Tag Archives: Songkran

Songkran – Thai New Year

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Happy New Year! Well, today is Thai New Year. Since it’s a “New Year’s Day,” it’s time to post something for 2024.

For New Year’s January 1st, I’ve cooked a lot of lucky foods.

1) Twelve fruits: pomelo, lemon, lime, apple, persimmon, kiwi, orange, grapes, pear, star apple, honey Grapefruit, tangerine.

2) Pork- pork spareribs adobo

3) Fish – Baked Maple Syrup and mustard salmon

4) Cornbread – Corn bread Muffins

5) Pork – Bacon wrapped asparagus

6) Lentils – Tasty bite madras lentils

7) Noodles – Jovial cassava spaghetti

8) Greens – Blanched Yu Choy

Six weeks later, Chinese New Year – Year of the Dragon.

I made more lucky foods.

1) Dumplings

2) Soy sauce chicken

3) Roast pig

4) Vegetarian pancit

5) Lumpia

6) Baked Maple Syrup salmon

7) Nian Gao

8) Shrimp Rice Noodles

Now it’s Songkran, which is celebrated in Buddhism throughout most of Southeast Asia. Unlike the 15-day festival celebrated in the Lunar New Year. This New Year is celebrated for three days. It is a religious festival where water is poured to wash away the old year. The day begins in the temple where monks are offered food in exchange for a blessing and words of wisdom. Then water is poured on top of the Buddha statue to purify and cleanse sins and bad luck.

I was doing some research on the foods to consume during Songkran. So far, I have found some dishes that is worth having during the water festival.

Prawn Pad Thai – Zabb Zabb
Satays – Zabb Zabb
Chicken Satay
Shrimp roll and fried tofu – Ayada
Som Tum- Ayada
Shrimp Pad Thai – Ayada

I am hoping that we get to dress up for Thai New Year. I can’t wait to share more stories and post on Instagram @tablespoonsandteaspoons.

Stay tuned and Suk San Wan Songkran! 

Traditional Thai Dish – Kra Prow

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Happy Songkran!! Happy Thai New Year! Today is the new year and to celebrate, I want to post a traditional Thai dish.  This Thai dish consists of only five ingredients and if you want a sixth ingredient add a fried egg.  Anyways, this dish is not only healthy but cost effective.  The dish I am writing about is called Kra Prow, which is translated into Holy Basil.

Kra Prow is a popular Thai dish throughout almost all restaurants in NYC.  The dish can be made with any meat stir fried with vegetables, but it has to have garlic, fish sauce and most importantly holy basil or basil.

Below is a healthy and cost effective version of Kra Prow.

Ground Turkey Kra Prow (serves 2)

1/2 lb. Perdue Ground Turkey = 160 calories/serving = $2.99/lb. at Stop and Shop

2 tablespoons minced garlic = 38 calories

2 tablespoons olive oil = 120 calories/serving

3 tablespoons fish sauce = 27 calories/serving

15 snow peas = 15 calories = 0.99/lb = H Mart in Flushing

2 cups of basil = 12 calories = $2.00 = Asian Supermarket

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Meatless Monday – Mung Bean Pudding

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Happy Monday, technically Tuesday.  Well, this week there is no game plan because, I had an accident working out and I am recovering from the aftermath.  Therefore, since this week is Songkran aka Thai New Year, I will dedicate this week to posting healthy Thai recipes and recent places I have eaten at.

Therefore, the first of two Thai recipes for the week is meatless for Meatless Monday.  This dish is a Thai dessert, which personally can be versatile and be served as a meal.  The meal can be made with two ingredients or up to four ingredients.  The star ingredient of the dish is Mung Bean, a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine and it is very nutritious and detoxifying.

Health Benefits of Mung Bean Consumption:

Contain high soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol

Contain protease inhibitors, which block the copying and reproducing of tumor and cancer cells especially breast cancer

Contain isoflavones that regulate hormones, estrogen, in particular, which helps women with post-menopause.

Low glycemic making it diabetic friendly.

High in protein

Recently, an article was published at the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine suggesting the possibility that the extract of mung bean sprouts can serve as a potent antiviral property.  The extract’s potency can economically and effectively fight against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Herpes Simplex virus −1 (HSV-1).

Tau Suan – Mung Bean Sweet Dessert/Pudding

This dish is very easy to make and it cost effective.  Total cost of the dish can range between $5-$10 at most Asian supermarkets.  This dish serves two people.

8 tablespoons of dried mung beans = 361 calories/2 servings

2 cups of water = 0 calories

4 tablespoons tapioca starch  = 84 calories/2 servings (optional)

4 tablespoons sugar =186 calories/2 servings (optional)

5 tablespoons coconut milk = 100 calories/2 servings (optional)

Ingredients
Final dish

  1. Boil beans in water for approximately 20 minutes.
  2. Mix tapioca starch with water, keep stirring so nothing sticks in the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add sugar (optional)
  4. Warm coconut milk but do not heat it all the way (optional).
  5. Pour warm coconut milk to the lentil dish (optional).

Personally I have made this dish several times, using three ingredients and performing only the first two steps because my father does not eat sweets.  Recently I have made this dish using all the ingredients listed to obtain the sweet and creamy texture.

Cheers to better health! Off to the next recipe.  Stay tuned.