Central Plains and Bangkok Cuisine Archives

Shrimp-Topped Canapes (ขนมปังหน้ากุ้ง; khanohm bpang naa goong)

Khanohm bpang naa goong: fried bread squares topped with coconut-cream shrimp, garnished with semi-matured coconut in a cross. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Royal Precept Curry (แกงทรงศีล; gaaeng sohng seen)

Royal Precept Curry, a vegetarian coconut curry with tofu and Thai basil, created for Buddhist observance days in palace kitchens. From Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1949.

Perplexing Mee Suaa (หมี่สั้วฉงน; mee suaa cha ngohn)

Mee suaa cha ngohn: wheat noodle bundles bound with shrimp-corn paste, steamed, served in clear pork-crab broth. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

แกงเขียวหวานเป็ดย่าง - Thai Green Curry with Roasted Duck and Young Chilies

Thai Green Curry with Roasted Duck and Young Chilies (แกงเขียวหวานเป็ดย่าง ; gaaeng khiaao waan bpet yang)

Green curry, with its mellow, creamy green color and rich coconut base, has both fresh and mature flavors. Like new growth on plants, it brings brightness, youthfulness, spring and rebirth to the meltdown of flavors created in the curry paste. The green curry paste uses mainly the same standard ingredients as Thai spicy-red curry paste: lemongrass, coriander roots, kaffir lime zest, galangal, garlic, shallots, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, salt and kapi.

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.

Khaao man sohm dtam and the first-ever recorded recipe for papaya salad (ข้าวมันส้มตำ)

Chak sohm sour curry (gaaeng chak sohm ; แกงชักส้มปลาช่อน)

Modified Roasted Shrimp Paste Relish (แปลงกะปิคั่ว; bplaaeng ga bpi khuaa)

Bplaaeng ga bpi khuaa: shrimp paste relish with salted black olive and smoke-dried fish, fried in broken coconut oil. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Naam Yaa Neuua – Northern Style Naam Ya according to Lady Plean Passakornrawong (น้ำยาเหนือ)

This fermented rice noodle dish is served with a slow-cooked, chili-less broth made from pounded fish meat and aromatics cooked in coconut cream. Creamy in color and velvety in texture, the broth is seasoned either with fish sauce, fermented fish or salted fish according to one’s preferences. The broth is allowed to slow-cook, achieving its full richness over a couple of hours. Once ready, the broth is poured over the noodles, which are then topped with a glossy-orangey layer of minced shrimp meat fried with their tomalley in pork lard. Complementing this richness are crunchy yellowish bean sprouts blanched in turmeric-tinted water, a sprinkle of sweet, golden crispy-fried shallots and, finally, green lemon basil leaves that endow the dish with a unique, rustic herbal persona.

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.

น้ำพริกลงเรือต้นตำรับ ; Naam phrik lohng reuua

Naam Phrik Lohng Reuua (Boat Embarking Chili Relish), Relish of Fermented Shrimp Paste Relsih with Sweet Pork and Crispy Deep-Fried Fluffy Fish - (น้ำพริกลงเรือต้นตำรับ ; naam phrik lohng reuua)

Naam phrik lohng reuua (น้ำพริกลงเรือ) - Literally translated as “boat embarking chili relish”, this particular boat seems to have drifted a long way from port and these days, the actual dish served in Thai restaurants is far away from the original version. We want to tell you the real story behind this dish and to present you with the original version’s recipe in its true character – as if the boat is still moored at the dock.

Steamed Shrimp Curry Parcels (ห่อหมกกุ้ง; haaw mohk goong)

Haaw mohk goong — giant freshwater prawns in fish haw mok paste, bound with one egg before wrapping and steaming. Lady Gleep, 1949.

Chuu Chee Curry with Climbing Perch (แกงฉู่ฉี่ปลาหมอ; gaaeng chuu chee bplaa maaw)

Chuu chee curry with climbing perch — pan-fried fish in split coconut cream based chuu chee curry with kaffir lime leaves and coriander leaves. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.

The art of Siamese old-school menu design สํารับอาหารไทย

c1933 Water-based spicy curry of fatty chicken and seven spices (แกงเผ็ดไก่น้ำมัน พ.ศ. 2476; gaaeng phet gai naam man)

This water-based, spicy chicken curry is made with corn-yellow rendered chicken fat instead of coconut cream. Dark reddish-brown in color, this full-bodied and fatty beak-to-tail curry presents the chicken identity and personality in both a corporeal and tasty manner. Spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, mace and clove are added into the curry paste to temper the gamey-irony flavor of the offal and deodorize the meat, resulting in a luscious dish that is beautifully layered with textures and flavors.

Thai Coconut Curry of Steamed Mackerels and Lotus Stems
(gaaeng gathi saai buaa bplaa thuu neung ;
แกงกะทิสายบัวปลาทูนึ่ง)

This old-fashioned Thai coconut curry dish is a simple expression made with ingredients commonly available to Thais, it features steamed mackerels - the fish that Thai people probably love the best and the stems of the lotus flowers - one of Buddhism's most recognized motifs. The fish together with peeled lotus stems are boiled in coconut milk, to which a simple yet very aromatic curry paste, made only of white pepper corns, shallots and fermented shrimp paste is added.

Coconut Cream-Based Chuu Chee of Pork and Shrimp Glazed with Shrimp Tomalley (แกงฉู่ฉี่หมูกับมันกุ้ง; gaaeng chuu chee muu gap man goong)

In the context of Siamese samrub meal planning, this thick chuu chee of pork and shrimp with a reddish coconut-based, curry-like sauce is considered a side dish (ของจาน; khaawng jaan). It consists of small, equal-sized slices of pork meat and shrimp fried in coconut cream together with a phrik khing curry paste. With no other vegetables or herbs, the dish is seasoned using fish sauce and palm sugar to a salty and only slightly sweet profile. Finally, it is glazed with shrimp tomalley poured on top and left unstirred, then cooked covered with the lid on, until the tomalley is baked-cooked. When serving, garnish with hair-thin juliennes of kaffir lime leaves and hand-picked coriander leaves.

Tom Yum Goong Soup Recipe of Prawns and SaNoh Flowers Fried Cakes (ต้มยำกุ้งทอดมันดอกโสน ; tom yum goong thaawt man daawk sanoh)

Today’s tom yum goong soup recipe is a refreshing addition to the tom yum soup repertoire. The fried SaNoh Flower Cakes sensationally enhance the shrimp’s natural sweetness, while the flower’s bittersweet aftertaste is a superb tropical match to the citrusy and aromatic hot and sour tom yum goong soup.

Modified Turnip Cake (ขนมหัวผักกาดแปลง; khanom hua phak gaat bplaeng)

Khanom hua phak gaat bplaeng: steamed turnip cake, deep-fried golden, then stir-fried with shrimp and egg. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

"Beautiful curry" – Clear Soup of Beef and Salted, Pickled Chinese Plum (แกงหงษา ; gaaeng hohng saa)

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)”.

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