Phrik Phon Khua Toasted Chile Powder Recipes

PAD THAI (PHAT THAI)

Steps:

• Noodles: Fill a bowl with lukewarm water. Pull apart noodles and roughly cut into 6-inch bunches. Place the noodles in the water so they are fully submerged and soak for 20 minutes. (Remaining noodles can be stored in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.) If you're using dried rice noodles, soak in water for 30 minutes, or until very pliable.
• While noodles are soaking, prep the other ingredients: Slice tofu into ¼-inch thick slices, then slice into small chunks, about ¾-inch long. Chop 6 garlic chives into 1½-inch pieces; you should have about ¼ cup. Soak salted radish in lukewarm water, 15 minutes; then drain and soak for another 5 minutes. Drain and roughly chop. Cut the Key lime into quarters. In a small bowl, combine tamarind water, palm sugar simple syrup, and fish sauce. (To make tamarind water from tamarind pulp: boil 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp; let cool for 30 minutes; strain.)
• Pad thai: Heat wok over medium-high heat and add oil. Crack the egg into a small bowl. When wok is smoking hot, add the egg and let it cook undisturbed. Immediately add shrimp, followed by tofu, dried shrimp, and salted radish. Use metal spatula to break up egg yolk and turn everything over to sear. Remove noodles from water, shake off excess water, and add to the wok. Toss vigorously, then add the sauce; stir-fry for 1 minute, allowing the sauce to soak into the noodles. Add the bean sprouts and most of the chopped garlic chives; stir to combine, 20 seconds.
• Serve: Transfer pad thai to a serving platter. Garnish with crushed peanuts, remaining chopped garlic chives, chile powder, and a pinch of sugar. Serve immediately, with Key lime wedges and 4 garlic chives on the side.

HET PAA NAAM TOK (ISAAN-STYLE FOREST MUSHROOM SALAD)

Steps:

• Prepare a grill, preferably charcoal, to cook with medium heat. Or preheat a grill pan or heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Toss the mushrooms in a bowl along with just enough oil to lightly coat them. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again. Grill the mushrooms, turning them over occasionally, until they're cooked through and deep golden brown in spots, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the mushrooms, transferring them as they're cooked to a cutting board. Cut any large mushrooms into bite-size slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Leave any small mushrooms whole. You should have about 1 cup of chopped, cooked mushrooms. Let them cool slightly as you make the dressing.
• Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, mushroom stock, sugar, chile powder, and lemongrass in a wok or medium pan, set it over medium heat, and heat the mixture just until it's warm to the touch, 15 seconds or so. Turn off the heat.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the shallots, mint, cilantro, and rice powder, toss well, and transfer to a plate in a low heap so that most of the herbs end up near the top. Sprinkle on another pinch or two of rice powder, and serve.

PHRIK PHON KHUA (TOASTED-CHILE POWDER)

Steps:

• The goal here is to cook the chiles slowly so they get nice and dark but don't burn. Consider opening a window and turning on your stove's exhaust fan.
• Put the chiles in a wok or pan, turn the heat to high to get the pan hot, then turn the heat down to medium-low to low.
• Stir the chiles almost constantly moving them around the wok and flipping them occasionally to make sure both sides of the chiles make contact with the hot pan. Keep at it until the chiles are very brittle and very dark brown (nearly black) all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chiles from the pan as they're finished. Discard any seeds that escape the chiles, because they'll be burnt and bitter.
• Let the chiles cool. Pound them in a granite mortar to a coarse powder that's only slightly finer than store-bought red pepper flakes, or grind them in a spice grinder (or better yet, pass them twice through a meat grinder, first through a 1/4-inch die and then through an 1/8-inch die). Either way, take care to keep the powder coarse. Immediately put the chile powder in an airtight container or plastic bag.
• The chile powder will keep for up to a few months in a sealed container kept in a cool, dry place (not in the fridge), though the flavor will begin to deteriorate after several weeks.