Wednesday 29 February 2012

ยำไก่ย่าง/Yum Gai Yang/Thai Style Grilled Chicken Salad (step by step photos)

Yum Gai Yang or Yam Kai Yang is a sour, sweet, salty and spicy grilled chicken salad typical in Thailand and Laos. "Yum" is widely served in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, and has been popularized around the world. Literally, the words "Yum Gai Yang" are derived from two Thai words: "Yum" and "Gai Yang". "Yum refers to a kind of Lao and Thai spicy and sour salad and "Gai Yang" refers to grilled chicken. 




Ingredients:

  • 1/2 boneless, skinless, grilled chicken breast 
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves 
  • 1 tablespoon kaffir lime leaves, cut into thin strips 
  • 1 tablespoon grounded, roasted peanuts 
  • 3 long beans, cut into bite size                                                                                                

For Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce/Nam Pla 
  • 1 tablespoon Nam Prik Pao 
  • 1 tomato, cut into thick strips 
  • 1/4 cup shallot, sliced thin 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 3 red chillies, minced 
  • 1/4 cup lemongrass, minced                                                                                                         





Directions:

  1. Cut grilled chicken breast into thick strips. Set aside. 
  2. For Dressing. In a medium bowl, mix together fish sauce, Nam Prik Pao, sugar, chillies and lime juice. Mix well. Taste-test the dressing. It should be tangy - a balance of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. Adjust it to your taste by adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, more lime juice if too salty or sweet, more sugar if too sour, or more chilli if not spicy enough for your taste. 
  3. Mix in tomato, shallot, garlic, and lemongrass. Add in chicken, kaffir lime leaves and basil leaves. Combine well. 
  4. For Serving. Sprinkle with roasted peanut and serve with fresh long bean.

Thursday 23 February 2012

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe (step by step photos)

Dinner Roll is one of the name for bread roll that refer to a smaller rolls. Bread rolls are common in Europe, especially in Germany, Italy and Austria. They are equally common in both Australia and New Zealand, and very common in Canada. The German name for rolls is Brötchen, which is the diminutive of "Brot" (bread). In Germany and Austria, there is a large variety of bread rolls, ranging from white rolls made with wheat flour, to dark rolls containing mostly rye flour. Many variants include spices, such as coriander and cumin, nuts, or seeds, such as sesame seeds, poppy seed or sunflower seeds. An Italian form is a small loaf of ciabatta which can be used to make a panino. In Denmark and Norway, rolls are called rundstykker and are comfort food eaten with butter for special weekend breakfasts; some like to put cheese, jam or salami on the rundstykker. The roll's recipe that I will share here is adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com  



Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup warm water 
  • 1/2 cup warm milk 
  • 1 egg 
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened 
  • 1/3 cup white sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 7 grams active dry yeast 
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened 


Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles creamy foam.    



  2.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together warm milk, yeast
       mixture, egg,butter, salt and flour. Knead until dough surface
       is smooth and elastic. 




   3.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough
        in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup
        softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8
        wedges. 




4. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place
    point side down on ungreased cookie sheet.



                                                         
 5. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let
     rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.




 6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden
     brown.



Chicken Pau/Chinese Steamed Bun Recipe with Chicken Filling (step by step photos)

Pau (other name: Bao, bau, humbow, nunu, bausak, powis a type of steamed, filled bun or bread-like  item in various Chinese cuisines, as there is much variation as to the fillings and the preparations. In its bun-like aspect it is very similar to the traditional Chinese mantou. It can be filled with meat and/or vegetarian fillings. this recipe is adapted from:
http://cheah2009.blogspot.com 




Ingredients: 

For Chicken Filling
  • 250 grams skinless, boneless, chopped chicken breast 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce 
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon chopped shallot 
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 
  • 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion 
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
  • 2 tablespoons water 
  • Oil for frying 


Directions
  1. Heat wok over medium heat. Pour in oil, then stir in garlic and shallot. Stir fry until it is light golden. Add chicken, and then stir fry until the pink color disappears. Stir in light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black pepper, sugar, salt, sesame oil and water. Mix well. Add in onion, and then stir fry over moderate heat until mixture thickens. 
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.


For Pau Dough
  • 500 grams pau flour, sifted 
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 
  • 100 milliliters warm water 
  • 125 grams caster sugar 
  • 5 teaspoons shortening 
  • 2 1/8 teaspoons baking powder 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 115 milliliters water



Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together yeast and 100 milliliters warm water. Stir well.    

                                  

                                                                   
   2.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together 130 grams flour and
        yeast mixture. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.




   3.  Mix in the remaining flour, baking powder, sugar, salt,
        shortening and  water. Knead until dough surface is smooth
        and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm
        place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.




   4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until 
       smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.




   5. Divide dough into 18 equal pieces. Shape into balls. Roll each 
       out into a circle. Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared chicken
       mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around
       filling. Place seams down onto wax paper squares. Let stand
       covered until doubled, about 30 minutes. 




   6. Bring water to a boil in steamer, and reduce heat to 
       medium; the water should still be boiling. Transfer as many
       pau on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steamer and 
       leave 1 to 2 inches between the pau. Cover steamer with lid.
       Steam pau over boiling water for 15 minutes.



    7. REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will
       drop back onto pau surface and produce yellowish "blisters"
       on it surfaces. Continue steaming batches of pau until all are 
       cooked.