Green papaya salad

Green papaya is said to help fight stomach ulcers. It also aids digestion.

Green papaya should always be stored in the fridge and used within one week.

The seeds of the green papaya should be discarded, whereas ripe papaya seeds can be dried and ground and used as a substitute for black pepper.


Green papaya - Part 1.

Light and tangy, this makes a great appetiser or quick-fix lunch.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1/2 medium green papaya, finely sliced
5 lettuce leaves, shredded
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 chilli padi, chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup coriander leaves
4 frozen crabsticks, thawed and thinly sliced
100g honey-baked ham, finely sliced
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed

Dressing:
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
4 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 heaped tsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp fine brown sugar

Method:
1. Pat dry shredded green papaya. Arrange lettuce and cherry tomatoes on a serving dish.
2. Whisk all the salad dressing ingredients together.
3. Add chilli padi, shallots, coriander and green papaya to the dressing and mix well.
4. Put green papaya, along with the dressing, sliced crabsticks and ham on top of the lettuce.
5. Garnish with ground peanuts and serve immediately.

Tips:
Add 2 tsp small dried shrimps (soaked first) to the dressing.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (May 2007)

Thai green papaya salad

Som Tam - Thai green papaya salad.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 garlic, skinned
2 shallots, skinned
3 chilli padi
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar
Lime juice, to taste
3 green beans, cut into 3cm lengths
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
2 cups finely shredded green papaya flesh
1 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped

Method:
1. Pound garlic, shallots and chillies in a mortar.
2. Add fish sauce and sugar. Mix well. Adjust to taste with lime juice.
3. Add green beans and tomato. Use the pestle to mix the vegetable with the dressing. Avoid mashing the vegetables.
4. Add green papaya. Pound lightly and mix well using the pestle.
5. To serve, spoon peanuts on top.

Recipe source: Food and Travel magazine (Feb 2007)

Vegetarian bee hoon

Ingredients (serves 4):
Half a packet of bee hoon (rice vermicelli)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
A handful of coriander, torn
4 sprigs spring onions, chopped
2 red chillies, sliced
1 can FairPrice Chai Charng (斋肠)
1 packet bok choy (or any leafy vegetable), washed
A handful of bean sprouts, tailed and washed
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Soak the bee hoon in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and then add the garlic and fry till fragrant.
3. Add the bee hoon and fry for 3 minutes; add some water if it starts to get too dry.
4. When the bee hoon starts to get soft, add the dark and light soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir well to combine.
5. Add another cupful of water and fry till the noodles are soft.
6. Taste and add salt and pepper, or more soy sauce if you like.
7. Add the bok choy and fry for 1 minute or until it just wilts.
8. Turn off the flame.
9. Open the can of Chai Charng and pour some of its braising liquid into the noodles. Taste and add more if desired.
10. When ready to eat, transfer the noodles to a plate and arrange the Chai Charng on top. Garnish with coriander, spring onions, bean sprouts and chillies.

Recipe source: Today newspaper

Sugarcane prawn kebabs

Ingredients (serves 6):
12 sticks of sugarcane, each 15cm long
750g prawns, peeled
1 clove of garlic
1 1/2cm piece of ginger, peeled
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg white
1 tbsp cornflour
oil for basting

Method:
1. Pare away the skin of the sugarcane.
2. Trim the middle section a little thinner.
3. Place prawns, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sugar and pepper into the food processor and pulse into a smooth paste.
4. Add egg white and cornflour to paste. Mix well.
5. With wet hands, mould the prawn paste around the thin section of each sugarcane skewer and smooth into a sausage shape.
6 Brush with oil and grill in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C for 20 minutes until prawn mixture turns pink.

Tips:
No sugarcane? Just pat the prawn mixture into round or sausage-shaped patties, grill and serve wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Mar 2007)