What is your favorite ethnic food?

I raised my family on ethnic foods. Why? Because my American husband is from the mid-west, South Dakota and they don't know anything about ethnic foods and I'm Indo-Dutch. So every time they visit I make something ethnic for them to try. Now when they visit they expect something ethnic and different to eat.

This one is a (mid-west bland taste bud) favorite that they liked. Timid taste buds would appreciate it, not spicy but rich and flavorful.

TOM KATI PAK RUAM - Mixed vegetables in coconut milk

1-1/2 cups water
8 small shallots, thinly sliced
1-1/4 cups coconut milk, canned (shake well before opening)
1-1/2 pounds assorted vegetables, such as: green beans, cut in 2-inch lengths, Thai eggplant, stem removed and cut in 8 wedges (these are the green ones and are a bit bitter (not purple ones), acorn squash, peeled seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.
2 thin, 1/4 inch x 1 inch, slices ginger root, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh Tai basil leaves for garnish (long and thin blades) or substitute with your local organic garden basil
(Note: you can add 1 teaspoon shrimp paste for flavor. But it may put off some people as it is a strong, like dirty old shoes smell my husband says, but he likes it. Not for the timid.)

In a wok or large pan on med-high heat. Add shallots (and shrimp paste or omit), and 1/4 cup coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and bring to a boil. Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes., stirring constantly, or until vegetable are just tender. Add remaining coconut milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove wok from heat. Serve vegetables with some of the pans coconut milk sauce. Accompanied by white rice and garnish with basil leaves. Makes 4-6 small servings or side dish. Best served with garlicy shrimp.

I'm game to try new ethnic foods and want to try something different. So, what do you have from your town, family receipe, or what have you tried that is ethnic. I noticed we are from many different places and maybe ethnic is not as different anymore as it once was.

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14 replies since 9th February 2008 • Last reply 9th February 2008

Reply #1:

I. love. SUSHI!!!!!! and chinese food, and italian food, and my grandma (shes from Argentina) makes THE BEST empanadas.

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Reply #2:

I loooove Japanese food. I'm addicted. And I love falafel

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Reply #3:

I agree, for most people ethnic food is normal part of your life. I love Mexican style food, Indian very spicy food.
Traditional Icelandic food is not to my liking. They have most "ordinary" other foods, but at a certain time each year(the end of Jan) they eat the old food. It's called Thorablot, in the olden times they didn't have any salt to preserve their meats so they had to come up with some pretty funky ways of keeping it edible throughout their harsh winters. So they dried fish, they used this soured kinda milk product and smoked stuff.
The most popular foods to eat at this special time are boiled sheep heads, rams testicals and various other foul sounding meat products.
My favourite Icelandic food would have to be dried fish, it is so damn tasty. You just tear a piece off(maybe like jerky) and dip it in some butter mmmm a great snack Happy and Skyr, which is a dairy product described by wiki as: Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product, a type of fresh cheese that has been strained, not unlike Greek yoghurt. It comes in plain and many other flavours and is said to be one of the reasons Icelanders live to an old age, as it is so good for you Happy You can buy it in the US, in Whole Foods I think?

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Reply #4:

Mexican sets me alight.

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Reply #5:

CHINESE!!! Is it really errm can't think of the word but I don't think it should be called ethnic food....

My friend had a Japanese guy living with them for a while on an exchange programme and they completely didn't realise that he'd never used a knife and fork before and I had a friend who was born here but had a chinese family and well you just don't realise that they eat it all the time and have totally different ways of eating it. I wanna go to wagamama's!

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Reply #6:

Indian food. <3

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Reply #7:

I love Cuban food and I miss it, none here in NC. I got hooked on it when I lived in Miami *sniffs* misses FL Happy

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Reply #8:

growing up with my grama's mexican food, it will always be my first love, but i do love indian food too! there are a couple of places near me that host bellydancing nights, and then i get to indulge in two favs at once! thai food runs a pretty close third place

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Reply #9:

I really like Indian food it's really nice and is quite easy to make.

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Reply #10:

I ♥ going to Indian restaurants with my Dad *drools over the thought of eating papadums*
and Mexican is sooo good too- especially salsa- mmmmmmm...

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Reply #11:

Cheese naan Happy

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Reply #12:

chilli cheese naan Happy

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Reply #13:

aw i love Keema naan but have sworn off red meat so peshwari all the way!
i love mexican food, its just so good, I made churros the other day. Quorn chili is amazing as well.

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Reply #14:

I have such a craving for some Oriental food. It's just so good. I want to make sushi but it takes sooooo long =(

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