COCONUT RICE WITH SHRIMP, CILANTRO PESTO, AND KAFFIR LIME LEAVES (Kao Niow Nah Goong)
While this dish is made up of three components, it is quite simple, and very easy to prepare. The combination of succulent shrimp, sweet coconut rice, and aromatic kaffir lime and cilantro encapsulate all I love about Thai cuisine: the balance of salty, sweet, and spicy. Also, each of the components can be used and enjoyed separately if you have any left over: use the rice with some fresh mango or fried bananas for dessert, the cilantro pesto would taste lovely rubbed on a chicken breast, and the shrimp…well, there won’t be any of those left, I promise.
A quick word about Kaffir lime leaves: The Kaffir Lime leaf is a popular flavoring ingredient in Thai cooking with a very distinct flavor; a bit more peppery and aromatic than regular limes, and the leaves are less waxy. Interestingly, the leaves grow out of one another, rather then on separate branches. The fruit themselves are smaller than regular limes with a bumpy exterior and practically no juice inside, though the zest is even more aromatic that the leaves. In my frenzy for Thai cuisine I bought a kaffir lime tree and now have an endless supply of leaves on my balcony (it’s just a small dwarfish tree). If you enjoy Thai food as much as I, consider buying one. It only cost $30 and the scent it generates on warm evenings is fantastic.
Coconut Sticky Rice (Kao Niow Mun)
Ingredients:
3 cups, hot cooked sticky rice (about 1 ½ cups uncooked rice)
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
To prepare the rice, take 1 ½ cups of the uncooked rice (I use Calrose, which is a medium grain rice that absorbs flavor well, and produces soft sticky clumps, though most white rice should work fine) and cover with cool water. Stir the rice with your hand until the water is milky, and drain the water out. Repeat this four or five times. Cover the rice with cool water again, and let it sit for 20 minutes. This washes out the starch, which hinders the “stickiness” factor. Cook the rice as dictated by the manufacturer.
While the rice is cooking, combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stir well to deflate the roiling foam, and remove from heat.
When rice is ready—soft, shiny, and forming into sticky clumps—transfer into a large bowl, and pour the hot coconut mixture over it. Stir well to combine, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes for the rice to absorb the mixture. Do not refrigerate the rice (this creates mealy rice).
Cilantro Pesto (Rahk Pahk Chee-Gratiem-Prik Thai)
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
Using a food processor or mortar and pestle blend the ingredients together into a paste.
Coconut Rice with Shrimp, Coconut, and Kaffir Lime Leaves (Kao Niow Nah Goong)
3 cups coconut sticky rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cilantro pesto
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup freshly grated coconut (not the bagged kind)
up to ¼ cup sugar (It's a taste thing, so start with 2 tablespoons, and keep adding sugar to taste)
2 teaspoons salt
6 kaffir lime leaves, cut coarsely lengthwise, or if you cannot get kaffir lime leaves, use a bunch of fresh cilantro and some lemon grass.
Prepare the coconut rice first, and set aside to cool.
Heat the oil in a small pan over low heat. Add the pesto and stir-fry it as it sizzles gently, for about a minute (keep the heat low so as not to burn the garlic). Add the shrimp, and stir-fry for about 1 minute (seriously, you don’t want overcooked shrimp), until pink and opaque. Stir in the coconut and kaffir lime leaves. For the coconut, I buy fresh coconut rind (available at whole foods) and grate it by hand. The bagged kind of coconut used in baking is quite sugary, so if you do not have fresh coconut available to you, try desiccated coconut from the dried fruit section (this should not have any sweetener). Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Scoop a large mound of the coconut rice onto a plate, and place several shrimp and some of the pesto on top. Garnish with some fresh cilantro, and enjoy!
THAI ICED TEA PANNA COTTA
Thai iced tea, for anyone who has had it, is recognizable by its milky orange hue. And just like the rest of Thai cuisine, it is all about balance; the balance of the deep, smoky Thai tea and saccharine condensed milk. The combination is intense, but delicious. I was trying to think of a dessert to have after the shrimp dish, rather than just eating more of the rice, and that lovely refresher came to mind. I asked the waiter at Thai Boom about making it, and he waived me off explaining it was too complicated (apparently massive quantities are made at a time, so it’s not useful for individual purposes). I was a little disappointed, but undaunted. I’m not sure where the panna cotta idea came from, but when it popped into my head it made perfect sense: sweet creamy panna cotta, with a punch of smoky tea. The results were lovely, and extraordinarily similar to the drink. Enjoy it with some fresh fruit, or just a dusting of toasted coconut.
½ packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin powder
1 ½ tablespoons cold water
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or whole milk yogurt)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
1/3 cup sugar
2 ½ tablespoons Thai Red Tea (or Thai Dust)
¼ cup unsweetened baking coconut
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 1 ½ tablespoons of cold water. Stir and set aside to allow the gelatin to dissolve.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ cup of the cream, the yogurt, and vanilla extract. Heat the remaining ¾ cup of cream, the 1/3 cup of sugar, and the Thai tea in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally to mix the tea, and remove from the heat once the tea is a light orange hue (about 5 minutes). Strain the hot mixture into the softened gelatin and stir to dissolve. Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 4-6 small ramekins and refrigerate uncovered until cold. The panna cotta is quite rich, so a small amount should suit most appetites. Cover the panna cottas with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, take the panna cottas out of the refrigerator and turn the oven to 425 F. Spread the coconut onto a baking sheet, and bake for a few minutes. Keep an eye on the coconut, as it has a habit of burning quickly. Set the coconut aside, and get out plates for the panna cottas. Take a small knife and drag it around the edges of each panna cotta to loosen them up. Then, take a plate, put it on top of the panna cotta, and flip, so the panna cotta slides out of the ramekin and lands on the plate. Garnish with the toasted coconut and serve. Enjoy!
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