Making Goong Makham at the InterContinental in Thailand

Hua Hin is about 125 miles south of Bangkok in an area favored by the Thai Royal family.  It is where King Rama VII built a beautiful summer palace on the beach which is now a tourist site. Nearby is where the current king made his residence until his poor health required him to move to a Bangkok hospital.  Hua Hin is a popular beach destination for Asians and Europeans.

One of the things we love about InterContinental Hotels is the many ways they share the local culture with their guests.  One morning we got up early and went down to the beach so we could be there at sunrise to offer the Buddhist monks alms of food and drink.  The hotel had prepared packages of food for us to offer the monks who were on their morning walk. We presented the offering and in return we received a blessing. Offering food is one of the oldest Buddhist rituals and giving food is not seen as charity but as “making merit” that leads to spiritual growth. The hotel’s offerings were all prepackaged food items.  It is common to see the monks walking in the early morning. The Thai people come out from their homes with a pot of rice and ladle it into the monk’s alms bowl. Other people offer a curry-like mixture in small plastic bags that they add to the bowl.

The IC hotels also offer Thai cooking classes.  In the morning we

got into a tuk-tuk, a motorized open-air vehicle popular in Thailand, with Chef Worawut and visited the Chatchai Market. Asian markets selling fresh produce are called “wet markets” because the floor is wet from the melting ice that keeps the fish fresh and from misting the fresh vegetables.  At the market we bought tiger prawn and other ingredients needed for our recipes. The variety of fruits, vegetables, fish and other items in Asian markets is amazing. Chef Worawut explained that

most Thai homes have very small refrigerators so people shop daily for fresh ingredients. One of the items in our recipe was tamarind which is pod-like fruit but Chef Worawut explained that we will use bottled tamarind juice. One of the bonuses with a cooking class is that we get to eat what we make.  The class included preparing three items one of which was Goong Makham (Prawns with Tamarind Sauce).

Goong Makham

1 ½ (one half) tsp coriander 
3 cloves of garlic 
¼ (one-fourth) tsp white pepper
1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
2-4 tiger prawns or 4 oz shrimp, deveined
1 tbs tamarind juice 
2 ½ (one half) tbs palm sugar or brown sugar 
1 tbs Fish sauce
½ (one half) tsp Dark Soya sauce 
½ (one half) stem lemongrass, crushed
2 leaves kaffir lime, finely sliced
¼ (one fourth) cilantro leaves or other garnish

In a mortar pound coriander, garlic and white pepper to make a paste.  Heat oil over low heat in a stir fry pan. Add paste and stir fry for about two minutes until the aroma develops.  Add prawns, tamarind juice, palm sugar, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and lemongrass.  Stir fry for five minutes until sauce thickens. Add kaffir lime leaves. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with cilantro leaves.  

Khmer Cooking Experience at InterContinental Phnom Penh

Fish Amok: A Khmer Specialty

Fish Amok is a Cambodia curry which is steamed instead of boiled and is solid but moist. The traditional Khmer recipe is often served on special occasions like P’Chum Ben, Khmer New Year and during family gatherings.

Blend the following ingredients in a blender to make a curry paste:
4 oz. lemon grass stalk - sliced
1 inch galangal – sliced (or mix 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and mace)
1 oz./15g shallot – sliced
1 oz./15g garlic - sliced
1/ 4 teaspoon turmeric
1 small lime leaf
1 red chili – julienne (Soak in water)
1 tablespoon peanut butter or grinned roasted peanuts (ground).
Then add:
1/ 2 cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/ 2 teaspoon shrimp paste

For Coconut Cream Garnish
Thicken coconut milk with of cornstarch mixture (1/4 cup water, 2 teaspoon cornstarch for 1 cup of boiling coconut cream).

Add 2 lbs meaty fish cubed (catfish, monkfish or cod) and 1/ 2cup coconut cream and let it marinate for 30 minutes or more.
Prepare boxes with banana leaf
Put a layer of julienne cabbage on the bottom, then fish curry mixture, topped with a dollop of coconut cream, garnish with thin strip of lime leaf and red pepper. Steam for 15 minutes. Serve with rice.

Phnom Penh Noodle Soup (Katiev Phnom Penh)
Katiev or simply known as Rice Noodle Soup is one of Cambodia’s favorite food normally taken any time of the day. Partnered with bread and strong coffee your day is complete.

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups pork broth8 oz package noodles (egg or rice) cooked
2 cloves garlic - diced1 onion - chunk
1 finger size piece fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
1 star anise 1/ 4 cup chunk cabbage
Spice bag of cilantro, basil, and mint

Place above ingredients in large pot and simmer for one hour.

A variety of meat and fish can be used such shrimp, liver, pork, beef along with frozen beef, fish, and shrimp balls but the easiest to use is chicken.

1 lb boneless chicken –marinated with two chopped garlic cloves, two tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons soy sauce. After marinating cook in oven for 25minutes at 180ºC, let it cool and slice.

Precook a variety of vegetable such as bok choi, lettuce, and bean sprouts.

To serve put cooked noodles in bowl, add chicken and veggies, pour in hot soup. Serve with hoisin, chili and/or peanut sauce.