Thai cuisine is popular all over the world for its flavours. Here we present some of the more famous ones
How much do you know about Thai food? Is your knowledge about this tasty cuisine limited only to the red and green curries or Pad Thai? Let us tell you a bit more about Thai food — its versatility and the amalgamation of flavours it encompasses.
What makes Thai cuisine so popular?
While most of the dishes we have mentioned can be found in restaurants everywhere, the authentic flavours of the cuisine can only be enjoyed when you visit the country. Thai food has a complex set of flavours. It involves an interplay of at least 4-5 fundamental flavours. The intricacy, texture, smell, use of ingredients, colour and taste of Thai food makes it one of the most popular cuisines in the world.
There’s more to Thai cuisine than you know.
Local restaurants around the world serve popular items like Pad Thai, Thai Green Curry, Thai Red Curry, Spring Rolls and so on. But there’s a lot more to Thai cuisine than just these few items. For example, did you know that Thai cuisine also includes a fragrant and sweet iced tea? Similarly, some side dishes and desserts will make you go crazy about Thai food.
We have picked out 20 specialty Thai dishes that you must try at least once in your lifetime. A few of these dishes have many versions. Choose the one you prefer and dig in.
Tom Yum Goong
This hot Thai soup has shrimp as its main ingredient. Seafood lovers who want to give Thai food a try can start with this superb dish. It has a mix of sweet, tangy and spicy flavours. It is loaded with coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, mushrooms and kaffir lime leaves.
Pad Thai
If you love Thai food, Pad Thai wouldn’t be a new name for you. People across the world rave about this particular Thai delight. Medium sized rice noodles are stir-fried with a variety of ingredients like peanuts, tofu, green onions, garlic, pepper and more. You can have the vegetarian version or take it up a notch with your choice of seafood or chicken.
Geng Kheaw Wan Gai (Green Curry)
The mild flavour of herbs and coconut milk lend an enticing flavour to this dish. The green colour of this curry comes from spicy green peppers, so if you’re not a big fan of spicy food, try the milder version of the green curry. It tastes best with chicken, but you can also try the seafood and beef versions.
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Penang Kai
If you love to eat Thai food, you must be familiar with their spicy red curry paste. Chicken is fried with red curry paste and then doused with coconut milk to create this delicious curry. Kaffir lime leaves are sprinkled to add a more dynamic flavour.
Kai Jiew Moo Saap
Looking for something very simple on the Thai menu? Try this Thai-style omelette. It’s cooked with a dash of fish sauce and minced pork. The egg mixture is deep fried instead of the way an omelette is usually fried. Serve it with chilli sauce.
Spring Rolls
Almost everyone loves spring rolls and Thai-style spring rolls are something you’ll kill for. You can have them stuffed with vegetables, seafood or any other meat of your choice. Enjoy them with some hot or sweet-sour sauce.
Thai Nam Phrik Fish Bowl
Ingredients:
For Paste:
30 gm Red Chillies
50 gm Onion Whole
10 gm Garlic Cloves
2 gm Brown Sugar
10 gm Tamarind Paste
5ml Oil
For Nam Phirk Sauce:
3 gm Chopped Garlic
4 gm Chopped Lemon Grass
4 gm Chopped Galangal
10 gm Small Onion, sliced
2 gm Chopped Coriander
2 gm Basil Leaves
5 gm Tomato Ketchup
4 gm Light Soya
2 ml Rice Wine Vinegar
For Nam Phirk Paste:
150 ml Stock
5 gm Diluted Corn Flour
3 ml Refined Oil
2 ml Lemon Juice
3 ml Oil
20 gm Julienne Peppers
For Fried Fish Batter:
120 gm Basa, cut into big chunks
10 gm Flour
15 gm Corn Flour
Salt to taste
1 gm Pepper
For Fried Rice:
180 gm Steamed Rice
10 gm Carrot, small dices
10 gm Beans, small dices
5 gm Onions, chopped
2 gm Garlic, chopped
5 ml Oil
Salt to taste
1 gm Pepper
3ml Light Soy Sauce
1 gm Spring Onion, chopped
2 ml Vinegar
Method:
- Take a tray add red chili, roughly sliced onion, and peeled garlic. Add salt pepper and oil mix it well oven roast it for 5 minutes at 180’c.
- Take a jar and add the ingredients. Add oil, brown sugar and then tamarind paste. Grind it to rough paste. (Do not make a fine paste mixture)
- Batter fry the fish chunks till golden brown in colour. Heat oil in a wok add the chopped ingredients. Toss it well add the past and then finally the stock. Add the sauces and vinegar.
- Season it well. Add fresh chopped coriander and basil leaves. Add diluted corn flour, fish pieces, and toss well. Adjust seasoning.
- The sauce should be tangy and spicy. Finally add peppers and toss it further.
- Heat oil in a wok, sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and beans. Toss boiled rice, mix well. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce.
- Finish with chopped spring onion.
Thai Green Curry with Steamed Rice (Veg)
Ingredients:
For Thai green curry:
300 gm Thai green curry paste
40 gm Fresh galangal
10 gm Kaffir lime
30 gm Lemon grass
15 gm Coriander stem
10 gm Red chillies, sliced
1200 gm Veg stock
10 gm Fresh basil
40 gm Coriander paste
20 gm Green chilli paste
600 gm Coconut milk powder
Other ingredients:
20 gm Fine chopped garlic
10 gm Fresh sliced basil
15 gm Sliced red chillies
5 gm Chopped coriander
15 ml Lemon juice
Salt to taste
6 gm Aromat seasoning
6 gm Pepper
50 ml Redefined oil
Vegetables:
400 gm Diced Tofu
300 gm Diced Potato, fried
200 gm Diced Brinjal, fried
100 gm Diced Zucchini
100 gm Sliced Carrot
50 gm Snow peas (optional)
300 gm Baby Corn, diamond cut
200 gm Beans, diamond cut
For steamed rice:
1800 gm Basmati Rice, boiled
15 gm Sliced Lemon Grass
8 gm Fresh Basil
15 gm Sliced Red Chilli
50 gm Butter
Salt to taste
Method:
- Heat stock add green curry paste add, basil, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime, red chilli and keep on simmering it at low heat add coriander paste green chilli paste.
- And finally add diluted coconut milk powder.
- Keep on heating it at low flame till the curry is a bit thick.
- Strain the curry and keep it aside.
- Add oil in a wok add sliced red chilli, fresh basil, chopped coriander add the green curry base adjust seasoning add stock to adjust the consistency.
- Add the vegetables at last and simmer. Adjust seasoning add lemon juice at the end.
- Boil basmati rice with lemongrass, basil, red chilli so that the rice gets some flavour.
- On order heat butter on a pan add lemon grass, fresh basil, sliced red chilli add cooked basmati rice toss it and adjust seasoning.
