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gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน)
Gaaeng Raawn (แกงร้อน)
Gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) is a colloquial Thai term that refers to ‘hot curry’. Today, gaaeng raawn is used to denote soups or curries served with steamed rice. While the precise origin of the term is unclear, gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) was deployed in the 1800s for a specific dish – a Siamese soup featuring glass noodles, cooked as either a coconut or a water-based soup with an assortment of dry ingredients revered in Chinese cuisine. The soup’s potential health benefits, combined with its ease of preparation and subtle yet profound flavor, made it a popular choice for entertaining large groups of people, of all ages and backgrounds. The soup is often augmented with fresh proteins: in its more luxurious versions, multiple proteins may be added, including a combination of chicken, pork, shrimp, squid, and crab meat. Thus, over the years, gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) was established as a staple source of comfort and warmth for people of all walks of life in Siamese society.
mee graawp (หมี่กรอบ)
Sour-Sweet Savory Crispy Rice Vermicelli with Bitter Orange (Mee Krob) (หมี่กรอบส้มซ่าทรงเครื่อง ; Mee Graawp)
mee graawp sohng khreuuang (หมี่กรอบทรงเครื่อง), is an exquisitely regal dish of crispy rice vermicelli. The delicate noodles strands are washed and dried, then fried to a crisp light-golden hue. They retain their brittle crunch and airy texture even after being stir-fried with a clinging sticky sauce that encases the noodles in a thin layer of sheen. This sauce, mixed into the noodles together with other ingredients such as thin slices of pickled garlic and bitter orange peel, impart the dish with a light, fresh sweet and sour, and slightly salty and citrusy glaze.
Khanohm faawy or Khanohm handtraa - A Forgotten Thai Dessert and Snack ขนมฝอย หรือ ขนมหันตรา
Khanohm faawy or Khanohm handtraa A Forgotten Thai Dessert and Snack ขนมฝอย หรือ ขนมหันตรา
Known as Khanohm faawy (ขนมฝอย) or Khanohm handtraa, this sweet or savory packet can be a dessert or a snack. The dessert has a sweet filling of silky mung beans and a coconut marzipan-like paste, while the snack’s savory filling consists of shrimp and pork minced and seasoned with garlic, coriander root and white peppercorns. Each is theatrically wrapped in a striking nest of skillfully crafted duck’s egg thread.
Khaao Dtang Rice Crust Soup (แกงข้าวตัง; gaaeng khaao dtang)
Khaao Dtang Rice Crust Soup (แกงข้าวตัง; gaaeng khaao dtang)
Gaaeng khaao dtang, deep-fried rice crust paired with clear broth and egg-stuffed chicken intestines. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
The Golden Trails of Curry Powder – เรื่องราวของผงกะหรี่
The Golden Trails of Curry Powder - เรื่องราวของผงกะหรี่
Chicken and Tomato Curry (แกงไก่กับมะเขือเทศ; gaaeng gai gap ma kheuua thaeht)
Chicken and Tomato Curry (แกงไก่กับมะเขือเทศ; gaaeng gai gap ma kheuua thaeht)
Gaaeng gai gap ma kheuua thaeht: tomatoes cored and stuffed with pounded chicken neck and corn, simmered in bone stock. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Shorea Flower Curry (แกงพวงพยอม; gaaeng phuaang pha yaawm)
Shorea Flower Curry (แกงพวงพยอม; gaaeng phuaang pha yaawm)
Shorea Flower Curry, a rare royal Thai dish combining floral notes with dried fish and pork belly. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript 'Divine Dishes'.
Mild soup with prawn balls and Chinese cabbage (แกงจืดลูกชิ้นกุ้งกับผักกาดปลี; gaaeng jeuut luuk chin goong gap phak gaat bplee)
Mild soup with prawn balls and Chinese cabbage (แกงจืดลูกชิ้นกุ้งกับผักกาดปลี; gaaeng jeuut luuk chin goong gap phak gaat bplee)
Gaaeng jeuut with steamed prawn-and-cabbage rolls in a clear shiitake broth with fried garlic, from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.
perfumed-beef-green-curry
Perfumed Muslim-style Curry of Fresh Chilies with Beef (แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อทรงเครื่อง; Gaaeng Khiaao Waan Neuua Sohng Khreuuang)
The Indian and Muslim cuisines present distinct approaches to using dried spices in curries, both of which influence Siamese cuisine in different ways. Indian-inspired Siamese curries spotlight chilies for their vibrant color, fragrance, flavor and heat, while spices like cumin and coriander play a supporting role. The spices complement and temper the chilies’ intensity, creating a rounded, multi-layered flavor profile; nonetheless, the chilies remain the star ingredient, gently complemented by the spices. Conversely, Muslim-influenced curries, such as massaman curry, prioritize spices over chilies. Spices like cardamom, nutmeg and mace take center stage, while the chilies provide subtle background heat rather than being the primary flavor. In these curries, the focus is on the rich, warm and complex aromas created by the blend of spices, which is a defining characteristic of many Muslim dishes. Moreover, Siamese cuisine favors using rehydrated dried chilies in curries for their depth; this depth is highly appreciated, along with the complexity, and comparatively milder heat of the rehydrated dried chilies. As well, the harsh grassy notes of fresh chilies are not favored; they’re referred to in Thai as “green rank” or “men khiaao (เหม็นเขียว)”. Muslim curries often use fresh green chilies, tempering their vibrant, grassy taste with dry spices and thus shifting the flavor from bright and fresh to more subdued and earthy tones, resulting in a dish that is perceived to be layered, despite the burst of fresh chilies.
The Ambassador’s House Style Noodle Soup (หมี่น้ำบ้านราชทูต; Mee Naam Baan Raat Thuut)
This soup dish features crispy rice vermicelli noodles, a chicken broth that has a three-flavor profile infused with the aroma of bitter orange, and a plethora of other ingredients such as crispy fried tofu, chicken, pork, crab and pickled garlic. In Thai, the phrase mee naam baan raat thuut refers to a rice vermicelli noodle soup in the style of the Ambassador’s house. The dish was not new when it appeared in the 1956 book Snacks, Tea Nibbles, Hors D’oeuvres and Drinking Food (ตำราอาหารว่าง - เครื่องน้ำชา และ เครื่องเคี้ยว หรือ กับแกล้ม) by Jeeb Bunnag (จีบ บุนนาค), as noodle dishes were often the preferred ingredient for light meals or snacks. In Grandparents Recipes: 100 Years Old Recipes (จานอร่อยจากปู่ย่า สูตรโบราณ 100 ปี), a volume printed in 2014 that highlights recipes from the kitchens of fifteen prominent families, a similar version of the dish is referred to as mee naam baan bpaak naai leert (หมี่น้ำบ้านปาร์คนายเลิศ) and is associated with Nai Lert.
magical-beef-curry
c1941 Magical beef curry (แกงเนื้อวิเศษ พ.ศ. 2484 ; gaaeng neuua wisaeht)
naam phrik roy rot
Salted Indian salmon chili relish (น้ำพริกปลากุเลาเค็ม; naam phrik bplaa goo lao khem)
Seasoned Chicken Tongue Relish (ลิ้นระกาปรุง; lin ra gaa bproong)
Seasoned Chicken Tongue Relish (ลิ้นระกาปรุง; lin ra gaa bproong)
Lin ra gaa bproong, pounded chicken tongue relish with ruaan shrimp and ginger, from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.
Fermented Soybean Paste Dipping Relish (เต้าเจี้ยวพล่า; dtao jiaao phlaa)
Fermented Soybean Paste Dipping Relish (เต้าเจี้ยวพล่า; dtao jiaao phlaa)
Dtao jiaao phlaa, fermented soybean paste relish bruised with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
The Art of Siamese Duck Curries - Theory and Practice (แกงเป็ด - ศิลปะ ทฤษฎี และ การปฏิบัติ)
Santol and Shrimp Curry (แกงคั่วกุ้งกับกระท้อน; gaaeng khuaa goong gap gra thaawn)
Santol and Shrimp Curry (แกงคั่วกุ้งกับกระท้อน; gaaeng khuaa goong gap gra thaawn)
Gaaeng khuaa goong gap gra thaawn: santol double-soaked in salt water to draw out tannins, stir-fried with phrik khing paste. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
naam phrik roy rot
Fermented shrimp paste relish with bitter eggplant seeds (น้ำพริกมะเขือขื่น หรือ มะเขือเหลือง ; naam phrik makheuua kheuun)
the story of chuu chee
The Narratives of Aesthetics and Patterns in Chuu Chee Dishes (เรื่องฉู่ฉี่)
chili kam
All-Purpose Sour, Sweet and Salty Chili Jam (Modern Version) (naam phrik phao; น้ำพริกเผาสมัยใหม่)
Thai Chili Jam - This is a chili jam similar to what is commonly sold under the name of roasted chili paste (naam phrik phao; น้ำพริกเผา). It is widely used as a condiment in salad dressings, soups, and seasoning for stir-fried dishes. I like to have control over my pantry ingredients, so I always use homemade naam phrik phao. Furthermore, since it is a basic ingredient used in so many dishes, anything less than the best will drastically impair the quality of your dishes.
Date Palm in Coconut Milk (อินทผาลัมน้ำกะทิ; in tpha lam naam ga thi)
Date Palm in Coconut Milk (อินทผาลัมน้ำกะทิ; in tpha lam naam ga thi)
In tpha lam naam ga thi, date palm hand-torn and served in freshly pressed coconut milk, lightly salted. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Heavenly Duck Curry (แกงเป็ดสวรรค์; gaaeng bpet sawan)
Heavenly Duck Curry (แกงเป็ดสวรรค์; gaaeng bpet sawan)
Gaaeng bpet sawan, a luxurious duck curry with salacca fruit and hairy-fruited eggplant. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 'Divine Dishes' cookbook, 1949.
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