Sarin’s Thai: Pad Cha

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups white fish fillets 1 cup mixed thai eggplants (small and egg sized) 2-6 small red chilli’s 1 inch piece galangal 3 green peppercorn stems 5 stems thai basil 3 cloves garlic 1 stem lemongrass 3 kaffir lime leaves 1 Tbsp red curry paste 3 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar) 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1/3 cup flour

freshly ground black pepper Extra vegetable oil for frying

Method

1. Cut your fish into inch square pieces and lightly dust with cornflour.

2. Heat some oil in a wok and when it is smoking, quickly fry the pieces of fish til they begin to brown. Place on paper towels to drain oil.

3. Prepare your vegetables for the dish. Wash and cut eggplants into bite sized pieces, finely dice the chilli, lemongrass and garlic, and finely slice the kaffir lime leaves and galangal.

4. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, chilli and lemongrass and cook until fragrant

5. Carefully add the fish to the pan plus the galangal and curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the peppercorns and eggplants and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften.

6. Add seasonings to the wok – fish sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar , and ground black pepper to the wok and stir well to combine.

7. Cook for 5 minutes then stir through the basil leaves.

8. Serve fish with steamed rice or sticky rice.
   

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Sarin with husband, Bernie and daughter, Garnet, the happy recipients of her cooking.

-Sarin Basley

There are two things that characterize Sarin — her laughter and her food.  Sarin is passionate about food, especially Thai food, and she cooks taditional Thai with her own twist. Sarin also loves being a wife and mother.