Kanom Jeen Nam Ya (ขนมจีนน้ำยา) / Thai Fish Curry with Noodles

It is almost winter and we have come back to get together again between friends. So when I found turmeric at Whole Foods, I knew I should try to do Kanom Jeen Namya.

Kanom Jeen, despite meaning "Chinese Candy" in Thai, is actually a fresh rice noodle dish in which the noodles are rolled into circles after being boiled. This kind of noodle originated from the Mong people, an ancient tribe in the northern mountains of Thailand but is now very popular throughout Thailand and Southeast Asia with a local variation and specialty in each area of Thailand. In the northeastern they have it with papaya salad, while in the south, the addition of Malay influence to the dish makes for a very spicy and even more savoury Kanom Jeen. The one I'm making here is the traditional Kanom Jeen Nam Ya, which is the most common variation of this dish.

- Daisy

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So sorry to everyone for the long absence. I've been a little blue since leaving Thailand and with law school, I had to put the blog on the back burner. Whoever said the second year is easier is a dirty liar.  But anyways everyone, my bad.  Mom and I are back!

My favorite variation of Kanom Jeen is the one I tried when I was in southern Thailand on vacation in the breathtaking Krabi. Which is inconvenient for my mother since that apparently is the hardest variation to make since it utilizes almost completely different ingredients, most of which are very hard to find in the US. One of these days though, I'll hunt them down and ask my mother to make it for us. Until then, this widely popular and most common version is a delicious alternative.

- Darin

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Kanom Jeen Nam Ya

ขนมจีนน้ำยา

Thai Fish Curry with Noodles

Serves 4

1 package of Japanese Somen Noodles

1 cup Fresh White Fish (flounder, scrod, halibut , haddock, sole, grouper, etc.)
1/2 cup Maesri Red Curry
3 tbsp Shallots, minced
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Galangal Powder
1 tbsp Krachai powder
1/4 cup Thai Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Palm Sugar
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Coconut Milk

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Optional: Fish meatballs (found in the frozen section of most asian supermarkets)

Served with:
Bean sprouts, fresh or blanched

Green Bean, sliced, fresh or blanched

Chinese Mustard Pickle, sliced

Fresh Thai Basil

Boiled Eggs, quartered

Thai Dried Red Chili, lightly fried

Bitter Melon, sliced and blanched

Shallot, fried or fresh

1) Boil the Somen noodles according to package directions for about 3 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking (this type of noodle is very prone to over cooking), and take a handful and use a fork to roll it into circles, much like how you'd eat spaghetti.

2) Heat up a saucepan with vegetable oil and fry the curry for 1 minute then add in the garlic and shallot, sauteing until fragrant.  Approximately 4 minutes.

3) In another pot, on low heat, slowly boil coconut milk and chicken broth together. Put the fish to simmer until done.  The time will depend on how thick is your fish is, but the trick is to lower the heat and poach slowly until done, around 5 minutes.  To check for doneness, the meat will be flaky and easily pull away from the bone. 

4) When the fish is done, use chopsticks to tear off the skin, and then a fork to scratch down the white meat only, discarding the bones, the skin and the fish eggs if there are some.

5) Put the fish meat to the blender and some of the coconut mixture to help out to blend well. Then pour back to the pot. Add on galangal powder, Krachai powder, fish sauce, palm sugar. Let it simmer to boil.  If you are adding fish meatballs as well, which is traditional, add them with the fish to boil according to package directions and then cut in half.  I highly recommend this.  They are delicious.  And no, they do not taste like gefilte fish.  This is WAY better.

4) Add the curry and white whitefish into the broth and stir to combine.  The Nam Ya should be a bit thick, almost like a stew.

5) Assemble the dish.  First put in a couple rolls of noodles, then add the veggies and top it off with the curry.  EAT!

Note: This dish can be eaten either hot or warm or even cold. I recommend it warm. I like to eat with fresh chili and even together with dried chili are fragrant. By then, the heat is on!

Yum Mama (ยำมาม่า) / Instant Noodle Salad

Here is another super fast, super easy, super amazing dish for a Thai menu! You definitely won't be able to find this dish in most Thai restaurants.

The use of instant noodles in this dish makes it very affordable and very popular too in Thailand.  Being a yum, it is a little bit sweet with a bit of sour from some kick of lime, and of course a little bit spicy from chili powder.  Add that all flavor to wonderfully chewy instant noodles and dry sautéed pork and you've got an amazing dish on your hands.  

Every year when it the weather gets a bit too warm and hazy, my youngest daughter will suddenly have little to no appetite.  When this happens, I will suddenly also be completely out of ideas of what to cook.  This year, my mom told me to try this recipe because now that my youngest daughter is all grown up, she can enjoy more spicy food.  Let's try! My mom has never been wrong.

This dish is supposed to be quick and easy, utilizing anything you have on hand.  Let me know if this cures your food sluggishness as well!

- Daisy

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I love this dish.  I definitely did not appreciate the yums, or a type of Thai salad, until I was much older.  The blasts of all the flavors; sweet, salty, spicy, sour, that is what I really think Thai food is all about.  You can read more about them and other types of Thai salads on wikipedia.

What really makes this dish special though is the instant noodles.  I would definitely recommend you stick to the Mama brand.  It is readily available in most, if not all, Asian supermarkets and is essential to this dish.  Try to replace it with any other type of noodles and it will be a completely different dish.  And be careful not to overcook it.  I would actually tell you to make sure its a bit al dente.  Yea, its the Italian in me.  This can be shared as an appetizer or a light meal for one.

This version uses ground pork, which is very classic Thai, but my favorite version is a seafood version I love to order whenever I go to the beaches in Thailand.  It will usually come with fresh squid and shrimp and is absolutely DELICIOUS and oh so very refreshing in the Thai heat!

- Darin

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Yum Mama

ยำมาม่า

Instant Noodle Salad

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1/4 lb Ground Pork

1 Shallot, sliced

1/4 tsp Salt

1 package Instant Noodle, Mama brand
1 tsp Fried Garlic Oil
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Prik Manow Num Pla (this is essentially fish sauce, lime juice and sliced Thai chilies)*
2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Boiled Egg, quartered

1) Put some oil in the pan, swirl the oil around then pour it out, we're only looking for a light coating.  Then, heat up the pan and stir in ground pork, cooking until no longer pink (no need to brown). Mix in the shallots and salt and set aside to cool in a mixing bowl. 

2)  In a pot, boil the noodle according package directions, but cut the cooking time by a minute or so. Omit all the flavor packages.  Drain when it's done and rinse with cold water and drain very well, otherwise the flavors will be diluted. 

3) Stir in garlic oil (if you don't have any feel free to use the oil included with the instant noodles), then mix in the Prik Num Pla, cayenne and sugar.  Adjust to taste.

4) Put the noodles in a beautiful dish and top with the boiled egg, and garnish with cilantro.  Aroy-Ka!

*You can make this very easily and to your own tastes.  Start off with half a lime and 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce.  Then add in 1-2 thinly sliced Thai chili (bird's eye chili) and adjust to your taste.  You can also sprinkle in a bit of sugar.

Beef Panang Curry (พะแนง)

This dish is not complicated but it does require a bit of time. The time spent, however, is absolutely worth it.  It is a curry dish that is not too spicy, is a bit on the sweet side, and has a lot of coconut flavor. My son loves it so much and always applauds me on not cooking the beef too soft, but just tender enough. He sure knows how to enjoy. It feels good how to have somebody believe in you. The beef that you will be looking for is the kind of beef that you would use for a stew.  The cut I got is the leg from the Chinese market but Chinese cuts are different from American cuts. The Chinese leg cut has both meat, some tendon and some fat which is suitable for this kind of long stewing.

My son especially loves this dish because this dish does not have anything else (he's never been a fan of vegetables) but the meat.  Try shrimp, pork, fish.  And don't forget about the kaffir lime leaves on top.  I've found that using scissors to cut the leaves into thin strip is most convenient to me.

Please try it, I know you will love it, just like my son.

- Daisy

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My mother isn't kidding when she says my brother loves this dish.  He generally loves any meat dish with sauce but this really is his favorite.  I know that when he visits, this dish will always be on the menu at least twice before he leaves.  Although my mother loves cooking for my sister and I, she always gets extra excited making this dish for my brother and to see her beaming when he tells her how much he loves it is so sweet to see.  I really am convinced that mothers have soft spot for their sons, much like how fathers have a soft spot for their daughters. 

The key thing to really note in this recipe is the kaffir lime leaves.  It may seem like just a garnish but I find that it really elevates the dish and gives it a unique taste to the curry that no other cuisine can come close to.  The leaves are hard to find but check in the frozen or refrigerated sections of Chinese markets or any Southeast Asian markets.  It really is worth it.  Promise.

- Darin

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Beef Panang Curry

พะแนง

Serves 2-3

3-4 lbs. Beef Brisket/Shank/Chuck, cut into big chunks
1/2 can Panang Curry Paste (Mae Sri is recommended)
1 [250ml] Coconut Milk (Aroy-D is recommended)
3-4 Kaffir Lime Leaves, cut in thin strips or chiffonade
2-3 Red Chilies, cut diagonally
1/2 tsp Palm Sugar (you can substitute regular sugar but it won't be the same)
1 Fish Sauce
1tbsp Vegetable Oil

1) On low heat, simmer the beef in coconut milk for about 45mins, or until cooked through and tender.  Keep the pot covered and stir it from time to time.  Make sure it is a simmer, you really don't want a rolling boil for this recipe.  

2) In a small sauté pan, heat up the vegetable oil and add in the curry paste.  Stir until fragrant then throw in the beef mixture and combine.  Add in the fish sauce and palm sugar. 

3) Top with kaffir lime leaves and red chillies and serve with Thai Jasmine rice.  Enjoy.

Stir Fried Duck with Black Pepper and Fried Garlic

Simple, straight forward, delicious.

- Daisy

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Stir Fried Duck with Black Pepper and Fried Garlic

2 Duck Breasts, sliced
1 Tbsp Fried Garlic
1 Medium Sweet Onion, diced
1-2 Jalapeños, cut into match-sticks
1 Tbsp Black Pepper, pounded not finely ground
1 1/2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1) Heat up the oil and slide in the duck meat, frying until browned and flip.

2) Stir in fried garlic, onion and salt until are soft and translucent.

3) Add in the black pepper and jalapeño and flavor with soy sauce, sugar, adjusting to your taste.

4) Enjoy with rice or noodles.

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Fried Garlic

7-8 Garlic Cloves, large, sliced evenly
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1) Put frying pan on medium heat and stir in the garlic when the vegetable oil is still warming out. When it starts to make noise, keep stirring until the garlic started to turn brown. Take it off the heat.

2) The garlic will still be bubbling. Let it cool down.

3) Right when it has stopped bubbling, use a slotted spoon to remove it to drain on a paper towel.