Thai Ho Mok Pla aka Steamed Curry Fish Custard

Thai food is diverse in appearance, aroma, colour and taste. Thai food is know for its enthusiastic use of fresh herbs and spices. Common flavors in Thai food come from garlic, galangal ( blue ginger ), coriander,/ cilantro, lemon grass, shallots, pepper, kaffir lime leaves, shrimp paste, fish sauce and chilies.

Traditionally  fish and shellfish play an important role in the diet of Thai people.
Anna Leonowens of The King and I ( 1870) observed in her book The English Governess At The Siamese Court.
"The stream is rich in fish of excellent quality and flavour, such as is found in most of the great rivers of Asia; and is especially noted for its platoo, a kind of sardine, so abundant and cheap that it forms a common seasoning to the labourer's bowl of rice."

Ho Mok Pla is a Thai dish consisting of  fish, herbs and curry spices that is traditionally served in banana leaf.

Ho Mok Pla aka Curry Fish Custard in banana leafs.

Ingredients ( Make 8 pieces )
300gm red snapper or Spanish mackerel
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rum/ Chinese wine
1/4 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp tapioca flour
2 tsp light soya sauce

1/  Cut the fish fillet to 1/4 in width x 1 inch length.
2/  Marinated the fish with salt, rum, pepper, tapioca flour, soya sauce for 1 hour. Keep chill in the fridge.
3// RESERVED  2 TBSP FILLET FILLET FOR THE CURRY CUSTARD.

Mean while prepare the banana leaf bowl for the Ho Mok Pla. If you can't get banana leaf, you can used ramekins cups.

1/ Cut 4 inch x 4 inch square banana leaf. Boil a pot of water and soak the banana leaf for 10 mins to soften it.  Wash the banana leaf and wipe dry.

2/  Fold 1/4 inch on one side of the leaf and secure with toothpick.

2/ Fold 1/4 inch and secure with toothpick on the other side of the banana leaf.

3/  Repeat as above to form a bowl shape.

It's not difficult to make this banana leaf bowl.

Stack 2 pieces banana leaf bowl together.

Curry Custard Ingredients. ( Make 8  pieces )
3 - 4 tbsp red chilies paste
2 eggs - lightly beaten
2 tbsp fish fillet - chopped finely
3 tbsp thick coconut cream
2 tsp rice flour
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
Salt to taste, approximate 1.5 tsp
2 pieces kaffir lime leaves - slice thinly
Some basil leaves - chopped

This extra red chilies paste can freeze for several months or use for other curry dishes.

Mix all the curry custard ingredients together.

Garnishing ingredients basil leaves, kaffir lime leaves and red chillies

Basil leaves from our garden

Aromatic kaffir lime leaves

Homemade Red Chilies Paste

Ingredients ( Make 3 medium size containers )
100 gm dried chilies
1 inch blue ginger
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 bunch coriander leaves
1 large onions
5 stalks lemon grass
8 to 10 pieces bird eyes chilies
10 cloves garlic
1 thumb size turmeric
6 kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

 

1/ Toast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in the pan/wok until fragrant.

2/ Cut the dried chilies into 1 inch length. Soak in hot water until soft. Drain and remove the chilies seeds.
3/  Blend the soaked dried chilies and the rest of the ingredients with enough water until very fine.
Blend the ingredients in batch. Do not add too much water.
4/  Keep the chilies paste in air tight container and freeze it.

Homemade red chilies paste

How to assemble Ho Mok Pla

1/  Put 1 tsp chopped basil leaves at base of the banana leaf bowl then top with 1 tbsp fish fillet.

2/  I used the aluminium muffin cup to support the banana leaf bowl. (optional) 

3/  Then pour some curry custard on top the fish fillet.
4/  Prepare the steamer, when water boil steam the Ho Mok Pla for 10 mins.

Topping cream: Mix 1/2 cup thick coconut milk with pinch of salt and 1 tsp rice flour. Mixed well.

5/  After steamed the Ho Mok Pla for 10 mins, scoop 1/2 to 3/4 tbsp of topping cream on top.
6/  Garnish with little bit of slice chilies and kaffir lime leaves.
7/  Steam for another 5 mins.
8/  Remove and serve hot with rice.

You can also garnish the Ho Mok Pla with some fresh basil leave.

This aromatic Ho Mok Pla is a great appetizer.

This authentic Thai appetizer is full of rich flavor and represent all of what we love about Thai food.

Once spoonful of this fragrant curry fish custard and you might start singing
Shall we dance?....... Shall we dance?........ Shall we dance?

After indulge in Ho Mok Pla, if still got room for dessert try this Thai Pandan Coconut Custard.

1 1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp tapioca flour
Pinch of salt
5 pandan leaves or 1/2 tsp pandan paste
1 drop green colouring
3 pandan leaves ( for cooking the custard)

1/  Pound the 5 pandan leaves until very fine. Add 1 tbsp water and squeeze out the pandan juice.
2/  Mix the sugar and coconut milk and whisk lightly until sugar dissolve, add the lightly beater eggs.
3/  Add the pandan juice, salt, tapioca flour, corn flour and green colouring. Mix well and sieve the mixture.

4/  Cut the 3 pieces of pandan leaves into 3 in length. Cook the custard in double boiler, after 10 mins it'll be slightly thicken.

5/ Keep stirring to prevent lumpy custard. Don't worry, you won't break your wrist.

6/ After 20 mins, the custard is ready. Serve hot or chill with steamed bread.

If you got nothing better to do, cut the bread with cookies cutters.

Not only the kids love it, I'm sure the grown up enjoy these fancy shaped bread too.

This silky smooth Pandan coconut custard dipping sauce is a common dip for fresh bread and waffles. Best to steam the bread then dip the warm bread in the coconut custard. Great finger food for parties or pot luck.

Have a nice weekend, cheers!
Amelia

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

13th February
Love is special, love is rare
Love is made for two share
Love is gentle and love is blind
And it begin with two heart combine
Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends.

To all my friends wishing you a very Happy Chinese New Year. May the New Year bring you happiness, prosperity, good luck, good health. Gong Xi Fa Cai and happy holiday.

Let enjoy some of my goodies that I'd prepared.

Pineapple Shape Tarts. For recipe please check out my guest post at Love2Cook Malaysia   on the 9th & 10th of February 2013.  Love is my first few blog friends since I start blogging in 2011. She is a great friend who can cook and bakes very well. Her photography skilled is excellent.

Pineapple shape tarts

• 250 gm Anchor butter ( chilled)
• 4 cups flour to 4 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 1 small egg yolk ( lightly beaten )
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg yolk for glaze

Pineapple tarts refer to small bite size pastries filled with or topped with pineapple jam. This is one of the top favorite cookies during Chinese New Year.

1. Sift the flour and custard power.
2. Cut the butter into cubes, add in to the flour.
3. Rub butter lightly  into flour with tips of fingers till mixture resembles bread crumbs.
4. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla mix to form a pastry dough.
5. Do not knead, just use your fingers to mix lightly as the butter melt pretty fast. 
6. If dough too mushy add a little flour. This dough is suppose to be fairly soft but not sticky.
7. Divide dough into 55 pieces, roll into round balls and flatten slightly.
8. Wrap with pineapple jam and press the  edges together using finger and thumb. Roll tart so that one end is tapered. 
9. Using a small pair of scissor, snip tiny V shapes on the front half of the tart. Snip in rows.
10. Insert  a cloves to resemble a pineapple stalk. Brush with egg yolk.
11. Place tarts on greased tray and bake at 180 deg c for 20 mins or till light brown.
12. Cool completely before store in cookies jar.

Pineapple open tarts.

• 250 gm anchor butter ( chilled )
• 14 oz  flour
• 1 egg - lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp fine sugar
• 1 egg yolk for glaze

1. Sift flour and custard powder together.
2. Cut butter into small cubes.
3. Rub butter lightly  into flour with tips of fingers till mixture resembles bread crumbs.
4. Add egg and vanilla to form a pastry dough. If dough too soft chill for 1/2 an hour. If too dry add a little ice water.
5. Roll out the dough to 1/4 in thick in between plastic sheet.
6. Dust with flour lightly and cut with tart cutter. ( coat the tart cutter with flour and shake off the excess flour. )
7. Fill tart with pineapple jam. Decorate the top as desire with extra dough.
8. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 180 deg c for 15 to 20 mins or till golden brown.
9. Cool completely and store in cookies jars.

This pineapple jam is usually made by slowly reducing and caramelizing grated fresh pineapples that has mixed with sugar and spices. This is also guest post in  Love2Cook Malaysia. Do check out both my pineapple tarts and pineapple jam recipes.

Jam Recipe 

• 5 pineapples
• 22 oz sugar
• 2 star anise 
• 1 cinnamon stick ( 2 in )
• 5 pieces cloves
• 2 limau kasturi  ( lime )

1. Remove skin and eyes of pineapple.
2. Chop into small pieces.
3. Blend in food processor until fine and sieve until quite dry. (Keep the pineapple juice in case the jam too dry, you might need it.) 
4. Put in big cooking pot, add grated pineapple, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cook in moderate heat for 1 hour. Add sugar and lime juice continue to cook till mixture thick and gluey. Keep stirring all the time to prevent burn.
5. Cool completely and roll into small balls till ready for use.

Note: If  jam too watery add sugar and continue cooking. If jam too dry add pineapple juice and cook till sugar melt and gluey.

 Burger cookies.

Burger Cookies
Ingredients:
250 gm. Butter
150 gm. fine sugar
330 gm. Plain flour
75 gm. corn flour
1/4 tsp. salt
30 gm. Milk powder
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
Some sesame seeds for decoration
Some egg glaze
Some Nutella or melted chocolate for sandwiching the cookies

Method:

(1) Beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla essence until well mixed.
(2) Add in egg yolk.
(3) Add in flour and the rest of the ingredients.
(4) Use a melon scoop and scoop the dough and place onto a tray.
(5) Brush with egg glaze. Sprinkle sesame seeds on half of the ready scooped cookies and the other half , no need to sprinkle sesame seeds.
(6) Bake at 170 deg C for about 15 mins or till golden.
(7) Leave it to cool and then spread some nutella or melted chocolate and sandwich with another piece (one with sesame seeds and another without the sesame seeds).

Peanuts cookies.
Ingredients
300 gm roasted groundnuts
600gm flour
7 oz sugar
2 cups corn oil

1. Grind the peanuts until fine.
2. Mix flour,sugar, groundnuts until well blend.
3. Pour in the oil slowly and mixed till well blend.
4. Roll into small round ball, top with roasted peanuts and brush with egg wash.
5. Bake 170 deg C for 15 to 20 mins until slightly brown.
6. Store in air tight container.

Butter cookies
Ingredients
220gm plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
160gm butter
60gm icing sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Almond slice/strips ( optional )

1. Sift flour and baking soda.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add in egg white and blend well.
4. Add vanilla, flour and mix well.
5. Scoop mixture into piping bag fix with star nozzle, pipe a rosette and place almond slice in the middle.
6. Bake at 160 deg c for 8 to 10 mins or until slightly brown.
7. Cool completely and store in air tight container.

Kueh Makmur aka Leaf  Cookies filled with crushed peanuts.

Kueh Makmur
Ingredients
250gm butter
100gm ghee
50 gm sugar
1 egg
460gm plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
few drop of green coloring

1/  Sift the flour and baking power together
2/  Beat the butter, ghee and sugar until light and creamy.
3/  Add in the egg, vanilla extract, green coloring and beat till well blend.
4/  Add in the flour and mix till soft dough is form.
5/  Cover with cling wrap and chilled 30 mins.
6/  Divide dough into round balls, wrap with peanuts filling and seal tight.
7/  Shape the round ball into leaf shape and use a pincher to make leaf design.
8/  Place onto greased baking tray, bake for 20 to 25 mins.
9/  Cool completely and store in air tight container.

Filling
250gm roasted groundnuts
110gm sugar
3 tbsp peanut butter

1/  Mix all the ingredients together.

Our dinner
 I will update the recipes in my next posting.

 Sotong Kapitan aka spicy squid.

  Lemon grass rice.

Chocolate moist cupcakes.

Pulut Tai Tai with Kaya aka steamed glutinous rice with egg custard.

Kueh Seri Muka. One of the favorite nyonya kueh in Malaysia & Singapore.

My no name dessert. Green bean with wheat grain cooked with coconut milk and palm sugar.

Happy weekend to all my friends. I'll be back to reply comments and visit you when I settle all my chores.
Enjoy the holiday and cheers.
Amelia