How to make the perfect Sunny Side Up

How to fry an egg 

Do you love to eat eggs for breakfast? The challenge of Sunny Side Up is to cook the top side of the egg fast enough so that the bottom side that is on the pan do not get cooked too long to get burnt. I like my sunny side up a bit burnt so that the edges are crispy but too burnt and you only taste the burnt flavour.

Watch this video to learn how to make the perfect Sunny Side Up for breakfast!




Obviously, judging from the comments to the video, it is still not the best way to cook the perfect sunny side up.

Some said that too much oil was used (especially on a non-stick pan), which I agree. Some bit of oil is needed so that the egg does not stick to the pan, but two to three teaspoons of oil for an egg is overkill.

Of course the spatula used on a non-stick pan should not be a metal one so that you do not scratch the non-stick or Tefal coating on the pan. It is good have the non-stick coating on the pan but not in your food.

A good idea suggested by one reader is to use a cover to "steam" the top surface of the egg so that it cooks more evenly.

My own suggestion to make your Sunny Side Up taste even better is to drip 3-5 drops of Dark Soya Sauce on the egg. You can skip the salt as Dark Soya Sauce is salty by itself but keep the pepper if you like the peppery kick.

Somehow, eggs cooked in any form goes well with dark soya sauce, whether it is poached, semi-boiled, sunny side up, etc. Try it, if you have not tried using dark soya sauce with eggs before.

[Recipe] Coca-Cola Chicken Wings

Coca Cola Chicken Wings

If you love to drink Coke, you may not know that Coke is also great when used to cook meat.
Coca Cola or any sweetened carbonated drinks help to tenderize the meat and also creates a caramelized gravy on the meat after its water content has evaporated during the cooking process.
Here is a simple recipe that you can try next time.

Ingredients

• 10 pieces of Chicken mid-joints, can be replaced with similar quantity of chicken cubes if you prefer.
• 1 teaspoon of Five Spice Powder (五香粉）
• 2 teaspoon of Light Soya Sauce
• 1 teaspoon of Chinese Cooking Wine eg. Hua Diao Jiu (花雕酒）
• 2 slices of Old Ginger
• 1 teaspoon of Sugar
• Half a can of non-diet Coca cola (you can also replace it with sweet carbonated drink, eg. Pepsi or 7-up).

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with ingredients 2-6 in a bowl for about 20 minutes. You may add in a dash of cola as well into the marinate mix.
2. Preheat a pan on low flame till its hot. Test it by spraying some drops of water on the pan, if the droplets swing around, the pan is ready.
3. If you like, pan fry some ginger, garlic and shallots to give the wok a fragrance.
4. Add in the chicken wings with the skin side down first. This comes the tricky part – adding in the chicken into the hot pan. This will cause the oil in the pan to splatter and it might hurts if the drops of oil lands on your skin. It also means lots of cleaning up around the stove too. Therefore, I encourage you to try not to use any oil as meat itself can cook in its own oil. If you use oil for your pan frying, you can sprinkle some salt into the oil prior to adding the chicken as the sale can help to minimize the splattering oil. Otherwise, use a splatter screen or pan cover to stop the oil from splattering out of the pan. Or you can totally forgo the oil by spraying the heated pan with some water and using water to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. This water method involves careful monitoring because when the water dries up from the heat, the chicken will start sticking to the pan. Hence, you need to add in more water bit by bit (eg. one teaspoon at one time).
5. Remember to flip the chicken pieces regularly, otherwise you might burn one side of the chicken. Once the chicken starts to brown, pour in the coca cola and any remaining marinate left in the bowl.
6. Start with a high flame for 5 minutes, then medium flame for another 5 minutes.
7. Then finally, let the chicken and cola simmer (ie. on a low flame) till the water contents in the cola evaporates, leaving behind a thick caramel gravy.
8. Arrange the chicken pieces on a serving plate lined with a lettuce leaf. If not picky about presentation, you can pour the remaining gravy over the chicken pieces for extra flavour.
9. You may sprinkle some sesame oil at this point for a nicer fragrance.

[Recipe] Salted Vegetables and Duck Soup (Itek Tim) - Teochew and Peranakan Style

How to make Salted Vegetables Duck Soup

Salted Vegetables Duck Soup is another worthy replacement for Chicken soup as the “Soup for the Soul”. It evokes the same home comfort feeling in me whenever I taste my first sip of this soup.

Salty and sourish at the same time, it gives a tangy kick to your tastebud – especially when you add chilli padi into the soup, it is no wonder Teochews and Peranakans both love this soup, though both versions taste similar. The Nonyas (Lady Peranakans) add more ingredients to give it a fuller flavour. That said, I grew up drinking my mom’s Teochew style but I love the Nonya style too! The recipe I am featuring comes in two styles, the Peranakan flavour is adapted from Food and Travel magazine while the Teochew style is from my mother.

First up, Salted Vegetables Duck Soup a.k.a. Itek Tim, the Nonya way.

Ingredients

3 pig trotters chopped into 6cm pieces
4L water
12 salted plums (you can find them packed in a glass bottle, it is not the dried sng buay)
1 medium sized duck, cut into 4 quarters
800g salted vegetables, rinsed and drained (get the cruncy type)
6 tomatos, chopped into quarters
8 pieces of dried assam skin (tamarind)
4 green chillies, finely chopped to serve. You can pop it into the soup if you like the spicy kick.

Method

1. Blanch the trotters and duck in a pot of boiling water to remove the scum. Drain them and discard water.
2. Boil the 4L water in a fresh pot and thereafter, add all the ingredients including the trotters and duck, except for salt and chillies (optional)
3. Cover the pot and let it simmer till the duck meat softens, add salt to taste
4. The longer you boil the soup, the softer the duck meat gets, to the point that it tears away from the bone very easily. Dip the meat into light or dark soya sauce with chilli and enjoy!

Now, the Teochew style….("kiam chye arc tng" - in Teochew)

Ingredients

4L water
2-3 salted plums, add more if you like sour taste
Thumb sized old ginger
Medium sized duck cut into quarters
800g salted vegetables
Tomatos, up to you cos I am not a fan of tomato
1 stalk of Lemongrass – peel off hard outer layer and bruise it lightly with the blunt side of a chopper or knife, cut into 2 pieces to fit in the pot
Salt to taste

Method

1. Same as above, blanch the duck.
2. Boil the water in a fresh pot.
3. Throw all into the pot, except salt, when water is boiling.
4. Simmer for about an hour to let the duck meat soften.

There is no fixed rule to making this soup. You can adjust the salted plums, ginger, lemongrass, salt, chilli to your personal preference after trial and error.

For safety’s sake, ensure that the pot you use is large enough such that the water level is 2/3 full. Otherwise, the water would bubble over when it is boiling, resulting in a fire hazard and messy stove. Always check on your pot even when simmering to ensure that the flame is still on, you don’t want your kitchen to be a gas mine.

The soup taste even better when you keep the leftover and boil it over and over again. The flavour from the duck would come out even more.

[Recipe] Bubur Cha Cha Dessert

Bubur Cha Cha

Bubur Cha Cha is a soupy dessert made of yam, sweet potato and sago jelly cooked in a coconut based soup, usually served hot. If you love the taste of Bubur Cha Cha but prefer it as a cold dessert, here is a simple recipe to make the cold version.


However, this recipe here – which I saw on Food & Travel magazine – is a twist to the usual version. You still get your coconut taste but in the form of ice cream! The preparation is simpler than the original version but the difficult part here is to find coconut ice cream from the supermarket.

Ingredients

(vary according to the no. of people you are preparing for)

• 1 Yam, cut into bite size cubes 
• 2 large sweet potatos, cut into bite size cubes too 
• 2 tbspoon sugar 
• Some Gula Melaka or Melaka palm sugar (it comes in cylindrical blocks packed in a packet, look for it in the dried foods section of supermarkets, together with the barleys, green beans, etc)
• Coconut Ice Cream (Cremo has it, you can find it in some Sheng Siong supermarkets), if you can’t find in Supermarket, you can try ice cream parlours like Scoopz or Island Cremery – just get a coconut themed flavour if you can’t get pure coconut flavour. If not, substitute it with Yam, Taro or even Red Bean flavoured ice cream, which are easier to find. 

Method

1. Sprinkle sugar over the yam and sweet potato cubes 
2. Sitr to mix in the sugar and place the yam and sweet potato in a steamer or a large plate and steam it in a wok for 20 minutes until tender. To test, use a toothpick and poke through the yam, it should go through easily 
3. Let it cool, meanwhile place a block of gula melaka with some water on a sauce pan and heat it over a small fire till it dissolves and form a sticky liquid. Some people like to drop in some pandan leaves to give it an added fragrance. Set aside to cool as well, preferably in a glass/ceramic jug or bottle that is easy to pour out such that you can drizzle it easily. 
4. Chill the yam and sweet potato if you like 
5. To serve, line the base of an ice cream cup with some gula melaka, place some yam and sweet potato over it as the base and then drop in a scoop of the coconut ice cream 
6. Drizzle more gula melaka if you like and garnish with a mint leaf

[Recipe] Japanese Gyoza (Pot Stickers)

Gyozas (Pan-seared dumplings)

This dish goes well with beer and even sake. It is ideal snack to prepare if you are having some friends over for a cosy get together with some drinks and snacks.

You can prepare the gyozas in advance and keep it in the fridge and then take it out to pan fry when its time for your party. If you like it healthy, you can boil it in a pot of water instead of pan frying it.

Ingredients

• 4 leaves cabbage
• 1/2 bunch (50g) of Chinese Chives or 1-2 large onions
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 150g minced pork
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp water
• 20 round gyoza wrappers (supermarket - look for the white skin version)
• Some Vegetable oil (for frying)

Dipping Sauce

Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar and Japanese Rayu/Chinese Chilli Oil (available in bottle form)

Method

1. Boil the cabbage leaves and let cool then chop it to very fine slices. 
2. Squeeze the cabbage as dry as you can. 
3. Cut chives or onions finely 
4. Chop the garlic finely 
5. Combine the cabbage, chives/onions, garlic and potato starch in a bowl with chopsticks or fork 
6. Combine the pork, soy sauce, sesame oil and water and mix well 
7. Combine pork and cabbage mixture and mix thoroughly 
8. Place a teaspoonful of this filling in the centre of the wrapper 
9. Moisten one inner side of the wrapper with your finger and fold the other side over and squeeze the edges together 

Pan Fry version

1. Heat a pan until very hot and add the vegetable oil 
2. Lower heat and arrange the gyozas in the pan in rows. Let it fry lightly till bottom turns golden brown 
3. Then add enough hot water to submerge the gyozas halfway - be careful here, the pot will sizzle and oil may splatter, so cover with a lid quickly 
4. Turn the heat to high and let it steam until most of the water has evaporated 
5. Remove the lid, lower the heat and let the remaining water evaporate till the pan is dry and the gyozas sizzling 
6. Scoop up the gyozas and invert them on a plate such that the golden brown bottoms are facing upwards and serve them with the dipping sauce mentioned above. 

Boiled Version

1. Carefully slide the gyozas into a pot of boiling water with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil added, be careful not to allow hot water to splash onto yourself 
2. Cook over high heat for about 10 minutes 
3. Remove and let the gyozas drain 
4. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with fine ginger slices in vinegar dip

[Recipe] Poached Spinach

Poached Spinach 

Spinach is very nutritious and is ideal for those recovering from an illness and has little appetite. It is soft and easy to chew, making it suitable for elderly and small children.
Chop it to small pieces to avoid choking on the strands, cook it with some minced fish or pork in a porridge/congee till it is very soft or to your preference. Add a dash of soya sauce for those with little appetite but it is not recommended if you are cooking it for small children, don't spoil their taste buds at this young tender age.

For the rest of us, spinach can also be good on its own as a cold salad/side dish.

Ingredients

• 150g Spinach
• Soy Sauce
• Bonito flakes or White Sesame Seeds

Method

1. Blanch spinach in boiling water with a pinch of salt added 
2. Remove spinach when it is bright green and rinse it with cold water 
3. Squeeze out the water and arrange them neatly or roll them with a sushi mat and cut into sections. Can place it in the fridge to make it cold. 
4. Transfer to a dish and sprinkle with bonito flakes/sesame seeds and a dash of japanese soy sauce just before serving. 

[Recipe] Stir Fried Pork with Ginger

Pork goes well with ginger. Naturally this dish needs ginger to bring out its fullest flavour. Add in some ginger slices if you do not have ginger juice.

Remember to get the finely sliced pork meant for shabu shabu. I would recommend pork belly as it has some fats and is more tender than pork collar which is tougher.

Ingredients

160g thin pork slices
1/2 onion
Some cornstarch

Seasoning Sauce (Can also be replaced with ready made sukiyaki or Japanese bbq sauce in bottle form)

1 tsp ginger juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp mirin
1/2 tbsp sake
1 1/2 tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce

Method

Spread out each slice of pork and coat with cornstarch and set aside
Remove onion skin and wash and shred it
Add oil to hot pan
Stir in the onion slices first
When almost browning or fragrant, add in the pork slices to pan fry until cooked
Add in seasoning sauce and stir well
Transfer to plate and serve

Alternate Recipe for Pork with Ginger 

Lay out the pork slices in stacks of twos 

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, grated ginger or ginger juice, sesame oil

Heat oil in a fry pan and using tongs or chopsticks, pick up a pair of the pork slices and dip both sides into the sauce quickly and saute in the pan over medium heat. 

When the pork changes colour, turn it over and continue to saute until the slices separate from each other

Then saute the uncooked sides till it is completely cooked

Remove the cooked pieces and repeat with the remaining slices

[Recipe] Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients 

Chicken meat cut into pieces (about 2 thighs' worth of meat)
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
1/2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

Method

Add in the marinade to the chicken and leave for a while
Add oil to hot pan
Add in chicken pieces, skin face down and pan fry both sides till golden brown
Cover the pan with aluminum foil or a cover to cook for a while to ensure meat is cooked and tender
Add in the remaining marinade to the pan and bring it to a boil
Transfer to dish and serve with some vegetables as garnish

Tip

Always pan fry chicken meat with the skin side down first to seal in the juice and bring out the aroma

[Recipe] Green beans with sesame seed sauce

This is good for a side dish. The crunchy texture of green beans/long beans/french beans make it easy to accept for kids with aversion to greens.

Ingredients

75g green beans/long beans or french beans
3 tbsp white sesame seeds finely grated (can buy ready grated in small satchets)
1/2 tbsp dashi
2/3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Method

1. Wash green beans and blanch in boiling water and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process
2. Hold the beans in a tidy bunch and cut it neatly
3. Mix sesame seed seasoning well and toss in the beans

[Recipe] Miso Soup Recipes

Tip

To add in miso paste, use a ladle with a sieve to mash the miso in the soup.

Miso paste should be added in after fire is turned off and just before serving.

Clam Miso Soup

Ingredients

150g of clams
1 slice of ginger
400ml water
30g miso

Method

1. Put clams in water and add some salt and leave for half a day
2. Scrub the clams thoroughly and discard the water
3. Put the water, clams and ginger in a pot and cook on high heat until it boils
4. When clams open up, turn off the heat and mix in the miso to taste
5. Garnish with fine ginger slices and some spring onions when serving

When cooking miso soup with vegetables like the following recipes below, use dashi stock instead of plain water for better flavour.

Miso Soup with Chinese Cabbage and Carrot

Cut cabbage into strips, separating leaves from stalks

Bring sufficient amount of dashi to boil

Add in the carrot and cabbage stalks first to cook until soft

Add in the leaves and simmer until cooked

Turn off the heat and stir in miso and serve immediately

Miso Soup with Potato and Onion

Same as above but replace cabbage with potato and onion

[Recipe] Teriyaki Mackerel

This is a simple teriyaki mackerel recipe.

Ingredients 

2 slices of mackerel
Pinch of Salt

Teriyaki Sauce - Mix the following ingredients together

1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
1 1/2 tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce

Method

1. Wash mackerel thoroughly and pat dry
2. Mix with a pinch of salt and marinate for a short while
3. Add oil to hot pan
4. Add in mackerel and pan fry both sides till golden brown
5. Add in teriyaki sauce mixture and cook until sauce is reduced
6. Serve

[Recipe] Egg and Leek and Enoki Mushroom Soup

I love to have this soup poured over steaming bowl of rice. It is excellent as a soul food, feel the warmth of home cooked goodness as you savour this soup on its own with rice or with an additional meat dish.

Ingredients

75g leek and/or Enoki mushrooms, Spring Onions, Cabbage and Carrots (can vary to your preference)
1 egg

400ml dashi

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
Dash of salt

Thickening Sauce of 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Wash leek thoroughly and cut into sticks
2. Mix egg with leek
3. Bring dashi to a boil
4. Add in seasoning and turn to low heat
5. Pour in thickening sauce
6. Put in the egg and leek / other ingredients
7. Stir the egg solution well so that the egg is smooth in texture
8. Simmer until cooked

Dashi Stock

Soak 4 shiitake mushrooms in pot of water for 30 minutes

Heat and boil the water

Turn off heat and leave for 20 minutes

If you wish to keep the mushrooms for other cooking methods, you may soak it in the water overnight and remove the mushrooms before boiling the water

[Recipe] Pan Fried Radish in Soy Sauce

Ingredients

400g radish or 2 slices of 6-7cm thickness
300ml kelp stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp usukuchi
1/2 tbsp sugar
15g butter
1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
Some grapefruit peel (optional)
1 tsp mirin

Method

1. Cut a cross on top of radish slices
2. Fill enough water in pot to submerge radish slices and cook in until softened
3. Rinse radish in cold water for 5 minutes to wash off the bitter taste
4. Bring kepl stock to a boil, add in radish and simmer until tasty
5. Remove radish and drain
6. Add butter to a hot pan and then radish slices
7. Pan fry until golden brown
8. Add in mirin and fry until light brown

How to prepare Kelp Stock

Wipe kelp with clean cloth to remove dirt and soak it in a pot of water for 2-3 hours

Simmer the pot of water on low heat to a boil

Discard the kelp when water is boiled

[Recipe] Quick and Easy Thin Crust Pizza Recipe - 5 steps and 20 minutes is all you need!

Are you a pizza lover? Do you order takeaway or call for pizza delivery very often? Did you ever wish that the pizza ingredients can be customized to include only stuff you like and nothing else? Well it is time to make your own!

If you are like me who prefer the thin crust type of pizzas - like those found in Spizza - over the pan pizza type, you would be surprised that it is easy to make the same kind of slightly burnt and crispy crust pizza even without a stone pizza oven!

Here I will share with you a simple 5 step recipe to make a thin crust pizza that is a worthy contender to the professionally made ones. It is so easy that it takes not more than 20 minutes, if you have all the ingredients ready!

How to make thin crust pizza the easy way - just 5 steps and 20 minutes!

Here's the secret to the crust :-

I tried this brand and got the results that I wanted but no harm trying other variations or brands if you cannot find this particular variety.

Other ingredients that you need :-

Ingredients :-
Pizza Sauce in a bottle

Shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese

Your choice of toppings, eg. sausage, ham, bacon, salami, seasoned meats, mushrooms, onions, olives, pineapples. pesto, wild rockets, basil leaves, etc...the only limit is your creativity.

Method :-

1. First lay the wrap on a flat and clean surface
2. Spread the pizza sauce over the wrap using a tablespoon, leaving about 1 cm of untouched space around the circumference
3. Scatter the shredded cheese over the areas covered with sauce, if you like cheese, feel free to add more
4. Add on the toppings based on your own preference - chop them to small chunks and spread them evenly. For basil leaves/pesto, chop them very finely and sprinkle them on top to finish up your pizza topping
5. Depending on your oven (I used a table top oven and got it done to perfection in 10 minutes or so) toast it until you see that the cheese has melted. Be sure that the wrap is not burnt though a little browning of the edges is fine. It is essential to monitor the pizza through the oven's window so that you get the right crispiness to the crust and not a totally black crust! Switch off the oven and let the pizza rest in it for a few minutes before taking it out.

Enjoy your custom made pizza, perfected to your own taste and preference! Once you have got the hang of it, experiment with other toppings and you would probably never need to order a pizza delivery anymore!

Now, what is your must-have toppings on your pizza? Do you know of any combination of ingredients that goes well with each other, something like the classic hawaiian combo of pineapple and ham? Is there an unusual topping that you know of? Share your favourite toppings in the comments below and show off your creativity!

[Share] How to make great hotdogs - the simple secret behind great tasting hot dogs!

How to make great hot dogs

The simple secret behind great tasting hot dogs!

Do you love to eat hot dogs? 

Everyone knows a good hot dog requires good sausage, good old mustard, melted cheese, some pickles and tomato or chilli sauce - depending on preference.

Alright, you know how to make a good hot dog at home but do you know how to make it even greater?

Do you know that just a simple add-on to your hot dog that can make it even greater?

Here is the secret which I found out :-

Firstly, cut open the bun as you would normally.

Apply some garlic spread on it and then lightly toast the bun for 1-2 minutes.

Once its done, place in your hot dog and apply your condiments, be it pickles, mustard, chilli, cheese or tomato sauce.

Try it, you will be amazed how good the garlic spread goes with the hot dog. If you are running a stall at the fun fair selling hot dog buns, don't forget to try this and wait for the queues to form!

[Recipe] Steamed Toman Fillet with Miso Paste

Steamed Toman Fillet with Miso Paste

Toman fish is easily available here in local supermarkets like Fairprice. Toman has less of a fishy smell compared to Cod fish and is also less expensive than Cod fish.

Another thing about it is that it comes readily in fillet form like cod fish or salmon. That said, if you have a large family to feed, you can also buy the entire fish which can be about half a metre long.  However, for simple home cooking chefs like myself, convenience is key. Hence, I like to buy ready-cut fillet.

Miso paste on the other hand, is to the Japanese form what fermented soy bean is to the Teochews. They both taste quite similar when used in steaming fish. You will find them in Japanese supermarkets like Meidi-Ya and in some local supermarkets too. It comes in a tub form and can be used in many dishes or soup. If you are unsure about which brand, just get the cheapest brand! Make sure you get those in paste form.


Miso paste in a tub



Ingredients

Toman fish fillet (or any other fish that rocks your boat) - enough to feed your dinner party
Miso paste
Ginger slices (use more if you would like to mask that fishy smell)
A dash of sesame oil
A dash of Shao Xing Hua Tiao Jiu (绍兴花彫酒)
Cherry tomatos optional



Method

Rub salt on fish fillet and leave it on for about 10-20 minutes, meanwhile, slice the ginger
Wash salt away from fish fillet and pat dry with paper towels
If the fish fillet is rather thick, make deep cuts on the thicker portions to ensure even steaming
Arrange the washed fillet on a plate to be used for steaming
Fill a wok with enough water and boil it. Make sure that the stand used to support the plate is not submerged in water.
Apply miso paste on the fish fillet (both sides if desired)
Place ginger slices and cherry tomatos on top of fish
When water in wok is boiling (bubbly), place the plate of fish in and cover it
Steam for 7 to 8 minutes starting from the time you place the fish in
Turn off the fire and wait 1-2 minutes before opening the lid of the wok
Ready to serve

[Recipe] Pan Seared Cod Fillet with Herbs

This look impressive, however, is yet another easy dish.
The fillet used was frozen cod fish fillet. Something that I bought from Carrefour during its last days here in Singapore.
All I did was sprinkle some herb/spice premix for fish/seafood on the fillet as seasoning, prior to pan frying them. You can apply some salt and/or ginger to get rid of the fishy smell.
Oil is needed even if you use non-stick, otherwise the fish would end up very dry.
Just sear them for several minutes, turning them over every now and then to prevent burnt sides. You want them to be golden brown but not black.
Once the fish is cooked through, you should get them off the pan, if not the fish will not taste nice when overcooked.
Sprinkle on some rosmary leaves if you like.
I also squeezed in some fresh lime as I like a little bit of that acidic taste of lime with fish.



 

Long Beans with Minced Pork

Long Beans with Minced Pork, a photo by M.T.W.C. on Flickr.

Thai Chilli Clams with Basil Leaves

Nam Prig Pow or Thai Chilli Jam is a secret ingredient in many thai dishes, for eg. Tom Yum Goong.
When added, it gives an added dimension to the taste of the soup and the improvement it makes to the taste is very clear.
On its own, it tastes sweet but not too spicy. When stir fried, it gives a potent fragrance that leaves you gasping for breath. However, the end reward is well justified.
This is a relatively easy dish to cook, yet it taste so wonderful that it leaves you wanting more after the last clam has been devoured. So make sure you have enough clams to go around.
Ingredients :
Thai Chilli Jam (Nam Prig Pow)
Clams (can be replaced with mussels but I prefer clams)
Basil Leaves
Onions
Chilli padi (optional)
Method :
Wash and soak clams in salt water for at least 20 minutes
Heat oil & sliced onions in pan till fragrant
Stir in Nam Prig Pow
Add in clams, chilli padi and basil leaves
Stir the clams around to coat them with the Nam Prig Pow
Cover pan, turn fire into simmer and when all the clams have opened up, it is ready to eat
Discard any unopened clams
 

Soba

Soba, a photo by M.T.W.C. on Flickr.

Home cooked soba with marrow green soup