Pass the parcel

Of all edible parcels, the most remarkable and exciting come from China and Thailand. It is difficult to end a meal of dim sum (daytime snacks) without having tasted at least a dozen or more little dishes, trundled on a trolley out of the hottest, steamiest kitchens. And I find it impossible to eat a Thai meal without having a plate of those tiny spring rolls or sticky sticks of satay.

In the ever-expanding global repertoire of dishes that we now embrace, the flavourings of the East are much to the fore - and we are not talking common or garden stir-fry here. There seems to be a huge desire to eat little things with big taste: some that crunch and burst as they are bitten; others that are crisp, hot and spicy; battered beignets of this and that; and breadcrumbed bits of baby sweet corn, squid and sole.

Palate-punch is often supplied by an accompanying dip, ingredients of which most often include chilli, soy, coriander, lime juice and some sort of sweetener. I have been hooked since I had my first paper-wrapped prawn at Joy King Lau, a Chinese restaurant in Soho. I remember thinking how nifty it was to wrap a piece of shellfish in the same material - rice paper - that was used for sherbet flying saucers. The prawn tastes even better when smeared with the customary chilli sauce.

The same goes for those dear little Thai spring rolls. These always appear with a similar sauce, though much sweeter and more syrupy, and still touched by chilli. Vegetables are the most common filling but there is a prawn version too, which can be stupendously good.

It is no surprise that the combination of something hot with a crisp coating, doused with a sweet and sour condiment, appeals to us. It is hardly a new discovery. Cut familiar fish and chips into small pieces and, as far as the fish is concerned, you have goujons: French fried fish bits in batter. The chips are universal, and as good dipped into sweet and sour ketchup as they are into similarly piquant sauce bearnaise.

This week I have a confession to make. The food in the photograph was not cooked by me, nor do I have the faintest idea how to make it. What I do know is that the paste is made from rice flour, and that the chopped greens inside are sort of green onion shoots. I buy them from Sri Thai in Shepherds Bush Road, west London, my favourite Thai shop. The owners are delightful and were endlessly helpful, except when it came to inquisitive details about these little vegetable parcels. Curious, that.

Tiny Thai pork rissoles with sweet and sour dipping sauce, serves 4

This heavenly aromatic mixture is hot and spicy. Depending on the size you make them, they can be a cocktail snack or first course.

225g/12lb lean pork

225g/12lb fatty belly pork, including skin

2 stalks lemon grass, tender bulbous part only

6 lime leaves

2.5cm/1in piece galangal ginger (or ordinary fresh ginger), peeled

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 large shallots, peeled

1 tsp shrimp paste (trassi)

2 large red chillies, deseeded

2 tsp green peppercorns

3 leafy sprigs fresh coriander, with roots if possible

10 mint leaves

a little salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp Thai fish sauce

3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs

vegetable oil for frying

Put the first 12 ingredients through the coarse blade of the mincer, twice. Place in a mixing bowl and add the salt, turmeric, fish sauce and breadcrumbs. Blend thoroughly with your hands, squeezing the mixture in a clutching manner, until all is well amalgamated. Cover with cling film and put in a cool place for at least two hours, so that the flavours blend and develop.

Form into small, walnut-sized balls, or larger, slightly flattened cakes. The smaller size is best cooked in deep-ish, hot fat in a frying pan for about five minutes. The larger version should be fried gently, still in a frying pan, but using only a couple of tablespoons of oil, for five minutes on each side. Both will turn out well crusted and a deep brown colour, with the insides moist and golden from being stained with turmeric and chillies. Serve hot with sliced cucumber, coriander sprigs, lime wedges and the following sauce:

100ml/4fl oz rice vinegar

110g/4oz sugar

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 small red and one small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (leave the seeds in if you wish for a more fiery taste)

Boil together the vinegar and sugar until syrupy. Stir in the fish sauce and soy. Allow to cool and add the chillies. There may be too much sauce here, but it keeps for ages if kept in a screwtop jar in the fridge.

Chinese stuffed aubergine, serves 4

The savoury stuffing for these crisp slices of aubergine is the classic Chinese blend of shrimp and pork - or prawn and pork here. It is essential to have a deep-fryer. Cook them in batches of five or six.

for the batter

200g/7oz plain flour

50g/2oz potato flour (fecule)

275ml/12 pint light beer

1 egg yolk

25ml/1fl oz vegetable oil

250ml/8fl oz milk

salt and pepper

for the aubergine mix

450g/1lb aubergines (1 large one is best)

a little salt

160g/6oz raw prawn meat (available frozen from oriental supermarkets)

5cm/2in piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

4 spring onions, trimmed

3 cloves garlic, peeled

160g/6oz pork fillet

110g/4oz belly pork, skinned

1 tbsp syrup from a jar of stem ginger, or 1 tsp sugar or honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 level tsp salt

2-3 tbsp cornflour

plain flour

First make the batter. Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor, strain through a sieve and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Slice the aubergine thinly into rings, put on to a cake-cooling rack and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Leave for 40 minutes to drain off any salt. Briefly rinse in cold water and dry with a tea towel. Mince together the prawn meat, ginger, spring onions, garlic, pork fillet, and belly, through the fine blade. Mix in the ginger syrup (or alternative), soy and salt. Leave for one hour to allow the flavours to develop.

Dip the aubergine slices in cornflour and shake off excess. Take a spoonful of the minced mixture and place in the middle of a slice, dampen the edge and fold over to seal tightly. Repeat with the other slices.

Heat the fat to 350F/180C. Dip the folded aubergine parcels in a little plain flour and then into the batter. Deep-fry for about five minutes, until golden brown. Drain on a double fold of kitchen paper and serve with a little dish of soy sauce, pepped up with a splash of Lea and Perrins, or bottled chilli sauce.

Chicken satay, serves 4

This recipe comes from the excellent Taste of Thailand by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Pavilion, pounds 16.95).

3 chicken breasts, skinned

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp peanut oil

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp ground turmeric

8 tbsp coconut milk

3 tbsp sugar

Cut the chicken breasts into fine slices along their length. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl and pour into a shallow dish. Put in the sliced chicken breast, cover and marinate overnight.

The next day, thread the pieces of chicken on to a wooden skewer and grill over charcoal or, more conventionally, under a grill, for about seven minutes, until blistered and sizzling. Serve with:

Peanut sauce

2 tbsp peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (available from oriental supermarkets)

8 tbsp coconut milk

250ml/8fl oz chicken stock

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp lime juice

4 tbsp crushed, roasted peanuts

4 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Heat the oil until lightly smoking. Fry the garlic until turning golden and then add the curry paste. Cook together gently for a minute or two. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until thickened a little. Add the stock, sugar, salt and lime juice and mix thoroughly. Simmer again and stir constantly. Mix in the peanuts and breadcrumbs, heat through, and pour into a bowl