Authentic Thai Recipes
Portions
In Thai homes, food is seldom served in individual portions, as main dishes and condiments are normally placed on the table for people to help themselves, family style. Small amounts of these dishes are eaten with copious amounts of fragrant fluffy rice or sticky glutinous rice. It is thus difficult to estimate the exact number of portions each recipe will provide. As a general rule, however, the recipes in this book will serve 4-6 people as part of a meal with rice and three other main dishes.
Thai seasonings
Thais are fond of strong flavors—fiery chilies, salty fish sauce, soothing coconut, sweet palm sugar, and sour tamarind or lime. The amounts of chili, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice given in the following recipes is a guide, not an absolute measure. Bear in mind that you can always increase or decrease the amount of seasonings when preparing a dish, and condiments at the table may be added individually, so be careful not to overdo it in the initial stages.
Curry pastes
Basic curry pastes (recipes start on the next page) can be prepared in large quantities and stored in a covered glass jar in a refrigerator for 1 month or in a freezer for 3-4 months.
Ingredients
When a recipe lists a hard-to-find or unusual ingredient, see pages 18-21 for possible substitutes. If a substitute is not listed, look for the ingredient in your local Asian food market. Many Thai ingredients are now available in supermarkets outside of Thailand—including coriander leaf (cilantro), galangal root, fish sauce, coconut cream, palm sugar and lemon grass. Look for ingredients that are more difficult to find in Asian specialty shops. You can also check the Internet listings on page 112 for possible sources.
Time estimates
Estimates are given for preparation and cooking, and are based on the assumption that a food processor or blender will be used to grind spices.
Tips on grinding spices
When using a mortar and pestle or blender when preparing curry pastes, slice or chop the ingredients first before grinding. Also grind the tougher ingredients first before you add the softer ones. Add a little liquid (oil, coconut milk or water, depending on the recipe) to keep the blades turning. Be sure not to overload the blender—divide the ingredients into batches and grind each batch before adding the next. If you have to roast some ingredients before grinding, cool them a bit before adding to the blender. Store unused spice pastes in an airtight container in the freezer.
Thai Chicken Stock
Nam Cheua Gai
5-61/2 lbs (21/2-3 kg) chicken bones or 11/2 whole chicken
6 quarts (51/2 liters) water
11/2 cups (250 g) chopped onion
1 cup (125 g) chopped celery
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Wash bones in cold water then put in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring rapidly to the boil, then drain and discard water. Cover bones with 6 quarts water and add all other ingredients. Simmer for 3 hours, removing the scum as it accumulates. Strain through cloth. The stock can be put in 1 -quart containers and frozen for up to 3 months. Home made chicken stock greatly improves the flavor of all recipes where stock is specified. Yields 2 liters of stock.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours
Green Chili Sauce
Nam Jim
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 large green chilies, slit open, seeded and chopped
3 coriander roots, scraped clean
3 shallots, chopped
5-6 bird's-eye chilies (optional)
2-3 tablespoons shaved palm sugar
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Grind the garlic, green chilies, coriander roots, shallots and bird's-eye chilies, if using, in a mortar and pestle or blender. Add the palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, and mix well. This sauce is usually eaten with grilled seafood. Yields 3/4 cup.
Preparation time: 5 mins
Prawn Chili Paste
Nam Prik Pow
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
8 shallots, sliced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup (100 g) dried prawns or shrimp
1/2 cup (30 g) dried chilies, cut roughly
1 tablespoon palm sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
21/2 tablespoons tamarind juice (page 21)
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the shallots and garlic until golden brown; remove from oil and set aside. Add the dried prawns and chilies and fry until golden brown; remove from oil and set aside. In a food processor or blender, process the shallots, garlic, prawns, chilies and sugar with a little cooled oil from the wok to keep the blades turning Add the fish sauce, tamarind juice and salt and blend to obtain about 13/4 cups of paste.
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Red Curry Paste
Nam Prik Gaeng Ped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seed
5 dried red chilies, slit lengthwise, deseeded and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
3 tablespoons sliced shallots
8 cloves garlic, smashed
2-3 thin slices galangal
2 tablespoons sliced lemongrass (inside of thickest part of stem only)
2 teaspoons grated kaffir lime rind
1 tablespoon chopped coriander root
10 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a wok or frying pan over low heat for about 5 minutes, then grind to a powder in a blender or mortar and pestle. Add the remaining ingredients, except the shrimp paste, and grind well. Add the shrimp paste and grind again to obtain about 3/4 cup (180 ml) of fine-textured curry paste.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Green Curry Paste
Nam Prik Gaeng Kheow Wan
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5-10 green bird's-eye chilies
3 tablespoons sliced shallots
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon sliced galangal
1 tablespoon sliced lemongrass (inside of thickest part of stem only)
1/2 teaspoon grated kaffir lime rind
1 teaspoon chopped coriander root
5 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste, roasted (page 21)
Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a wok over low heat for about 5 minutes, then grind to a powder. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the shrimp paste, and grind to mix well. Add the shrimp paste to the spice mixture and grind to obtain cup of fine-textured curry paste.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Mussaman Curry Paste
Nam Prik Gaeng Mussaman
3 tablespoons sliced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sliced galangal
1 heaped tablespoon sliced lemongrass (inside of thickest part of stem only)
2 cloves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 black peppercorns
3 dried chilies, sliced open, deseeded and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
Dry-fry the shallots, garlic, galangal. lemongrass, cloves, coriander and cumin seeds in a wok over low heat for about 5 minutes, then grind to a powder in a mortar and pestle or blender. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the shrimp paste, and grind to mix well. Combine the ground mixture and shrimp paste and grind again to obtain 1/2 cup of fine-textured curry paste.
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes or ground red pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
Place the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and serve as a dipping sauce for roast pork or chicken.
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Key to photograph appearing on pages 24-25: A traditional northern Thai appetizer platter consisting of various raw vegetables, tried fish and chicken wings, and dipping sauces.
1 Salted Fish and Coconut Dip
2 Pork and Prawn Coconut Dip
3 Spicy Grilled Fish Dip
4 Green Peppercorn Prawn Dip
5 Shrimp Paste and Chili Dip
6 Green Chili and Salted Fish Dip
7 Spicy Salted Egg Dip