Contents

The Food of Thailand 5

Feasting in the Streets 7

Culinary Arts of the Thai Palace 8

The Evolution of Thai Cuisine 12

Eating and Cooking Thai 15

Authentic Thai Ingredients 18

Basic Recipes

Thai Chicken Stock 22

Green Chili Sauce 22

Prawn Chili Paste 23

Red Curry Paste 23

Green Curry Paste 23

Mussaman Curry Paste 23

Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce 23

Appetizers and Soups

Salted Fish and Coconut Dip 26

Pork and Prawn Coconut Dip 26

Spicy Grilled Fish Dip 26

Green Peppercorn Prawn Dip 27

Shrimp Paste and Chili Dip 27

Green Chili and Salted Fish Dip 27

Pork and Tomato Chili Dip 27

Spicy Salted Egg Dip 27

Leaf-wrapped Savory Morsels 28

Eggs with Tangy Tamarind Dressing 31

Pork and Shrimp Bean Curd Skin Dumplings 32

Crispy Shells with Minced Chicken 32

Savory Stuffed Omelets 34

Steamed Seafood Cakes 37

Deep-fried Shrimp Cakes 39

Crispy Prawns with Sweet and Sour Sauce 40

Spicy Prawn Soup with Lemongrass 41

Clear Soup with Glass Noodles 42

Stuffed Baby Cucumber Soup 42

Seafood Soup with Basil 44

Creamy Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk 45

Sour Seafood Soup with Vegetables 47

Salads and Vegetables

Green Papaya Salad 48

Spicy Pomelo or Grapefruit Salad 50

Glass Noodle Salad 51

Grilled Beef Salad 53

Chicken Salad with Vegetables 54

Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork or Bacon 56

Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables 57

Stir-fried Water Spinach 58

Stir-fried Asparagus with Shrimp 59

Rice and Noodles

Southern-style Rice Salad 61

Shrimp Fried Rice 63

Fried Rice Sticks with Shrimp 64

Northern-style Chicken Noodle Soup 66

Rice Noodles with Coconut Fish Curry 68

Rice Stick Noodles with Seafood and Basil 70

Stir-fried Rice Stick Noodles with Minced Beef 71

Meat and Poultry

Green Chicken Curry with Basil and Eggplant 72

Chicken Wrapped in Pandanus Leaves 73

Red Chicken Curry with Bamboo Shoots 74

Roast Duck Curry 76

Mussaman Beef Curry 78

Red Pork Curry 79

Beef with Roasted Eggplant 80

Chicken Stir-fried with Chili and Basil 82

Barbecued Chicken 84

Grilled Pork with Chili Sauce 85

Dry Beef Curry 86

Seafood

Stir-fried Squid with Garlic 88

Shrimp in Spicy Coconut 91

Crabs with Glass Noodles in Claypot 93

Charcoal-grilled Prawns with Sweet and Sour Sauce 94

Deep-fried Stuffed Crab in the Shell 96

Clams with Basil and Prawn Chili Paste 97

Steamed Mussels with Basil 98

Crispy Fried Catfish with Green Mango Salad 100

Fried Fish with Chili Shrimp Paste Sauce 101

Crispy Fish Fillets with Red Curry Sauce 102

Desserts

Red Ruby Chestnut Morsels in Sweet Coconut 105

Bananas in Coconut Milk 105

Glutinous Rice Beads in Coconut Milk 105

Steamed Pumpkin Custard 106

Deep-fried Bananas with Coconut 109

Steamed Glutinous Rice Cakes with Banana 109

Measurements and Conversion Tables 110

Index of Recipes 111

Mail-order/Online Sources of Ingredients 112

A table for two is more likely to be found in a restaurant than in a family home, where dining is a sociable experience shared by many.