Sambal

Sambal is a sweet and intensely sour garlic sauce that originates in southeast Asia. I was first introduced to the sauce in Emilie Hardman's eye-opening "Creative Vegan Cooking" class at Cambridge Center for Adult Education. To turn this sauce back to a vegan item, substitute nori and salt for the fish sauce.

Green jalapeños result in a brilliant burgundy sauce. Red ones produce a color similar to chiles in adobo. 2 jalapeños seems fairly temperate; I'd recommend more (or stronger) peppers for the spice-inclined.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 shallots, peeled
  
• 3 jalapeños, trimmed of stems
  
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 2 tbsp. concentrated tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce (or half a tin of anchovies)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor; process for at least one minute or until smooth.
   
2. Transfer sauce to a deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat until simmering.
   

Cauliflower Florets in Sambal

Update 6/2/09: As I've been discovering other uses for sambal, I've decided to spin the sauce out to its own post.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cored, washed and broken into florets
• 1 batch sambal

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 500º F.
2. Arrange the cauliflower in a casserole or glass dish; bake for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
3. Combine the cauliflower and the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, and cooking for several minutes, stirring frequently to cover.
   

Serve with rice.

Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)

The following soup tastes very good, but I haven't nailed down that of the sweet, delicate aromatic Thai coconut soup called Tom Kha Gai.

One glaring difference from the traditional recipe, of course, is the vastly different composition and quantity of bulk vegetables that I use here. That's because Tom Kha Gai is typically served as a soup appetizer, and I wanted to prepare it to stand on its own as a meal. But that shouldn't affect the broth.

Another possibility is that I make some 'convenience' substitutions such as using anchovy paste instead of fish sauce (which is made from fermented anchovies). I do this both because I don't like to buy lots of exotic condiments, and because I want to be able to make it 'kosher enough.' (See below.)

Still, I think it should be possible to get very close without those kinds of things. If anyone has a recipe for Tom Kha Gai that really replicates the authentic Thai flavors, I'd love to hear about it.

KASHRUS: I have not listed this recipe as 'kosher meat' because it uses anchovy paste (fish) in a dish with chicken. Some people consider the use of fish and meat together to be unhalakhic, although strictly speaking I don't think anyone considers it tref.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
• 2 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
  
• 2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3 tbsp. minced ginger
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (I used light)
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• Oil for sautéing
• Corn starch for desired consistency (I used about 3 tbsp.)
  
• Tamari (or regular soy sauce) to taste
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a pot. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes. The chicken should still be mostly raw.
2. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cut into narrow strips.
3. Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and tamari in the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
4. Mix 2 tbsp. cornstarch into a small amount of cold water so that it forms a paste. Make sure no lumps exist. Combine the cornstarch with the broth and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Repeat until desired consistency is reached.
5. Add tamari to taste.

Thai Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is extremely good on a variety of pastas and grains, and would likely do a nice job for poultry and fish as well. Based on this recipe, but adapted for more readily available ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 4 tbsp sushi vinegar (or 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp salt)
• 1 tbsp. anchovy paste
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• Hot red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all ingredients in a nonstick saucepan; simmer until combined. Easiest to mix while still warm.