So, I took some advice from one of my bestest friends a few weeks back, that I should do a cooking class whilst on my travels.
Luckily, I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a city and country very famous for its delicious food. One of the top things to do in in the city is to take a home cooking class. I couldn’t recommend it more!
I was picked up in this incredibly cool vintage Mazda from my hotel and taken to A lot of Thai’s cooking class. Their classes are held at their home, making it even more authentic.
We then made our first dish, the countries classic and most famous meal, Pad Thai.
Ingredients;
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/4 cup tofu – cut into small sticks
- 1 tbsp shallot – chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic – chopped
- 50 g minced pork
- 1 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1 tbsp sweet turnip – chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tamarind puree
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 200 g fresh narrow rice noodles (150g for dried)
- 4-6 tbsp water or chicken stock
- 100 g bean sprouts
- 100 g (1/2 cup) Chinese chive – cut into 3 cm. lengths
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp ground roasted peanuts
Method;
• Fry tofu and shallot in 2 tbsp hot oil over medium heat until light brown. Add garlic, minced pork, dried shrimp and sweet turnip (optional). Cook about 1 minute.
• Add noodles and immediately add water or stock. Cook until noodles are soft. Then add fish sauce, soy sauce, tamarind puree and brown sugar and cook for about 1 minute
• Add bean sprouts and Chinese chive and cook until Chinese chive turns bright green in colour. Add 1 tbsp cooking oil at side of the wok and cook eggs. Mix eggs with noodles when the eggs are nearly cooked. Remove from heat.
• Add ground roasted peanuts.
• Serve with chili powder, lime, cabbage, bean sprouts, fresh Chinese chive or banana flower.
Photo progress;
YUM!
After demolishing the Pad Thai, I then watched the master at work produce a Green Thai Curry with Chicken. After watching her demonstration in awe, the class had to do the same…
Ingredients;
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 2 tbsp green curry paste
- 150 g chicken breast – sliced
- 11/2 cups coconut milk
- 200 g eggplant – bite size pieces
- 20 g (14 pcs.) small eggplant (optional)
- 2-3 kaffir lime leaves – torn in quarter
- 2 tsp palm sugar
- 1-11/2 tbsp fish sauce (Be careful!)
- 1/2 large red chili – thin sliced
- 40 g (1/2 cup) sweet basil leave – torn from stem
Method;
• Boil the coconut cream over low heat until the surface looks shiny and oil appears.
• Add the curry paste and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add chicken and cook for 1 minute then add the coconut milk.
• Bring to a boil. Add the eggplant, small eggplant and kaffir lime leave.
• After eggplant becomes soft, season with palm sugar, fish sauce and add chili.
• Add the sweet basil leaves at the last moment and stir. Remove from heat.
Photo progress;
Voilà!
I definitely regretted eating the entire Pad Thai only 30 minutes before, as eating the Green Curry was a struggle. Nonetheless, I finished the lot. Delicious.
In the class we also learnt how to make Hot & Sour Prawn Soup and Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango.
If you are in Chiang Mai or planning a trip there, I highly recommend a Thai cooking class, especially one with A lot of Thai!
Ness x
Ness' bit of everything 