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Guest Chef - Thai Lotus
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE - JANUARY 2008
Guest Chef - Thai Lotus
Meet Thai Lotus' Giri Raj
Harmony on a plate-that's chef Giri Raj's objective when he creates dishes at Thai Lotus, the newest Asian restaurant in historic downtown Nassau.
In a only a few months, Thai Lotus has captured a loyal following oflocal customers as well as a steady stream of visitors on holiday. It's located on King Street and George Street, near the Pirates of Nassau museum, within sight of the British Colonial Hotel.
Balancing sour with sweet and salty with spicy, the restauran's talented Indian-born chef serves up traditionally toothsome Thai cuisine.
Restaurateur M V Reddy, who also owns the Clay Oven Indian restaurant a few blocks away, recruited Raj a year before opening Thai Lotus in December 2006. His vision was to combne the authentic taste of dishes sold from street carts in Thailand with fine dining sophistication.
It's no wonder the flavour combinations come naturally for Raj. Indian spices heavily influence Thai cooking. "Indian food and Thai food have some similrities in spices like cumin, fennel seed, cloves and the curries," says Chef Raj.
Raj's culinary talents were encouraged when he was still a child, although he relied more upon his instincts than on formal training when it came to designing new ways to repare traditional dishes.
His interest in Thai cuisine started in his early twenties, when he worked with "some of the best Thai chefs in India. I learned from watching them."
Raj parlayed his hands-on education and his passion for food into a succesful career "I feel very happy when I cook food for someone. It's very important for me for people to approve of the food."
East meets best
Chef Raj uses herbs such as basil, galangal garlic and lemon grass, along with Bahamian fresh seafood and
hot spics to achieve an equilibrium of tastes.
One of his most popular dishes is the garlic, pepper and basil chicken, a stir fry served in a tasty brown sauce. The Larb, a spicy lemon grass salad with a lime vinegarette dressing, topped with jumbo shrimp, is alo a big favourite.
The stir fry ginger shrimp, coated in a curry coconut milk, lemon grass, basil and mushrooms with chunks of ginger creates a marvelous blend of Thailand tastes.
Raj's personal favourite is phad Thai, Thailand's national noodle dish. he simple rice noodle, green onion, bean sprouts and ground peanut recipe is a staple in Thai kitchens.
"It's a good thing when you are cooking for someone. When people come here, they trust us. We get an opportunity to treat them."
Spice up a meal athome with Chef Raj's easy-to-make Thai dishes. But remember to invite a friend or two over to sample the fare. According to many Thais, eating alone is bad luck.
Satay
(serves two)
1?2 lb chicken breast
1?2 cup peanut sauce
1 tbsp curry powder
1?2 cupred curry paste
1?2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
Mix curry powder, red curry paste, coconut milk and sugar in a large mixing bowl to make a marinade.
Cut chicken breast into strips and place in marinade for 15-20 minutes.
Skewer chicken on wooden skewer and grill for 4-5 minutes, until cooked and browned.
Serve with peanut sauce. (Pork, shrimp or scallops may be substituted for the chicken).
Phad Thai
(serves two)
1 lb rice noodle
2 large onions, chopped
2 tbsp green onions, chopped
1?2 lb leeks, slicd thin
2 tbsp turnip, chopped
2 tbsp bean sprouts
1?4 lb tofu, diced
1 cup ketchup
1 cup lemon juice
1?2 cup sugar
1 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli paste
1?2 cup peanut powder (or peanut butter)
1?2 cup vegetable oil
Soak noodles in water at room temprature for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a wok. Stir fry onions, turnip, leeks, bean sprouts, tofu, chilli paste and peanut powder for one minute. Add sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, lemon juice and noodles.
Stir fry for two minutes.
Add peanut powder or peanu butter, stir and serve.
Garlic, pepper and basil chicken
(serves two)
1?2 lb chicken breast diced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1?2 large onion diced
1 green pepper diced
1?2 cup broccoli diced
1?2 cup fresh basil
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp light soysauce
1 tbsp sunflower oil
4 oz chicken stock
1 tbsp chilli paste (optional)
Heat oil in wok. Stir fry garlic,onion, green pepper and chicken for one minute.
Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and chilli paste. Add chicken stock and broccoli.
Cook fr two minutes and add basil leaves. Serve over white rice.
Rice pudding Thai style
(serves four)
11?3 cups sticky rice
3?4 cup coconut cream
1 cup palm sugar
2 tsp pandang essence
Soak sticky rice for at least four hours and cook in a steamer over lowheat for 90 minutes.
Bring coconut cream to a boil in a pan, add palm sugar and pandang essence. Reduce to a thick cream.
Fold rice into the cream and serve in individual portions garnished with sesame seeds, fresh mint and cherries.
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