Thai Beef Salad with eggplants
Thai food for me is just one of those things…that I love. Now, it would seem that the world would be all fine and dandy when going out for Thai food (yea, I know I suppose to cook) but some Thai restaurants really stink. It always amazes me that some people think that they can cook, when it is so painfully obvious that they cannot.
While I was schooling myself in the finer points of Thai cuisine, I picked up a love for this salad called Pla Neua Ma Kheua Praw, aka Thai beef salad with eggplants (aubergines). It was cooking and spicy at the same time, tender and juicy with the right amount of saltiness and it went well with beer. Can’t really ask for anything more that that, now can you.
Now this recipe, straight from the classes I took in Thailand almost 10 years ago is hot, I mean HOT! It calls for 9 thai chilies, which for any layperson will burn your tongue and mouth for hours on end. If you are not a chile head, one of these will do. I ate this version and I, quite frankly have never sweated so much in my life. Thank budda (god) for Thai coca cola and beer Chang.
Your eggplants of choice are the small, ping pong ball size thai eggplant, or if you are lucky can use the pea eggplants. The pea eggplants are great for this dish, they are just kinda hard to find outside of Thailand. Eating eggplants raw might sound kinda strange, but with all of the other flavors and textures, it makes a wonderful and inviting change from the ordinary.
Ready to take a shot at this? Here ya go, just follow this link for your Thai Beef salad with eggplant recipe.
Cheers!
chefRob
Tags: asian food, thai food
This is a great salad. I’d really love to see/read more about your travels in Thailand and Vietnam. I am wondering how you liked the RTSCA- I am considering going for myself as a “vacation”.