I was looking at the Aug./Sept. 2007 issue of Saveur magazine and reading a great article about Hmong farmers in California by Andrea Nguyen, one of my new favorite writers. (If you want to subscribe or buy and download the issue click here.) The Hmong are a semi-nomadic people who have lived in parts of China and Southeast Asia for centuries. Always on the move, recently a large portion ended up leaving Asia and immigrating to the US, especially California, where a great many are farmers growing their fantastic produce. While traveling in Asia I had the chance to try some Hmong cooking. Their cuisine relies on extremely fresh produce and meats that are cooked simply and full of flavor. One thing that I really enjoyed was the Chile-Scallion relish called Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos (pronounced koo-AH za too-AH sher daw.)
It's a spicy, tangy, herbal, slightly salty, rough paste that is used as a relish and condiment. Always made fresh each day and put on the table the relish is put into soups and stir fries, used to boost up the spice level to your own preference, and served by itself as a garnish for plain or sticky rice.
The best way to get the best consistency to the paste is to do it by hand in a mortar and pestle. Preferably a nice solid one like a Thai mortar and pestle. They are an immense and heavy piece of stone that sits solidly on your counter so that you can let the solid pestle thump satisfactorily down on the ingredients. I realized after reading the recipe that I had the few, simple ingredients growing in my garden. It's easy to make and only takes a few minutes. Time to make the Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos.
Recipe and photos after the jump.
It's a spicy, tangy, herbal, slightly salty, rough paste that is used as a relish and condiment. Always made fresh each day and put on the table the relish is put into soups and stir fries, used to boost up the spice level to your own preference, and served by itself as a garnish for plain or sticky rice.
The best way to get the best consistency to the paste is to do it by hand in a mortar and pestle. Preferably a nice solid one like a Thai mortar and pestle. They are an immense and heavy piece of stone that sits solidly on your counter so that you can let the solid pestle thump satisfactorily down on the ingredients. I realized after reading the recipe that I had the few, simple ingredients growing in my garden. It's easy to make and only takes a few minutes. Time to make the Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos.
Recipe and photos after the jump.
Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos
18 stemmed Thai chiles
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 scallions
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
makes apx. 1/3 cup
Technique: There are basically three ways to use a pestle in your mortar. Grinding in a circular motion, pounding up and down, and a combination of the first two. In this recipe first we will grind, then later pound.
18 stemmed Thai chiles
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 scallions
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
makes apx. 1/3 cup
Technique: There are basically three ways to use a pestle in your mortar. Grinding in a circular motion, pounding up and down, and a combination of the first two. In this recipe first we will grind, then later pound.
Rough chopped Thia chiles and the green part of scallions.
Chiles and salt in pestle, scallions reserved for later.
Chiles and salt in pestle, ready to grind in circles gently.
Chiles and salt after grinding gently.
Scallions added to the mortar.
Cilantro ready to be rough chopped and added to the mortar.
Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos after gentle up and down pounding.
Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos finished and ready to set out on the table.
Cheese Course: Brebis Pardou
A transcendent summer tomato salad
Sliced bread turns 80 today
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-30-2007 @ 8:57PM
Sean said...
Wow this looks amazing. I could easily see myself eating this straight or perhaps as a spring roll condiment. Nice to see a traditional asian recipe that is also vegan without any substitutions.
Reply
7-30-2007 @ 11:37PM
Katie said...
Does any one have any idea how to pronounce Kua Txob Tuav Xyaw Dos?
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 1:47AM
April said...
It's interesting that this seems to be a variation on a Yemenite "relish" called schug (with the guttural ch, not ch as in chair). Or is schug a variation of this?
Schug is made by combining cilantro, chiles, olive oil and garlic, usually through a grinder.
Fabulous on melted cheese sandwiches and such as well as in soups, stews, and just about anything else!
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 4:52AM
Angela said...
My tongue can't wait to dance with it!
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 6:17AM
bdw said...
From the spelling I expected this to be Mayan. I've had this in the Yucatan, though they also added some kind of anise flavor.
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 7:29AM
JMForester said...
Katie- thanks for asking. I forgot to include the pronounciation. It's pronounced koo-AH za too-AH sher daw. -JMF-
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 11:26AM
Blockhead said...
The spelling is in Hmong. The Hmong written language uses English characters, but they have little relation to how we pronounce them. It translates roughly into "Hot Pepper pounded/mixed with onion." I used to eat this stuff all the time when I lived in California and it is great!
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 3:27PM
Leena said...
omigawd that looks beatiful. I regret having lived in LA for the better half of a year and not coming across this. ALL of the ingredients are things I love/regularly use with the exception of the Thai chilis. I must find some now! :P
Reply