DRY-ROASTED FLAVORINGS Dry-roasting is a way of intensifying flavors (and, incidentally, perfuming your kitchen with wonderful aromas). It’s a method widely used in Asia for peanuts and sesame seeds, which are then chopped or slightly ground and sprinkled on as a topping or flavoring for rice, noodles, salads.… Grated coconut, fresh or frozen, is also dry-roasted to bring out its flavor and make it less perishable. In Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, sticky rice is not only a staple food, but also a condiment. It’s dry-roasted, then ground to a powder and used as an aromatic ingredient in salads. All these prepared ingredients are easy and useful kitchen staples.
DRY-ROASTED PEANUTS
Start with whole skinless peanuts from an Asian grocery. They’re white and fat. Sometimes they’ve been boiled, sometimes they’re raw. If you can find only peanuts with the skins on, you’ll need to rub the skins off after dry-roasting.
Place a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 cup peanuts and use a wooden spoon to move them around the pan frequently to prevent sticking and burned spots as they roast. They will start to develop golden patches and become aromatic; if you notice any black patches on the nuts before they have turned light brown, remove the pan from the heat for a moment and lower the heat, then return the pan to the heat and continue. Once the peanuts are golden brown in large patches all over, transfer them to a large cutting board and coarsely chop. Or, let them cool, then transfer to a food processor and pulse briefly to coarsely chop; be careful not to overprocess—you do not want a paste.
Store, once completely cooled, in a well-sealed container in a cool place. In Vietnam and Cambodia, chopped dry-roasted peanuts are often mixed with sugar to make a sweetened topping for desserts or sticky rice.
DRY-ROASTED SESAME SEEDS
Like peanuts, these contain a lot of oil, so they can burn very quickly. Place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add about ½ cup sesame seeds (or whatever quantity you wish to roast). Use a wooden spoon to stir them continuously and keep them from burning. Once they are golden and aromatic, lower the heat slightly and continue to stir and turn until they are a rich golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and stir several times as they cool to help the steam escape. When they are completely cool and dry, store in a sealed glass container in a cool place.
If you want to crush or grind roasted sesame seeds, use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. The Japanese mortar known as a suribachi has ridges inside its bowl, ideal for grinding sesame seeds.
DRY-ROASTED GRATED COCONUT
To dry-roast fresh or frozen grated coconut, heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the coconut, and stir constantly. If you are using frozen grated coconut, it will give off some water as it heats, but this will quickly evaporate. After about 5 minutes for fresh coconut, 8 or more for frozen, the coconut will start to turn golden. Keep stirring and turning to ensure even cooking and prevent burning until the shreds are firm and dry, aromatic, and golden brown. Let cool completely before storing in a sealed glass or plastic container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week.
ROASTED RICE POWDER
[khao kua (Thai/Lao), thinh (Vietnamese)]
This handy condiment from northeast Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam is simple to prepare and adds good flavor as well as a slight and very pleasing texture to cooked salads. Make up a batch and keep handy for sprinkling on cooked vegetables and other soft foods as you please.
¼ cup Thai sticky rice or jasmine rice
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice and dry-roast, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and burning, until it is an all-over golden brown. Transfer to a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or mortar and grind to a powder. Let cool completely. Store in a well-sealed glass jar.
MAKES about ¼ cup powder
[khao kua—NORTHEAST THAILAND]
This variant on roasted rice powder is scented with lemongrass and wild lime leaf. The roasted rice holds the aroma of the herbs for a good long time, so it’s a way of keeping some of that elusive wild lime leaf aroma alive in your kitchen. (We’ve kept the powder for as long as 4 months in a tightly sealed glass container, and at the end of all that time it was still pleasingly aromatic.) Use it as a condiment and flavoring in Thai-Lao salads and laab dishes.
½ stalk lemongrass
2 to 3 fresh or frozen wild lime leaves
¼ cup Thai or Lao sticky rice
Cut the tough root end and any grassy top off the lemongrass and discard. Peel off the tough outer layers. Use a cleaver or sharp knife to thinly slice, then mince enough to make 1 tablespoon. Fold each lime leaf in half and gently tear out the central vein. Stack the leaves, roll up tightly, and very thinly slice, then mince enough to make 1 tablespoon.
In a small bowl, mix together the rice, lemongrass, and lime leaf.
Place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the rice mixture. Using a wooden spoon or spatula to keep the mixture moving to prevent burning, dry-roast until the rice has turned golden. Transfer to a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or large mortar and grind or pound to a coarse powder. (You may have to grind it in more than one batch.) Let cool completely, then transfer to a well-sealed glass or plastic container.
MAKES about 6 tablespoons powder
CHINESE PEPPER-SALT
[jiaoyan—CHINA]
This classic condiment and flavoring is widely used in China, especially in regions where the taste is for hot and spicy. Serve it as a dipping powder or use as a dry-rub or flavoring ingredient.
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
In a small heavy skillet, dry-roast the pepper and salt together until slightly aromatic. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder or coffee grinder and pound or grind to a powder.
MAKES about 1 tablespoon powder
TWO PEPPER – SALT SPICE DIP
[prik ji—SOUTHERN YUNNAN]
This is the Dai version of classic Chinese pepper-salt. Prik ji in the Dai language means “dried red chiles.” Serve this as a dipping powder or use as a dry-rub or flavoring ingredient.
3 Thai dried red chiles
2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
In a small heavy skillet, dry-roast the chiles until soft. Remove from the skillet and tear into pieces, discarding the tough stems. Place in a mortar or a food processor and pound or grind to a powder.
Place the salt and Sichuan peppercorns in a heavy skillet over medium heat and dry-roast until slightly aromatic. Add to the mortar with the chiles and pound to a powder; or, grind to a powder in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, then mix together with the chile powder in a bowl. Store in a well-sealed container.
MAKES less than ¼ cup powder
FLAVORED OILS Flavored oils are simple condiments that can be drizzled on rice or noodles or soup to give them a little zip. You can also cook with the oil, then use the flavoring solids as a garnish for the finished dish if you wish. There’s nothing like the crunch of fried garlic to brighten a steamed dumpling or a bowl of noodles.
Each of these oils is made the same way: The oil is heated, then the flavoring is dropped into the hot oil and the oil is left to steep and cool. Store flavored oils in the refrigerator; the oil will cloud in the cold, but this will not change its flavor.
HOT CHILE OIL
Chile oil is widely sold in Asian markets, but homemade is easy and better tasting. Be sure your chile flakes are bright red, hot, and very fresh. Use the oil as a condiment and flavoring, with or without a little of the chiles.
½ cup peanut or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons dried red chile flakes
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. As soon as it starts to smoke, toss in the chile flakes, taking care not to splash yourself, and remove from the heat. Let stand until completely cool, then transfer to a clean dry glass jar and store in a cool place. If you wish, in several days you can strain out the chiles and store them separately or discard them, leaving you with just a gleaming orange hot oil.
MAKES about ½ cup oil
SCALLION OIL
This is a subtly perfumed oil with a cloud of pale green floating in it, very attractive served in a small glass dish. Use as a condiment for rice, noodles, and soups.
¼ cup peanut or vegetable oil
3 medium to large scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. When it is very hot but not smoking, add the scallions, taking care not to splash yourself, and immediately remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer the oil and scallions to a clean dry glass container, cover, and store in a cool place. With the scallions in it, the oil will keep for only a few days; for longer keeping, strain out the scallions.
MAKES about ¼ cup oil
GARLIC OIL, FRIED GARLIC, AND VARIATIONS
Little bits of crunchy fried garlic or shallots make a great topping; the oil they are fried in is aromatic and another versatile flavoring. If you toss in dried red chiles, you have a chile-garlic oil … all easy variations on a theme.
¼ cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. When it is hot, toss in the garlic, taking care not to splash yourself, and use a spatula to stir and separate the garlic as it clumps in the hot oil. When the garlic begins to color, after 15 to 20 seconds, remove from the heat and let stand until the oil cools to room temperature. Transfer the oil and garlic to a clean dry container with a tight-fitting lid. The oil will keep for about 5 days; to keep it longer, strain out the garlic and discard. Store in the refrigerator or another cool place. Discard after 1 month.
MAKES ½ cup oil
VARIATIONS: Use the same method to make SHALLOT OIL and FRIED SHALLOTS, substituting 3 tablespoons shallots for the garlic. Once the oil has cooled, scoop out the shallots, drain well on paper towels, and store separately in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator. You can also buy fried shallots in Asian markets, but, as always, homemade have a better flavor.
TO MAKE SHAN-STYLE CHILE-GARLIC OIL, dry-roast 4 dried red chiles, following the method in Two Pepper–Salt Spice Dip (page 309). Discard the stems, then pound or grind the chiles to a powder in a mortar or spice grinder or coffee grinder. Follow the recipe for Garlic Oil, and add the powdered chile just after you remove the oil from the heat. (This oil doesn’t keep well in the tropical heat, so traditionally it is not made in large quantities.) Let cool, then transfer to a clean dry jar, seal tightly, and refrigerate. If you will be storing the oil for longer than 5 days, after a day or two, strain out the chiles and garlic, leaving you the fragrant oil.
HOMEMADE PICKLES Pickling garlic, cabbage, and chiles is a way of keeping intense flavors alive well after the growing season is over. Pickles are handy to have around, to add extra flavor and crunch. Be sure that the jars you use are sterile and seal well. For a complete discussion of pickling and canning, including an explanation of health and safety issues and reliable sterilizing techniques, refer to Preserving by Oded Schwartz (see Bibliography).
THAI PICKLED GARLIC
[kratiem dong—THAILAND, LAOS]
Whole heads of unpeeled garlic are soaked in water to make them easier to peel, then bathed in a sweet-sour vinegar solution. In Thailand, the heads of garlic are smaller and are pickled whole. They’re very beautiful in the jar, but we find the heads we get in North America are usually too large and tough, so we separate the garlic into (unpeeled) cloves before pickling. This also gives us a chance to discard any discolored or shriveled cloves.
Add slices of pickled garlic to Thai salads, serve as part of a fresh or cooked vegetable plate, or use as an ingredient for Mekong Subs (page 284).
8 large heads garlic (1 pound), preferably organic
1½ cups rice vinegar
1½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Place the garlic heads in a bowl of water with a lid or other weight on top to keep them submerged. When they have soaked for an hour or more, drain, peel off the outer skin, and separate into cloves; do not peel the individual cloves.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, add the garlic cloves and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Once the garlic cloves have cooled, sterilize one medium (1-pint) or two small (½-pint) canning jars and their lids.
Use sterile tongs or a sterile slotted spoon to lift the garlic cloves out of the vinegar mixture and place them into the jar(s), packing them tightly. Stir the vinegar mixture well with a clean dry spoon, then pour over the garlic, filling the jar(s) right to the top. Cover tightly and store in a dark place. You can use the garlic after a week, but the flavor improves with age. Refrigerate after opening.
MAKES 1 pint pickled garlic
NOTE: We’ve also made pickled garlic by peeling the cloves before pickling. The garlic absorbs the pickling solution more quickly, but without the protection of the peel, it also turns a slightly disturbing blue-green color (though it’s nothing to worry about; in fact, it’s the sulfur compounds in the garlic combining with some trace copper in the water). After pickling, unpeeled individual cloves will slide easily out of their skins.
PICKLED CABBAGE, THAI STYLE
[pak kat dong—THAILAND]
Unlike many pickles, this slightly sweet, intense version of pickled cabbage doesn’t make you wait for weeks. Two days after it goes into the jars, it’s ready, still slightly crunchy and bursting with flavor. Over time, the cabbage softens and the flavors mellow. This makes a good addition to a vegetable plate or, finely chopped, a kind of chutney/pickle condiment to accompany any rice or noodle meal. Or stir-fry it as an accompaniment for a rice meal (See Note.)
1 medium Savoy cabbage (about 2½ pounds), or 2½ pounds Swatow mustard greens
2 cups rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Peel off and discard any discolored leaves, then cut the cabbage lengthwise in half. Cut out the core and discard. Cut the cabbage into thin wedges, then cut crosswise into approximately 2-inch pieces. (If using the greens, cut into roughly rectangular pieces about 1 by 2 inches.) Spread out on a tray or basket in a warm or sunny place, cover loosely with a white cotton cloth, and let wilt for 6 to 12 hours.
Place the remaining ingredients in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, sterilize two 1-pint glass canning jars and their lids. Stuff the cabbage into the sterile jars, using sterile tongs. Pour the vinegar mixture over to cover, then seal tightly. Let stand for 2 days at room temperature (or, if the weather is very hot, in a cool place) before using. Store in the refrigerator. Use within 3 weeks.
MAKES 2 pints pickled cabbage
NOTE: You can make a quick and easy stir-fry with pickled cabbage. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok and toss in 3 dried red chiles and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. When the garlic begins to change color, toss in 2 cups drained, coarsely chopped cabbage. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until wilting, then season with 1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce or 1 teaspoon salt. Stir briefly, turn out onto a plate, and serve. This makes an excellent foil for mild or rich dishes, such as coconut milk–based curries or soups. In Issaan it’s called pak som pad, in Laos, khoua pak.
[YUNNAN]
We came across this version of pickled chiles in Muslim restaurants in Yunnan. They are eaten as a condiment with meals, and also used as an ingredient in cooking. They’re simple to make, but you could substitute the pickled chiles of Greek tradition, often sold in Mediterranean grocery stores alongside the olives, though they’re generally not as hot as the chiles served in Yunnan.
Yunnanese pickled chiles are made with vinegar or with bai jiu, literally, “white liquor,” a strong clear Chinese liquor. The recipe below calls for vinegar.
Serve these as a condiment/pickle to accompany a meal; set out on a salad plate, or use as an ingredient in stir-fries. Refrigerate after opening.
¼ pound (about 2 cups) serrano chiles or other small hot or medium-hot chiles
1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Pinch of Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
2 star anise, whole or in pieces
Wash and dry the chiles. Cut off the stems, leaving the chiles whole.
Heat the vinegar in a nonreactive saucepan, add the sugar and salt, and stir until completely dissolved. Add the Sichuan pepper, if using, and the star anise and simmer briefly, then let cool to room temperature.
Sterilize two ½-pint canning jars and their lids. Stuff the chiles into the jars and place 1 star anise in each jar. Stir the pickling solution, then pour over the chiles, filling the jars to the top. Put on the lids and seal tightly. Set aside in a cool place for 2 weeks before using.
MAKES 1 pint pickled chiles