Thai Food

Some important herbs and spices used in Thai cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:54:00 -0700

Thai food is currently enjoying an international vogue. There are numerous Thai restaurants all over the world in large cities such as Los Angles, London, New York, Paris, Tokyo and many other. The following are some essential herbs and spices used in Thai cooking. The proper combination of all these ingredients is regarded as an art in Thailand, one that requires both skill and time. The preparation of a single sauce can take hours of grinding, tasting and delicate adjustment until the exact balance of flavours is achieved. Only then, can the true glory of Thai cooking be fully appreciated

Basil (horapha, kaphrao, maenglak)

Horapha, kaphrao, maenglak are varieties of sweet basil. Horapha seems to be the nearest to the sweet basil used in European tomato dishes and Italian pesto. Horapha is used here as a vegetable and for flavouring. Fresh leaves are narrower and often tinged with reddish purple. It releases its aroma and flavour only when cooked and is used with fish, beef and chicken. Maenglak leaves are slightly hairy and paler green than Horapha. It is sometimes called lemon-scented basil but definitely has a peppery taste when chewed; it is very similar to Halian dwarf basil and is used as a vegetable and for flavouring.

Cinnamon (ob choei)

Form the bark of a tree, the type of cinnamon used in Thailand is of only one kind, that from the Cassia tree. It is used in meat dishes and particulary in massaman curry a garnis

Bird Chilli (phrik khi nu)

The smallest of the chillies, of which the kind called phrik khi nu suan is the hottest. Take care when chopping them, and do not rub your eyes. Chillies stimulate blood circulation and are reputed to help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Chilli (Phrik chi fa)

Phrik chi fa are finger size, growing 9-12 centimetres in length, and ether yellow, red or green. Not as hot as the bird chilli. There is no discernable difference between the colours.

Citron (som sa)

Citron (Citrus medica var limetta) is a round dark green fruit. Its thick, very aromatic skin is much used for flavouring. Sour orange juice and orange peel would make the best substitute.

Cloves (kanphlu)

Cloves (Eugenia aromatica) are the dried flowerbuds of an evergreen tree native to the Molucca Islands. They are almost as expensive as saffron because crops often fail, they are much used in Western cooking and the oil is antiseptic. Cloves are used in massaman curry and to chew as a relief for toothache.

Coriander (phak chee)

The leaves are often chosen for decoration, with stem and roots for seasoning. Heavily used in Asian kitchens, the Thai kitchen is the only one to use the roots as well.

Cumin (yira)

Seeds look like caraway and fennel, but taste quite different and have to be heated to release their aroma. Only cumin is used in Thai cooking, mainly in the making of curry pastes.

Galangal (kha)

Resembling an upturned claw, this member of the ginger family is a pale pink rhizome with a subtle citrus flavour. It is usually added in large pieces to impart flavour to fish or chicken stock, or used in making curry pastes. Fresh young ginger can be substituted, but you will not end up with the same flavour.

Garlic (krathiam)

Thailand is literally overflowing with garlic plants. Whole cloves, smashed garlic and garlic oil are used in almost every Thai dish. To make garlic oil, chop a handful of garlic, and fry it in plenty of hot oil until golden. The oil and the fried garlics can be stored in a jar for garnishing soup and for tossing with noodles and rice.

Ginger (khing)

Resembling a flat hand, ginger has over 400 members included in its family. Always choose young fresh ginger if available. Easily grated, it is eaten raw or cooked and is used widely in many Asian cuisines. Young ginger. pounded with a little salt, pepper and garlic is good too as a marinate for chicken or beef. Ginger is acknowledged to improve digestion and to counteract nausea and vomiting.

Krachai

No English common name for Krachai (Kaempferia pandurata). The tubers of this member of the ginger family look like a bunch of yellow brown fingers. Krachai is always added to fish curries, and peeled and served as a raw vegetable with the popular summer rice dish, khao chae.

Kaffir Lime Leaf (bai makrut)

From the kaffir lime, which has virtually no juice these fleshy green and glossy leaves resemble a figure eight. Imparting a unique flavour, they can be finely shredded and added to salads, or torn and added to soups and curries. Can be substituted with other lemon-flavoured herbs, but the best option is to freeze the leaves when you can find them, as they retain all their flavour and texture on thawing

Lime (manao)

The whole fruit is used. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and is used to enhance the flavour of chilli-hot condiments, as well as create some very special salads and desserts, and adorn most dishes as a condiment.

Lemongrass (takhrai)

This hard grass grows rapidly in almost any soil. The base of 10-12 centimetres length of the plant is used, with the green leafy part discarded. Young tender lemongrass stalks can be finely chopped and eaten, but older stalks should be cut into 3-5 centimetres lengths and bruised before being added only as a flavouring agent. It is indispensable for tom yam. Lemongrass oil will sooth an upset stomach and indigestion

Mint (bai saranae)

This mint (Mentha arvensis) is similar to the mint used for mint sauce in England and is used in Thai food as a vegetable and a flavouring.

Nutmeg (luk chan)

The nut is enclosed in a very hard brown shell. It is used in the making of massaman curry pas

Pandan Leaf (bai toei)

Long narrow green leaves of a herbaceous plant used for flavouring and colour. There is no substitute of the flavouring and colour. There is no substitute for the flavour but green colouring may be used as a substitute for the colour.

Pepper (prik thai)

Black, white and green peppercorn types. Black is milder and more aromatic than white. Green peppercorns have a special taste all their own and are available al year round but are best towards the end of the rainy season. Used as flavouring.

Sesame (nga)

Identical to sesame seeds the world over. In Thai cooking, sesame seeds are used for oil and for flavouring. These tiny seeds are rich in protein.

Shallot (hom daeng)

These small, zesty, Thai red onions are sweet and aromatic. An essential ingredient in many Thai dishes because of their taste and appearance, they can be substituted with European shallots, small red onions or small brown onions.

Spring Onions (ton hom)

These green onions (Allium fistulosom) are used for garnishing soups and salads and as vegetables.

Turmeric (khamin)

These small, bright orange roots are used for the colouring in yellow curries. White turmeric, a different type, is used as a raw vegetable and resembles ginger. It taste only slightly peppery and has a pleasant tang.

The South

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:21:00 -0700

Southern Thailand consists of a slender peninsula stretching down to Malaysia, and is dramatically different from the rest of the country in both scenery and culture. Lush jungle, craggy limestone mountains and long stretches of beach are the most familiar features of the landscape, rendered fertile by eight months of rain a year and a near-equatorial sun. Cultivated areas tend to be huge rubber and coconut plantations rather than the rice fields and orchards of other parts of Thailand.

The mosque adds its distinctive dome to the landscape, for the South is home to most of Thailand's Muslims, its largest religious minority. They are mostly concentrated in the provinces adjacent to Malaysia, where Malay is spoken as commonly as Thai. In other southern provinces such as Songkhla and Phuket, Chinese predominate.

Southern food reflects all this diversity, together with other aspects of the past when traders form India and Java sailed into the numerous ports of the peninsula. The coconut, so much part of the scenery, is used to the full, its milk thickening soups and curries, its oil for frying, its grated fresh as a condiment. Cashew nuts and pineapple also grow in volume, and form a familiar part of the cuisine.

The warm seas produce an abundance of fish, big lobsters, crabs, mussels squid, prawns and scallops, prepared simply by steaming or frying, or more elaborately by cooking in a clay pot with noodles. Southerners like their food chilli-hot, and are also fond of the bitter taste imparted by a flat, native bean called sataw.

A dish very typical of the South is Kaeng tai pla, a very hot curry made with fish stomach, green beans, pickled bamboo shoots and potato. Fresh turmeric turns this and many other southern curries a distinctive yellow. There is even a dish that is called simply "yellow curry" (kaeng leuang), made from fish, green squash, pineapple, green beans and green papaya. With its many Malay, Javanese and Indian influences, together with its own creativity and abundance, the South Produces an extraordinary range of curries, made from just about anything.

The Chinese dish of thin rice noodles known as Khanom chin appears here in a spicy Malay style fish curry sauce, served with dishes of cucumber, pineapple, pickled cabbage and other fruits and vegetables. There is a chicken speciality known as kai betong (named after the town of Betong on the Thai-Malaysian border) that consists of steamed chicken seasoned with soy sauce and then stir-fried with green vegetables. Roti, a round flat wheat bread descended from the Indian breads, is a real southern favourite, totally assimilated into the local culture. There is a large range, including some satisfying breakfast rotis.

Coffee, grown in the South, is a popular beverage and coffee shops can be found throughout the region. In some parts, the coffee will be roasted on the premises with a charcoal-fired boiler, and served with a range of snacks that can include steamed buns filled with pork or bean paste, dumplings filled with shrimp or pork, the thick rice soup, and a form of doughnut called pa thong ko.

Central Plains

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:19:00 -0700

Central Thailand is delta country, many rain-fed rivers flowing southwards over the flat terrain to create a fertile soil in which almost any crop can flourish. In appearance, the land is a vast checkerboard of paddy fields, orchards and vegetable gardens, fed by the rivers, by streams, and by a network of canals that supplies farm irrigation and freshwater fisheries, and acts as a means of transport.

Although the presence of Bangkok in f the heart of the Central Region has acted like a magnet to draw in regional influences, there are still many local specialities that mark out the food styles here as distinctively Central. The best rice is grown in this region, notably the hom mali, or jasmine rice, that is so highly rated as a Thai export. There are three curries typical of the region; namely, the familiar green curry (Kaeng khieo wan) to which is usually added poultry or fish; a hot curry known as kaeng phet, and a milder version called kaeng phanaeng. All are based on coconut milk.

Tom yam, the famous hot and sour soup, originates from the Central Region. There is also a creamy coconut milk soup made with chicken called tom kha kai. Yam, the tangy salads, are a Central invention. Haw mok, llittle banana leaf cups of a souffle-like mix made from red curry paste, egg and coconut milk, with seafood added, are a popular snack item. Phat phet is a stir-fry with basil and curry paste. Most meals in the Central Region will include an omelette of some kind, either a plain one served with a thick sweet chilli sauce, or with oysters added. There is a more substantial omelette filled with ground pork, tomato and onion, called khai yat sai.

The Chinese influence is especially strong in the Central Region. You will find it in the plain soups that usually include tofu, ground pork and green squash, in the clay pot dishes, and of course in the noodle dishes such as kuay tiaw.

Travel a little within the Central Region and you will find some real local specialities. At Nakhon Pathom, to the west of Bangkok, you will find sticky rice and coconut steamed in a length of bamboo. This is known as khao lam. You will also find it at Nong Mon Market in Chon Buri Province, near Pattaya, a roadside market about kilometre in length that is also famed for its dried fish. Chanthaburi, close to the Cambodian border, has its own noodles fried with crab meat. A distinctively flavored leaf, chamuang, grows in the forests here, and is used in curries. There is a chilli paste dip from the coastal areas of the eastern Central Region, made from crab, egg, and yellow chilli.

Travel southwest of Bangkok to the town of Phetchaburi and you will find khanom maw kaeng, a baked custard. There are many varieties but they are all based on mung bean, egg and coconut milk. Slightly further south, along the coast, Cha-am and Hua Hin are renowned for their seafood. Cha-am has a picturesque harbour where oysters are brought in fresh by the tremendous variety of curries created by the Mon ethnic grouping.

The Northeast

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:18:00 -0700

Like the North, the Northeast was also long regarded as remote form Bangkok and its direct influence. The Lao kingdoms on the other side of the Mekong River held greater sway over the region until the French drew up their Indochinese boundaries in the late 19th century, forcing the vast plateau that Thais call Isan more firmly into the embrace of Bangkok.

Even so, the Lao influence remains powerful in that the majority of people in the region are of Lao ethnic grouping, and that the local dialect is Lao. A further strong influence is that the Khmer, from Cambodia, whose kingdom earlier extended into this region; there are many Angkor Wat period moments throughout Isan, and Khmer is the dominant dialect in parts of the lower Northeast.

The rivers that flow through the plateau do not empty into the Gulf of Thailand but veer eastwards into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, and on to the South China Sea, thus depriving this region of a rich delta country.

Glutinous rice is preferred to the white variety. Roasting and grilling gives a strong savoury flavour to much of the food, as douse the inclusion of herbs and pickled ingredients. Chillies also tend to be used with greater gusto here, to liven up a meal that might otherwise be somewhat impoverished in terms of content.

Somtam is an art here. The green papaya is pounded in a mortar with time juice, garlic, fish sauce and a number of other ingredients. A popular style has dried shrimp, cherry tomatoes and roasted peanuts. Another has pickled field crab and very pungent fish sauce named pla ra. Eating somtam can be and eye-watering experience, and the absorbent properties of sticky rice are greatly appreciated.

Kai yang or grilled chicken, is another Isan special, the art lying in the preparation of garlic, coriander root, black pepper and fish sauce that is rubbed over the chicken before it is cooked slowly over hot charcoal. A variety of dips are served with the chicken, and sometimes a heap of garlic shavings. Lap is a kind of salad made by tossing minced meat, poultry or freshwater fish with fresh mint leaves, spring onion, lime juice, grounded dried chilli, and uncooked rice that has been dry-roasted to a brown colour. Neua nam tok is another salad, using lap-like ingredients, with beef that has been charcoal-grilled so that the fat runs out: the Thai name translates as "waterfall beef".

An Isan meal will include a spicy soup made from lemongrass, galangal, spring onions, kaffir lime leaves and chilli. There are many variations, with beef tripe and liver, or chicken and tamarind leaves heading up the list of favourites. A hotpot known as chaew hawn is made in individual heated pots, the raw ingredients placed in the boiling broth by the diners.

Peculiar to the region is the giant Mekong catfish named pla beuk that can be caught only a certain time of the year, usually in May, when it is stored frozen for the restaurants that specialise in this delicacy.

The North

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:16:00 -0700

Thailand as a kingdom first began to take shape in the mountainous North, with a number of city states that eventually became a loose federation known as lanna, centred around Chiang Mai. Later, the Thais migrated southwards and Sukhothai became the first true capital of Siam. After, Sukhothai came Ayutthaya, even further to the south; and then, of course, Bangkok. The romoteness of the North meant that it functioned more as a vassal state than as and integral part of the country, and consequently kept its own traditions, language, dress, architecture and food.

Because of the cooler mountain climate, there is a lager variety of vegetables than in other regional Thai cuisines, and roots and herbs have a strong presence. There are many sour and bitter flavoures, especially apparent in the soups, such as Kaeng ho, a soup made with pickled bamboo shoot.

The Influence of neighboring Mynmar and Laos is a strong one in the cuisine. People of the North prefer glutinous rice to white rice, rolling it into balls with their hands, and dipping into dishes and sauces. Somtam, the spicy green papaya salad highly popular in the Northest, is also a familiar dish in the North.

Form Myanmar come Khao soi, a curry broth with egg noodles and chicken pork or beef; and kaeng hang lay, a pork curry seasoned with ginger, tamarind and turmeric. curries are thinner in this region with the two most popular curry dishes being Kaeng yuak, made with banana palm hearts; and kaeng Khanoon, made form the aromatic jackfruit.

Sausages are a speciality. The best known is sai ua, which blends aground pork with dried chillies, garlic, shallots and lemon-grass to produce a spicy red sausage. There is also a sausage called naem maw, prepared in a clay pot with ground pork, pork rind and sticky rice, plus garlic and chilli. This is eaten uncooked, the mixture having fermented to create a strong sour taste.

The North is noodle heaven, the ethnic mix of Yunnanese, Shan and Burmese having produced a seemingly endless range of kuay tiaw and khanom chin dishes. In Chiang Mai, the khao soy egg noodles eaten with chicken or beef curry and number of spicy and sour side dishes were brought in by the caravans of Yunnan Moslems. Wunsen noodles are another Chinese import; made form mung bean starch, they are a part of curries, soups and stir-fires. Khanom chin nam ngiew is soft thin rice noodles with pork rib, tomatoes and back bean sauce.

No visit to the North is complete without sampling a Khan toke dinner. The name derives form a khan, or bowl, and a toke, a low round table made of woven bamboo, plain of lacquered. Guests sit on the floor, usually watching a cultural performance, and serve themselves form the assorted dishes of northern specialities placed on the table.

Regional Thai Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:13:00 -0700

Geographically, Thailand is a diverse country. Thais generally divide it into four distinct regions. The Central region is largely delta country, dominated by the Chao Phraya River, and with rich soil. Southern Thailand is peninsula country, with the Andaman Sea on one side and the Gulf of Thailand on the other. The North is cool and mountainous. Northeastern Thailand is a vast plateau and flanked by the Mekong River. Each region has its own distinct ethnic peoples, speaking their own dialect, and practising their own customs.

Until the 1920s and the completion of the railway network, travel within Thai- land was difficult. Journeys were accomplished by elephant, and it could take several weeks to reach the further provinces from Bangkok. Consequently, the four main regions, left largely to govern themselves, kept their traditions intact. The culinary traditions included.

It is therefore possible to travel throughout the. country and experience very different styles of cooking. Or to visit a Bangkok restaurant owned by people from one of the regions, and specialising in that cuisine. Or to sit in a restaurant and pick out dishes that have originated in the North, Northeast, Central and Southern regions.

All of this diversity has come together under the general heading "Thai food", and helps to explain why there is such a tremendous variety t of foods available in a country whose population, at around sixty million, is not an exceptionally large one. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the menu of a "typical Thai restaurant" is actually a Bangkok menu; for Bangkok is what is termed a "primate city" by sociologists, a city that politically, economically and culturally dominates all the other cities in a country.

When we sit down to a Thai meal, therefore, we are experiencing the many different styles and flavours of the country. The curries and seafood of the South; the courtly dishes of the North; the herby, earthy recipes of the Northeast, with their river fish; the sheer inventiveness of the fertile Central region. Add to this the Chinese influence, which has itself been profound, and the contributions from other ethnic peoples, and you have a most wonderful melting pot.

The North
The Northeast
Central Plains
The South

Preparing Thai Food

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:08:00 -0700

>> Titbits
A simple kind of titbit is fun to make. You need shallots, ginger, lemon or lime, lemon grass, roasted peanuts and red phrik khi nu chillies. Peeled shallots and ginger should be cut into small fingertip sizes. Diced lime and slices of lemon grass should be cut to the same size. Roasted peanut should be left in halves. Chillies should be thinly sliced. Combinations of such ingredients should be wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves and laced with a sweet-salty sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, dried shrimps and lime juice.

>> Dips
Mixing crushed fresh chillies with fish sauce and a dash of lime juice makes a general accompanying sauce for any Thai dish. Adding some crushed garlic and a tiny amount of roasted or raw shrimp paste transforms it into an all-purpose dip (nam phrik). Some pulverised dried shrimp and julienned egg-plant with sugar makes this dip more complete. Serve it with steamed rice, an omelette and some vegetables.

>> Salad Dressings
Salad dressings have similar base ingredients. Add fish sauce, lime juice and sugar to enhance saltiness, sourness and sweetness. Crushed chillies, garlic and shallots add spiciness and herbal fragrance. Lemon grass and galanga can be added for additional flavour. Employ this mix with any boiled, grilled or fried meat. Lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber, cut spring onions and coriander leaves help top off a salad dressing.

>> Soup Stocks
Soups generally need good stock. Add to boiling water crushed peppercorns, salt, garlic, shallots, coriander roots, and the meats or cuts of one's choice. After prolonged boiling and simmering , you have the basic stock of common Thai soups. Additional galanga, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, crushed fresh chillies, fish sauce and lime juice create the basic stock for a Tom Yam.

>> Curries
To make a quick curry, fry curry or chilli paste in heated oil or thick coconut milk. Stir and fry until the paste is well cooked and add meats of one's choice. Season with fish sauce or sugar to taste. Add water or thin coconut milk to make curry go a longer way. Add sliced eggplant with a garnish of basil and kaffir lime leaves. Make your own curry paste by blending fresh (preferably dried) chillies, garlic, shallots, galanga, lemon grass, coriander roots, ground pepper, kaffir lime peels and shrimp paste.

>> Single Dish Meals
Heat the cooking oil, fry in a mixture of crushed chillies, minced garlic, ground pepper and chopped chicken meat. When nearly cooked, add vegetables such as cut beans or eggplants. Season with fish sauce and garnish with kefir lime leaves, basil or balsam leaves. Cooked rice or fresh noodles added to the frying would make this a substantial meal.

What Comprises a Thai Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:01:00 -0700

:: Titbits
These can be hors d'oeuvres, accompaniments, side dishes, and/or snacks. They include spring rolls, satay, puffed rice cakes with herbed topping. They represent the playful and creative nature of the Thais

:: Salads
A harmony of tastes and herbal flavours are essential. Major tastes are sour, sweet and salty. Spiciness comes in different degrees according to meat textures and occasions.

:: General Fare
A sweet and sour dish, a fluffy omelette, and a stir-fried dish help make a meal more complete.

:: Dips
Dips entail some complexity. They can be the major dish of a meal with accompaniments of vegetables and some meats. When dips are made thinly, they can be used as salad designs. A particular and simple dip is made from chillies, garlic, dried shrimps, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and shrimp paste.

:: Soups
A good meal for an average person may consist simply of a soup and rice. Traditional Thai soups are unique because they embody more flavours and textures than can be found in other types of food.

:: Curries
Most non-Thai curries consist of powdered or ground dried spices, whereas the major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chillies, shallots and shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galanga, coriander roots, lemon grass, kaffir lime peel and peppercorns.

:: Single Dishes
Complete meals in themselves , they include rice and noodle dishes such as Khao Phat and Phat Thai.

:: Desserts
No good meal is complete without a Thai dessert. Uniformly sweet, they are particularly welcome after a strongly spiced and herbed meal.

Eating & Ordering Thai Food

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:56:00 -0700

Thai food is eaten with a fork and spoon. Even single dish meals such as fried rice with pork, or steamed rice topped with roasted duck, are served in bite-sized slices or chunks obviating the need for a knife. The spoon is used to convey food to the mouth.

Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice, three diners four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with other dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes are "balanced" by bland dishes to avoid discomfort.

The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate. A typical meal might include a clear soup (perhaps bitter melons stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce), a fried dish (fish with ginger), a hot salad (beef slices on a bed of lettuce, onions, chillies, mint and lemon juice) and a variety of sauces into which food is dipped. This would be followed by sweet desserts and/or fresh fruits such as mangoes, durian, jackfruit, papaya, grapes or melon.

Thai food is

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:46:00 -0700

Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.

With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America.

Thais were very adapt at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other daily products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non spiced items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

LAB-MHU

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:08:00 -0700

GROUND PORK SALAD

This is the way how to cook Lab-Mhu

Ingredients :

* 350 grams coarsely ground pork

* 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves

* 3 tablespoons lime juice

* 2 tablespoons fish sauce

* 2 tablespoons roasted sticky rice powder

* 3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion

* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh coriander

* 1 tablespoon coarsely ground dried red chilli

* 1/2 teaspoon sugar

* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallot

* 1 cup water (or chicken stock)

* 2 wedges green cabbage

* 5 green beans, trimmed and halved crosswis

Preparation :

1. Heat the water in a saucepan (or small pot). Add ground pork and cook for 2 minutes, tossing often to break up the meat. When cooked, remove the pan from the heat and drain the water.

2. Transfer the cooked pork to a medium bowl. Add the shallot, spring onion, coriander, and most of the mint, reserving a few leaves for a garnish. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, rice powder, chilli, and sugar. Then stir to combine everything well.

3. Before serving, garnish the serving dish with the cabbage, green bean, and mint. Thai people love to eat this dish with sticky rice and fresh vegetables.

MASSAMUN-NEUR

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:59:00 -0700

MASSAMUN BEEF

This is the way how to cook Massamun-Neur
Ingredients :

* 400 grams beef, cut into well pieces
* 1/2 cup coconut milk
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 tablespoon salt
* 1 cup potato, peel and cut into big chunks
* 1 tablespoon masaman curry paste
* 1 tablespoon tamarind
* 1 cinnamon stick l
* 1/4 cup cashew
* 2 pinches cardamom
* 2 leaves bay leaf
Note : Instead of Beef, Other meats (chicken, Lamb, etc.) can also be used.

Preparation :

1. Heat coconut milk and masaman curry paste in a pot over low heat, and stir until you see the red oil bubbling up (about 5 minutes).
2. Add the meat and continue stirring. Add half a cup of water or enough cover all the meat.
3. Add the rest of ingredients, except for potatoes, onion and cashew. Stew for 40 minutes or until beef is getting tender.
4. Add onion, potatoes, and cashews. Let simmer for 30 minutes more (during simmering, if the liquid is very low, add more water). Transfer to a serving bowl.

HAW-MOK-PLA

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:47:00 -0700

THAI STEAMED CURRIED FISH

This is the way how to cook Haw-Mok-Pla

Ingredients :

* 300 grams snapper fillet, cut into thin pieces

* 5 cabbage leaves, cut into small pieces

* 1 tablespoon rice flour

* 10 coriander leaves

* 2 fresh chilies, sliced thinly

* 3-4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly

* 2 tablespoons red curry paste

* 1 can coconut milk

* 2 eggs

* 1 teaspoon fish sauce

* 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation :

1. Pour 1 cup coconut milk in a mixing bowl (separate 1/4 coconut milk for topping) , and add red curry paste, keep stirring until mixed well.

2. Add fish into a mixture, stir until the mixture quite thick. Then add egg, fish sauce and sugar and stir well.

3. Heat water in a pot over medium-high heat, add chinese cabbage into boiled water and wait for 3 minutes. Remove hot water and rinse in cold water.

4. Squeeze cabbage ( to bring water out ), place them at the bottom of each banaleaf cup (small cup can be used instead), fill the cup with spice mixture and steam for 30 minutes.

5. Add rice flour into coconut milk that is separated for topping, then mix well and put in microwave for 1 minute.

6. After 30 minutes or the mixture is cooked, garnish each cup with coconut cream, coriander leaves, chili and kaffir lime leaves. Then steam for another 3 minutes, and then remove from the steamer to the serving dish.

PA-NAENG-NEUR

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:42:00 -0700

panaeng neur

This is the way how to cook Panaeng-Neur
Ingredients :

* 400 grams beef tenderloin, sliced

* 2 tablespoons panaeng curry paste

* 2 tablespoons vegetable cooking oil

* 150 gms coconut milk

* 2 tablespoons palm sugar

* 2 tablespoons fish sauce

* 10 basil leaves

* 1 red chilli, sliced

* 3 kaffir lime leaves

Preparation :

1. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the curry paste for one minute, then pour in the coconut milk and boil.

2. Add beef and season with palm sugar and fish sauce.

3. Once the beefs are cooked, then add basil, chilli and kaffir lime leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with steamed rice is also a good way to enjoy this recipe.

PAD-KA-PRAO-KAI

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:32:00 -0700

FRIED CHICKEN WITH BASIL LEAVES

This is the way how to cook Pad-Ka-Prao-Kai
Ingredients :

* 450 grams chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

* 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

* 1/2 cup onion, sliced

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* 2 teaspoons black soy sauce

* 2 tablespoons fish sauce

* 1 cup fresh holy basil

* 7 chillies, chopped and pounded coarsely

* Dash of ground white pepper

Preparation :

1. Heat a wok until the oil is hot, then stir in the garlic, and then add onions. Stir another few seconds before adding the chicken. Continue Stir-frying until chicken is cooked throughly.

2. Add chillies and sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry another 15-20 seconds.

3.Then add fresh basil leaves and fish sauce to taste. Stir and mix well. Sprinkle with white pepper. Stir and transfer to a serving dish. Normally, Thai people love to eat this dish with steamed rice and fried egg.

TOD-MON-PLA

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:30:00 -0700

Thai fish cakes

This is thw way how to cook Thod-mon-pla

Thod Mon Pla is a Thai dish. This dish is a savory complement of various kinds of Thai herbs and spices mixed well with grated fish meat and sliced spring beans to make it sticky mixture. The deep fried small bite of the mixture is served with the side dish made from sliced cucumber, roasted ground nut and vinegar. This dish can be served as a snack or a main dish with rice. This Thai cuisine provides nutritional value especially protein from fish and fiber from vegetables. Moreover, it provides medicinal property from herbs and spices. The savory scent of Thod Mun Pla Krai is also used in aroma therapy.

Ingredients :

* 500 grams white fish meat, minced or chopped

* 1 egg

* 1/2 cup string beans, sliced thinly

* 3 tablebspoons fresh kaffir lime leaves, chopped

* 1 teaspoon sugar

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 tablespoon ofred curry paste

* 3 cups cooking oil for frying

Ingradients for Cucumber Relish

* 1 cup cucumber, diced

* 1/2 cup ground roasted peanuts

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1/2 cup white vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Preparation :

1. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well knead with the hand until it sticks and mixed well.

2. Spoon the mixture 2 tbsp; shape into small patties about 3" in diameter and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.

3. Serve with cucumber relish.

Cucumber Relish Preparations :

1. Mix sugar and vinegar in the pot and heat.

2. When the mixture boiling, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Spoon into a cup, add diced cucumber and top with ground peanuts.

SOM-TUM

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:00:00 -0700

Papaya Salad

This is the way how to cook Som-tum

Som Tum is accepted as a typical Thai dish, consisting of grated papaya and carrots mixed well with the seasonings of lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce, heated by hot spicy chilies and garlic, scented by fried ground nut combined with dried shrimp, tomato, spring beans then served with various kinds of fresh vegetables such as morning glory and cabbage.

The main ingredients of this Thai dish, the vegetables, contain many beneficial kinds of vitamins, especially vitamin A and beta-carotene from the carrots. Beta-carotene can help reduce the free radicals which are known to cause cancer. Other ingredients in Som Tum are of nutritional value and aide in improving one’s health too.

Ingredients :

* 2 cups shredded green papaya

* 1/2 cup shredded carrot

* 1/2 cup sting bean (cut into 1"long)

* 2 tablespoons fish sauce

* 1 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar

* 3 tablespoons lime juice

* 1/2 cup tomato (wedged)

* 1/3 cup dried shrimps

* 1/4 cup peanuts

* 10 green chilies

* 5 cloves fresh garlic

Note : regular sugar can be used instead of palm sugar

Preparation :

1. Use motar and prestle to crush the chilli and garlic, add shrimps, continue crushing.

2. Add sugar, continue beating with the prestle, then add the papaya, carrot, sting bean, fish sauce, lime juice, tomato, and peanuts. Continue beating until all ingredients mixed well.

3. Finally, season with sugar, fish sauce, or lime. The original taste this dish should be the balance taste between sweet, (pepper) hot, salty, and sour.

4. Serve with vegetables (e.g. cabbage, string bean, napa, etc.). Thai people love to eat Sticky Rice with Papaya Salad. In this case, sticky rice can be served together with finished Papaya Salad.

PAD-THAI-KUNG-SOD

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:45:00 -0700

Stir-fried rice noodle with prawns

This is the way how to cook Pad Thai Goong Sod

Pad Thai Goong Sod is a Thai one-dish meal famous for its unique taste and mouth-watering appearance due to plentiful ingredients.

The dish derives its nutritive value from both the mixtures and from fresh vegetables which is a complement to the dish. Some of the vegetables are banana blossoms, bean sprouts, pennywort, and Chinese leek leaves. They also provide fiber and have medicinal property-they help relieve internal pain. Moreover, banana blossom enhances milk flow of newly delivering mothers. In conclusion, Phad Thai is not only delicious but also nutritious.

Ingredients :

* 12 fresh Shrimp

* 90 gram Dry Rice Noodle (3 - 5 mm)

* 50 gram Fresh Bean Sprouts

* 2 tablespoons Chopped (1") Green Onion

* 6 tablespoons Fish Sauce

* 6 tablespoons Oyster Sauce

* 3 teaspoons Vinegar

* 2 tablespoons Sugar

* 2 Tablespoons Preserved Turnip

* 2 Tablespoons Crushed Peanuts

* 1 Tablespoon Paprika

* 2 Eggs

* 1 Teaspoon Red Chili (for Spicy lover)

* 1/2 Lemon

Preparation :

1. Soak the noodles about 30 minutes in room temperature water.

2. Heat and season the wok. Add the Shrimp and grill for 90 seconds. Add the Eggs. When the eggs are not quite finished, add the Noodles, Sugar, Peanuts, Turnips and Paprika. Stir Fry until all ingredients are mixed well and the noodles are wilted.

3. Season with the Fish Sauce, Oyster Sauce and vinegar. Then add Bean Sprouts, Green Onions and Red Chili. Stir fry quickly ensuring everything is well combined. If you like wet noodle dishes de glaze with 5 oz. water stock. If you like firmer dry noddles de glaze with only 2 oz. water stock. Place on Serving plate and garnish with more Bean Sprouts and a Lemon wedge.

GAENG-KHEOW-WHAN-GAI

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:18:00 -0700

Green curry with Chicken

This is the way how to cook Gaeng Kheow Whan Gai

Gaeng Kheow Whan Gai a green curry served with salted-yolk filled chicken, is a well-known Thai coconut-milk curry. Its distinctive taste is derived from the richness of creamy hot coconut milk blended with various Thai herbs and spices. The complementary flavors of the aromatic oils and aroma provide not only a special enhanced appeal for this Thai delicacy but have been chosen also use in aromatic therapy. They ease one’s mind and relieve some kinds of pain while providing you with a very enjoyable Thai nouvelle cuisine. The nutritious benefits of protein, vitamins, mineral salts, and fiber obtained from chicken and vegetables accordingly create Kaeng Kheow Wan Kai’s.A Thai cuisine of nutritious value and unique taste appreciated by all.

Ingredients :

* 1/4 cup green curry paste

* 350 grams chicken breast or thigh, cut in bite-size pieces

* 1 1/4 cups coconut milk

* 1/4 cup thai basil leaves

* 2 eggplants, cut into small pieces.

* 1/2 cup chicken stock

* 2 teaspoons palm sugar

* 3 tablespoons fish sauce

* 2 red chilies, sliced diagonally

* 4 kaffir lime leaves

Preparation :

1. Bring ½ cup of coconut milk (use the thick cream off the top) to a boil in a pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often for 3 to 5 minutes. Add green curry paste; continue to cook and stir until the mixture becomes dry and fragrant. Transfer mixture to a larger pot.

2. Add the chicken and stir for 1-2 minutes, add fish sauce, sugar, keep stirring for another minute then add cut eggplant, the remaining coconut milk and chicken stock. Cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked and eggplant is tender.

3. Add kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and adjust the seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl

TOM-YUM-KUNG

noreply@blogger.com (Thai food) — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:59:00 -0700

Spicy soup with Prawn and lemongrass

This is the way how to cook Tom-Yum-Kung

Tom Yum Kung is a spicy Thai cuisine, soured by juice, salted by fish sauce, and heated with hot spicy chilies. This Thai dish is also a savory complement of Various Kind of Thai herbs such as galangal, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves served with chili paste and coconut cream that combine to enhance its flavoring appeal.

This Thai cuisine delicacy is not only delicious but also nutritious as well. The dish contains protein from shrimp and fiber from other Thai herbs and ingredients of nutritional value. It’s believed that Thai herbs can help stop the growth of cancer. The savory scent of Tom Yum Kung is often used in aroma therapy for its relaxing and curing effects in the treatment of some diseases

Ingrediants :

* 12 medium-size shrimps, deveined

* 10 mushrooms

* 1 stalk of lemon grass (lightly pounded and cut into 2" long)

* 3 lime leaves

* 1 teaspoon of salt

* 2 tablespoons of fishsauce

* 3 tablespoons of lime juice

* 6 hot peppers (pounded lightly)

* 4 cups of water

* 1/2 cup of roughly cut coriander leaves

Preparation :

1. Remove the shrimp shell but leave the tails (for good appearance). Then cut open the back of each shrimp to remove the veins. Also clean the mushrooms with water and dry them well before wedging each into quarters.

2. Bring water to boil, then add lemon grass, lime leaves, and shrimps. When the shrimps turn pink, add mushrooms and salts.

3. Remove the pot from heat after boiling. Then season with fish sauce, lime juice, and hot peppers. Serve the soup while still hot and garnish on top with pieces of coriander leaves