We had a neighbor over for dinner mid-January, and made a Thai meal:
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| Chicken legs with a garlic-fish sauce glaze. |
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| Som Thaam (green papaya salad), one of my favorites. A slaw with a spicy sweet-sour-fish saucey dressing and little nuggets of roasted peanuts. |
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| Laap. A salad made from ground meat (pork loin in this case), green onions, cilantro, and fresh mint, seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, and brown rice powder. |
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| Cucumbers, mint, and basil |
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| Sticky Rice Bundles wrapped in bamboo leaves. |
Mushroom Sticky Rice Bundles in Bamboo Leaves
Makes 10
10 Dried Bamboo Leaves
1/4 c. Oil
6 Green onions, chopped
6 oz. Mushrooms, diced
1/4 c. Water Chestnuts, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Small Chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
2 c. White Glutinous (Sweet) Rice, washed and well drained
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
Soak the bamboo leaves, either overnight in cold water or in for 10 minutes in boiling water, until soft. Drain.
Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a frying pan or wok; cook green onions and mushrooms over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in water chestnuts, soy sauce, chilli, sugar, and cilantro. Allow to cool.
Bring 1 1/2 c. water to a simmer. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan, add the rice, and stir for two minutes, or until coated. Stir in 1/4 c. of the hot water over low heat until it is all absorbed. Repeat until all the water has been added; this should take 10-20 minutes. Add the soy sauce and season with pepper.
Fold one end of a bamboo leaf on the diagonal to form a cone. Hold securely in one hand and spoon in 2 Tbsp. of rice. Make an indent in the rice, add 1 Tbsp. of mushroom filling, then top with another tablespoon of rice. Fold the other end of the bamboo leaf over to enclose the filling, then secure with a toothpick. Tight tightly with kitchen string. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Put the rice parcels in a single layer inside a bamboo steamer (or other steamer, or a colander suspended over a pot of simmering water and covered tightly). Cover with lid and sit over a wok/pot half filled with simmering water. Steam for 1 1/2 hours, or until the rice is tender, adding more boiling water to the wok as needed. Serve hot.
Then you peel off the bamboo and eat glorious, mushroom-y, soy-y sticky rice! Here is a link to a recipe for other kinds of sticky rice pockets, with a video showing how to fill them, which may be helpful.
I adapted this recipe from The Essential Rice Cookbook.
