“Chor Muang” is a unique appetizer in Thailand. The way to do that is through the use of hands to hold the shape of the pleat. Food with high humidity can not be stored for long that is why Chor Muang is hard to be find.

Steamed Purple Flower-Shaped Rice Dough with Ground Chicken Filling

Ingredients for Flour Mixture:

½ cup rice flour

½ cup glutinous rice flour

1 ½ teaspoons tapioca flour

1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot flour

½ cup + 2 tbsp. water, Anchan water

2-3 drops pink color

¼ cup thick coconut milk

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons tapioca flour— for dusting

2 tablespoons rice flour— for dusting

brass tweezers — for making design around the tidbit

banana leaf for lining the steamer

*Anchan water is Butterfly pea flowers soak in warm water. Squeeze the flowers and stain though cheese cloth.

*Coloring for this appetizer is obtained from Butterfly pea flower.

Method

Sift the 4 kinds of flours together well. Place the flour mixture into a brass skillet. Add ½ cup of Butterfly pea flower water. Knead rice flour, glutinous flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour for about 10 minutes, then add the remaining Anchan water. Knead until all the flours well combine with the water, then slowly add oil and stir until well mixed.

Heat up the pan on medium-low, add the butterfly pea flower colored water. Stir quickly until the flour form a ball and does not stick to the skillet. Transfer into a mixing bowl and let stand until warm.  Continue kneading to make a fine textured dough. Make balls of 1 tbsp. of dough. Arrange them on a tray. Cover with a pieces of cloth to keep away air.

 

1. Stir constantly in a brass pan until the mixture become opaque and is done. Remove from heat. Add some starch for kneading. Knead until the mixture form a smooth elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hard.
2. Divide the dough into equal pieces. Cover and make like a flower sharp with tweezers.
3. Steam in banana leaves for about five minutes. Sprinkle with garlic oil.

*Fried Garlic

½ cup minced garlic

½ cup vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Then fry garlic until light brown. Remove from heat. Set a side.

Making the flower sharp

Flatten the pastry by making it thin at the rim and thick in the middle.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the flattened pastry. Gather the rims together to completely cover the filling.

Dip the tweezers in dusting flour and press the pastry at the middle to make stamen. Press the tweezers to make petals around those already formed. Make the petals of the next level in between those of the above level to make the piece look like a flower. Line the steamer with banana leaf and brush the banana leaf with thick coconut milk. Arrange the flower-sharped dough on the banana leaf.

Steam over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes after the water boils until the tidbits are cooked. Transfer to a plate. Brush with garlic flavored oil. (If the dough steams for too long, the petals will shrink and the pastry will be soggy.)

Ingredients for filling:

1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons finely ground garlic, coriander root and white pepper

½ cup ground chicken fillet

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1tablespoon seasoning soy sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

Method

Finely pound the coriander roots, pepper and garlic together until well mixed. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the ingredients until aromatic. Mix the minced chicken, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and seasoning sauce and sauté until cooked and dry. Transfer into a container.