This is a recipe for a Thai snack or an appetizer recipe; we decided to write about before it is totally transformed by the hands of Thai chefs, as well as the forces of time.
Sweet and sour fruit slices are served with a nutty, sweet-savory condiment that balances the fruits’ natural tartness, and decorated with coriander leaves and julienned fresh long red pepper for a sophisticated finish.
The paste-like condiment is typically made from the Three Kings of Thai cuisine (coriander root, garlic and ground white pepper) fried together with chopped shallots, minced pork belly and shrimp meat, along with crushed roasted peanuts, and seasoned with fish sauce [or salt], and palm sugar.
The Thai spelling varies. It can be written either as ม้าฮ่อ [the common way] or as “ม้าห้อ”.
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The names Maa haaw (when using pineapple) or Mohng gaawn khaap gaaeo (when using sweet orange or tangerine) offer no clues as to the origin.
We also weren’t able to find any other similar Thai recipes that utilize this particular combination of ingredients, other than steamed sako dumplings filled with pork (สาคูไส้หมู saa khuu sai muu) which use a similar filling with only the addition of salted daikon radish.
The Mon people, an ethnic group of Burma, serve a similar snack in their ceremonies or when they make merits. They use sour fruit, and top them with a similar condiment made from frying together pork, shrimp, salt, ground chilies, roasted coconut and peanuts.
Thus, we tend to believe that this dish was introduced to the Thai culinary repertoire by the Mon people of Burma.
This topping was called phrik ga gleuua (พริกกะเกลือ)
Nowadays, the term phrik ga gleuua refers to a simple, dry mix of salt and chili offered by every fruit vendor as a dipping condiment for the fruit. However, in the old days, grated and roasted coconut was also used in phrik ga gleuua.
A variation
In the memorial book for Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn (1876-1961) (ท่านผู้หญิงกลีบมหิธร), the wife of Jao Praya Mahithaawn, who served as the justice minister in the 1930s, we found a recipe for Maa haaw that calls for minced pork belly, garlic, coriander roots and white peppercorns, seasoned with ground coriander and cumin seeds before being deep-fried into small, round balls.
Preparation tips:
- Slice the fruits into bite-size pieces. Use your skills to create any shape you wish; if time permits, you can also carve the fruits into any shape you desire.
- Use a pestle and mortar to roughly crush the peanuts. Do not be tempted to use a food processor – it will ruin the final texture of the paste.
- You can introduce extra complexity to the paste by adding honey or even a squeeze of bitter orange (som.za ส้มซ่า) for an aromatic tangy touch that will blend nicely with the fruit’s acidity.
- Suitable fruits are pineapple, sweet orange, tangerine, pomelo, sweet mango, star fruit, Malay apple, heirloom Ampawa lychee or even strawberries.
(Did you know: Chinese merchants brought heirloom lychees from China and began growing them in the Ampawa district of Samut Songkhram province some 200 years ago.)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup pork belly (เนื้อหมูสามชั้น) minced
- 1/2 cup minced shrimp meat (เนื้อกุ้งสับ) minced
- 2 tablespoons shrimp tomalley (มันกุ้ง)
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted shelled peanuts (ถั่วลิสงคั่ว) crushed
- 1 tablespoon coriander roots (รากผักชี)
- 1 tablespoon Thai garlic (กระเทียมไทย)
- 1 tablespoon white peppercorns (พริกไทย) (S1)
- 3 tablespoons shallots (หอมแดง) sliced finely
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (น้ำปลา)
- 3/4 cup palm sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว)
- 3 tablespoon neutral tasting cooking oil (น้ำมันพืช)
Fruits
- Sweet Orange or Tangerine
- Malacca Queen Pineapple or any other Pineapple variety (สัปปะรด)
- pomelo (ส้มโอ) sweet mango, star fruit, Malay apple, heirloom Ampawa lychee, strawberries, or any other sour-sweet fruit
Instructions
- Prepare coriander root, Thai garlic, white peppercorns and finely chopped shallots.
- Put salt in pestle and mortar.
- Add coriander root, Thai garlic, and white peppercorns.
- Pound to a fine paste.
- Set the Three Kings paste aside.
- Using a knife mince the pork belly, and set aside.
- Remove the shrimp heads and collect the tomalley.
- Peel the shrimp and crash them with a heavy knife. It will improve their texture.
- Using a knife mince the shrimp.
- Set aside the pork, shrimp and tomalley.
- Using a pestle and mortar roughly crush the peanuts.
- In a brass wok, fry the Three Kings paste in oil until fragrant.
- Add minced shallots.
- Fry over medium-low heat until the shallots become transparent.
- Add the minced pork belly and fry until cooked.
- Add the shrimp meat and tomalley.
- Keep frying until the shrimp are cooked.
- Add palm sugar.
- Add salt.
- Add fish sauce.
- Cook the mixture over low heat with constant stirring.
- When the mixture thickens, add the crushed peanuts.
- Keep stirring over low heat.
- The mixture is ready when it thickens and becomes malleable.
- Pick coriander leaves and keep them in cold water.
- Cut the long red chili pepper into thin slices or juliennes.
Cutting the Orange
- Using a sharp knife cut a straight line to remove the seeds from the orange slices.
- Make an incision on the back of the orange slice.
- The final shape.
Pineapple triangles
- Peel the pineapple and shape it into a square block.
- Cut it into 0.5cm thick slices.
- Cut each slice into equilateral triangles.
Pineapple spoons
- Peel the pineapple and shape it into a square block, divide into two halves as shown in the picture.
- Divide each slice again as shown in the picture.
- Lay the pineapple slice on the cutting board, use a knife to cut a long incision under the tip and round down toward the end.
- You will achieve a spoon-like shape pineapple slices.
- serve.
c1933 Manifold flavors curry – a chicken and pineapple spicy curry (แกงเผ็ดหลากหลายรส; gaaeng phet laak laai roht)
At first glance, this chicken and pineapple curry might seem ordinary or plain. After all, even though spicy curries with sour notes have been relished for ages, they feature repetitive patterns that could be viewed as common and perhaps uninteresting. However, with a calculated yet simple approach, this curry turns corners – quite literally – into a dish with a new flavor melody. It is thus referred to by its author, Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeep Bunnag) (นางสมรรคนันทพล, จีบ บุนนาค), as laak laai roht, a “curry with manifold flavors (หลากหลายรส)”.
Spiced Skewers of Grilled Pork Neck and Firm Pork Fat with Fresh Pineapple (หมูปิ้งสัปปะรด; Muu Bping Sapbparoht)
Known as muu bping sapbparoht (หมูปิ้งสัปปะรด) and translated as grilled pork with pineapple, this dish showcases cubes of grilled pork meat and firm fat with fresh pineapple. The pork meat is marinated in light soy sauce and an array of dry spices, giving it earthy and slightly spicy notes. The cubes are then threaded onto skewers, interspersed with evenly sliced pieces of firm pork fat. When grilled, these pieces of pork fat introduce an additional layer of richness and juiciness to the meat. The preferred cut of choice for this dish is pork neck, a cut highly valued for its optimal ratio of lean meat to fat, culminating in a pleasingly succulent texture when grilled.
In Thai cuisine, it is common practice to sprinkle grated coconut over glowing charcoal while grilling. The heat-induced combustion of aromatic fats within the coconut introduces an additional dimension of sweet, smoky richness to the dish. Meanwhile, the charring of the edges of the meat catalyzes the caramelization of its natural sugars, yielding a delightful sweetness that further enhances the smoky undertones of the meat.
Rice Seasoned with Young Tamarind Relish, Sweetened Fish and Pickled Morning Glory (ข้าวคลุกน้ำพริกมะขามอ่อน ผักบุ้งดอง ปลาแห้งผัดหวาน และ ปลาดุกย่าง; Khaao Khlook Naam Phrik Makhaam Aawn Phakboong Daawng Bplaa Haaeng Phat Waan Lae Bplaa Dook Yaang)
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
Fermented Rice Noodles Served with Pineapple, Fish Balls in Coconut Milk, Grilled Curried Fish Cakes, Young Ginger and Dry Shrimp Powder
(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ ; khanohm jeen saao naam )
For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.
c1937 Shrimp and tomato curry (แกงกุ้งกับมะเขือเทศ คู่มือการครัว นางสาวฉลวย กันตวรรณี พ.ศ. 2480; gaaeng goong gap makheuua thaeht)
Stocked with a contemporary brew of umami-rich ingredients, this ancient, bright and slightly sour coconut-based shrimp and tomato curry demonstrates how simple – yet clever – flavor-layering techniques can spotlight the shrimp and the spectacular savory tomatoes over the curry background.
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