Monkeys Pot Sweets ขนม หมอแกงลิง

Khanom Hmor Gaeng Ling ขนม หม้อแกงลิง

The finished recipe looks like this; crispy outside,soft and creamy inside. Thanks to Koh Lanta Ko Lanta dot com for this Recipe

MorGaeng Ling (Or Mor Gaeng Mor Khang in Lanta island terminology) is a carnivourous plant that eats insects by trapping them in it’s jug-like protuberances. It is to be found on Koh Lanta ever more rarely.It was a traditional sweet that previous generations on Lanta island ate often.Before the advent of tourism, the locals of Koh Lanta (or Ko Lanta as an alternative spelling),did not have many shops on the island to buy premade products, such as cookies etc.Instead they made their specialities from the things they found from the natural enviroment around them.Mr. Baw, best friend of the author of kohlantakolanta.com, is a perfect example of how a Kohlanta-islander survives without the need for money exchanging hands too often.Trade and barter is a common occurence, and many tasks are completed using the things one has at hand from Mother Nature.”Khanom Mor Ling Mor Khang” is a wonderful example of how simple Thai people are able to make luxurious and enjoyable things to consume without the need to go to great expense. The simple people of Kohlanta can teach us how a quality lifestyle can be lived without the need for unthriftiness. Khanom Morling Morkhang (Or Mor Ganeg Ling to be more precise according to general terminology off the island), is the name given to the sweetmeat that is made from this carnivourous plant that is still being collected prepared and eaten by Mr. Baw and his family (including the author of this website - this sweet is so delicious it is unimaginable that anyone might not like it).A type of “Khanom” (meaning “sweets”), made from freshly grated coconut flesh and coconut-milk made by passing the inside of a half-nut over a round shaped grinding machine.The machine scrapes the flesh off the inside wall of the shell leaving itextremely finely grated. This is then simmered with sugar and mixed with sticky rice, which is stuffed into the inside of the jug-like like nodule of the plant.Lots of coconut milk is poured into each one till full to the brim.Then the sweets are steamed slowly, until the soft chewy coconut-cream tasting sticky rice filling, and crispy light green-yellow container wrapping the sticky rice is ready to be eaten. The plants found for the Photos in this article were found and prepared by Mr. Baw and his family. Please read Mr. Baw’s diary elsewhere on this website. Picture left - Preparing the Morling Morkhang by filling the plant with sticky rice, coconut milk (กะทิ), and grated coconut flesh. Fotos by Spencer Littlewood - cook in fotos “Ree” (Mr. Baw’s wife).

Fried Snapper fish in "red sauce"

ปลากะพงน้ำแดง

Red sauce is a "pour-over" sauce, used to enhance the flavour of the fis, and is quite a common preference in Thailand to use this with fish recipes. You can vary thespicyness of this sauce, depending on your taste and tolerance. For those who dont like a strong taste of fish, a little more chilli will reduce the effect bof fishiness.For my tatses, snapper is a very non fishy tasting kind of fish, and has such a clean fine wonderful white flaky flesh to it that the mouth just waters thinking about it. A bit like haddock maybe.This dish can be served with boiled rice, or on its own as an hor d'hoevre too, even with plain rice soup it is delicious.

Ingredients;
Snapper fish - 500gm, belly pork - 100gm, 3 dried wood mushrooms, 300gms of Morning Glory plant (leaves not flowers), grated ginger (1/2 a cup). Finely sliced red chillies (or capsicum if you dont like spicy), 1 tablespoon of diced garlic, 1 tablesp[oon of sugar, 2 teblespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teblespoon og maggi or golden mountain seasoning sauce.
2 tablespoons of cornflour or flour, white pepper (1/2 teaspoon), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and one cup of stock water. (also of course some vegetable oil for frying).

Preparation Method;\
rub the white pepper and salt over the fishmeatdip in the oil and flour and put on one side to marinate.
Slice the belly pork into thin slices. Take the morning glory, and select the youngest freshest sprigs, and wash them well. As for the wood mushrooms; soak them in tepid water until they swell and become soft to the middle when you squeeze them, and then slice them into small slices too. Cut the skin off the ginger root, wash it and slice it into thin fine slices (as if grated - you can grate it if you like but it will become mushy). Put the wok on the stove and heat the oil until it smokes a little. Add the fish and fry until it attains a golden color and looks crispy.The take the fish out and put to the side (you can use some kitchen paper to remove the extra fat if you like to slim). Fry the morning glory in the same oil and place on a plate to one side too. Add the garlic and fry till it is golden and has a wonderful aroma, add the belly pork, mushrooms, and fry unitl they are cooked - add the stock.

Add the oyster sauce, seasoning sauce, and sugar, fry until they all mix together - taste it to see if it has the right flavour (it should be slightly sweet/salty), and the cornflour should be well dissolved in the gravy.
Stir fry a little more to bring to the boiling point - once bubbling, pour it over the piece of fish and morning glory, and sprinkle the ginger, and red pepper/chilli/capsicum, anmd serve immediately whilst still sizzling!

Bittergourd and spare rib soup

มะระตุ๋นกระดูกหมู

This Chinese influenced Thai soup recipe should use the soft, gristle pieces of bone from the pig, so that when it is well boiled, the bones will be soft and chewable.The harder pieces opf bone on the spare rib serve to add flavourto the stock.

If you don't like bittergourd, then you can use pumpkin or courgette, or even fresh bamboo shoot if you like.the bittergourd should be soake preferably in rock sugar not table sugar, because it will have a bore even balanced flavour to the soup broth.

The other essential ingredient to this soup is "hed Horm" (chinese wood mushrooms), which lend a superior aroma to the broth, permeating it with a wholesome savoury flavour.

Ingredients;

Pork Bones (preferably spare ribs with the cartilage still connected - 500g.
Bittergourd 1kg, or 2 medium ones
6 dried Chinese wood mushrooms
4 coriander roots, one Tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of "Gao Gii" (เก๋ากี้)
and some water for soaking.

Preparation method;

Take the dried mushrooms and soak in tepid water until they swell open (unless you are using fresh ones, in which case you can clean them straight away).After this, take the bittergourd, slice it longways in half and remove the pith from the middle.Cut it then into relatively large chunks.Bring the water to boil in a pan, and add one tablespoon of salt to it adding the bittergourd once the water is boiling.the water should cover the bittergourd; you should not put a lid on the pan.Let the bittergourd boin for about 20 minutes, and remove the water from the pan - then pour fresh cool water on the bittergourd and put the vegetable on a plate to wait for the next stage.

Next, bring a new pan of water to the boil, add the coriander root, pork ribs, 1 tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of rock sugar. Whilst the soup is simmering, carefully remove the foam from the bone that builds on the surface of the broth. after maybe 20 minutes, you can add the bittergourd and the mushrooms to the broth, and simmer until both the bittergourd and the bones are soft. Add the soy sauce, and test to see if the flavour is to one's taste, adding more soysauce if necessary (or sugar if you feel it should be sweeter).
Serve in a steaming bowl.