Hot and Spicy Crunch

Lemon grass, galangal root and lime leaves, the trio of flavors is the most favored ingredient in Thai cooking. Though lemon grass is easy to find, galangal root and lime leaves are not so easy. They can be substituted with ginger root and lime juice.

Hot and Spicy Crunch Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 baby corn sliced
• 4 water chesnut peeled and quartered
• 1/2 carrot cut into strips
• 10 green pea pod halved
  
• 3 kaffir lime leaf daun jeruk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Chillie Paste
If using mortar and pestle, pound Group A till ingredients are mushy then add Group B and pound until smooth.

• 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil or any cooking oil of your choice

(Group A)

• 4 fresh large chillies
• 1 inch galangal lengkuas
• 1 inch ginger root
• 2 sticks lemongrass serai
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Salt to taste

(Group B)

• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 small shallots

Directions

1. Pound the chillie paste ingredients with a mortar and pestle till soft. Alternatively you can use a blender but it's not going to give you that juicy, elegantly textured and flavorful paste compared to the good old granite.
2. In a wok or a small, heavy skillet, dry-fry the chilie paste over medium-low heat until they darken and become fragrant, 3 mins, stir frequently.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients in and stir fry for a further 5 mins. Dish out into a black claypot and serve with steamed fragrant Siamese rice.

Serves 2 - 3 person