Violet panicle ‘ช่อม่วง’

This week we started to get  sunshine.  I feel the heatwaves inside the kitchen while shaping this flowers for appetizer. This post I present about how to make ‘Chor Muang’ (Steamed flower shape stuffed crabmeat) This is one of the traditional Thai appetizer – Dessert that create since The Thai king Rama II.  The natural colour of blue-purple tone is natural from the butterfly pea flowers extract.  Dough flour made from the mixture of rice flour and arrow root flour plus tapioca flour when knead. 

The appearance of this petit bite size in specific flower named ‘Chor Muang’ or Violet Panicle stuffed with seasoned crabmeat . (This recipe I have learned  from my cooking school) There are different stuffing can be use but crabmeat has delicacy texture with soft steamed dough. 

‘Chor Muang’ will be serve at room temperature and interesting to serve with other Thai appetizer.

Crabmeat Stuffing (Make about 45 pieces)

50 gr  Coriander roots, fine chopped (I cannot find coriander roots here so i use coriander stems)

56 gr  Granulated sugar

250 gr  crabmeat, fresh and steamed (today I use crabmeat in can)

150 gr  fine chopped yellow onion

10 gr  Black pepper, ground

10 gr  salt

2-3 tbsp  cooking oil

Preparation stuffing

• A cooking pan add a little cooking oil and let it get hot then add fine chopped garlic, coriander roots and fry until fragrant. Then add fine chopped onion and fry until onion became clear and dry (at this point adjust the heat to low) Add steamed crabmeat and fry until crabmeat dry then add seasoning with sugar, salt and pepper.
• Let cool and set aside

crabmeat

fry coriander root, garlic and onion until fragrant before add crabmeat.

cook until dry and let cool

Dough (Make about 45 pieces of ‘Chor Muang’

2 cups Rice flour

3/4 cup  Arrow root flour (I bought at the Asian shop)

2.5 cups water

1/4 cup Butterfly pea flower extract add a few drops of lime juice  (or food colour)

Preparation

1. In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour and arrow root flour, add water and butterfly pea extract colour. (or blue – purple) food colour.

2. Add blue-purple colour and stir until the ingredients are combined together. If you prefer the colour to be more purple squeeze a little lime juice into the flower extract.

3. Transfer to a stove to cook the batter until 80% cooked. Keep stirring with a wood spatula until the batter thickens, then transfer the sticky dough to the board which is lightly dusted with tapioca flour then knead the dough. Cover dough with plastic film and keep in refrigerator for at least half an hour. (you can keep in a refrigerator overnight… no problem)

This is dried butterfly pea flowers growth in Thailand

Boil in boiling water for about 10 minutes

strain and use only water

Add a few drop of lime juice to change the color to purple

This is arrow root flour is not smooth as rice flour

This is rice flour

rice flour + arrow root flour

add water

then colour

stir to combine ingredient togeter

no lump please then bring to stove

after batter cooked 80% then remove from stove and knead with light tapioca flour

To shape the flower ‘Chor Muang’

Bring dough out from refridgerator and cut dough to make a small log that I use sushi mat to help roll out the dough to small log. Then divided cut to small piece, use a scale to weight each piece estimated 15 grams so we will make the same size of flower.

Next is all about shaping the flower with a small tong. (special tool for making ‘Chor Muang’) Shape to round shape and flat dough like a hat to add crabmeat and seal.  Start to press 3 petals in center. (like triangle) and so on. Imagine shape a rose petal. The more you (me too) practice the more you do it quick and not break petal.

I have two shape of small tong

sent from Thailand from my mother

Dough bring from a refridgerator

divide to make a small log

dust light tapioca flour

roll like sushi

then cut estimated 15 grams each

Just like ‘Camembert’ cheese for texture…not a joke 🙂

shape like a hat by hand carefully then add crabmeat

seal and squeeze air out

tip of small tong to tapioca flour

start to make a first petal

second petal

third petal

transfer by spatula or whatever you think it work

Yes try to shape a thin petal… not a thick petal

This is another shape of tong

keep in refrigerator until ready to steam

Steamed and presentation for serve

(Provide banana leave or cheese cloth to lay cover a steamer rack). Wait until water boiling, add ‘Chor Muang’ one at a time, cover the lid and adjust the heat to medium (Medium-low) that water is still boiling, cover the lid and steam for about 6-8 minutes. When the flower is cooked the colour of blue-purple will be more deep colour and also clear.

Finish ‘Chor Muang’ with a touch of fried garlic in oil. Serve with green young lettuce, coriander and bird’s eye chili.

Little note:

Petal shape: A tip of small tong to touch tapioca flour or corn flour every time before shape each petal so that a petal will not rip. Also ‘cooking oil’ can be use.

‘Chor Muang’ has a short period to keep after you steamed. But you can shape in advance and keep in refrigerator and steamed before serve.

A cool temperature to shape the petal is best.

ช่อม่วงเหมาะมีรส  หอมปรากฏกลโกสุม

คิดสีสไบคลุม  หุ้มห่อม่วงดวงพุดตาล

(กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน บทพระราชนิพนธ์พระบาทสมเด็จพระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย รัชกาลที่ 2)