Cool Thai Food for Warmer Weather

By JET TILA

April 12, 2000 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

As soon as spring arrives, I like to prepare light and easy-to-eat foods. Thai Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce is the ideal finger food for easy dinners with friends or family.

Serve it with Green Papaya Salad, a refreshing accompaniment to the rich flavors of the peanut sauce. Both dishes are popular on the streets of Bangkok when the weather is unforgivingly hot.

You can prepare this meal well ahead of time. The chicken can marinate several days in the refrigerator. The peanut sauce and the salad dressing, too, can be made ahead and refrigerated.

For the salad, use green papayas, which are picked before the sugars in them are mature. They’re crisp with a clean flavor and just a hint of sweetness. Look for them at Asian markets, where you’ll also find red curry paste, dried salted shrimp and Thai chiles.

Thai Chicken Satay

Peanut Sauce

Green Papaya Salad

Thai Chicken Satay

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or more to taste

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup coconut milk

8 to 10 bamboo skewers

* Combine curry powder, pepper, salt, sugar and garlic powder in small bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Add coconut milk, coating chicken evenly. Thread chicken onto skewers, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inches at bottom of each skewer. Grill chicken over high heat on outdoor grill or using stove-top grill pan until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes each side.

4 servings. Each serving: 185 calories; 1,856 mg sodium; 74 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 30 grams protein; 0.32 gram fiber.

Peanut Sauce

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serve this as a dipping sauce for the satay.

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 tablespoon red curry paste, or more to taste

1 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste

* Heat oil in small saucepan over high heat and stir-fry curry paste 15 seconds. Stir in coconut milk and bring to boil; boil 2 minutes. Add peanut butter. Stir constantly until sauce begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer and add fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Cook sauce, stirring, 1 minute more. Remove from heat. An oily film will rise to top; skim it off if you wish.

About 1 1/2 cups. Each tablespoon: 34 calories; 12 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.56 gram fiber.

Green Papaya Salad

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes

4 cups grated green papaya

1/3 cup long beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cloves garlic

1 Thai chile, or more to taste

1 tablespoon dried salted shrimp

Chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish

* Arrange papaya, long beans and tomatoes in medium bowl and chill at least 5 minutes.

* Meanwhile, place fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, chile and dried shrimp in bowl of food processor. Pulse 5 to 10 seconds. (Or use mortar and pestle.) Chill dressing until ready to serve, then toss with papaya mixture. Garnish with peanuts.

4 servings. Each serving: 115 calories; 551 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 0 fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.60 grams fiber.

INGREDIENTS

Shopping List

Cherry tomatoes

Chicken breasts

Coconut milk

Fish sauce

Green papaya

Limes

Long beans

Red curry paste

Roasted peanuts