WELCOME to our SIAM FOOD BLOG:
Weekly several times new recipes from the Thai Cuisine,
informations about vegetable, herbs, mess kits and much more. We are looking forward to Your comments.
There are innumerable sorts of basil. The most well-known is surely the Italian basil, without this tasty tomatoes with Mozzarella cheese would not be complete. In the Thai kitchen 3 different sorts Basil are used . The taste of the Thai basil can not be replaced by other herbs or spices and is only freshly used.
1. BAI HORAPA oder Sweet Basil
One recognizes Horapa by its dark-violet stacks and its anise or liquorice smell and taste. Use: for the red and the green Thai Curry Horapa is indispensably. The leafes are added as a whole or finely cutted at the end of the cockingtime . One hands fried, crispy Horapa leafes also to roasted fish, etc.... Also in Viet Nam Horapa is a popular and a much used herb.
2. BAI GAPRAOoder Holy Basil
The taste is hot- peppery. It has the name holy basil probably from India, where it was used for ritual purposes, but in the Indian kitchen it does not have a meaning. In the Thai Cuisine however the more. Unfortunately there is no common writing for the Thai language and so people write like : gaprao, krapao, krapaw and so on Use: for the probably most popular dish for Thai people: PAD Gaprao, meat or fish fried with Gaprao Basil (very hot!), fried crispy leafes served with fried fish or "Tua khi mau" roasted nuts with hot spices.
3. BAI MENGLAK oder Hairy Basil
Menglak has a lemonish taste and is mostly eaten as a condiment to "Khanom jeen" a Thai noodle curry.
The Thai name of this mouthwatering noodle dish "Pad Siiu" (speak SI-I-JU) can´t be translated properly into English. "Siiu" means soy sauces, like Siiu dam - black (darken) soy sauce or Siiu khao - light soy sauce. For this delicacy 2 different soy sauces and a soy bean paste are used. This way we want to thank the cook of the Viang Bua in Chiang Mai for his support. The noodle dish illustrated here originates from his kitchen and is a variation of the "classic Pad Siiu" . A variation because he used different vegetables. With "classic Pad Siiu" one uses only Kale.
Ingredients for 2 persons: oil to fry 200 gr. rice fettucine approx. 200 gr. pork or chicken chest (vegetarians leave the meat simply away) 2-3 stems Kale (as a replacement Broccoli or cauliflower) other vegetable like sugar peas, carrots... 1-2 eggs 1 teaspoon Thai, dark, thick Sojasauce (Healthy Boy Brand, Formula 5) 1 teaspoon light Sojasauce 1 teaspoon soy bean paste 1-2 teaspoon oystersauce 1/2 - 1 teaspoon fishsauce 1 teaspoon sugar optional:1/2 teaspoon MSG - Monosodiumglutamat - food enhancer a piece of Lime to garnish and if very hungy also a fried egg.
Preparation:
Put the dried noodles for approx. 10 - 15 minutes (see package) in cold or lukewarm water and drip off the water. Heat up some oil in a Wok. Fry noodles with 1 tablespoon of dark Sojasauce , until the noodles are soft, approx. 3 min. Caution noodles stick easily in the Wok . Push the noodles at the highest place in the wok, add a bit more oil and add the meat and fry well , then the eggs will be add. If the eggs are come to a hold put the noodles above and spice with oystersauce, soy bean paste, light soysauce, fishsauce, sugar and food enhancer . Add kale and other vegetables and fry until done. Serve with a piece of lime . To spice up one hands in Thailand: Fischsauce, Chiliflakes, sugar and vinegar with inserted chilis. For "Pad Siiu" , one gets essential soy bean paste in well sorted Asiashops. Here a picture of it:
Thai Recipe: 
