whenever I go to any Thai restaurant. Love it!
Tried to cook it on my own at home. It's basically easy to make, it's just so many ingredients to prepare :)

So many garnishes used :)

 

 

 

Did you see I missed out something here? Yes, I forgot to add in the sliced omelette :(

 

 

 

 No sliced omelette. Only remembered when I was about to eat this! :(

 

Recipe is from HERE

For the garnish:
1 green mango, shredded
3 eggs, made into thin omelette - thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of dried shrimp, fried til crispy - and blend a little til coarse (I pulsed 3 times in a chopper)
lime wedges
10 long beans, thinly sliced (I used only 5)
2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced (I used 1 Japanese cucumber)
4 bird chillis, sliced (I used 2)
sweet pork (muu wan) *recipe below

For the rice:
4 cups of cold rice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
a small piece of shrimp paste - wrapped in foil, toasted and crushed (I used cooked shrimp paste so I skipped the toasting part)

 

 

*Recipe for sweet pork

1. Fry chopped of 4 cloves of garlic with oil til fragrant
2. Add in 500g thinly sliced pork belly or pork neck (I used pork loin), cook til changed color
3. Add in 2 tbsp sweet soya sauce (kecap manis), 3 tbsp fish sauce (I used 3 1/2 tbsp) and 5 tbsp palm sugar also about 100ml water (my addition)
4. Bring to boil and further simmer til sauce thickens and glossy and pork slices are tender

Method:

1. Everything for the garnish is cut and sliced
2. For the rice, fry garlic and shrimp paste with some oil
3. Add rice and stir fry til every grain of the rice is coated with the garlic and shrimp paste mixture
4. Arrange garnishes prettily around the moulded rice
5. Mix everything and eat!

This post is for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings

AFF Thailand - Thai Style Omelette & Stir Fry Kai Lan

So simple to make. Delicious yet dangerous
Why? Because eating these two dishes will make you end up eating lots of rice LOL

Recipe for the omelette is HERE

What you need:

2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 drops of lime juice (can use lemon juice or vinegar, too)
1 tbsp. cornstarch (or potato starch or rice flour)
1 tsp fish sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Method:

1. Mix lime juice, fish sauce and flour til no more lumps
2. Mix the sauce with the beaten eggs
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and pour egg from about a foot above the pan
4. Cook for about 20 seconds, flip and cook for another 20 seconds
5. Serve immediately

Recipe for the vegetables is HERE

What you need:

a bunch of kai lan
1 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 fresh red chilli, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Stir fry sauce:
3 tbsp cooking sherry (I replaced with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar

Method:

1. Mix stir fry sauce
2. Heat oil in a frying pan and sautee garlic and red chilli til fragrant
3. Add in kai lan and cook for a minute
4. Pour in stir fry sauce and mix well, cook for another minute
5. (make sure kai lan is not over cooked, crunchy kai lan is the best)
6. Serve immediately

This post is for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings

ABC November 2013 - Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Rolls

All time favourite! Not with the kids nor DH though, they don't fancy cinnamon. It's with me! LOL

 

 

Avid Baker's Challenge November 2013, a baking event hosted by Hanaa from Hanaa's Kitchen where we bake recipes from King Arthur Flour for this year

 

For this bread, I made half recipe, used fresh pumpkin puree, and used the maximum amount of lukewarm water recommended (half recipe: 29g)

Used 100% bread flour, omitted ground ginger and ground cloves, and used dark soft brown sugar

Mixture of ground cinnamon and fine sugar was used for the filling, and I skipped the glaze

 

Full recipe => HERE

 

 

I must say this bread was real tasty! Not the softest bread I ever baked but it's considerably soft and fluffy. Best to warm it up first if eaten the next day

 

 

 

Please view HERE to visit other wonderful bakers making this wonderful bread :)

 

 

Honey Lemon Chicken Drumlettes (Bill Granger) (Happy Call) & Thai Style Stir Fry Spinach (AFF Thailand)

A great pair for a descent meal at home with the family :)

Honey lemon chicken drumlettes

 

 

Recipe is from Bill Granger through Mich from Piece of Cake
I only used the drumlettes part this time, and I used Happy Call pan to cook this dish
I found out the sauce is too lemony to my kids' liking. They prefer those sweet salty kind of sticky sauce. The next time I make this dish again, I would use just 1/4 of the recommended amount
Other than that, this finger licking dish is pretty addictive :)

What you need:
(with my modification)

16 chicken drumlettes
1.5 tsp salt
125ml lemon juice (I would use just 30ml in the future mixed with water to make it 125ml)
5 garlic cloves (I used 3)
90g honey
lemon wedges to serve (I didn't use)

Method:

1. Preheat Happy Call pan over low fire (oven would be 200degC)
2. Place chicken in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix
3. Place them in the pan and cook for about 15 mins, flip the chicken and cook the other side for another 15 mins
4. Place lemon juice, garlic and honey in a small bowl, stir til honey dissolved
5. Pour over chicken and stir til well coated, cook for another 20 mins til golden brown and the liquid gets sticky - flip whenever necessary

Thai style stir fry spinach

So simple and so good!
I guess I have discarded too many of the stems, I was left with mostly the leaves only :P

Recipe is from HERE

What you need:

1 large bunch of fresh round spinach (I used 2)
4 garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, deseed and sliced
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp cooking sherry (I used apple cider vinegar, can also use lemon juice)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

1. Stir together chicken stock, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sherry and brown sugar. Set aside
2. Rinse spinach and discard the root and the thicker part of the stems
3. Heat vegetable oil, sautee garlic and chilli til fragrant
4. Add in spinach, stir til spinach covered in oil and garlic/chilli mixture - about 30 secs)
5. Add in stir fry sauce, stir fry til spinach cooked - about 2 mins
6. Remove from heat, and adjust the taste: add fish sauce for saltiness, if too salty or too sweet add lime juice
7. Drizzle with sesame oil while still hot, and serve immediately

 

 

Honey lemon chicken drumlettes is for Cook like a Star, organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Yen from Eat your heart out and Mich from Piece of Cake

 

 

 

And, Thai style stir fry spinach is for  Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings 

Bake Along #54 Coffee Tuiles

I never heard of Tuiles (read: tweel) before. I think I ever ate this thin crisp cookies. Can't remember when and where though LOL
I ever baked something similar to this. Not the same, but pretty similar. It's brandy snaps (I converted it into Kahlua snaps: HERE)
Overall, I prefer Tuiles

Baking Tuiles was quite a challenge. Baking to shaping time was really crucial. You underbake, the cookies wouldn'tt get crisp. You overbake, the cookies would be to firm to shape
These cookies in the pictures were those considered successful. Only six of them LOL
My last six baked in the oven. The third batch. Learnt my lesson from the first and second batch :P

Recipe is from Emeril Lagasse for Food Network. You may view it HERE
Original recipe is Almond Tuile Cups. I made half recipe, replaced almond extract with coffee and omitted sliced almonds


What you need:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3 large egg whites

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp almond extract (coffee emulco - stick to 1/4 tsp for half recipe)

1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted (omitted)

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 175degCF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and salt

Whisk in the egg whites, butter, and coffee emulco until well combined. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 45 minutes

Drop a rounded teaspoon of batter about 3 inches apart onto the baking sheet. Spread the batter with the back of a spoon into 3-inch rounds

Bake in middle rack of the oven until golden, about 5 to 8 minutes

With a thin spatula, quickly remove the cookies 1 at a time from the baking sheet and drape on top of a rolling pin (If the cookies become too brittle, replace on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 seconds to soften)

Cool the tuiles completely on the rolling pin, then gently lift off and transfer to a platter until ready to use

 

This is for Bake Along , a baking event organised by  Joyce from Kitchen Flavours, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids

AFF Thailand - Stir Fry Minced Chicken With Thai Basil (Phat Horapha Gai Sab)

My first Thai food for this month's Asian Food Festival: Thailand hosted by  Lena from Frozen Wings. One of so many Thai food I love
For this dish, spiciness is a must! At least for me :)

 

 

Recipe is from HERE

What you need:

250g minced chicken

a handful of green beans, cut into 1/2 cm rings

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 bird's eye chillies, chopped (adjust the amount according to your preference)

 a handful of Thai basil

1 tbsp of oyster sauce

1 tbsp of fish sauce (I used 1 1/2)

1/2 tbsp of sugar

dash of Maggi seasoning sauce (I sprinkled a pinch of chicken stock powder)

1 fried egg to serve

Method:

1. Sautee garlic and chillies then add in the chicken, cook on high heat for a minute
2. Add green beans and continue to cook for a further minute
3. Add seasonings and cook until the meat is cooked through, add Thai basil and cook for 30 seconds before turning off the heat. Adjust the taste
4. Serve over steamed rice and fried egg. Yum yum!

 

 

 

This post is for Asian Food Fest November 2013: Thailand hosted by Lena from Frozen Wings