While these regions show a wide ethnic diversity, they are mostly populated by descendants of “Tai” people, whom around the seventh century A.D started migrating from what is known today as Yunnan province in China and settled in these areas.
Whereas Thai Cuisine has embraced new ingredients and techniques over the years, most Laotian Cuisine, apart from some French influence, remained mostly untouched. In this context, the authenticity of the Food Culture of both countries is well related and preserved across the barriers of language, ingredients and the regional tastes; we can view Laotian Kitchen as a close relative to Thai Cuisine.
Or Lam (Aw-Laam, Thai: เอาะหลาม, Lao: ເອາະຫຼາມ)
This Laotian dish is popular in the mountainous region of Luang Prabang, the magical city in the northern part of Central Laos.
It is a complex and mildly spicy stew, multi layered with flavors and textures, creating a unique, nutritious and delicious dish. It possesses a subtle harmony within a charismatic orchestra of flavors and textures; the taste of meat coupled with the sweetness of vegetables, opposing the bitterness of the greens and willingly surrendering to the aroma of fresh dill and fragrant lemon basil… but it’s not all yet…
The stew’s base is a mild peppery broth prepared by slowly simmering lemongrass, chili and pepper wood (sakhaan) with the preferred meat, depends on the type of meat, it can be used fresh, dried, salted or grilled.
The meat of choice is usually dried and salted buffalo meat, but really, any meat can be used – game meat (usually roasted first), quails, small jungle birds, deer, beef and even the common chicken will make a great Or Lam.
Occasionally, stripes of sun-dried buffalo skin are also added, precooked in salty water to eliminate the leathery odor, to the point where they are soft and gelatinous, with a jelly-like consistency.
Also commonly used in Or Lam is the wild pepper vine (Piper ribesioides) (Sakhaan, Thai: สะค้าน Lao: ໄມ້ສະຄານ) (Other names: jakhaan จะค้าน, dtakhaanlek ตะค้านเล็ก, dtakhaanyuaak, ตะค้านหยวก ), also known as chili wood due to its spicy, strong peppery flavor and light bitter notes. It gives the dish an unmistakable spicy heat followed by, not an unpleasant, numbing of the lips. The Sakhaan is peeled and cooked until its outer layers get texture similar to artichoke hearts.
Once the broth is ready, and meat is well cocked, vegetables and black wood ear fungus (het hoo noo ; เห็ดหูหนู ) are added, followed by the bitter green leaves of ivy gourd (dtamleung ; ตำลึง).
The stew is then thickens to silkiness by adding sticky rice flour and mashed cooked eggplants.
To finish the dish, loads of fresh lemon basil (bai maaengak; แมงลัก) and dill are thrown in, a clear aromatic signal for an upcoming feast.
I assume that you would probably need to order a second or even third bowl as I did, before you could grasp the full range of tastes of Or Lam.
Or Lam Gai Recipe สูตรทำเอาะหลามไก่ใส่สะค้าน
Hanuman from Thaifoodmaster
Step by step tutorial: Or Lam (Aw-Laam, Thai: เอาะหลาม, Lao: ເອາະຫຼາມ), Mild spicy thick and aromatic Laotian stew of chicken.
Bring water to a boil, add salt. ตั้งหม้อใส่น้ำและเกลือลงไป ต้มให้เดือดจัด
Add stripes of sun-dried buffalo skin. ใส่หนังควายแห้งลงไปต้ม
Simmer the buffalo skins in the boiling salted water for about 20 minutes over high flame. ต้มไปเรื่อย ๆ
Discard and replace the cooking water couple of times in order to remove bad odors. จากนั้นเทน้ำต้มหนังควายทิ้ง แล้วใส่น้ำใหม่ลงไป ต้มต่อไปเรื่อย ๆ ทำอย่างนี้ไป 2-3 รอบ
Cook the skins stripes until they become gelatinous and soft. ต้มจนหน้งควายนุ่ม
Strain, and set aside. กรองน้ำทิ้ง จากนั้นพักเอาไว้
With a heavy knife chop the sakhaan into 15″ (4 cm) pieces, then peel off the outer woody layer, and set aside. ฝ่าไม้สะค้านตามแนวยาว แล้วแบ่งออกเป็น 4 ส่วน แกะเปลือกออก
The sakhaan เราจะใช้เฉพาะส่วนเนื้อไม้สะค้านข้างในที่เป็นสีขาว ๆ เท่านั้น
To a large cooking pot bring to a boil 5 cups of water over high heat, then add about two stalks of bruised lemongrass. ตั้งหม้อใส่น้ำเปล่า 5 ถ้วยให้เดือด แล้วใส่ตะไคร้ลงไป
Add 5 to 8 Thai chilies. ใส่พริกขี้หนูลงไป
Add the chopped sakhaan. ใส่เนื้อไม้สะค้านลงไป
Season with ground white pepper. ใส่พริกไทยป่นลงไป
Add fish sauce. ใส่น้ำปลา
Let it all to simmer together until the sakhaan soften, than add the precooked buffalo skins stripes. ต้มเครื่องปรุงทั้งหมดจนเนื้อไม้สะค้านเริ่มนุ่ม แล้วนำหนังควายที่ต้มเอาไว้แล้วใส่ลงไป
While the broth is simmering, add 6 to 8 Apple eggplants. ใส่มะเขือเปราะลงไปต้ม
Cook the eggplants until soft. ต้มจนมะเขือเปราะสุกนุ่ม
When cooked, remove the eggplants from the pot. ให้ตักมะเขือเปราะออกมา
In the paste and mortar mash the eggplants until no lumps are left, set-aside. นำมะเขือเปราะใส่ลงไปโขลกในครกให้ละเอียด จากนั้นพักเอาไว้
Add the chicken slices, and let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until done. ใส่เนื้อไก่ลงไปต้มจนเนื้อไก่สุก
Add black ear mushrooms. ใส่เห็ดหูหนูลงไป
Add sliced banana chili. ใส่พริกหยวกลงไป
And long yarn beans. ใส่ถั่วฝักยาวลงไป
And some more apple eggplants cut in quarters, and cook the vegetables for another 10 minutes or until soft. เพิ่มมะเขือเปราะลงไปต้มจนสุก
Mix about 2 tablespoons of sticky rice flour with some water and mix well Add to the mixture to the broth; keep cooking until the broth thickened. ผสมแป้งข้าวเหนียวกับน้ำเปล่า ค้นให้แป้งละลาย ใส่แป้งลงไป ต้มต่อไปจนน้ำแกงเริ่มข้น
Add the tumbling leaves, and cook for about 5 minutes. ใส่ใบตำลึงลงไป
Add the mashed eggplants. ใส่เนื้อมะเขือเปราะที่โขลกเอาไว้แล้วลงไป
Let everything to cook together for another 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors will merge together. คนให้เข้ากัน และ ต้มต่อไปอีกสักพักให้รสชาติเข้ากันดี
Add lemon basil. ใส่ใบแมงลักลงไป
Finish the dish with a handful of dill. ใส่ผักชีลาวลงไป
serve ตักใส่ถ้วยเสริฟ
And one last picture for food modeling.
Notes
Please adjust cooking time if using different meats than chicken.
Dried meats should be put in to cook earlier, together with the sakhaan.
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Dtom Jeaw Pla is a rustic and spicy fish soup that is far from being unsophisticated. There is something humble, genuine, and unpretentious about it, which makes you fall in love with it.
Its humble countryside charm and surfeit of tastes quickly placed it high on my personal list of favorite dishes.
The fresh essence of fish cooked to perfection melds with the earthy tones of the grilled ingredients, the eggplants, shallots, chilies and garlic. It has a heavenly silky broth with a scent of lemongrass, which is generously lifted up by a handful of fresh herbs, lemon basil, saw coriander and spring onions.
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.
This is an aromatic stew that leans into the sweet spectrum of the palate. An all-time Thai favorite, moo palo was introduced locally by the Chinese-Cantonese and Tae Chiew immigrants who flocked to the Kingdom in the early nineteenth century.
The name of this dish originates from two Chinese words: pah ziah and lou.
A popular noodle dish originating from the Northern region of the Kingdom, khanohm jeen naam ngiaao (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว) is characterized by its light – yet profound – multi-layered broth. This hearty broth includes an assortment of proteins braised with the dried pollens of cotton tree flowers, and Northern Thai sour cherry tomatoes (มะเขือส้ม); the tomatoes infuse the broth with a subtle tartness that refreshes a full-bodied profile comprising a multitude of fermented ingredients.
The naam ngiaao broth is served over fermented rice noodles and features minced pork, and braised baby back pork ribs with their tender meat clinging to the bone. As well, there are succulent, slow-cooked whole chicken feet, and cubes of slightly bouncy, mauve-hued chicken blood cakes. Served alongside the soup are various toppings, which can include shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, chopped coriander leaves, and spring onions, while dark red chili oil and glossy, charred-fried dried bird’s eye chilies offer a fiery intensity dialed up to your preferred spiciness. In addition, I like to add wok-smoked sour cherry tomatoes and broom-like, crispy-fried dried cotton tree pollen for a surprising textural contrast.
Though the dish is often described as “Shan style”, the word ‘ngiao’ was a derogatory expression for the Shan people. As the disparaging – and outdated – label suggests, the recipe might reflect societal biases and prejudices; thus, at least from the culinary perspective, the ‘ngiao’ in the name of the dish may simply be a nod to the flavors or ingredients favored by The Shan, rather than a claim of authenticity – which could also explain why the dish is based on a Siamese curry paste.
Grapes have long been associated with prosperity, fertility and abundance across various cultures and historical periods due to the fruit’s large clusters and bountiful growth. In ancient China, grapes were considered a symbol of wealth and nobility, and often deployed as a status symbol among the elite. In Greek mythology, Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, was often depicted holding a bunch of grapes, further emphasizing the connection between grapes and abundance. This association is also likely rooted in the fact that grapes were a valuable crop in antiquity – used to produce wine and other fermented products, and an important source of food and nutrition. In Indian Ayurvedic texts, grapes are referred to as vineaksha and utilized in treating a variety of ailments, including fever and indigestion.
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Access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional classes, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.
Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
You will get everything you need to:
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
Finally !
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.