Recipe - Pla Kung (Thai Sushi)

1 pound Medium shrimp
2 tablespoon Takrai (lemon grass); punded
and thinly cut or sliced up
1 tablespoon Bai makrut (Kaffir lime
leaves); shredded
2 tablespoon Bai chaphlu leaves; shredded
2 tablespoon Bai pak chi (coriander /
cilantro leaves); chopped
2 tablespoon Hom daeng (shallots/purple
onion); cut or sliced up thinly
2 tablespoon Hom (spring onion/scallion)
cut or sliced up thinly
1 teaspoon Phom prik (ground dried red
chili)
One fourth cup Nam pla (fish sauce)
One fourth cup Lime juice
1 tablespoon Tamarind juice
2 tablespoon Drained; cut or sliced up red Birdseye
chilis (drain the vinegar
from enough prik dong
(pickled red chili)) to
yield this amount)
2 tablespoon Drained; cut or sliced up green
Birdseye chilis (drain the
fish sauce from enough nam
pla prik (green chilis in
fish sauce) to yield this
amount)

Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 15:01:08 0700

From: "Colonel I. F. K. Philpott" colonel@korat1.vukorat.ac.th
In the Isan (Northeast Thailand), this dish is sometimes prepared with raw
shrimp This variant is known as pla kung lao (ie shrimp prepared in the
Laotian style). In essence the shrimp are "cooked" in the lime juice, which
induces chemical changes in the shrimp meat. However the dish has a Thai
variant (pla kung korat or simply pla kung) in which the shrimp are
"blanched" in the manner typically used for vegetables.

bai chaphlu are the leaves of a tree with the latin name piper sarmentosum.
In the highly probable situation that you can't find them, garden mint
makes a reasonable substitution.

Tamarind juice is made by adding tamarind pulp to a little water, and
allowing to stand for an hour, then squeezing it through a chessecloth to
filter it.

Drop the shrimp, still with their heads and shells, into boiling water and
blanche for no more than 30 seconds. Dehead and devein the shrimp, and
discard all the shells but the tails. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add
the fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind juice and chili powder, and leave to
marinade for about an hour. Toss with the remaining ingredients to combine.
Garnish with cucumber slices and lime wedges and serve with sticky rice.

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