Sticky rice, Thai herb salad and papaya and mango mix

Now if you are going to do some Thai style food then you also want a few side dished as well so here are three to do.

First the Sticky rice.

You will need

150g/5½oz Thai sticky rice

2-3tbsp palm sugar

600ml/20floz coconut milk

First you have to soak your rice in water for as much as 4 to 8 hours then drain it off and get rid of the water. Now just heat the rice up in a pan with the palm sugar and coconut milk on a medium heat until it boils. You will have to stir occasionally or it will stick. Then cover the surface of the liquid with a circle of greaseproof paper cut to fit the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and just let it steam in the pan for another 20 minutes. Do not remove the greaseproof paper this way you keep the steam in and cook the rice.

Second your  Thai herb salad

110g/4oz Chinese cabbage

2 lime leaves

3 red chillies

25g/1oz pea shoots

50g/2oz mizuna leaves

A small handful mint leaves

1 spring onion

50g/2oz green beans

A small handful fresh coriander leaves

A small handful fresh basil leaves

A small handful bean sprouts

The juice of 1 lime

1tsp sunflower oil

1tsp fish sauce

1 garlic clove

First make your dressing , take the lime juice,  sunflower oil,  fish sauce and add all to a bowl then finely diced 1 red chilli and  finely sliced 1 garlic clove and add them to the mix and let it stand.  Now you can prepare the salad.  Shredded the Chinese cabbage,  sliced the lime leaves into thin strips,  remove the seeds and slice the last 2 chillies into thin strips, then slice the spring onion diagonally and finally cut the beans into 2cm or 1in pieces. Now throw everything into a bowl and then dress with the dressing just before you serve it.  

And finally the papaya and mango mix

For the sauce

100g/3½oz coconut cream

10g/¼oz sesame seeds

A good dash of fish sauce

1tbsp palm sugar

1 ripe papaya

1 ripe mango

The juice and zest of 1 or 2 limes

 A handful of mint leaves

First make the sauce by adding the coconut cream, sesame seeds, fish sauce and palm sugar heat up slowly so that you get everything combined. Now peel, deseed and chop the mango and papaya into 1cm or ½in cubes. Add to the mango and papaya the juice and zest of the limes and toss it altogether, then drizzle with the sauce. Finally roughly chop the mint leaves and sprinkle them over the top.

Together you have a sweet, spicy, fresh and refreshing mix to go with any good curry.