Thailand - Miang Kam

Miang Kam

Ingredients

-       shredded coconut (a cup)

-       diced red union (half a cup)

-       diced lime (half a cup)

-       peanuts (half a cup)

-       dried shrimps (half a cup)

-       "shaploo" leaves (50-70 leaves)

-       sliced hot greet pepper (option) (a table spoon)

-       sliced lemon grass (option) (half a cup)

Sauce

-       Shrimp Paste(one third of a cup)

-       coconut sugar (two thirds of a cup)

Directions

-       heat the sugar until it melts then add the shrimp paste, stir it while it is boiling or it will burn; taste (after it cools!) if it tastes right or add some of the sugar or shrimp if needed. (The right taste should be between sweet and salty.)

Instructions for the preparing the shredded coconut:

-       Buy a whole coconut from any food market . It should not cost more than $1 (or 5 baht in Thailand).

-       Then break open the shell and take out the meat.

-       Wash it thoroughly.

-       Then shred it (without peeling the brown skin that is attached to the white part to the shell) into a 1x1 milimeter shreds.

-       Put the shredded coconut in a hot pan and stir it until it is all brown (should take about 20 minutes with medium heat)

How to serve

-       Arrange all the ingredients in a compartmentalized dish (if you have one, otherwise put each ingredient in cup).

-       Each guest will sit around preparing his/her own portion.

-       If "Shaploo" leaves are not available, lettuce or spinach could be substituted.

-       Each person takes some of each ingredient and puts it on the leaf, drop about half a tea spoon of the sauce on them; wrap the leave and eat it.

-       The combination of the taste and smell is the rule of the game!