are not including shallots, which give off a lot of moisture, you may need to add some liquid to the spice grinder to keep the blades turning. Process the ingredients to break them up, switch off the grinder and scrape down the sides and lid with a rubber spatula and process again. Keep repeating this, adding a little oil, water or coconut milk (each recipe suggests which is appropriate) if needed. Don’t overload the jar of your spice grinder; divide the ingredients into two or even three batches if needed and process each until completely ground.
Dry-roasting Peanuts Roast the peanuts in a dry wok, preferably with the skins intact, in the same fashion as for coconut, for about 8 to 10 minutes. After cooking, leave the peanuts until cool enough to handle, then take outside and rub the skins vigorously to loosen the skin. Toss the peanuts a little, blowing to dislodge the skins (or let the wind do it for you).
Basic Chicken or Pork Stock This simple, lightly seasoned stock is the basis of countless soups and other dishes in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese cooks like to add a pinch of sugar; some cooks omit the peppercorns; others use either onion or green onion, while some use both and Lao cooks often add a whole fresh coriander plant (root, stems and leaves). This is the recipe I normally use, taking care to keep the salt content low in case I want to season it with salty fish sauce later. I find it’s worth making a double quantity and deep-freezing it in 2 cups (500 ml) portions for future use.
1 teaspoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 chicken carcasses, chopped in half, any skin and fatty deposits discarded, or
2 lbs (1 kg) meaty pork bones
10 cups (2.5 liters) water
1 medium onion, minced
2 green onions (scallions), minced
4 thin slices ginger
10 black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon salt
Put the oil in a very large saucepan and heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry over low heat until it turns golden brown. Lift out the garlic and discard, leaving the garlic-flavored oil in the pan.
Add the chicken or pork and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover the pan and simmer very gently for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue simmering very gently until the stock is reduced by half, about another hour. It is important not to let the stock boil, or the result will be cloudy rather than clear.
Strain the stock into a large bowl, cool, then refrigerate for several hours. Scrape off any fat that solidifies on the surface, then transfer the stock into a covered container. Refrigerate or deep-freeze.
NOTE: This basic stock can be transformed into a simple soup to serve with any rice-based meal. Season it with a little fish sauce, soy sauce or salt, a sprinkle of white or black pepper, then add a little of what you fancy: a few leafy greens; bean sprouts; diced tofu; sliced fresh or soaked dried black Chinese mushrooms; a few fresh shrimp or slivers of chicken or pork. Simmer until the ingredients are cooked and serve piping hot.
Basic Recipes
Whether you call them dips, sauces, sambals, or salsas, tangy accompaniments are an integral part of Southeast Asian food. No matter how simple the meal, there’ll always be a little something on the side for extra flavor. Serve a bowl of noodle soup or some grilled chicken and you’ll probably want to add Simple Thai Fish Sauce and Chili Dip, or Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dip. Malaysian and Singaporean noodle dishes just wouldn’t be the same without the emphatic Malaysian Chili and Dried Shrimp Paste Dip (Sambal Belacan). Many Cambodian dishes respond instantly to Cambodian Salt, Lime and Black Pepper Dip and it’s impossible to imagine a plate of deep-fried spring rolls without the famous Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dip. Although you can enjoy most of these dips as a condiment, you can also scoop many of them up with an array of ingredients called “dippers.” Dips together with the dipper of your choice (such as Burmese Tangy Tomato Dip with deep-fried tofu skin or pork cracklings, for example) are often served as a between-meal snack, but they could just as well be enjoyed as the prelude to a main meal or put on the table together with the rice and other dishes. It’s not just dips and sambals that add extra zing to a meal; there are various relishes, freshly-made pickles and side-salads too. The ubiqituous Vietnamese Daikon and Carrot salad, excellent Cambodian Red Bell Pepper Relish and Malay Cucumber and Pineapple Salad are just some of the side-dishes that add a refreshing note to meals based on rice.
Cucumber and Pineapple Salad Kerabu timun and nenas
I’ll admit that if you’re not fortunate enough to live in Southeast Asia, it’s pretty hard to find the intensely fragrant wild pink ginger bud (usually called torch ginger, although botanists are still arguing whether it’s Nicolaia sp or Phaemeria sp). Even without such an exotic ingredient, you can still make this refreshing salad. Its crunchy texture and sweet-sour tang make it particularly good with braised or fried food, or curries.
Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 20 mins
1 cucumber (about 1 lb/500 g)
1 teaspoon salt
2 thin slices fresh pineapple (about 10 oz/300 g), peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger bud (see Note)
Dressing
4 tablespoons dried shrimp, toasted in a dry wok,
4–5 minutes
1–2 red finger-length chilies, sliced
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste, toasted (page 22)
1–2 tablespoons lime juice, depending on sweetness of pineapple
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Rake the skin of the cucumber with a fork and then rub all over with the salt. Rinse under running water, squeeze the cucumber, then cut into four lengthwise. Cut across into 1/2-in (1-cm) dice and put in a bowl with the pineapple and ginger bud, if using.
2 Make the Dressing by grinding all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a spice grinder or blender. Add to the cucumber and pineapple, toss and serve immediately.
NOTE: If you can’t get ginger bud, cook 1/2 cup (40 g) freshly grated or desiccated coconut in a dry wok over very low heat, stirring until it turns rich brown, taking care it does not burn. While the coconut is still hot, process or pound it to an oily paste. Cool, then add to the cucumber and pineapple together with the Dressing.
Vinegared Cucumber Salad Yam tan gwa
Variations of this easy salad—my standby for when I don’t have a variety of vegetables on hand—are found throughout the region, partnering the cool crunchiness of cucumber with sweet, sour, salty and sometimes hot flavors. This Thai version add peanuts for extra crunch, though you could omit these if you prefer. This palate-cleansing salad is good at just about any meal, especially when fried food is served.
Serves 4
Preparation
