Lao Eggplant Dip

Makes appx 1.5 to 2 Cups

This is a dish very common in Laos.  Some traditional ingredients have been replaced by ones found more commonly American or European markets, but the taste is very similar. 

Ingredients
1 Large Eggplant
8 Drops Worcestershire sauce
4 Ts Lemon
1/4 Ts Salt
1 Ts Chili Powder
1/2 Ts Black Pepper
2 Ts Coriander (Fresh is Preferred)
3 Ts Scallions (Chopped)
3 Cloves Garlic

Mortar and Pestle

Directions
Roast eggplant until it is dark brown on all sides and the skin is easily removed.  Allow the eggplant to cool and then remove the skin and then pulverize the pulp in the mortar and pestle. 

After the eggplant flesh has been pulverized, add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon, salt, chili, and the pepper.  If the coriander is fresh, chop it finely and then add it to the mixture.  The same should also be done with the scallions.  For the garlic, make sure that all of the skin has been removed, crush the cloves with a kitchen knife and then add them to the mixture. 

Use the mortar and pestle to incorporate the garlic.  You should be able to completely pulverize the cloves so that the garlic is completely incorporated into the mixture.

Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. 

This dish is traditionally eaten with balls of sticky rice, but would be tasty with chips or crackers as well.

Enjoy.

Spudnuts

Makes 1 Dozen Spudnuts

Ingredients:
1 Large Potato
4.5 Cup Flour
1/3 cup+ 1 Tb Sugar
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Ts Lemon
1/3 Cup warm Water
1 Sachet of Yeast
2 Eggs
Pinch Nutmeg

Oil for cooking

Directions:
Peel potato, cut into small pieces and boil until soft.  Drain the water and puree the potatoes in a blender.  After the potato is pureed, put it off to the side and allow to cool.

In a glass, mix the yeast with a Tb of sugar and 1/3 cup warm (but not hot) water.  Allow the yeast to bloom and the liquid to foam at the top.  This will take 5-10 minutes.  Place the yeast off to the side while it is blooming.

In a saucepan, heat the milk on low.  Add 2/3 Cup of sugar to the milk and allow it to dissolve.  Once the sugar is dissolved in the milk, turn off the heat.  Once, the sugar is dissolved, place the mixture off to the side.

In a mixer or kitchenaid add the flour, then the potato, eggs, sugar/ milk mixture, yeast/ water, lemon and nutmeg.  As you are adding the ingredients, mix on low.

Allow the ingredients to form a dough and then allow the dough to rise in a warm location for 60 minutes.

After the dough has risen, roll it out in batches on a flat surface.  The thickness of the dough should be about 1 cm.  Use a dinner glass to cut out the doughnut and a cap from a plastic soda or water bottle to cut out the hole.  Excess dough can be reused.

Fry the dough in a frying pan on medium low heat.  There should be about 1 inch of vegetable oil in the pan.  Spudnuts will take about 4 minutes to cook (2 minutes of each side).

After the spudnuts have cooled and dried, you can add a glaze.

A delicious and effective glaze can be made with these ingredients:
3 Tb Butter
6 Tb Sugar
6 Tb Milk
1/2 Ts Vanilla
1/2 Ts Corn Starch

Glaze Directions:
Melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the sugar.  When the sugar is dissolved, add the milk.  Lastly, add vanilla and corn starch. 

Briefly simmer of medium.  Allow the glaze to cool and then dip each spudnut into the glaze.

After the spudnuts are glazed, briefly allow them to cool and  then you are ready to eat!