Traditional Recipes Archives

Full Moon Eggs (ไข่ดวงเดือน; khai duaang deuuan)

Full Moon Eggs, hard-boiled egg halves stuffed with ham, pork fat, and chicken, wrapped in caul fat and fried in lard. Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949.

Pork liver and firm pork fat fried in batter (มันสลับตับสุกร; man salap dtap soogaawn)

Crispy Rice - Khaao Graawp (ข้าวกรอบ อย่างหม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์)

Suan Sunandha Palace was the permanent residence of Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (HRH Princess Saisawali Phirom, พระวิมาดาเธอ หม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์), the Royal Consort to Rama V. In the kitchen of Suan Sunandha Palace, the Princess presided over a peak era of culinary innovation until her passing on June 24, 1929. Reflecting her practicality, the Princess’ recipes frequently incorporated the era’s common pantry ingredients in new and surprising combinations. For example, in her boat-embarking chili relish (น้ำพริกลงเรือ; naam phrik lohng reuua), a relish still enjoyed today, the Princess pairs fermented shrimp paste chili relish with sweet pork, crispy fried fish, salted duck eggs and hairy-fruited eggplant (maeuk) (มะอึก). Another example is her gaaeng ran juaan (แกงรัญจวน) – the Princess prepares a vibrant spicy and sour soup, fragrant with the aroma of Thai basil, from the leftovers of a stir-fried beef dish and fermented shrimp paste chili relish, which she cooked together with lemongrass, shallots and garlic. Mom Chao Sai Ladawan’s recipes, many already recreated here at Thaifoodmaster, were recorded by Princess Sadap Ladawan (เจ้าจอมหม่อมราชวงศ์สดับลดาวัลย์), a key figure in the Palace’s culinary affairs, and subsequently compiled and published by Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in a volume dedicated to seasoned rice dishes and chili relishes. In this dish called khaao graawp (ข้าวกรอบ), or “crispy rice” the Princess seasons cooked jasmine rice with chili jam, and adds four fried components, each highlighting a different element of the crispiness indicated by the dish’s name.

Tom Yam Kung Recipe, Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp (tom yum goong ; ต้มยำกุ้ง)

Tom Yam is a type of soup with distinct sharp hot and sour flavors, scented with pleasant citrusy aroma. Tom Yam is known to seduce many westerners to fall in love with Thailand, its people and food. Many trips memories to Thailand were written in diaries, others are etched on film but all are stained by the Tom Yam charm. I still remember with vivid colors my first bowl of Tom Yam, in the night market of the old neighborhood on a hot night in a ragged, unfashionable part of Bangkok. Where the smell of cooking and the glare of florescent lights decorated the alley where JeMoi used to own a restaurant, a very simple and very good one, decorated with cheap bamboo chairs and peeling orange walls. I would enjoy watching the streets of the early night turning into mornings, eating, drinking and sweating. It was hard to say if I was sweating from the hot and humid weather, the cheap whiskey or JeMoi’s spicy food. I still smile when I think of her, standing by my table with a winning smile, as if she knew how much I enjoy the food.

Chuu Chee Curry of Stuffed Banana Chilies with Pork, Shrimp and Crab Meat (ฉู่ฉี่พริกสอดไส้ ; chuu chee phrik yuaak saawt sai)

This chuu chee features avocado-green banana chilies and the pinkish mixture of pork, shrimp and crab meats. The chilies are sliced open and stuffed with a mixture of the meats, which is seasoned with the basic saam gluuhr (สามเกลอ) paste – the Siamese trio of coriander roots, Thai garlic and white peppercorns. The stuffed chilies are then steamed before being cooked in a thick, reddish, coconut cream-based curry. The liquids collected in the tray during the steaming process are packed with the light sweet fruitiness of the banana chilies; these liquids are reserved and added to the broth, producing a bright and light-bodied dish.

c1935 Char-grilled banana blossom stuffed and baked with tamarind relish fried rice (ข้าวปลี ตำรับสายเยาวภา พ.ศ. 2478 ; khaao bplee)

c1933 Sour bilimbi fruit and crispy candied peanut salad with pork, shrimp and pork fat (ยำตะลิงปลิง ; yam dtaling bpling)

A candied peanut bar might be considered an unlikely ingredient for an old-fashioned Siamese-style salad. Yet, peanut bars were familiar to the Siamese as early as the Ayutthaya period and were part of a broader set of Teochew Chinese sweets called, in Thai, “khanohm janap (ขนมจันอับ)”.

Fresh Coconut Milk Tom Yum Soup Recipe of Grilled Banana Blossom and Chicken
(dtohm yam gathi huaa bplee yang sai gai ;
ต้มยำกะทิหัวปลีย่างใส่ไก่)

It will not be an overstatement to say that banana trees accompany Thai people from their birth to the afterlife. Starting with the decorative objects made out of banana leaves newborns receive to invite protective spirits, and continues their entire life with the endless uses for banana leaves, trunks and fruits; finally ending with the female spirit ghost, maae praai taanee (แม่พรายตานี), who resides in banana trees and Thai beliefs.

c1908 Fermented rice noodles and golden coconut chicken sauce with an Indian flair (ขนมจีนแขก หรือ ไก่ต้มขนมจีน ; khanohm jeen khaaek)

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.

The Narratives of Aesthetics and Patterns in Chuu Chee Dishes (เรื่องฉู่ฉี่)

How to prepare the basic fermented shrimp paste chili relish (น้ำพริกกะปิมาตรฐาน ; naam phrik gabpi maatdtrathaan)

Stir-Fried Crispy Rice Vermicelli (ผัดหมี่กรอบ; phat mee graawp)

Phat mee graawp, rice vermicelli fried crisp in pork lard, seasoned salty–sweet–sour, finished with slivered bitter orange. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.

Dtohm Hohk Uuhr of Snakeskin Gourami (ต้มโฮกเออ; dtohm ho:hk uuhr)

Dtohm hohk uuhr, snakeskin gourami soup soured with young tamarind leaves and twenty to thirty bruised bird chilies. From Maawm Sohm Jeen, 1890.

Sohm Choon Fruit Dessert of Lychee, Green Mango, Young Ginger in Jasmine, Bitter Orange, and Pandan-Scented Sweet and Salty Syrup, Topped with Grilled Shallots, Peanuts and Roasted Coconut
(ส้มฉุน ; sohm choon)

The first reference to sohm choon as a dessert appears in in the early 1800s, in the culinary poetry of King Rama II gaap heh chohm khreuuang khaao waan (กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาว - หวาน). The poetry was sung during the royal barge’s procession, and this verse refers to sohm choon as a dish made of lychees. A closer look at other foods that are mentioned in the verse also reveals other dishes that are clearly of Chinese origin, such as boiled pork spleen (dtohm dtap lek ต้มตับเหล็ก), steamed bird’s nests (rang nohk neung รังนกนึ่ง) and persimmons (luuk phlap ลูกพลับ).

Salad of smoked grilled duck breast with roasted shallots and bitter yellow eggplants (พล่าอกเป็ดรมควันกับมะเขือเหลืองและหอมเผา ; phlaa ohk bpet rohm khwan gap ma kheuua leuuang lae haawm phao)

Fresh Shrimp Curry Soup (แกงต้มกุ้งปรุงสด; gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht)

FShrimp Tom Bproong Soht Curry Soup (แกงต้มกุ้งปรุงสด; gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht)

Gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht: grilled shrimp with green mango and pickled garlic, seasoned at the bowl. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Ancient roasted chili jam (naam phrik phao bo:h raan ; น้ำพริกเผาโบราณ)

gaaeng muu yaang gap gluay dip ; แกงหมูย่างกับกล้วยดิบ

Old-Fashioned Thai Red Curry of Grilled & Smoked Pork Neck and Unripe Green Bananas (แกงหมูย่างกับกล้วยดิบ ; gaaeng muu yaang gap gluay dip)

Thai red curry is a broad term describing any curry that is red in color, although variations exist among the dish’s ingredients or their ratios. Today’s menu features a Thai red curry paste to which we add higher quantities of coriander root and kaffir lime zest; this creates a more aromatic character that will enhance the smokiness of the grilled pork meat and the mild sweetness of the unripe green bananas.

Fried Rice with Salted Chinese Black Olive, or Nam Phuay (ข้าวผัดลูกหนำเนี๊ยบหรือหนำพ๊วย; khaao phat luuk nam niiap reuu nam phuay)

Khao phat luk nam nieb: salted Chinese black olive, shelled and mashed fine, tossed through rice. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts Recipe (สูตรทำไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์; gai phat met mamuang himmaphan)

The dish captures the eye with its vivid color – It is beautiful! It is bright! It is happy! - and it fits well within the comfort zone of most westerners. It is not surprising that this dish has made its way to the top of the charts, consistently ranked among the top ten tastiest Thai dishes served abroad.

Have a look at some of our favorite courses.

Aromatic Primer for Thai Cuisine - Part 1

Patterns – Decoding the Complexity of Siamese Curry Paste: A Multidimensional Exploration

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