2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trim off the very end of the root and smash with the side of a cleaver or chef's knife; cut into 1 inch pieces; or 2 pc dried
3 slices fresh galangal root (smashed) or 2 pc dried
3 fresh kaffir lime leave or 4 pc dried
1 tbsp. tamarind paste, with or without seeds
1 tbsp. fish sauce, Golden Boy brand preferred
3/4 lb shrimps, medium to large size, shelled and de-veined; butterfly if desired
12 fresh Thai chili peppers, whole or 2 medium sized jalepenos, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips.
1/2 small white onion, cut 1/4 inch slices
2 tbsp. roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)
1 (16 oz.) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
1 small ripe tomato, cut into wedges 1/4 inch thick
1 small lime, squeezed
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
Bring water to boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, fish sauce and tamarind paste (break apart the tamarind paste with your fingers as you add it). Add the shrimp, bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add the onion, nam prik pao and straw mushrooms. Boil for another 7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the chile peppers and tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Add the lime juice. Taste to adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce to taste. Garnish with cilatantro, roasted whole chili peppers and a splash of coconut mik if desired and serve hot.
8-12 Thai chillies (bird peppers), each cut into 3-4 segments
8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut each into 2-3 pieces
2 Tbs. small dried shrimp
4 cups julienned peeled unripe papaya - in strips 2-3 inches long and 1/8 inch thick
1 cup cut long beans - 1 1/2-inch-long segments
1 julienned carrot
1/4 cup tamarind juice the thickness of fruit concentrate
Juice of 2-3 limes, to taste
2-3 Tbs. fish sauce, to taste
2-3 Tbs. palm sugar, melted with 1 Tbs. water into a thick syrup - use as needed
2 small tomatoes, cut into bite-size wedges; or 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
Prepare the ingredients as indicated. Make tamarind juice by starting with 1 Tbs. of compressed tamarind in 1/3 cup of warm water. Work the tamarind with your fingers to dissolve the soft fruit; gather up remaining undissolvable pulp, squeeze to extract juice and discard. Add more tamarind or water as necessary to make 1/4 cup of concentrate.
Divide the ingredients into two batches and make each batch as follows.
Using a large clay mortar with a wooden pestle, pound the garlic and chillies to a paste. Add the dried shrimp and long beans and pound to bruise. Follow with the green papaya and carrot. Stir well with a spoon and pound to bruise the vegetables so that they absorb the heat and flavor of the chillies and garlic.
Add the tamarind and lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar. Stir and pound a bit more to blend the vegetables with the flavorings and seasonings. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired hot-sour-sweet-and-salty combination. Then add the tomato pieces, stir and bruise lightly to blend in with the rest of the salad. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts. Serves 6-8.
