Thai basil minced pork, or ‘pad kra pao moo saap’ (ผัดกะเพราหมูสับ) , is one of the most famous of all Thai dishes – and for good reason. Minced pork is fried with plenty of fresh garlic and chilli before being perfumed with a generous bunch of the key ingredient: Thai holy basil. This iconic combination …
Authentic Thai Basil Minced Pork (Pad Kra Pao Moo Saap) Read More »
Chinese sesame paste, or zhi ma jiang (芝麻酱) is a rich, nutty and aromatic paste made from heavily roasted and ground white sesame seeds. It is used as an ingredient predominantly in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine, including in iconic dishes such as Taiwanese cold noodles (liang mian, 涼麵) and Sichuan dan dan noodles (dan dan …
Easy Chinese Sesame Paste Recipe (Zhi Ma Jiang, 芝麻酱) Read More »
Red pepper and chilli jam is the sweet, sour and spicy condiment that you didn’t think you needed until you try it – then you’ll start having it with everything! My recipe is based on a delicious version I originally ate at the now-defunct Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain. I think it’s the best chilli jam …
Taiwanese cold noodles, or liang mian (涼麵) is a simple but delicious meal that is served all across Taiwan. Don’t confuse simple for unsatisfying however; this hearty bowl of noodles comes smothered with an incredibly thick, glossy and aromatic sauce made from Chinese sesame paste (think peanut butter, but with deep toasted notes of roasted …
10-minute authentic Taiwanese cold noodles recipe Read More »
Sambals, or Indonesian chilli sauces, are central to Indonesian cuisine. There are literally hundreds of types, and I would say sambal terasi (or Indonesian shrimp paste sambal) is the most ubiquitous of all. Shallots, garlic, tomatoes, salt, sugar and plenty of chillies are fried and ground together with terasi (Indonesian shrimp paste) to make a …
Sambal Terasi Recipe – how to make Indonesian shrimp paste chilli sauce at home Read More »
Indonesia is the home of sambal – a large and diverse family of chilli-based sauces and relishes. One of the most unusual (and my favourite) is sambal matah – a raw sambal originating from the island of Bali. A simple hand-squeezed mixture of raw shallots, salt, oil, hot chillies and kaffir lime leaves, sambal matah …
Sambal Matah – authentic Balinese raw sambal recipe Read More »
I don’t usually consider ordering Italian-inspired dishes when in South East Asia, let alone rave about them. However this Thai basil pesto with cashews from Ranong province (the heart of Thailand’s cashew nut industry) was a triumph. It was a Thai-run restaurant’s take on the classic Italian pesto genovese. European basil and pine nuts were …
Thai basil pesto pasta recipe – straight from Thailand’s cashew nut province Read More »
You know a side-dish is impressive when it is more memorable than the dish it was supposed to support. This was the case with an incredible Taiwanese cucumber salad I ate at Fuhong Beef Noodles in Ximending District, Taipei. This cucumber salad is unlike any you have eaten before. An unusual cross between pickled and …