Recipe - Num Tirk Doung (Coconut Pound Cake)

Khmer Krom coconut pound cake is a moist and delicious cake often taken to the pagoda for food offerings on religious holidays, and also served at local markets. A delightful treat that can be topped with fruit or eaten on its own.

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 2 Cups all purpose flour
• ½ Cup melted butter
• ½ Cup coconut milk
• ¼ Cup fresh or frozen unsweeted, shredded coconut
• 1½ Cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ Teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ Teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
3. Add egg, one at a time with butter sugar. Mix well.
4. Add vanilla, baking powder, salt and coconut milk.
5. Blended all purpose flour and shredded coconut.
6. Greased cake pan with cooking oil and sprinkle some flour at the bottom of cake pan.
7. Pour the cake batter in to the cake pan.
8. Bake for 1 ½ hours.
9. Remove the cake from the oven, cool and remove from pan.
10. Cream cheese icing with toasted coconut is optional (and yummy!)
11. Serve with tea or coffee.

Cambodian Recipe - Taro Chips

When we were at the Elephant Bar at the Raffles Hotel, they served taro chips, which turned out to be a classy spin on chips and salsa, and far better than any bar food that I had ever tried. It is quite simple to make these tasty (and healthy) little treats.

Ingredients:

One large taro
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Preparation:

1. Peel the taro. A carrot peeler works great, but if you do not have one just use a paring knife.
2. Thinly slice the taro, then cut into strips.
3. Soak the taro in water to remove excess starch.
4. Generously spread olive oil on a baking sheet and place the taro on the sheet, careful no to overlap. Can also line with aluminum foil.
   
5. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes on each side at 350 degrees.
7. These can be eaten on their own or served with chutney, sweet chili sauce, or even on their own.

Pad Thai Recipe

Pad Thai was originally developed in Bangkok to serve busy office workers with fast, nutritious and delicious food to eat during their breaks. You will still find it being served at street vendors and most restaurants.

Variations of this Thai favorite can be seen on menus across the country. Thai taste can be defined as the use of all 5 flavors: spicy, sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Only Thai cuisine brings out all of these flavors to play together harmoniously in a meal, and Pad Thai is no exception!

Thai Street Vendor

Ingredients:

1/2 package (16oz) wide rice noodles
2 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
3 eggs
1/4 lb. pork, cut into 1" by 1/4" pieces
3 tbsp. dried small shrimps
2 tbsp. salted radish, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. thin soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp. coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, crush in a mortar & pestle or chop with a chef's knife
Lime for garnish


Preparation:

1. Boil 3 cups of water. Pour over noodles in a large bowl and soak for 20 minutes until softened. Drain.
2. Heat oil in wok, until hot but not smoking. Add smashed garlic. Add pork. Fry until meat is no longer pink.
3. Add eggs and stir until cooked, combining with pork.
   
4. Add noodles, dried shrimps, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and bean sprouts. Stir fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until mixed up and heated through.
5. Add salted radish, if using (rinse if very salty). Stir fry another minute. Toss in the peanuts, tossing to mix.
6. Garnish with lime and serve.
   

Sticky Rice & Mango Recipe

Thai desserts are called 'kanom' in Thailand. Sticky rice and mango is a marketplace favorite and not to be missed if you visit the country! It is my favorite!

Ingredients:

2 cups glutinous (sticky) rice, soaked in cold water for at least one hour and drained
2 cups coconut milk, canned or freshly prepared
A pinch of salt
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan bring to a boil: rice, 1 1/4 cups coconut milk, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/4 cup water. Stir.
2. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, about 8-10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
3. Transfer rice to a steamer or double saucepan and steam 15-20 minutes over boiling water, until rice is cooked through.
4. While rice is cooking, take the rest of the coconut milk (3/4 cup) and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil. Then remove and place in separate bowl for garnish.
5. Mold the cooked rice into individual ramekins or small cups lined with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature.
6. At serving time unmold onto a plate and top with mango. Drizzle with coconut milk mixture you made earlier.
   

Sticky rice and mango served at a street vendor in Phuket

Green Papaya Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium dark green papaya
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves (kratiem)
6 green Thai chilies (prik khee noo)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup chopped green beans, in 1-in pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) lime juice or tamarind juice (ma-kaam piag)
1/4 cup dried baby shrimp (optional)
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts (optional)

*Note: You can substitute Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce rather than chilies, sugar, and vinegar.

Preparation:
1. Peel the papaya and rinse with running water to remove the acid. Remove the seeds and shred the papaya with a grater. Set aside.

Shredded papaya

2. Place the garlic cloves and the chilies in a mortar and mash with a pestle until crushed into chunks. Place the papaya and the remaining ingredients in the mortar and gently combine all ingredients by mixing with the pestle and a spoon. Top with dried shrimp and peanuts. Serve cold.

Ready to serve!