Solid Shanghainese fare

I had an affordably priced lunch at Shanghai Cuisine, in Tung Chung, this afternoon.

I ordered:

• Pan-fried pork dumplings; 4 pieces for HK$18

• Steamed pork dumplings in spicy chili sauce; 6 pieces for HK$18

• Salty soya milk for an additional HK$2; actual cost is HK$10

The food was comforting.

The spicy dumplings were especially juicy and lip-smacking. I may try to replicate them at home, provided that I can get my hands on an authentic recipe.

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Let's begin with some Thai-rrific food

Thai cuisine is adaptable, innovative and dynamic. The best Thai culinary employs the freshest ingredients available to conceive the unique Thai taste. Thai taste can be characterised as the exercise of all 5 flavors: spicy, sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Only Thai cuisine brings out all of these flavors to play together harmoniously in a meal.

Here is a recipe for Kaeng Khua Sapparod Goong or Shrimps Curry with Pineapple.

Keep in mind that this preparation can get a little too sweet from the use of ripe pineapples, so the use of fresh, medium ripe pineapples are recommended. They are a little sour, but when cooked, become sweet.

Instead of shrimps, you may use other meats, such as chicken, pork, beef or mussels.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2-3 gms. medium size shrimps
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar palm
• 1 cup pineapple, peeled and cubed

Method:

• Using a sauce pan or a deep frying pan, heat up the vegetable oil until hot, and then add the red curry paste to the oil
• Lower the heat to medium, so as not to burn the curry paste. Should the paste become lumpy and difficult to spread and stir-fry, add two tablespoons coconut milk
• Cook the paste for about 5 minutes
• Add coconut milk and blend well. Now bring the sauce back to a boil
• Once the curry sauce is boiling, add the shrimps and quickly season the curry with fish sauce and sugar palm
• When the shrimps are almost cooked, add the pineapple and mix well
• The curry should be fairly thick, almost the same consistency of white sauce
• Spoon this curry into a bowl and serve with hot streamed rice

Tips:

If you are unable to find kaeng khua curry paste, red curry paste is a good substitute. Should your curry be too runny when finished, spoon out the prawns and pineapple and cook the curry sauce until thick. Cream can be used to replace coconut milk, but you will not get the coconut aroma in your curry. Again, this dish should be eaten with steamed rice.

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