Northern Thai Kitchen Tools

When any cooking tool or utensil not standard to the Western kitchen is required in a recipe, I’ve made a note of it. Those that appear most frequently in the northern Thai kitchen—and are thus worth investing in—include the following:

CLEAVER / LAAP KNIFE: If you don’t have access to a heavy-bladed Thai-style laap knife, you’ll need a large cleaver to mince meat finely for laap or to chop through bones.

DIGITAL SCALE: One of the most important tools for cooking from this cookbook is, paradoxically, something you’ll never, ever find in a northern Thai kitchen. That’s because while northern Thai cooks work from memory and a sense honed by years—or decades—of experience, the best way I can think of to communicate this is, in part, to use the most accurate way of measuring ingredients. So, if you don’t have one, buy an inexpensive digital scale, and see this page for tips on cooking with weight and mass.

ELECTRIC RICE COOKER: This seemingly modern indulgence may clash with the rustic aura of northern Thai cooking, but just about everybody in northern Thailand—even those in remote hill tribe villages—uses one to cook long-grained rice. And there’s no need to go fancy: I still use the same cheapo Panasonic model I bought at Talat Ton Phayom in Chiang Mai back in 1999.

GRANITE MORTAR AND PESTLE: In flipping through this book, it will quickly become apparent that many northern Thai dishes are based around curry pastes, which are combinations of herbs, spices, and other ingredients pounded and blended with a granite mortar and pestle. Yes, the northern Thai, especially food vendors who prepare large quantities of food, use electric food processors. And so can you. But the results are, frankly, inferior. And once you take the plunge, I guarantee you’ll find that the mortar and pestle is a handy kitchen tool for a number of tasks besides pounding curry pastes, including grinding dried spices, crushing garlic and chilies for stir-fries, and even tenderizing meat. I’d recommend a medium-sized set (with an opening at least six inches in diameter); anything smaller is impractical, and anything bigger packs a heft that will probably discourage frequent use. Some recipes call for a large clay or wooden mortar and pestle set; although not absolutely necessary, its larger size makes it more convenient for making pounded salads. See this page for tips on using the mortar and pestle like a northern Thai.

GRILLING BASKET: This hinged, wire-mesh tool serves as a convenient way to grill anything from whole fish to dried chilies over coals.

NOODLE BASKET: If you plan on making any noodle dishes, this tool, a cup-like wire basket attached to the end of a long bamboo handle, will make the task of cooking and straining noodles much easier.

PAPAYA SHREDDER: Similar to a vegetable peeler but with a corrugated blade, this tool makes it easy to shred green papaya into thin strips.

STICKY RICE STEAMING POT AND BASKET: Sticky rice is the staple carb in northern Thailand, and these two inexpensive tools (unrelated to the Thai-style steamer mentioned at right) are the best—and most convenient—way to prepare it. For more on steaming sticky rice, see this page.

THAI-STYLE CHARCOAL GRILL: This item is not obligatory, and a Western-style barbecue (or even the broiling function of an oven) does a similar job. But for a relatively convenient way to grill, especially one that imparts that desirable smokiness, nothing beats this tool. Look for one that’s at least twelve inches in diameter.

THAI-STYLE STEAMER: This book features several steamed dishes that are made most conveniently if you have a relatively wide steamer (approximately eleven inches in diameter).

WOK: For the vast majority of recipes in this book, a medium wok (approxi-mately twelve inches in diameter) is sufficient; it’s what I—and many northern Thai—use at home. To make the most of this tool, be sure to also buy a wok spatula. If you plan on doing a lot of deep-frying or making some of the sweets in this book, then you may also want to consider investing in a larger, heavy-bottomed wok, which does a better job at distributing heat evenly, thus maintaining a more consistent temperature.