Khanom Paeng Na Moo (Thai pork toast)

This is an extremely tasty snack that I stumbled upon. I would love to tell you where, if I can only remember where. But Khanom Paeng Na Moo is basically Thai pork mince on toast. It is very similar to the familiar French toast except it's coated with meat instead of just eggs. What makes this recipe delicious is the crispiness of the pork coating and the soft fluffy center after it is cooked. It's a perfect balance of flavors and an utter delight to the taste buds :)

This is one of the simplest recipe to do and I recommend that you try it for a little snack with some leftover unused minced meat. Or make a batch for entertaining - your guests will be pleased by this easy to eat food. It is also good served in room temperature as well. And I assure you, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes from prep to ready.

What you need for Khanom Paeng Na Moo (Thai pork toast):
(double, triple, quadruple recipe when necessary)

150g of mince pork (or any of your favorite minced meat)
1 egg (use two eggs if you're tripling/quadrupling your recipe)
2 stalks of spring onion, chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly into a chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch/cornflour
a pinch of chilli powder, more if you want it spicier (optional)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional, use soy sauce if you have none)
a large pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of bread

Garnish: Lemon slices


Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients together except for the 4 slices of bread. Let it sit for 10 minutes to marinade while you heat a lightly oiled pan under medium heat.

2. Your meat mixture should resemble a thick paste that is easily spreadable. With a spoon, spread 1 spoonful of mixture evenly on each side of the bread and pan fry each side for 3-4 minutes.

3. Repeat for remaining slices of bread. After your Thai pork toast is done, let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting it into bite size piece and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top before serving.


Best eaten with some chilled milk tea OR iced coffee.

Easy peasy lamb curry

I love curries and cannot live without having it at least once every week. This lamb curry recipe was cooked to go with my nasi kunyit (turmeric rice) instead of the usual chicken curry. And this lamb curry is so delicious, you couldn't help having seconds after. The key is to let it cook under slow heat for a few hours..:)

Anyhow, let's get down to it shall we?

What you need:
500g stewing lamb (Marinade lamb with 1tsp turmeric powder, 1teaspoon ginger powder, salt and pepper)
1 tsp cumin
5 pods of cardamom
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon garaam masala
1/4 cup red curry powder
1 tablespoon paprika powder
2 large juicy tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of cubed aubergines (optional)
2 tablespoons oil

To blend:
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:
1. Heat pan with oil on medium and saute the star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cumin for 1 minute or until the cumin starts popping. Add the blended ingredients in and start sauteing until the ingredients is fragrant (approx. 3-4 minutes).2. Add your curry powder, garaam masala, and paprika. The ingredients will come to a paste so continue stirring and sauteing for a minute so it doesn't stick to the pan. Now, dump your tomatoes in, the juices will start to disperse the thick paste making it more liquid like. If it's still too thick, add 100ml of water in.3. You can now add your lamb in. Cook until the curry comes to a simmer and then put heat to low. Add aubergines, cover and cook for a few hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender.
Serve with your favorite rice!

What's easy about this is that prep and cooking takes about 30 minutes and the rest is just waiting until it done. Perfect for dinner time :)