on the attempt to be "Domestic Goddess" #1

well, after almost two years living in Bangkok, I am proudly presenting you my new ability to cook a real Thai cuisine: Tom Yum Pla!

Tom Yum pla is a sour spicy soup, the taste is very light yet so refreshing. It could be less spicy if you can't take spicy food, but it should be sour.

Piwat was the head chef of this Saturday Lunch Project, but it was me who initiated the idea, prepared all the ingredients, and...cooked it! *smug alert!

it's a very simple + non hassle soup and I'm glad to share it with you. If one day you decide to try it, please share me the story of how it goes on your side.

So, all the chefs, swipe your trickles of drool and here we go!



Ingredients




4 cups of water
2 Lemongrass stalks, cut into 4 pieces each and smash.
4-6 torn Lime Leaves
3 slices of Galangal
2-3 Limes [depends on how sour you'd like it to be]
10 - 15 bird's eye chili [depends on how far you can handle it]
1 tomato [at the end, we didn't use it because Piwat didn't like it, but the taste is still as great]
1 stem Coriander [including the root]
3 tablespoon of Fish Sauce
A pinch of Ajinomoto MSG
1 teaspoon dry chili



3 Thai Mackerel [small size]



A bowl of Oyster Mushroom

DIRECTIONS

Soup Stock

1.Boil the water in a small pan, add the crushed Lemongrass stalk, Cilantro root, Galangal, 2-3 bird's eye chili and torn lime leaves.
Turn the heat to medium, and boil the herbs for about 5 minutes to release the flavor. The soup color will be light green after that.

2. Add Thai Mackerel to release its stock. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Throw all the mushroom and cook for another 3 minutes until they're soft.

Soup Flavor

While waiting, squeeze the lime juice in a medium bowl. Add fish sauce, crushed bird's eye chili and dry chili, put a pinch of Ajinomoto.

Finale.
Once your soup stock is done, pour the water, fish and mushroom into the soup flavor bowl [you can leave lemon grass, lime leaves and galangal behind]
Add some more fish sauce, dry chili or lime juice to adjust your taste.

Garnish with Cilantro.



YUM! AROY MAK!
[translation: yum! super delicio!]