Pad Thai

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 100 g thick rice noodles,
• for the sauce:
• 50 ml tamarind concentrate,
• 50 ml fish sauce,
• 50 ml palm sugar,
• 1 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste),
• 4 tbsp peanuts, 
• a splash (3--4 tbsp) of oil,
• 100 g chicken breasts, cubed (or 100 g (7 pcs) medium-sized shrimp, peeled, deveined),
• 100 g natural tofu, cubed,
• 1 clove chopped garlic,
• 2 eggs,
• 1 cup mungo sprouts.

Algorithm:

1. Soak the rice noodles until they're pliable and almost edile, like very al dente pasta, then drain well.
2. Prepare the sauce by mixing the tamarind concentrate, the fish sauce, and the palm sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding the chili powder (starting with 1 tsp and increasing the amount to taste).
3. Remove the sauce from heat. The sauce keeps in a closed jar in a refrigerator for quite a long time so you can prepare more.
4. Roast the peanuts over medium heat in a wok, then chop (either use a chopper, or furst crush with a side of a chef's knife (or a cleaver) and then chop carefully).
5. In the wok, increase the heat to high and add a splash of oil, wait until hot, almost smoking.
6. If making chicken Pad Thai, add the chicken, cook, stiring vigorously, until it's half-way done, 1--2 min.
7. Add the tofu, a 1--2 tbsp of the sauce to flavour the chicken, and the garlic.
8. Cook for another minute until the tofu is crisp and slightly brown at the edges.
9. Add the noodles and then a laddle (~ 1/4 cup) of warm sauce.
10. Stir-fry, keep everything moving in the wok, cook the noodles until soft (don't let them lump together). If the sauce evaporates too quickly and the noodles aren't quite ready, sprinkle a bit of water and keep stirring. Add a bit of oil if the noodles stick together.
11. When the noodles are ready (sample), make a place at the bottom of the wok and crack the eggs in the middle. Let them set for 10--15 sec and toss everything together.
12. Add the shrimps (if using), ground peanuts, bean sprouts. Keep things moving. Add more sauce if the contents of the wok looks too pale.
13. When the shrimps are done, remove from heat and serve.

Source: http://chezpim.com/cook/pad_thai_for_beginners

Thai Curry

Ingredients (3 servings):

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil,
• 2 tbsp red or green curry paste,
• 1 tbsp granulated (raw) sugar,
• 2 stalks lemongrass fat ends bashed with a rolling pin,
• 400 g chicken breasts, cubed,
• 400--500 ml coconut milk (shake/mix well before use),
• 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce,
• a handful of cilantro, roughly chopped,
• 1 tbsp lime juice,
• 140 g (one small can) bamboo shoots, water discarded,
• 1/2 -- 1 small Habanero chili, deseeded and chopped finely,
• additional ingredients:
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips the size of the chicken cubes (good for red curry),
• a piece of an aubergine, cubed (good for green curry),
• 6 shiitake mushrooms (soaked for 1 hour before cooking, sliced with the leg discarded),
• ...

 Algorithm:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok.
2. Add the sugar, curry paste, and lemongrass and stir-fry over high heat for ~ 1 minute.
3. Lower the heat a bit and stir in the chicken cubes to be covered with the curry paste.
4. Add the coconut milk, bamboo shoots, fish sauce, chili and the rest of ingredients, and bring to boil.
5. Simmer for 25--30 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
6. Add the cilantro and lime juice.
7. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool down. Serve with rice.

Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Thai_Green_Curry

A Tom Yum Goong Variation

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 10 g shiitake mushrooms,
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil,
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar,
• 2 tbsp tom yum paste,
• 400 ml (1 can) coconut milk,
• 1 tbsp chile powder,
• 1 tbsp fish sauce,
• 1 tbsp lime juice,
• 16 shelled deveined shrimp,
• a handful of cilantro,
• additional: 1 small can bamboo sprouts.

Algorithm:

1. Start by soaking the shiitake mushrooms for at least 1 hour. If the mushroom taste is too intensive for you, you may preboil them for approx. 10 minutes.
2. Heat up the oil in a wok.
3. Add the tom yum paste and sugar and stir fry over over a hot cooker for 1 minute.
4. Cool the cooker a little and add coconut milk, mushroom, fish sauce, chile powder, bamboo sprouts if using and bring to boil.
5. Cook for 15 minutes.
6. Add the shrimp and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Add the lime juice and cilantro.
8. Let cool and serve with rice