Showing posts with label Market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Market. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Pink Deserts in the Market, Chiang Rai
We stumbled upon these pretty fluorescent coconut deserts in mid preparation. We didn't have the chance to taste them, but as they were so pretty, we had to share them with you.
A Snack Stall in Sukhothai
As we returned from our long day at the Sukhothai Historical Park, a stall with a queue caught our attention at the market. Like all stalls in Thailand which usually specialize in one or two dishes, this one does only two snacks, found in Central Thailand.
Khao Yum Nam Kuk is a crunchy cold spicy salad. The base of this salad is deep fried rice balls made from white rice, egg, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, coriander root, fried bread crumbs (panko) and coconut flakes. To make the actual salad you have to mash these with your fingers adding ground pork (may substitute with chicken or tofu), chili pepper, shallots, sugar and fish sauce. Vinegar, dried shrimp and more fried bread crumbs can be added to taste. Top with fried peanuts and eat wrapped in a green mustard leaf.
Khao Kiab Pak Moh is a savory and sweet Thai dumpling steamed over a pot covered in thin white cloth. The batter is a mixture of rice flour, corn starch and water and the filling is a combination of salted preserved daikon raddish, fish sauce, palm sugar and peanuts all ground together.
The batter is treated like a crepe on the cloth, when the color becomes opaque it is divided, filled and swirled into a dumpling.
The finished product is served with coconut cream and flakes, with a side order of coriander.
Khao Yum Nam Kuk is a crunchy cold spicy salad. The base of this salad is deep fried rice balls made from white rice, egg, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, coriander root, fried bread crumbs (panko) and coconut flakes. To make the actual salad you have to mash these with your fingers adding ground pork (may substitute with chicken or tofu), chili pepper, shallots, sugar and fish sauce. Vinegar, dried shrimp and more fried bread crumbs can be added to taste. Top with fried peanuts and eat wrapped in a green mustard leaf.
Khao Kiab Pak Moh is a savory and sweet Thai dumpling steamed over a pot covered in thin white cloth. The batter is a mixture of rice flour, corn starch and water and the filling is a combination of salted preserved daikon raddish, fish sauce, palm sugar and peanuts all ground together.
The batter is treated like a crepe on the cloth, when the color becomes opaque it is divided, filled and swirled into a dumpling.
The finished product is served with coconut cream and flakes, with a side order of coriander.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Xian Street Snacks... Savory
Xian is snack heaven. The Muslim quarter is crammed with eateries and stalls selling different surprises in every corner. We gathered our strength and managed to try almost everything. Here are the two best dishes of our savory culinary adventure, sweets come next.
Cold noodles two ways:
The thick rice noodles with sesame paste, vinegar and chili (to the left) were creamy but a little too vinegary for our taste. The thin buckwheat noodles with vinegar, mustard, salt, garlic sauce and hot chili (to the right) were excellent and had the exact amount of spice.
Filled pancakes are made by sandwiching two round and thin sheets of dough filled with a choice of spread. Options include ground meat and bean sprouts or egg and scallions to name a few. The pancake is then fried on both sides, cut into four and eaten with chopsticks. Don't know why we were surprised to find it too oily...
Cold noodles two ways:
The thick rice noodles with sesame paste, vinegar and chili (to the left) were creamy but a little too vinegary for our taste. The thin buckwheat noodles with vinegar, mustard, salt, garlic sauce and hot chili (to the right) were excellent and had the exact amount of spice.
Filled pancakes are made by sandwiching two round and thin sheets of dough filled with a choice of spread. Options include ground meat and bean sprouts or egg and scallions to name a few. The pancake is then fried on both sides, cut into four and eaten with chopsticks. Don't know why we were surprised to find it too oily...
Noodle Soup
As we said before, we couldn't get enough and kept on coming back to the same stall at the Chinese Market in Kashgar. This noodle soup straight from the wok took our beloved vendor two minutes to cook up. Watch and learn:
First cook thin rice noodles and bok choy in boiling water.
When the noodles are cooked remove from the flame and strain. Transfer into a bowl and add a ladle of meat broth made with pieces of meat, ginger, garlic and green onions.
Don't forget a spoonful of pickled greens (any cabbage will do), to add that Chinese Market flavor.
Voila!
The same dish comes pre-packaged in styrofoam with lots of additives and MSG. It is a common dinner for the locals on the night train, as they pour boiling water, supplied by the somewhat irritated train staff, and slurp noisily, munching on raw pork sausage on the side. The Royals tried this and were appalled.
First cook thin rice noodles and bok choy in boiling water.
When the noodles are cooked remove from the flame and strain. Transfer into a bowl and add a ladle of meat broth made with pieces of meat, ginger, garlic and green onions.
Don't forget a spoonful of pickled greens (any cabbage will do), to add that Chinese Market flavor.
Voila!
The same dish comes pre-packaged in styrofoam with lots of additives and MSG. It is a common dinner for the locals on the night train, as they pour boiling water, supplied by the somewhat irritated train staff, and slurp noisily, munching on raw pork sausage on the side. The Royals tried this and were appalled.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Noodles, Kashgar
Noodles are always made by hand. The Central Asian way (as opposed to Chinese pulled noodles etc.) is to flatten the dough into sheets and then to cut it into the desired width. These wheat noodles can be used for lachman.
On the other side of town (the Han part) Chowmein is served for lunch, freshly stir fried in a wok. One day, starving for something new we scurried to the Chinese Food Market and searched the many stalls for a cheap hearty meal. We found this noodle stall at the furthermost northeast corner and kept coming back for more.
The recipe is easy: oil, thinly sliced shitake, ground pork, white cabbage, beansprouts, green onions, egg (already scrambled and fried), sugar, soy and thin rice noodles, all added in this order. Stir fry in a wok and serve hot.
Locals eating noodles on the street.
On the other side of town (the Han part) Chowmein is served for lunch, freshly stir fried in a wok. One day, starving for something new we scurried to the Chinese Food Market and searched the many stalls for a cheap hearty meal. We found this noodle stall at the furthermost northeast corner and kept coming back for more.
The recipe is easy: oil, thinly sliced shitake, ground pork, white cabbage, beansprouts, green onions, egg (already scrambled and fried), sugar, soy and thin rice noodles, all added in this order. Stir fry in a wok and serve hot.
Locals eating noodles on the street.
Places to Eat... Kashgar
In Kashgar, the best way to go is local. The bustling night market is filled with busy stalls and restaurants serving Central Asian specialties with Chinese twists. The lachman may also be served on steamed rice with chopsticks and you can taste the local speciality, a stew of roasted chicken, egg and chickpea.
Alternatively, you can dine Western style at the Xinjiang cafe chain, Eversun Coffee. This place serves quality and pricey tea and coffee with a western menu. After two months in Central Asia, we were delighted to have a piece of cheesecake.
Alternatively, you can dine Western style at the Xinjiang cafe chain, Eversun Coffee. This place serves quality and pricey tea and coffee with a western menu. After two months in Central Asia, we were delighted to have a piece of cheesecake.
Chillies in Jayma Bazaar, Osh
At one of the stalls in this vast yet charming market, we came across a large variety of chillies: dried, ground, powdered and paste.
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