Authentic Thai Ingredients

Bamboo shoots or naw mai are the fresh shoots of bamboo, and make an excellent vegetable. They must first be peeled, sliced and simmered for about 30 minutes until tender. If using canned bamboo shoots, remove any metallic taste by draining the shoots then boiling them in fresh water for 5 minutes.

Bean curd or tofu is available in various forms and consistencies. Soft and firm white bean curd is often steamed or added to soups. Small squares of pressed bean curd are used in place of meat in stir-fries or spring rolls. Cubes of deep-fried bean curd, also known as tau hoo tod, are added to slow-cooked dishes and some soups. Pickled or fermented bean curd, known as tau hoo yee, sold in jars and either red or light brown in color, is used in small amounts as a seasoning in Chinese-influenced dishes.

Bean sprouts, also known as sprouted mung beans or tau ngork, are eaten raw or lightly blanched in salads and soups, or quickly stir-fried as a vegetable dish. They can be stored in a refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Cardamom or luk grawan are straw-colored pods containing 8-10 tiny black seeds that have an intense fragrance. They are used in southern Thai curries.

Basil is often used as a seasoning and garnish in Thai cooking, and there are several types The most commonly used basil is known as Thai basil or horapa and is fairly similar to European and American sweet basil. It is used liberally as a seasoning and sprigs of it are often added to platters of fresh raw vegetables. Lemon basil or manglak is similar to horapa but paler and with a distinctive lemony fragrance. It is used in soups and salads. Kaprow, sometimes known as "holy basil," has a fragrance redolent of cloves. Its taste is sharp and hot and it is mainly used in spicy stir-fries. Thai basils are commonly available in Asian food stores and many supermarkets, but sweet basil makes an acceptable substitute.

Chilies are indispensable in Thail cooking and many different varieties are used. The large, finger-length green, red or yellow chili (prik chee) is moderately hot Dried red chilies of this variety are ground to make chili flakes or ground red pepper. Tiny red, green or yellowy-orange bird's-eye chilies (prik kee noo) are used in soups, curries and sauces, and are extremely hot. They are also available dried.

Chili sauce or saus prik is made by mixing chilies with water and seasoning the mixture with salt, sugar and vinegar or lime juice. It is available bottled and in jars; the best known brand overseas is Siracha. Some sauces are sweeter than others, and go particularly well with either chicken or seafood (and are so labeled).

Chinese celery or ceun chai is much smaller With thinner stems than the normal Western variety, and has a very intense. parsley, like flavor The leaves and sometimes the stems are added to soups, rice dishes and stir-fried vegetables. This type of celery is obtainable in Asian speciality stores.

Chinese garlic chives or kui chai have a far more emphatic, garlicky flavor than Western chives and resemble flat spring onions.

Coriander leaves, also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley, are very widely used in Thai cooking. In fact, the Thais use all parts of the coriander plant. The flavor of the leaves enhances countless dishes. Coriander roots are pounded together with garlic and black pepper to provide a basic seasoning for soups and stir-fries. Dried coriander seeds are used to season curries. There is no substitute for fresh coriander; it can easily be grown from the seeds and is now available in most supermarkets, sold in bunches with the roots still attached.

Coconut cream and coconut milk are used in many Thai desserts and curries. To obtain fresh coconut cream (which is normally used for desserts), grate the flesh of 1 coconut into a bowl (this yields about 3 cups of grated coconut flesh), add 1/₂ cup water and knead thoroughly a few times, then squeeze the mixture firmly in your fist or strain with a muslin cloth or cheese cloth. Thick coconut milk is obtained by the same method but by adding double the water to the grated flesh (about 1

cup instead of 1/₂ cup). Thin coconut milk (which is used for curries rather than desserts) is obtained by pressing the coconut a second time, adding 1 cup of water to the same grated coconut flesh and squeezing it again Although freshly pressed milk has more flavor, coconut cream and milk are now widely sold canned or in packets that are quick, convenient and quite tasty. Canned or packet coconut cream or milk comes in varying consistencies depending on the brand, and you will need to try them out and adjust the thickness by adding water as needed. In general, you should add 1 cup of water to 1 cup of canned or packet coconut cream to obtain thick coconut milk, and 2 cups of water to 1 cup of coconut cream to obtain thin coconut milk These mixing ratios are only general guides, however, and you can adjust the thickness depending on individual taste.

Cumin or mellet yira is often added to curry pastes. The same Thai name is used for cumin, fennel and caraway, which are all similar in appearance, sometimes leading to confusion.

Dried prawns or dried shrimp (kung haeng) are used to season many dishes, particularly sauces They can be small or large; the better quality ones are bright orange in color and shelled. They should first be soaked in warm water for 5 minutes to soften.

Fish sauce or nam pla is indispensable in Thai cooking Made from salted, fermented fish or prawns, good quality nam pla is golden-brown in color and has a salty tang. It is used in the same way as the Chinese use soy sauce. It is sold in bottles and is available in most supermarkets.

Galangal or kha is a rhizome, similar to ginger in appearance and a member of the same family. It adds a distinctive fragrance and flavor to many Thai dishes Slices of dried galangal (sometimes sold under the Indonesian name laos or the Malaysian name lengkuas) must be soaked in hot water for about 30 minutes to soften before using But dried galangal lacks the fragrance of fresh galangal, and most Asian food stores sell it fresh. It can be sliced and kept sealed in the freezer for several months.

Ginger or king is one of the most common ingredients in Asian cooking. Use only fresh ginger in Thai cooking; dried powdered ginger has a completely different flavor. Young ginger, which is pale yellow with a pinkish tinge, is juicier than mature ginger, which has a brown skin that should be scraped off before use.

Jicama or mun kaew (also known as bangkuang or yam bean) is a crunchy, mild tuber with a white interior and beige skin which peels off easily. It is excellent eaten raw with a spicy dip. and can also be cooked. Daikon radish may be used as a substitute.

Kaffir lime or ma-grood is a small lime that has a very knobby and intensely fragrant skin, but virtually no juice. The skin or rind is often grated and added to dishes as a seasoning The fragrant leaves are added whole to soups and curries, or finely shredded and added to salads or deep-fried fish cakes, giving a wonderfully tangy taste to these dishes. They are available frozen or dried in Asian food stores; frozen leaves are more flavorful. The dried rind can be reconstituted and substituted for fresh.

Krachai, also known as Chinese keys or lesser ginger, is an unusual rhizome which looks like a bunch of yellowish-brown fingers, and is enjoyed for its mild flavor and crunchy texture. It gives a subtle spicy flavor to dishes. Dried krachai is a poor substitute, so if the fresh variety is not available, omit this.

Lemongrass or bai takrai (also known as citronella) is a lemon-scented stem which grows in clumps, and is very important in Thai cooking. Each plant resembles a miniature leek. Use only the thicker bottom one third of the lemongrass stem. Discard the dry outer leaves and use only the tender inner part of the plant. Lemongrass is available fresh, frozen or dried; fresh lemongrass is preferable because of its stronger smell and flavor.

Mushrooms are prized in Thai cooking for the flavor and texture they add to dishes. Fresh mushrooms of several varieties are used, including delicate sheathed straw mushrooms (excellent in soups and vegetable dishes), button mushrooms, and dried brownish-black Chinese mushrooms (similar to Japanese shiitake mushrooms, which may also be used) which should be soaked in warm water to soften before use.

Oyster mushrooms are fan-shaped mushrooms that are usually white or grayish-brown in color. They grow in clusters and are sometimes known as abalone mushrooms.

Oyster sauce, also known as nam man hoi, is often used in conjunction with fish sauce or soy sauce. Most brands of oyster sauce contain monosodium glutamate and therefore intensify the flavor of the dish to which they are added. Mushroom sauce or a combination of fish sauce and soy sauce is a good substitute.

Palm sugar or nam taan peep is made from the distilled juice of various palm fruits (especially the coconut and arenga palms). Palm sugar varies in color from gold to dark brown. It has a rich flavor similar to dark brown sugar, molasses or maple syrup, which make good substitutes.

Pandanus leaves or bai toey hom come from a member of the pandanus palm or screwpine family. Pandanus leaves are used as a wrapping for seasoned morsels of chicken or pork rib. Look for fresh leaves at Southeast Asian produce stands. One-ounce packages of dried leaves labeled "Dried Bay-Tovy Leaves" are imported from Thailand, but fresh leaves are preferred

Noodles are available in many forms, and are made from either rice, wheat or mung bean flour. Kwaytiaow, also known as hofun, are wide, flat rice-flour noodles sold fresh in Asian markets. If fresh kwaytiaow cannot be obtained, use dried rice-stick noodles instead (these are thinner than kwaytiaow and must be soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained before use). Dried rice vermicelli are very fine rice threads that must also be soaked before using. Kanom jeen are spaghetti-like rice-flour noodles which are similar to the laksa noodles of Malaysia and Singapore Egg noodles (ba mee) are made from wheat flour Glass noodles, also known as cellophane noodles or bean threads, are thin transparent noodles made from mung bean flour. They are sold in dried form and must be soaked in warm water briefly to soften.

Rice flour made from ground long grain rice is used to make dough and batter, mainly for Thai desserts. Fresh rice flour was traditionally made by soaking rice overnight and grinding it slowly in a stone mill. The same result may be achieved by grinding soaked rice in a blender. Dried rice flour is available in some Asian specialty shops, as is glutinous rice flour made from sticky glutinous rice.

Salted cabbage or pak kad khem is used in some Thai-Chinese dishes. Soak in fresh water for at least 15 minutes to remove excess saltiness, repeating if necessary.

Salted duck eggs or kai khem are used as a side dish or pounded to make a sauce. The eggs should be boiled for about 10 minutes before being peeled.

Salted soy beans or tau jiew are slightly fermented and have a distinctive tang. These are often lightly pounded before being used to season fish, noodles or some vegetable dishes Varieties packed in China are sometimes confusingly labeled "Yellow Bean Sauce," while there are also brands which add sugar or chili to already ground beans. Japanese miso is similar and may be substituted

Salted fish or pla haeng is prepared by cleaning and salting freshly-caught fish that are splayed open on racks and dried in the sun. Many varieties of fish are used. They are either grilled or cut into fine slices and fried to a crisp, then added to other ingredients and ground to make dipping sauces.

Shrimp paste or kapi is a dense mixture of fermented ground shrimp. It is sold in dried blocks and ranges in color from pink to blackish-brown. Shrimp paste should be cooked before eating to kill bacteria; if the recipe you are using does not call for it to be fried together with other ingredients later, first either grill or dry-fry the shrimp paste before adding to other ingredients.

Soy sauce or nam siew is often used in dishes of Chinese origin. Regular Chinese light soy sauce and the darker black soy sauce are both used in this book. Light soy is saltier, while black soy adds a richer flavor and color to cooked dishes.

Tamarind or mak-kaam is a sour fruit that comes in a hard pod shell. Mix 3 tablespoons dried tamarind pulp with 1/₂ cup warm water, then mash well and strain through a sieve to obtain sour, fragrant tamarind juice. Discard any seeds and fibrous matter. If using already cleaned tamarind pulp or concentrate, reduce the amounts called for in these recipes.

Turmeric or kamin is a member of the ginger family. This rhizome has a very rich yellow interior (which can stain clothing and plastic utensils) and a pleasant pungency that is absent in dried turmeric powder. Substitute 1/₂ teaspoon turmeric powder for 1/₂ inch fresh turmeric.

Vinegar is commonly used in Thai recipes Usually distilled white vinegar or Chinese black vinegar is used. It is often used to make condiments or as a preservative and any sort of vinegar may be substituted.

Water chestnuts or haew are crunchy, white and juicy-sweet inside. The dark brown skin should be peeled before eating, and it is well worth using fresh water chestnuts if you can find them. Their crisp texture and sweet flavor make them popular in salads, stir-fried vegetable dishes and desserts.

Water spinach or pak bung is also known in Thailand as morning glory (and as kangkung in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore). This aquatic plant is a delicious and nutritious vegetable. Young shoots are often served as part of a mixed platter of raw vegetables for dipping into hot sauces, while the leaves and tender tips are also stir-fried. Discard the tough, hollow stems.