Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Favorite Meals - #2 Thai

Massaman curry and ground chicken salad form one of my favorite meals. Of course, I also love red and panang curry, but massaman is my favorite. This is Wikipedia's info on Massaman Curry:
(Thai: kaeng matsaman or gaeng masaman) is a Thai dish that can be made with beef, chicken, or pork. It contains coconut milk, roasted peanuts, potatoes, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind sauce. It is a Muslim-influenced curry, and the name massaman means "Muslim". The dish is served with rice and sometimes pickled ginger or cucumber and peppers soaked in vinegar.

I know the "fish sauce" may sound icky, but it's not overpowering. I am NOT a fish person, and I don't even notice any kind of fishy flavor. I like my curry with chicken. Add steamed jasmine rice, spring rolls, and chinese chicken drumsticks (drizzled with the curry gravy), and you've got a meal to wallow in.

The best place in Oklahoma to eat Thai food is the Thai Raja in Jenkins and Boyd in Norman. There is a daily lunch buffet (11:00-2:00) for $6.95, and it is ALWAYS exceptional. The buffet curry always has chicken in it, but there is also a small vegetarian bar that offers tofu in the curry. The bar also has pad thai, steamed and fried rice, broccoli beef, a different salad each day, fruit, thai cashew chicken, and several dishes with shellfish. Since I only eat curry plus the salad, I'm not sure what all is on the buffet each day. The Raja offers 5 types of curry, and each day of the week has one of the curries on the buffet (Green/Mon, Massaman/Tues, Red/Wed, Panang/Thurs, Yellow/Fri). Lately, they've also been offering Red curry each day as well. The lady that owns it is from Thailand, as are most of the waitresses. They all speak excellent English and are the kindest people. My SSC gang eats there often, even though it's an hour drive from Seminole.

Thai food is one of the best foods in the world. I like Chinese, but I rarely eat it anymore. You know how at the end of the meal, you feel really heavy and all you can taste is the sugary sauces and breading? Well, Thai food does not leave that feeling in your stomach or your mouth. In fact, I feel like my tastebuds are smiling and floating on air after eating at the Raja. Seriously. I've never been sick after eating Thai food, and it seems to fill me up better.

BTW, Thai curry is very different from Indian curry.

8 comments:

Bobbie (Sunny) Cole said...

oh - this looks good! Family members love curry, so I really need to work on some recipes that use it *sigh*. Now I want to take a trip south to Norman - lol.

Mike Mazzo said...

First time to visit your blog, fellow OKRWA sister.

I've never eaten Thai, or curry. We don't eat out much, and my husband is not what you'd call adventurous when it comes to food, so we usually stick with Chinese, Mexican or Italian. Some day when I'm eating out with friends I'll have to try it.

Glad you're doing so well. Loved the Last Supper picture. Hope you enjoy your First Supper on Monday. Will you post a picture?

Betty S said...

I'm noticing a pattern developing in your posts. "Top 10 Meals", "Favorite Meals", I'm beginning to worry.

Kelli McBride said...

Do try Thai food! It's wonderful.

Welcome to the blog, Sara. You need to read my Top Ten Sexiest Men on TV archive. I think I did my best writing there. #1 hunk on TV? Richard Dean Anderson as Col. Jack O'Neill on Stargate SG-1.

Betty - don't worry. I've been wanting to do another top ten list, and I had fav meals on it several months ago. I just got so busy I didn't have the energy to do it. So, I'm not obsessing about food. Yet. ;-)

Betty S said...

If it becomes a problem, SHOUT.
We'll come do an intervention.

I saw Brokaw on TV doing a special on global warming the other day. Thought of you instantly.

Rinda Elliott said...

Kelli, my bloglines is not telling me you updated. Darn it. It did that with Lyn's too.

This food looks fantastic! I usually never make it past shrimp pad thai-- but you reminded me that I haven't eaten Thai food in a long, long time. Will remedy.

Michele said...

Never that Thai food - only stuff that speeds to my thighs.

Most of that cooking has peanut exposure and that's exiled from my home, life, atmosphere.

Sounds yummy though. If I were away from home and in no danger of affecting my son, I'd scarf it up in a NYminute. You see, I LOVE to try new foods and new things and this sounds like a perfect example. *sigh* only in my dreams and your blog....

Betty S said...

Haven't heard from you in ages. Hope all is well and you're just busy gearing up for Fall 06.