Thai sweets

[GaijinGirl]

Hey all - just discovered Thai desserts. Specifically, Kanom Chun and Foi Thong. ESPECIALLY loved the Kanom Chun. 2 quick questions to those in the know.

1) Are there any other desserts I should search out and sample?

2) Is there any book/website out there dedicated to Thai sweets? I can't find any. (Cooking, yes, sweets no...)

Thanks so much!

[Stupid_American]

I like khanom buang.

It's the little, crispy, browned, crepe looking things, silver dollar sized to the size of a tortilla.

Sometimes they're flat, folded or "pinched".

They are filled will a cream and other assorted"sprinkles.

You'll find them all over, around hawker haunts.

[ecr]

I too love Thai sweets (not all "khanom" are sweet, some are savory) and there are too too many to try in a lifetime it seems. My favorite (it is difficult to choose just one) is khanom thuay, a two-layer treat of coconut "jelly" topped with rich coconut cream. It is steamed in and served from small shallow cups (more like mini saucers). Very easy to find on the streets of Bangkok.

Khanom taan (from "namtaan" for sugar) is another steamed sweet, cake-like and spongy ... lightly coconut-flavored batter (not too sweet), and topped with shreds of fresh coconut.

I also like coconut-flavored sweets wrapped in banana or pandan leaves, like khao tom kathi (sticky rice steamed with coconut milk) and khao tom mat (the same, but with the addition of a banana .... if it is one of the berry-flavored small pink bananas, so much the better).

I recently tried a delicious sticky rice sweet sold in squares, heady with the taste of darkly caramelized sugar. Don't know the name, unfortunately.

Some sweets are particular to certain regions or towns, or even villages. No Thai visitor to Phetburi heads home without a few containers of khanom maw kaeng, which is sort of a cross between a custard and a cake.

David Thompson's Thai Food has a few sweets recipes. Few Thais make them at home because most are fairly difficult and time-consuming to do and they are so easily and readily available from specialized vendors. One of my favorite sights in Thailand is the mobile sweets vendor --- glass-topped and sided cart filled with a mouth-watering variety of sweets, pushed either by hand or attached to the front of a motorbike. Fast disappearing from the streets of Bangkok, unfortunately, but still easily found in smaller provincial towns.

[RindaRinda]

Khanom taan (from "namtaan" for sugar) is another steamed sweet, cake-like and spongy ... lightly coconut-flavored batter (not too sweet), and topped with shreds of fresh coconut.

...khao tom mat (the same, but with the addition of a banana .... if it is one of the berry-flavored small pink bananas, so much the better).

I am going to Bangkok in late June and plan to indulge in shameless piggery. The above two desserts sound intriguing - are they widely available? Can I find them in just about any hawker area, or are they sold in a specific place?

Thanks.

[ecr]

I think I mentioned this in an earlier food in Bangkok thread (you should check it out) but Dalat Aw Taw Kaw, across from Chatuchak market, is an excellent place to try not only these two (I've not seen the namtaan anywhere else in Bangkok) but all kinds of small sweet and savory treats. I'm heading to Bangkok in less than 2 wks and this will be the *first* place I hit (salivating just thinking of it).

It's on Kamphaengphet Road, take a taxi from the BTS Mo Chit station or if you want to walk, get off at Mo Chit and follow the signs to Chatuchak. You will pass the stalls of Chatuchak on your right (on Paholyothin Road), then turn right on Kamphaeng Phet, keep straight past Kamphaeng Phet 2, and Dalat Aw Taw Kaw will be right across the street. Can't miss it ... there's a couple rows of spaces for cars in front. Peruse that first row of vendors nearest the street carefully --- you'll be amazed at the variety of things on offer -- don't be shy, no English necessary, and do try at least one of everything! (if you can). The khanom namtaan lady is the row closest to the street, near the exit on the right-hand side (if you're facing the market). She's got a big bowl of batter that she ladles into a muffin tin-like round thing with 6 or so indentations. These babies are best fresh-made.

It's covered, so rain's not a problem. Daytime only, mid-late morning on a WEEKDAY is best if you want to avoid the crowds.

Another place to go strictly for khanom and savory snacks is Dalat Nang Lyang. It's near the Parliamant Building down a soi off of Nang Lyang Street. Hard to find, I admit, and most taxi drivers won't have a clue what you're talking about. But if you make it inside (weekdays are best, go early bec alot of things sell out when the folks working in the govt offices spill out at lunch time--- Sat it's only half-operational) you will NOT be disappointed. There is talk of tearing this historic market down (hopefully it's not been done already) ... this is a place to search out khanom not much found in Bangkok anymore.

Other than that, the weekday market in the two sois behind Sindhorn Bldg. (next to American Embassy on Wireless Road) --- follow the office workers at noon --- offer alot of tasty treats.

Other than that, keep your eyes open as you walk the streets. Soi Thonglo (Sukhumvit 55, Thonglo BTS stop) is a great place to be about 3 or 4pm if you want to do some street snack cruisin'.

[msphoebe]

Sticky rice with mango is a delicious, seasonal treat. Easy to make at home, too. Yummmmm!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mango on Sticky Rice (Kow Neuw Mamuang)

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Desserts Thai

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 mango -- peeled

Coconut Milk Sticky Rice (Kow Neuw Moon)

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 cup sticky rice

2 pinches salt

1 cup coconut milk

Make the coconut milk sticky rice below.

Peel and slice ripe mango. Place sticky rice on a small plate and top with mango. Spoon the coconut milk on top of the coconut milk.

The Traditional Method Using a Steamer:

Soak the sticky rice in enough water to cover the rice for at least an hour and even overnight. Take your steamer, put water in the bottom and cover the steam section with cheese cloth. Pour the sticky rice on the cheesecloth, cover with the lid and put it on the stove on medium to high heat. The sticky rice should take about a 20 minutes of steaming to cook and will become translucent when done.

The Microwave Method:

I learned this method from my friend who has mastered microwave cooking to such a high level of proficiency that she has earned the title 'the microwave queen'.

Soak the sticky rice for 10 minutes in warm water in a bowl. Soaking the rice is very important. I have tried this method without soaking the rice first and it was disastrous. The rice was undercooked and inedible. The water level should be just above the rice, which comes out to be 1 cup of rice and a little over 1 cup of water (about 10% more). I recommend using a non-plastic container because you may melt the plastic in the microwave. Cover the bowl with a dish and cook in microwave for at full power 3 minutes. Stir the rice around to move the rice from the top to the bottom. You will notice that some of the rice is translucent or cooked and some still has white center or the uncooked portion.

Heat it up again for another 3 minutes. Check and see if it is done. When cooked, all the rice should be translucent. If it needs more cooking, I recommend heating up and checking every 3 minutes or so. How long it takes to cook really depends on your microwave.

Putting it together:

Heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir constantly and let the coconut milk simmer. Hard boiled coconut milk will curdle. Add sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Pour 3/4 of the hot coconut milk over the hot sticky rice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The sticky rice will absorb all the coconut milk. The rice should be a little mushy. Spoon the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice at serving time.

Description:

"Mango on sticky rice is a traditional summer dessert because mangoes

are in season during the summer months of April and May."

Source:

"www.thaitable.com"

Edited August 6, 2004 by msphoebe (log)