Known as Khanohm faawy (ขนมฝอย) or Khanohm handtraa, this sweet or savory packet can be a dessert or a snack. The dessert has a sweet filling of silky mung beans and a coconut marzipan-like paste, while the snack’s savory filling consists of shrimp and pork minced and seasoned with garlic, coriander root and white peppercorns. Each is theatrically wrapped in a striking nest of skillfully crafted duck’s egg thread.
Khanohm faawy has been forgotten; maybe because the mung bean and sweet coconut filling is almost identical to another popular Thai dessert, golden jackfruit seeds (met khanoon, ขนมเม็ดขนุน). Perhaps to differentiate it from the golden jackfruit seeds dessert, a catchier name was coined: khanohm handtraa, which means to stamp a seal mark: the mung bean-coconut filling is shaped into small squares, and sometimes an indentation is made in the middle, similar to pressing a royal seal in wax. Indeed, some sources claim that this recipe came from Queen Sri Suriyendra (Princess Bunrod) of King Rama II.
The first mention of the sweet version of khanohm faawy was in 1809, when King Rama I instructed the leader of the Thai Muslim community, Chularachamontree (Gorn Keaw) (เจ้าจอมหงส์ ธิดาพระยาจุฬาราชมนตรี, ก้อนแก้ว), to arrange refreshments for the auspicious celebration of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), to which 2,000 monks were invited along with many other guests.
The King’s sister, HRH Princess (Kromma Luang) Naridara Dhevi, also known as Jao Khraawk Wat Pho:Ht (เจ้าครอกวัดโพธิ์), recalls in her memoirs, published during the reign of Rama III (จดหมายเหตุความทรงจำของกรมหลวงนรินทรเทวี), some of the sweets that were served during the celebration:
Fried crispy dough sticks (khanohm sai gai , ขนมไส้ไก่), sweet translucent gelatinous rice (khaao niaao gaaeo , ข้าวเหนียวแก้ว), small Thai cookies (khanohm phing , ขนมผิง), thin crispy fried bananas (gluay chaap , กล้วยฉาบ), egg thread pockets filled with shrimp and pork (laa dtiiang , ล่าเตียง), thin omelet filled with shrimp and pork (room , หรุ่ม), Thai coconut custard (sang khayaa , สังขยา), golden yolk threads in sugar syrup (faawy thaawng ,ฝอยทอง) and steamed coconut custard in small porcelain cups (khanohm dta lai , ขนมตะไล) and, finally, khanohm faawy (ขนมฝอย).
It is thanks to Lady Plean Passakornrawong, who included the recipe for khanohm faawy in her 1908 cookbook, Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa (แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์, book 1 chapter 57 page 135), that we can prepare the dish today.
Khanohm faawy or Khanohm handtraa Recipe
Hanuman and Chef Thapakorn Lertviriyavit (Gorn)
Known as Khanohm faawy (ขนมฝอย) or Khanohm handtraa, this sweet or savory packet can be a dessert or a snack. The dessert has a sweet filling of silky mung beans and a coconut marzipan-like paste, while the snack’s savory filling consists of shrimp and pork minced and seasoned with garlic, coriander root and white peppercorns. Each is theatrically wrapped in a striking nest of skillfully crafted duck’s egg thread.
Soak the mung beans in water overnight. Gently squeeze the beans between your fingers to separate the beans from the husk. Cook the mung beans in water, in the same way you would cook rice.
Prepare simple syrup by boiling equal quantities of water and white sugar.
Grate the coconut using a Chinese grater.
With your hand, knead the mung beans together with the grated coconut.
Place the sugar syrup, along with the mung bean and coconut mixture, into a brass wok; add a pinch of salt, and mix all the ingredients together over low heat, using a wooden paddle.
Stir constantly, making sure that the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the wok. You will know that the marzipan is ready when you can roll it into a ball without it sticking to your fingers. Turn off the heat.
Shape the marzipan into small square shapes.
Dip the marzipan squares into duck’s egg yolks, and fry from all sides until golden.
Set aside on a kitchen cloth.
Prepare the savory filling
In a pestle and mortar, pound together coriander roots, garlic and white peppercorns.
Peel and devein the shrimp, and flatten the shrimp meat with one slap of the knife; this will help make the shrimp meat fluffier. Collect the tomalley.
Mince the shrimp meat together with the tomalley.
Mince the pork belly meat.
Mix the minced pork with some of the shrimp and garlic-coriander-white peppercorn paste.
Season with fish sauce.
Place a wok with oil on medium heat; fry the garlic-coriander-white peppercorn paste until it is fragrant.
Add the shrimp-pork meat.
Fry until cooked.
Add chopped Thai garlic.
Add chopped shallots.
Season with sugar.
Season with fish sauce.
Season with ground white pepper.
Add peeled watermelon seeds.
Add chopped coriander.
Place in a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the egg nets and wrap the dessert
Beat duck eggs gently without incorporating any excess air, and then strain through a fine sieve.
Heat oil in a work and turn off the heat. Wet your fingers in the egg and sprinkle thin lines of eggs on the wok while moving your entire hand quickly at the wrist.
When a long nest has formed, turn on the heat again.
Place either the sweet filling…
Or the savory filling…ป
Wrap the nest. Start by bringing the sides of the nest together.
Then fold the length of the nest…
Creating a hair-like effect.
Serve the savory khanohm faawy on a piece of fried white bread.
Serve the sweet khanohm faawy
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If palaces represent grandeur and wealth within a society, and poems often focus on emotional experience or the beauty of language, then the significance of a dumpling may be inferred by its structured elegance and minimalism – each fold and pleat a deliberate act, and each filling a curated experience constructing comfort in its most elemental form.
Khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) is a traditional Siamese fried, triangular-shaped dumpling with obvious Chinese origins. Its earliest recorded recipe can be traced back to Jao Khraawk Thaawng Yuu (เจ้าครอกทองอยู่), a distinguished aristocrat from the royal court of Ayutthaya. Historical records indicate that, from the early days of the Rattanakosin era, her recipe was a favored snack within the Siamese royal court.
These dumplings are shaped like triangles and, according to some, resemble bats: For this reason, they are called khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) – ‘the bat’s treat’. The dumpling’s dough is made from rice and mung bean flours; its filling is prepared by combining grated coconut and shrimp meat, which are cooked together into a dense, flavorful mixture that brings out the nutty-sweet taste of the grated coconut and the savory-sweet flavors of the shrimp. Kaffir lime leaves, sliced into hair-thin juliennes, add a hint of citrus.
This ball-shaped dessert has a sweet coconut filling (gracheek), surrounded by a thin crust of pounded unripe rice crumbs, along with a tempting fragrance enriched with a Thai dessert candle or fresh flowers.
Demonstrating brilliant creativity and attention to detail, this classical Thai dessert uses only three basic ingredients. In this article, we have elected to follow the traditional recipe published in 1908 by Thanpuying Plean Passakornrawong.
It is believed that this dish was introduced to the Siamese royal cuisine in the middle of the seventeenth century by Portuguese traders. Later, along with other egg yolk-based golden sweets like the golden drops (thong yot ทองหยอด), golden flowers (thong yip ทองหยิบ) and golden threads (foi thong ฝอยทอง), these royal desserts were passed to commoners outside the court.
For the marzipan filling I am using, beside the mung beans, both the flesh and the water of fragrant young coconuts. It gives a rich, sweet and almost nutty flavor which works perfectly with the silky texture of the mung beans and the creamy golden egg yolks coating.
For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.
Smoked duck stuffed with a mackerel and chestnut filling is a dish that defies cultural boundaries. An exemplar of blended culinary influences, featuring inviting colors and an elegant presentation that serve as a prelude to the complex flavors and textures that await, the dish is an eloquent testament to the cooking style of Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeep Bunnag, who went by the pen name “the granddaughter of Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa”). In the 1930s. Mrs. Jeep Bunnag published her first cookbook. Following in the footsteps of her revered grandmother-in-law, Lady Plean Passakornrawong, she continued to document the art of Siamese cuisine through the treasured books she published and was known for her ability to merge culinary traditions into beautiful and innovative dishes that represent an era.
The rich, dark color of the smoked duck’s skin is visually striking and appetizing, evoking a sense of indulgence and luxury. The smoky flavors that permeate the meat reflect our deep connection to primal cooking techniques, a fascinating juxtaposition to the refined presentation of the dish. When the smoked duck is sliced, its succulent pink meat is revealed, surrounding the golden filling of chestnuts and mackerel.
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