Breakfast in Bangkok
Thai breakfasts are not that exciting if one actually does breakfast. You
never really know what is and what is not expected and there is not the
absolute and clear distinction between one meal and another that I am used
to. Thai’s eat all the time, at anytime and this makes it’s difficult to be
precise.
But the day generally starts with Jok which is a rice gruel and pat-an-kor
which made from a slightly salty deep fried doughnut type batter. This is
shaped like an X where the middle bits been squeesed together with splayed
ends. I am not so keen on the rice soup but the pat-an-kor is difficult to
resist with coffee if it is fresh, still warm and ever so slightly crisp.
You also get a sweeter version shaped like a very small bread roll.
You then get another version of salapow which is a steamed chinese bun which
can have either a sweet or savoury filling. These you find in all the 7/11′s
as well as being sold by street hawkers. They are ideal as a snack meal on
the run and I am looking for the recipe so I can start experimenting.
Ingredients
Filling
1 1/2 lbs pork (chopped fine, or ground pork)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
20 ounces water chestnuts (a 1 pound 4 ounce can, Supa says, except for
fresh, bamboo shoots are too strong)
1 large onion (chopped)
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
5 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
Buns
32 ounces flour (2 – 16 ounce packages Saigon dia-bao a mixed flour, salt,
and baking soda found in Asian store)
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4-8 tablespoons flour
Directions
Mix filling ingredients in a large bowl.
2
Transfer to covered container and refrigerate while making the buns.
3
Cut wax paper into 24 – 3″ squares.
4
Put bottom of water filled steamer over high heat and cover.
5
Put 2 packages of mix in bowl and add sugar.
6
Mix,.
7
Add flour and oil, and mix with hands in bowl, adding any additional flour
as needed to keep from being too sticky.
8
Knead in bowl 10 minutes.
9
Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
10
Knead again for 5 minutes.
11
Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough, and flatten into 4″ rounds.
12
Put generous spoonful of filling in center and pinch to close.
13
Place on wax paper squares and put in steamer trays.
14
Put trays on top of steamer bottom, adjust heat, cover, and steam for 15-20
minutes.
15
Serve in individual steamer baskets (if you are so fortunate to have them)
or on platter.
Ingredients
236.59 ml soy sauce
2.46 ml sugar
2.46 ml ground cinnamon
1.00 star anise
Directions
1
Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan.
2
Cook over low heat for 30 mnutes, stirring occasionally.
3
Remove and discard star anise. Set sauce to cool.
4
Pour cooled sauce into a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid.
5
Sauce may be refrigerated about 6 months
I used precooked haricot beans from a jar, if you use fresh then you should
boil them for 10 minutes.
Ingredients for 3 People
200 gms Wheat Flour
3 Tableaspoons Yeast
1 Teaspoons Sugar
150 ml Water
6 Prawns
40 gms Cooked Haricot Beans
3 Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Maggi Sauce
1 Tablespoon Oil
Grease Proof Paper
Preparation
1. Clean the prawns, cut down the back and remove the black line gut.
2. Cut the prawns, garlic and beans into small pieces.
3. Fry the prawns/garlic/bean filling with oil and Maggi sauce for 30
seconds.
3. Sift the flour to add air to it.
4. In a cup, mix the yeast with the sugar and water, it will begin to froth
after a minute or so, this step is to get the yeast started.
5. Mix into the flour and knead the dough for a few minutes.
6. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for
30 minutes.
7. Cut the grease proof paper into 3cms square pieces.
8. Cut the dough into equal sized pieces approximately 20 gms each. Each of
these dumplings is 4-5 cms across, so don’t make them too big.
9. Roll each piece of dough in your hands to make it round.
10. Flatten the piece of dough, by pressing it between your fingers.
11. Add a spoonful of filling to the centre and fold up the edges of the
dough to enclose the filling into a neat ‘bun’ shape.
12. Place each parcel seam-side down onto a square of grease-proof paper.
13. Once you’ve made all the parcels, leave them for 10-20 minutes until
they have risen again.
14. Steam the parcels for 5 minutes to cook them.
Serve With
If you want extra spice, you can make a sauce of chopped chillies and Maggi
sauce and dip your dumplings into the sauce.
Is it okay to eat the paper backing?
I have never found one that comes with rice paper. So no I would stick to eating the bun. But do whatever. If it tastes like it, eat it, if not don’t.