Nom Plai Ai (glutinous rice balls filled w/palm sugar)

If you are Cambodian and looooove your desserts like I do, then these sweet little suckers need no introduction. They are like...little soft pillows, filled with happiness and joy and then off topped with a little bit of heaven.

You do get what I'm saying, right?!?



Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 lb of glutinous rice flour

1 1/2 cups-2 cups of LUKE WARM WATER

A pair of food safe gloves

To make the filling:


8 small pieces of palm sugar (about 4.4 ounces)
2 Tbsp of water
*makes about 28 dime sized balls

Other ingredients:


shredded unsweetened coconut
some coconut oil or vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS:


1. Place your palm sugar into a microwave safe bowl and then add in your water. Cover with saran wrap and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Drain out all excess water and stir until smooth.
2. Let your palm sugar firm up SLIGHTLY (about 2 minutes) and begin to roll them into dime sized balls. Work quickly because as it cools, it becomes more difficult to shape. Place palm sugar balls onto parchment paper and set aside.
3. Pour your glutinous rice flour into a large (very large, if you have it) mixing bowl, and add in 1 1/2 cups of luke warm water. Begin to work the water into the dough until it forms a ball. If you need to, add the rest of the water in and continue to work the dough. Once it starts to come together, continue kneading for about 3 more minutes. When done, cover with saran wrap.
4. Boil a large pot water.
5. Take a small piece of dough and work it into a nice, smooth ball. Use your thumbs and flatten it out and place a piece of palm sugar in the middle. Using your fingers and hands, close and then smooth out the seams. Gently, smooth out the finished balls by using the circular motion as seen in the video, below. Place them on parchment paper until ready to cook.
6. Add your balls into the boiling water (being careful not to overcrowd) and cook them until they float to the top. Place them into a colander to drain slightly. THE FILLING WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT! Please allow several minutes to pass before consuming!!
7. Roll your glutinous rice balls into some coconut oil (this prevents them from sticking to one another) and then top them off with some shredded coconut.
NOTES:
As soon as you've made your dough, you must use it immediately. The longer it sits out, the more dry the dough will become and then it will be a pain to work with! In the video, I placed the rice balls onto mini cupcake liners but I recommend against this! They still stuck like crazy to the liner and I MAY or MAY HAVE NOT eaten a few cupcake liners in the process because they were THAT GOOD. Maybe if you generously coated them in coconut oil first, they wouldn't stick as much. Also, it's good to have some extra rice flour on hand just in case your dough is too wet.

Pan Fried Tilapia with Ginger and Soy Sauce Glaze

This recipe is a MUST try for all FISH LOVERS!! And talk about a fancy looking way to dress up an inexpensive fish! Every time I serve this, I get rave reviews before anyone even takes a bite! The presentation alone, is enough to want to make you want to dig in, HEAD FIRST.

The soy sauce glaze that goes on top of this fish is SO FINGER LICKIN' GOOD!! The addition of ginger and carrot slices, cooked in brown sugar, shallots, and garlic, make this sauce OUT OF THIS WORLD!


You will need:

1 whole tilapia(cleaned and patted dry)
salt and pepper
Wondra flour(or you may use corn starch or rice flour)
peanut oil

For the glaze:

1.5 ounce of ginger sliced into thin 2 inch strips(julienne).
1 small carrot cut into 2 inch strips.(I just used a julienne vegetable peeler to make the strips).
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 T of finely chopped onion or shallot
1/2 cup water
1 T of soy sauce
1 T of hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp of salt
2 T of brown sugar
1/8 tsp of black pepper
some cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water
peanut oil

Garnishes:

thinly sliced onion
green onion
cilantro or parsley

Chop up your garlic and onion and set aside. Next, slice your ginger and carrots into thin 2 inch strips. I have an awesome stainless steel julienne peeler that I purchased through Amazon that I used.

Clean your fish thoroughly and pat dry. Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper and then coat your fish in wondra flour. If you don't have any wondra flour you may use cornstarch instead.

Heat a large skillet/wok on medium-medium high heat and put enough oil to submerge half of the fish. Fry until crispy/golden brown about 6-7 minutes depending on how large your fish is. Flip your fish and continue to fry for another 5 minutes or so. Remove and place fish on platter.

In a small bowl mix together your water, soy sauce, salt, brown sugar, hoisin, and black pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.

On medium high heat add some oil into a saucepan and add in your chopped onion. Cook until translucent. Add in your ginger, carrots, and garlic. Cook until fragrant and until everything has softened.

Add in your soy sauce mixture and cook on medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes tops. Take some cornstarch(about 1 tsp)and mix it with a bit of water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Turn off heat and your glaze is ready!! You may up the cornstarch mixture if you prefer a thicker glaze.

Pour your glaze over your fish while it's still warm and serve immediately!! Garnish with thinly sliced onions, scallions, parsley, or cilantro!

Watch how to make it here.

Homemade Pho

I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure that all I need to survive is my hair straightener and pho. I can assure you that even in 90 degree weather, you can catch me in my kitchen hovering over my stove cooking up a big pot of pho. Since I married into a Vietnamese family, I figured that it would probably be a good idea to teach myself how to make it. This recipe feeds my family of 5 for 2-3 days depending on how often we eat it. Remember, that you may cut recipe in half or just use it as a reference. I actually used 3 pounds or so of beef bone in this recipe along w/ one whole foster farm chicken. If you think it's weird to make a broth with that mix, you don't have to do it. You can use all beef bones if you'd like, or all chicken. Whatever your preference, I assure you that it will all come out delicious!

You will need:

1 whole 3-4 pd skinned foster farm chicken(cut up chicken into large manageable pieces)or you may use all beef bone/knuckle for this recipe as well

3 pds of beef bone and/or beef knuckle

3 pound pkg of beef bottom round roast(use only if you want cooked beef slices)or you may sub w/oxtail

2 pkgs of beef meatballs

1 4 inch piece of ginger split in half

2 large onions cut in half(DO NO PEEL SKIN)

1 1/2 T. of coriander

1 tsp. whole cloves

2 cardamom pods split

2 cinnamon sticks

1 handful of star anise

2/3 cup of fish sauce

1 1/2 T. salt

3 oz. of palm sugar or 1/4 cp of sugar

1/2 tsp of msg(optional)

3 pkgs of fresh rice noodle

2 cheese cloths for straining broth

12 qt. stainless steel pot and an extra pot to parboil your bones

26 cups of water(or fill up halfway but remember you may cut recipe in half)

1 Stainless steel tea balls or mesh vegetable bags to hold all the spices for easier clean up

Garnishes:

Bean sprout

Mint

Lime wedges

Thinly sliced onion(soak onion in ice water for 30 min and drain)

Lime wedges

Chopped green onion

You want to roast your onion and ginger in the oven. Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes. If you have an open burner, then you should preferably char the onion and ginger over an open flame, turning occasionally until slightly blackened.

Take a pot big enough for all your meat,(except for bottom round roast)add enough water to cover and bring them to a boil for about 8-10 minutes or so. This step is for cleaning your bones and it will help you to get a clearer broth. While that pot is coming to a boil, get your other 12 qt pot ready and fill it half way(about 26 cps). Unless, you want to wait FOREVER AND A DAY for a big stock pot of water packed with meat and bones to boil, then you can skip this part. Otherwise having two pots going at a time will save you a butt load of pho'cken time(pun intended).

Once chicken and/or beef bone is done parboiling, dump it into a large colander in sink and lightly rinse off bones under cool water.

Since you should have another pot of water almost coming to boil, carefully add the bones/meat into the pot of water. This is also the time where you would add in the bottom round roast. When making this pot of pho, I didn't quite measure how much water I added, just make sure that after you've added all the meat in, that the pot is pretty much filled with water 3/4 way up. Feel free to take some water out if there is too much. Add in the char broiled ginger and onion. Add in fish sauce, palm sugar,salt(and msg if you're opting to use it), cinnamon sticks, and a big handful of star anise.

Put the other spices listed, into 1 stainless steel tea ball or mesh bags and drop them into the the pot. Make sure you remove that chain that comes along with the tea ball.

Now all that's left is leaving it all to simmer on low heat for 3 hrs. You know you've done it right when the pot looks disgusting and greasy.

Skim off fat as you go along trying to only take out what you need. Sometimes, if I feel like I'm taking out too much water along with the fat, then I will add more water to compensate.

After the broth has been simmering for 2 hrs I then taste the broth to see if I need to add any additional seasonings. Remove your beef bottom roast(if using) and allow to rest on cutting board before slicing against the grain. Keep in mind that this recipe uses chicken instead of all beef bone which means less fat, so if you decide to use more beef bone and/or oxtail, your broth will be very greasy at first, so make sure you use your ladle to skim off any fat that rises to the surface and add more water to pot if necessary. Also note, that you want the broth slightly stronger tasting cause once you add the noodles and garnishes it will bring down the flavor a tad bit. I usually make a small bowl for myself to taste check before serving to guests.

Once it's seasoned to your liking and has been simmering for at least 3 hrs, remove all bones and meat and place into colander over a large bowl.

Place two cheese cloths over a mesh strainer fitted on top of a pot and slowly strain the broth until done.

Now that your broth is pretty again and smells FANTASTIC, you can add in the beef meatballs if you opted for them and bring to a slight boil until the balls are cooked through(they will puff up when they are almost ready).

Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice your bottom round roast against the grain. Also don't forget to shred the meat off of the chicken that you had set aside. This is a very crucial step when using beef bone with tons of meat on it and ESPECIALLY OXTAIL! Right before you pour the broth into your bowl, is when you would toss in a couple of pieces of this delicious and tender meat!

You can also use raw, thinly sliced sirloin steak if you wish. To make slicing easier and to ensure thin cuts of meat, put meat in freezer for 30 min. and then slice.

Assembling the bowls: Place blanched rice noodles(or if using dry noodles, follow directions on package)in individual bowls and top with thinly cooked beef slices. If you are adding raw beef slices, the broth must be boiling to cook it through before you ladle the soup into the bowl. If the broth is not quite boiling but VERY HOT, than you can cook the meat by quickly dipping it into the pho broth using the ladle(it should take seconds). Once you've added the broth into the bowl, top with the garnishes of your choice and....VOILA!!!

Notes: The spices used in pho can get pretty pricey if you purchase them at your local Safeway, Fred Meyers or wherever you shop. If you know of a local Asian market or know someone that can get to one, I would highly recommend you go there cause it is waaaaay more inexpensive BELIEVE ME!
Also the type of fish sauce you use matters!! Don't use the ones that come in the plastic bottles...YUCKY! Use the ones that come in the glass bottles instead. There are various brands and most of them are very similar in taste.
Lastly, if you're using all beef bones and oxtails, the longer you simmer the broth the better! But I wouldn't recommend simmering chicken for longer then 3 to 4 hrs cause it will get VERY GELATINOUS after cooled and it will not look too appetizing when you're trying to reheat it. Feel free to add in any fixings to satisfy your taste buds! You can add all kinds of stuff to pho...tripe,shrimp,flank stank(I mean steak):),or even beef tendon. Whatever your palette, pho is always a real crowd pleaser!

I posted this recipe on my blog MONTHS before I started my Youtube channel so it differs slightly than the video. The spices, and the amount of meat I used DID NOT CHANGE, so feel free to use and follow the recipe listed w/ a few minor adjustments as stated in the video! If you want a healthier alternative than follow the written recipe for pho using chicken as the base but if you want a full bodied and tastier pho experience, than follow my video where I use all beef bones/oxtails and let it simmer for up to 8 hrs! ENJOY AND HAPPY EATING!! :)

Lemongrass and Ginger Stir Fried Crab(Cha Kdam)

Ingredients:

2 FRESH dungeness crabs, cleaned and cut into manageable pieces(my butcher did mine for me)
1 Tbsp of cornstarch
1 stalk of lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 small shallot, finely chopped
8 scallions cut into 1 1/2  inch pieces
2 Tbsp of water
Peanut oil

For the sauce:

2 Tbsp of crab soybean paste in oil
1/2 Tbsp of sesame oil
1 Tbsp of good fish sauce(I like the three crabs brand)
1 Tbsp of good oyster sauce(like Lee Kum Kee)
1 Tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of freshly grated ginger

Here's a picture of the crab paste in soybean oil.

This paste is also used in a very popular Vietnamese noodle dish called Bun Rieu. I will post a recipe on that one in the future as well! The brand I used in the video is the only one sold at the Hmart near my house but if you can find the canned ones, those taste even better! Here's one of my favorites and it's actually "minced prawns in spices" and it comes in a little can. SOOOO GOOD!!

Using a nut cracker(or the back of a heavy knife), gently crack your crab claws. This will make sure that they cook evenly with the little crab legs and also makes it easier for you to remove the shells while eating. Coat the crab with cornstarch and set aside. Next make your sauce with ingredients listed above, and set aside. Then with your wok on medium high heat, add in your chopped shallot and cook for 1 minute. Throw in your lemongrass and cook for about 2 minutes. Now, add in your chopped garlic and cook until fragrant. Pour in your sauce mixture and mix well. Add in your coated crabs and toss to coat. Cover with lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and add in your scallions along with 2 Tbsp. of water. Stir again, cover, and cook until crab meat is opaque. Stir often, being careful not to burn the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately with a side of white rice!

Spicy beef salad(plea sach ko/beef larb or laap)

You will need:

about 2 pounds of sirloin steak
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 whole small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
8-10 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
2 slices of galangal, finely minced
12 sprigs of mint(or more)
12 sprigs of cilantro(or more)
8 sprigs of Vietnamese coriander
2-3 tsp of dried red pepper flakes
8-10 thai red chili, finely chopped(or to taste)
1/4 cup of good fish sauce(or to taste)
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp of msg(optional)
3 large limes(more or less depending on preference)
Pahok or padek(optional)
1/4 cup of uncooked sticky or glutinous rice to make toasted rice powder(use 2-3 Tbsp in the recipe)
cooked, thinly sliced tripe(optional)

Take your uncooked sticky rice and place it in a small pan on medium to medium low heat. Dry roast your rice until browned, making sure to stir it occasionally. Once toasted, place into food processor or grinder until mostly fine. Set aside.

Wash and pat dry your sirloin steaks. Lightly salt and pepper them. Add a little oil into a large skillet and fry them only until medium rare. My steaks were thin so I only did 2--3 minutes on each side. Remove them from heat and allow them to cool completely before slicing into them. Once cooled, slice against the grain and once more to make them into tiny bite size pieces.

Add all of your above ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add 2-3 Tbsp of the toasted rice powder last. Mix well using some food safe gloves and taste check. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve same day along with some sliced cucumbers and fresh bean sprouts.

Notes: This recipe makes quite a bit so feel free to cut recipe in half!