Announcing: a week of Sarajevo's Asian food!

Sometimes we all need a little respite for that yummy meaty balkan food. Sometimes, however, that respite is hard to find. Luckily, we can prowl the streets of Sarajevo for some new culinary treats. And so, 'sahan for two' announces its first restaurant review week. Coming soon: Sarajevo's Asian restaurants! Reviews will include Pasta Zen, that little Chinese restaurant in Marindvor, and the Indian restaurant in Čengić vila, amongst others we have yet to discover. Also to be profiled is the new spice store in the eastern part of Baščaršija, for all of those wanting to make delicacies in their own kitchen, as well as articles on where to get special spices and ingredients throughout the city. 'Sahan for two' is pleased to welcome a guest columnist this week who will be aiding both in the taste-testing and the review-writing: Abu Banda. Abu Banda is not only a culinary expert, but also an anthropology graduate student doing research in Bosnia. And to kick off this restaurant/store review, I am including a simple recipe for larb, a Thai dish, you can easily make in the comfort of your home here. It is, of course, a modified recipe which uses ingredients available here (no Thai basil, I am afraid), but delicious and refreshing for a hot summer day. I've also included some photos from Abu Banda's, my husband's and my recent afternoon of larb.

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2-3 limes

1/2 kg ground pork or (as I use) ground turkey (a delicious substitute)

1/2 tablespoon ground dried chili pepper, or 3 heaping tablespoons of dried chili past

4-5 tablespoons fish sauce

2 green onions, sliced (mladi luk from the market works just fine)

3 sprigs of mint, optional

1 head of lettuce to serve

Squeeze juice from 1/3 of the lime on to the ground turkey. Mix well and let it marinade for just a couple of minutes until you are ready to cook it. Heat up a pan on high until it is very hot. Add two tablespoons of water and then immediately add your marinated turkey and stir. The turkey will stick to the pan at first, but then the juice will come out and the meat will loosen from the bottom. Keep stirring until the pork is well done. Let the turkey cool down to room temperature. Put the turkey in a bowl a large mixing bowl that will hold all the ingredients. Add fish sauce, green onion, onion, the rest of the lime juice, ground chili pepper and mint. Mix well and taste. It should be quite hot. You should be able to taste tartness from the lime juice and the fish sauce. If you need to add more fish sauce or lime juice, don't be afraid. Getting the flavor balance right is a trial and error process.
Put the mixed ingredients in a serving bowl and serve with lettuce leaves.