My glorious and superlative Citizens of TFD Nation! I – the Supremacy that ALONE is TFD! – am proud to today end our 7 recipe trip around the world covering rare Asian dumpling recipes! We finish on a truly apropos royal note, as I share the unusually vibrant cerulean treasures from Thailand that are chor muang!
Chor muang or cho muang (Thai: ช่อม่วง), sometimes referred to as “Thai flower dumplings”, are a traditional Thai savory snack. Its existence has been documented since the reign of King Rama II more than 200 years ago, where it was mentioned in the Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan poem.
Chor muang is regarded as an ancient royal dish and is often recognized by its seemingly carved flower-shaped appearance and indigo coloring from the anchan (butterfly pea) flower. The steamed dumpling is formed into a flower-shape and contains either a salty or sweet filling. It is then served with lettuce, coriander and chili.
As noted in this excellent (excerpted article) from expique.com:
Royal Thai Food or Chao-Wang food has been around since the Ayutthaya Era, which began in 1351 and ended in 1767. While the royal family of the previous eras had their own cuisine, the traditional style originated during this time.
In Thai, “Chao” means “the people of” or “the citizens of” and “Wang” means “palace.” Therefore, Ahan Chao-Wang means the “food of the people in the palace.”
During the Ayutthaya period due to close alliances with the Portuguese several sweet and beautifully presented desserts were introduced such as sangkaya (coconut custard), look chup (Thai marzipan) and tong yip, foy tong and tong yod (egg yolk-based sweets).
The process of preparing these dishes was kept a secret from the general public during those times, which is partly why so much of it was lost when Ayutthaya was sacked.
The royal temples, libraries, and archive rooms were burned down by Burmese soldiers in 1767 when they attacked the city after a decade-long conflict between the two kingdoms.
It’s not clear how much of recorded history was lost, as the damage to the city was so severe that it led to the fall of an entire kingdom until the new dynasty was established.
Fortunately, some parts of the process survived that attack, and it became Royal Thai Cuisine as we know it today. Royal Thai Cuisine is known for its mild taste, lavish presentation, and a combination of different rare and expensive ingredients.
Only the best and freshest ingredients will do. While some of them may be normal by today’s standards, you have to remember that back in the day, those things were so rare that only the wealthy were able to afford them. For example, khao chae or cold rice is something you would never find ordinary people eating a few hundred years ago.
This is because the rice must be soaked in cold, floral (jasmine) water. Back then, to make cold water you need to take a jar of water infused with the essence of fragrant flowers and place it in an underground stream to keep it cool.
Afterwards, it will be poured on cooked white rice, which will be served with sweetened fried beef, stuffed bell peppers, pulled pork, and other condiments. No peasant would have the money or time to do all that, which is the reason why it was reserved for the rich.
Thai Royal Cuisine is typically served on a small table and people would have to sit on the floor to eat it. Like European meals, the food is served in courses and it’s speculated that this is because of the Western influence in the region during the 1600s and 1700s.
Impeccable presentation is essential. The fruits and vegetables that are presented on the plate would be carved with intricate designs, which adds to the extravagance and complexity of the cuisine. Dishes may also incorporate edible flowers and leaves which add both flavor and color. A classic example of this would be the use of pink lotus leaves.
The colors also play a significant role in how the dishes are arranged, as there needs to be a balanced combination between red, yellow, white, green, black, and brown. It was believed that these colors corresponded to specific organs and some elements of health and wellbeing.
For example, red was associated with the heart, yellow with the bladder, white with bile, etc. There were also some off-season fruits and vegetables, as those are extremely rare compared to what they are today.
Some fruits such as jackfruit (kanoon), lychee (ngoh), mangosteen (mung kood) and, of course, durian were extremely expensive and they would be served at the end of a royal meal.
The original recipe of chor muang contained a sweet filling and was later developed with the savory filling. The name chor muang means ‘violet bouquet’ in the Thai language. The name comes from the appearance of several flowers in a traditional plate arrangement.
The exterior batter is made from rice flour, arrowroot flour and tapioca flour stirred together in a brass pan. The violet color of the exterior batter comes from a butterfly pea color mixed with a few drops of lime juice. A seasoned meat filling, such as shrimp, fish, pork, or chicken, is fried with coriander root, garlic, and pepper until dry.
The filling is then coated with batter and molded into the shape of a flower using tweezers to create the petal shapes of a flower before being steamed. After the steaming process, the dumplings are sometimed sprayed with fresh coconut milk to honor their original creation as a sweet snack.
As the delicate process of creating the intricate flower shape requires time-consuming craftsmanship, and due to the limited amount of time it can remain moist, chor muang has become rare to find in a typical Thailand market. Chor muang is now only often found in special dessert houses.
Chor muang was first documented during King Rama II’s rule. Its unique appearance represents a rose, which is a very common recognized identity of chor muang. The middle of this snack usually contains seasonings such as garlic, pepper, and coriander roots.
The poetry of Jinwell II has content from a Thai poem called Kap He Chom Khrueang Kho Wan. This snack was created by the Thai Royal Kitchen which is also known as Chao Wang’s kitchen. The poems (which was the first mention of this snack) explained information about both Thai dessert and Thai food.
The meaning of one of the verses is that the chor muang has the sweet smell and taste of a flower. The color of the chor muang is purple like the color of the Poudean flower. The chor muang is likened unto a gorgeous woman with her head wrapped in a purple shawl.
Today, chor muang is a rare Thai snack – it is expensive as it requires a great deal of skill and effort to make. Chor muang is commonly shaped like a rose, but can be found in many different shapes. The hue is similar to a purple rose, and comes from a mixture of blue pea and lemon juice, which oxidizes the liquid blue.
To make chor muang, you need to be aware that it is a fussy recipe to make properly, and in fact this recipe requires a special tool to make the petals. These brass tweezers come in 2 styles: the squared and the leaf shape. You can use either one, but the squared one is the most common – you can buy a pair here.
The technique to make the petals is not overly difficult, especially once you have watched chor muang being properly made – the video below demonstrates the proper technique!
There are many unusual ingredients in this recipe, at least by standard Western kitchen standards (TFD – of course! – has all of them in His pantry at a moments notice!). As such, I have conveniently made life easy – as always! – for the proud Citizens of TFD Nation by finding all the needed sources for you!
The best white peppercorns are a necessity here – I use Kampot peppercorns from Cambodia which are universally acknowledged as the most flavorful and finest on the planet! This is My preferred source. Palm sugar, the finest fish sauce Thai oyster sauce and Thai soy sauce may be purchased from their respective links.
You will also need rice flour, arrowroot starch, glutinous rice flour, exceptional coconut milk and – most importantly! – the means to turn the dough blue: butterfly pea flowers!
Adding lime (or lemon juice) to the pea flower infusion turns them a truly stunning shade of blue/purple! Unusually, this dumpling uses ground chicken – not overly surprising once you realize the wild chicken in fact originated in the jungles of Laos, right next door to Thailand!
All of these items may be purchased from their links – you will also want to use the freshest U.S.-grown garlic you can, preferably heirloom. U.S. garlic has the roots intact, Chinese garlic has a smooth bottom. U.S. heirloom garlic is ALWAYS the best to use in this recipe, as it is far more pungent than the Chinese product.
My Citizens – this is the final recipe in the series and by far the most complex! Do not be dissuaded, gird your culinary loins and make what was for many years enjoyed ONLY by the Thai Royal family – and you are all indeed walking with Me on the Royal road of gustatory excellence and gastronomic fervor! 😀
Battle on – the Generalissimo
PrintThe Hirshon Thai Royal Flower Dumplings – Chor Muang – ช่อม่วง
Ingredients
- FILLING:
- 1 tsp. white peppercorns
- 6–8 cilantro stems, chopped
- 5 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, optional
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
- 9 oz. ground chicken
- 2 Tbsp. garlic oil (recipe below)
- 1/4 medium onion, minced
- 80 g. (2.8 oz.) palm sugar, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Thai soy sauce (regular soy can be substituted, if necessary)
- 1 Tbsp. Thai oyster sauce, Megachef brand strongly preferred
- ***
- DOUGH:
- 100g (1 scant cup) rice flour (plus ~1/4 cup for dusting)
- 25g (3 Tbsp) arrowroot starch (or sub tapioca starch)
- 12g (1 1/2 Tbsp) glutinous rice flour
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3 Tbsp. coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp. dried butterfly pea flowers (about 20 flowers)
- 2 tsp. lime juice
- ***
- FOR SERVING:
- Fried garlic & garlic oil (use 1 head of garlic, recipe below)
- Green leaf lettuce
- Cilantro (optional)
- Thai Chilies, sliced into rounds (optional)
Instructions
- MAKE THE FRIED GARLIC AND GARLIC OIL: In a small pot or a wok, add ¼ inch of oil and turn the heat on to medium. Add one piece of garlic as the “test”, and once the test garlic starts to bubble add the remaining garlic and turn the heat to medium low.
- Fry the garlic slowly, stirring frequently, until golden and the bubbling has subsided. Drain the garlic from the oil through a metal sieve and keep them separate. The oil will keep in the fridge indefinitely, but the garlic won’t remain crispy if stored.
- MAKE THE FILLING: Note: I recommend making the filling a day or two ahead to help spread out the work and to allow it time to chill in the fridge, which will make it easier to form into balls. The filling will last several days in the fridge. Using a mortar and pestle, pound white peppercorns until fine, then add garlic and cilantro stems and pound into a paste. Remove this from mortar, but don’t clean it yet.
- If using sesame seeds, add to the mortar and lightly crush them to release the aroma. Then add peanuts and pound until coarsely ground, making sure the big pieces are no larger than ⅛ inch. Alternatively you can grind them in a small food processor or chop them with a knife.
- In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the ground chicken and mix with the fish sauce.
- In a wok or a sauté pan, add the oil then sauté the herb paste and onions until the onions are translucent. Add the ground meat and stir until the meat is fully cooked; breaking it up as finely as possible. You do not want any large chunks of meat. Add palm sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Add the peanuts and sesame seeds and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is dry and the color has darkened slightly. Let the filling cool completely, or preferably until chilled. While the filling cools, begin prepping the dough. Once cooled, roll the filling into 6-7 g. balls (or a little more than a tightly packed teaspoon.)
- MAKE THE DOUGH:
- Put butterfly pea flowers into a bowl, then measure out ¾ cup of off-the-boil water and pour it over the flowers. Steep for at least 15 minutes, or until the water is at most lukewarm.
- Prepare the steamer. Cut the parchment into a circle a little bit smaller than the steamer rack, then cut/punch several holes in it to allow steam to come up through the paper.
- Remove the flowers from the water pressing out as much water as possible. Add lime juice to turn the water purple.
- Prepare your work station: combine about ¼ cup of rice flour and 2 tablespoon tapioca starch in a bowl; this is your dusting flour. Prepare a clean work surface and dust it lightly with the flour mix.
- Cook the dough: Off heat, add all the flours into a non-reactive pan, preferably non-stick. Add the cooled butterfly pea water and coconut milk then stir to completely dissolve the flour. Turn the heat on to medium-low and stir constantly with a rubber spatula; scraping the bottom and folding it onto itself until it clumps into a rough dough. It shouldn’t be smooth at this stage, but it should not be wet anymore.
- Transfer the dough onto your prepared work surface, dust with a little more flour on top and then knead just until it’s smooth. The dough will be hot, but the trick is to do this fast so you’re not touching the dough for a long time. You can also use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to help knead it if it’s too hot. Knead just until smooth. It shouldn’t stick to your hands, but you can add a little flour if it feels a bit sticky.
- WRAP THE DUMPLINGS: Note: You can wrap the dumplings a day in advance of serving and store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Pat the dough into a ¾ inch thick rectangle and cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap to keep it from drying while you’re not using it.
- Pinch or cut off a 7-8 gram piece of dough. Roll into a ball and flatten the dough into a 1 ½ inch circle, then flatten only the edges so that it expands into a 2-inch circle. Dip your fingers in the dusting flour as you work if the dough sticks to your hands.
- Place one ball of filling in the flattened dough, closing the seam well, then push the seam side against the counter to flatten so you have a sort of a bell shape. Dust the exterior of the dumpling with flour, then pinch with the chor muang tweezer into petal shapes; dipping the tweezers into the flour about every 3 tweezes to prevent sticking (you’ll probably need to watch the video for this technique).
- Place the formed dumplings directly onto the lined steamer. Repeat with the rest of the dumplings.
- When ready to serve, steam the dumplings on high for 5-6 minutes, the dough will become more translucent once cooked. Remove them from steamer onto a serving plate and immediately brush with garlic oil to prevent them from drying out.
- When ready to serve, brush the dumplings with garlic oil, optionally top with fried garlic, and serve with green leaf lettuce, cilantro, and sliced or whole Thai chilies if desired. This is best served warm, but room temp is okay too.
extraordinary! i am delighted, as always, to see such arcane and wondrous recipes documented here. such things, even if most of us never prepare them or do so only rarely, should be preserved for future generations as part of our global cultural heritage.
Thank you so much!!!