I got my first whiff of roasted Thai chili paste at a cooking class in Bangkok with Silom Thai Cooking School.
I’ll bet you’ll never guess what it smells like.
Caramelized or fried onions/shallots. Strange right? I would have though it would smell like chili peppers or something like that… but nope, it really smells like caramelized shallots.
And trust me that’s a good scent.
At that moment I made a mental note that I must create some sort of dish with the chili paste for my parents when they came to Phuket.
Luckily the grocery store near us carried that along with all other Thai staples I could possibly need.
The week that my parents were visiting really flew by. No sooner had they landed that we were seeing them off again.
All our days on the island on one hand felt like we were constantly running around, but on the other hand it was mostly going back and forth between the condo the pool and the beach.
It’s amazing how quickly the sun tires you out though. Ever felt it? After spending a day at the beach or pool doing nothing but swimming and lounging around and then find yourself tired by 9pm? As good as it is to be in the sun, it really sucks the energy right out of you.
Ah I do miss having poolside beers and glasses of prosecco with my parents though. What a luxury.
Somehow in between all that sun time I did still manage to cook a bunch. Mostly egg based breakfasts and Thai themed dinners to be exact. At the grocery store I had bought a few key Thai cooking ingredients and basically just alternated with ones I would add into that day’s meal.
So one afternoon I came up with this dish. Shrimp and Long Beans in Roasted Thai Chili Paste. It was a hit. I came up with it on the spot. Just adding a dash of this a splash of that.
Most importantly my mom loved it.
Cooking success.
So I suggest you get your hands on a good quality roasted thai chili paste and get to work. The chili paste can be added to so many different recipes and really adds a depth of flavors. Not even too spicy, more so smoky and deep. A must have for a Thai cooking enthusiast.
- 4-6 long beans, cut into 1 inch segments
- 1 pound shrimp, defrosted, peeled but with tails on
- 2 tablespoon roasted thai chili paste
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 inch galangal (or ginger) diced
- 3-4 stalks lemongrass, cut on a diagonal into 2-3 inch segments
- 2 dried red chilis, halved
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola or soybean)
- ½ lime, cut into wedges
- Heat wok over medium high heat and add oil.
- Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass and dried red chilis. until aromatic, 1 minute.
- Add long beans and cook 1 minute.
- Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add chili paste and fish sauce and mix to make sure everything is evenly coated.Cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add lime juice.
- Serve over rice with lime wedges.
Welcome to Avocado Pesto! Long time foodie and travel enthusiast, I started this blog to share my curious culinary efforts and kitchen endeavors. Here you'll find a smorgasbord of ethnic cuisines and hopefully a few humorous tales too.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my gosh does this look like my dream dish! And of course so jealous that you were at a cooking school there. Lucky duck
Thanks! The roasted thai chili paste is seriously so good and smells great! Highly recommend getting your hands on a jar!
Recipe looks great! Would love to try it.Where can I buy lemon grass?
You can find lemongrass at Asian supermarkets or at Whole Foods (both in fresh and dried form) or on Amazon. This one is fresh http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ESWFHE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000ESWFHE&linkCode=as2&tag=avocadopesto-20 (though I have not tried ordering it so do not know much about it) and this one is dried http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PYNF2W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004PYNF2W&linkCode=as2&tag=avocadopesto-20 (this is the brand you can find at Whole Foods, if there is one near you). Hope that helps!