Bang Nampheung Floating Market, Phra Pradaeng, Bangkok

No smoking in Sukhothai, please!

Sukhothai declared itself as Thailand's first antismoking historic city to mark the World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Provincial health official Dr Boonterm Tansurat said that the project, sponsored by Thai Health Foundation, aimed to promote and campaign for people's cooperation for a culture of not smoking in public places. The MOU would be signed by some 30 public and private agencies to make all their offices smoke-free zones.Citing a National Statistics Office survey in 2007 that Sukhothai had 93,709 smokers (88,088 were men), he said that an antismoking campaign was needed to have the smokers quit and protect the nonsmokers' health, or else 33,110 of the Sukhothai smokers would die prematurely.

Source:The Nation

Thailand goverment is very serious in carrying out the anti-smoking campaign. Smoking is prohibited in clubs and almost all public places. The condo I'm living in, for example, is a non-smoking zone. Stickers with the no-smoking sign are all over the compound: at the lobby of all blocks, in all the lifts and at the pool area. I wonder if this can be done in Malaysia, too?

Vegetable Thai green curry recipe

Ingredients:
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp each shrimp paste (belacan)

1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5cm piece fresh galangal, chopped
1 tbsp palm sugar
1 lemongrass stalk, outer layer discarded and finely chopped
5 green chilies(cili padi), deseeded and chopped (add more to your preference)

3-4 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed
A bunch of fresh coriander, roots and stalks washed and chopped

Preparing Thai green curry paste:
1. Dry-fry cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a small non-stick frying pan until aromatic.
2. Transfer the seeds to a food processor along with shrimp paste and salt, garlic cloves, fresh galangal, palm sugar, lemongrass stalk, the green chilies, kaffir lime leaves, a bunch of fresh coriander , and blend together to a paste....or pound all of these ingredients till you get a fine paste.

Cooking vegetable Thai green curry:

Ingredients:

Green curry paste (prepared as above)

1 cup of coconut milk

vegetables of your choice

a bunch of basil and corriander leaves
3-4 pieces of kaffir lime leaves

Salt to taste

1. Sautee the paste in a little oil until fragrant.
2.Add the coconut milk. Leave it to boil while stirring gently.

or

1.Heat the coconut milk in a pan until the oil surfaces.

2. Add the curry paste.

3. Add vegetables of your choice e.g. eggplant, french beans, long beans, mushroom, cabbage.

4. Add salt if necessary.

5. Finish your curry by sprinkling the fresh basil and kaffir lime leaves over, or by gently folding it in at the last minute. Additional fresh coriander can also be sprinkled over.

p.s.
a. You can also add sliced beef or chicken together with the oconut milk.

b.The green curry paste can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for use later. Paste will last 2 weeks (or longer), as the spices help to preserve it. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Kerala chicken recipe

Ingredients:

chicken breast cut into cubes - l inch cubes
3 tbspyoghurt
3 tbsp cornflour
4 tbsp ordinary flour
paste of l/2 inch ginger and l pip garlic
egg white from one egg
salt and pepper to taste
a little pinch of sugar
ordinary oil to deepfry the marinated chicken
3 tablesp. coconut oil (this is compulsory because the flavor of this dish comes from the coconut oil)
curry leaves - 20 pcs
bombay onions cut into rings - not too thin nor too thick
dried chilies

Marinate the chicken cubes with yoghurt, garlic and ginger paste,cornflour, ordinary flour, egg white, salt, pepper and a little pinch of sugar for at least half an hour.
In very hot oil fry the marinated chicken till golden brown.
The chicken should be brown but the inside should be soft and juicy - thats why the oil must be hot.
Dish out the chicken and put aside.
In coconut oil, sautee the onion rings and add the curry leaves and dried chilies.
Throw in the chicken and fry them till they are well mixed.
Add more pepper and salt if needed.

Served hot.

Halal restaurant in Bangkok- Sinthorn Steak House - Ramkhamhaeng

Click on map to enlarge.

Situated on Ramkhamhaeng Road, adjacent to Alexander Hotel (Ramkhamhaeng Soi 83) and next to Honda showroom, Sinthorn Steak House offers a wide selection of scrumptious cuisines at very affordable prices. . I couldnt take photos of the variety of food offered as taking photos of food at the buffet counters are not allowed. Besides offering cooked food, there's also a mini-mart which sells fresh beef of all cuts including 'kobe' beef. Goat milk is sold here, too. It has both, outdoor and indoor dining areas. The restaurant also provides a prayer room for its customers.

It opens from 1100 to 2300 hours daily. Buffet starts at 1600hrs.
For more info click here.

Sinthorn Steak House 
3331/2,  Jalan Ramkhamhaeng, between Soi 85-87,
Hua Mark, Bangkapi, Bangkok, Thailand.10240  
Tel. ++662-3777322 , +662-3779123-4  

Fax. +662 377 4308, +662-9782

Email: tamnong@hotmail.com