Yogurt-Based Ancient Green Curry with Chicken Offal (แกงเขียว; gaaeng khiaao)
Mrs. Yim Pichaiyat Bunnag (คุณยิ้ม พิชัยญาติ บุนนาค)'s 1920s aristocratic green curry reveals a forgotten chapter in Thai culinary history. This Muslim-style recipe uses ghee and yogurt instead of coconut milk, featuring chicken offal—liver, gizzard, and heart—each contributing distinct textures and concentrated flavors. Roasted spices like cinnamon, clove, and cardamom create warming aromatics, while fresh chilies provide signature heat. The dish documents how Bangkok's noble kitchens adapted Islamic cooking techniques before democratization, preserving methods that would shape modern Thai cuisine.
Sea Crab Phlaa with Crisp-Fried Potato (พล่าปูทะเล; phlaa bpuu tha laeh)
Sea Crab Phlaa with Crisp-Fried Potato (พล่าปูทะเล; phlaa bpuu tha laeh)
Sea crab phlaa dressed sour-sweet with pounded garlic and chili, tossed with flower-cut cucumber and topped with fried potato. From Puang Bunnag, 1931.
shrimp-cucumber-curry
c1889 Garee Curry with Shrimp and Cucumber (แกงกะหรี่กุ้งกับแตงกวา; gaaeng garee goong gap dtaaeng gwaa)
In this old-fashioned coconut-based curry, orangey shrimp and bright green cucumber shine in a golden haze of curry powder, caressed by the light breeze of Indian flare. Cucumbers are used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a coolant, to offset internal heat and to resolve fevers. Thus, like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a shimmering desert, the cucumber counterbalances the chili’s internal heat energy and mellows the fragrant, earthy undertones of the spice blend in the dish.
ต้มข่าเป็ดแบบโบราณ ; An ancient Siamese recipe of Tom Kha Bpet (duck)
An Ancient Siamese Recipe for Tom Kha Pet (1890 AD) Duck Simmered in Light Coconut Cream and Young Galangal, and Served with Sour-Sweet Roasted Chili Jam
(Tom Kha Bpet; ต้มข่าเป็ด จิ้มน้ำพริกเผาแบบโบราณ)
Tom kha is a well-known and much-loved Thai soup: a creamy, soothing coconut blend, a warm, silky broth in which chicken, mainly, is simmered with young galangal, mushrooms, and, at times, charred-grilled banana blossoms. In other versions, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are added, blurring the boundaries between tom kha and the coconut-based tom yam soup (tom yum kati; ต้มยำกะทิ). However, in the late 19th century, tom kha was not a soup at all: it was a dish of chicken or duck simmered in a light coconut broth with a generous amount of galangal. The coconut broth added sweetness to the meat, and the galangal helped to mellow the meat odor. It was then served with a basic roasted chili jam as a dipping relish seasoned along the salty-sour-sweet spectrum.
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.
Grilled Duck Dtai Raao - Grilled Duck Stir-Fried with Fermented Bean Curd and Morning Glory (เป็ดย่างไตราว; bpet yaang dtai raao)
Grilled Duck Dtai Raao - Grilled Duck Stir-Fried with Fermented Bean Curd and Morning Glory (เป็ดย่างไตราว; bpet yaang dtai raao)
Bpet yaang dtai raao: smoky grilled duck stir-fried with fermented bean curd and morning glory, tenderized in papaya leaves. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Arabian noodles
c1936 Arabian noodles – Princess Maao Thongthaem’s Siamese-Orientalist fermented rice noodles light meal (ขนมจีนอาหรับ อย่าง เม้า ทองแถม; khanohm jeen aarap)
Roasted Shrimp Paste Relish (เครื่องจิ้ม - กะปิคั่ว; khreuuang jim ga bpi khuaa)
Roasted Shrimp Paste Relish (เครื่องจิ้ม - กะปิคั่ว; khreuuang jim ga bpi khuaa)
Khreuuang jim ga bpi khuaa, fermented shrimp paste roasted with smoke-dried featherback fish in split coconut cream. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Sour Soup with Jullien's Golden Carp (แกงต้มส้มปลายี่สก; gaaeng dtohm sohm bplaa yee sohk)
Sour Soup with Jullien's Golden Carp (แกงต้มส้มปลายี่สก; gaaeng dtohm sohm bplaa yee sohk)
Gaaeng dtohm sohm bplaa yee sohk, a tamarind-ginger broth with Jullien's golden carp and pureed Bronze featherback. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
lohn
c1933 Luxurious lohn relish (น้ำพริกหลนหรู อย่าง จีบ บุนนาค เจ้าของนามปากกา "หลานแม่ครัวหัวป่าก์" พ.ศ. 2476 ; naam phrik lohn ruu)
A simple yet fun version of lohn relish is presented by Lady Plean’s granddaughter-in-law, Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeep Bunnag) (นางสมรรคนันทพล, จีบ บุนนาค), in her 1933 book Sam Rap Raawp Bpee (สำรับรอบปี).
Slow-Braised Pork Belly with Chinese Daylily Flower (แกงต้มหมูหอง; gaaeng dtohm muu haawng)
Slow-Braised Pork Belly with Chinese Daylily Flower (แกงต้มหมูหอง; gaaeng dtohm muu haawng)
Gaaeng dtohm muu haawng, pork belly slow-braised with Chinese daylily flower, star anise and tao chiao paste. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.
roselle salad
c1890 Fresh roselle salad with acid-cured shrimp (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรณ์วงศ์ ร.ศ.๑๐๘ ; yam phohn gra jiiap;)
Stir-Fried Macaroni (มักกะโรนีผัด; mak ga ro:h nee phat)
Stir-Fried Macaroni (มักกะโรนีผัด; mak ga ro:h nee phat)
Mak ga ro:h nee phat, macaroni stir-fried with garlic-lard paste, pork, shrimp, and roasted peanuts. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Baked Massaman (มัสหมั่นขาวอบ; mat man khaao ohp)
Baked Massaman (มัสหมั่นขาวอบ; mat man khaao ohp)
Baked Massaman, a molded rice dish with spiced beef and pickled garnishes. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai tea accompaniments and snacks.
"Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain" Fermented Rice Noodles (ขนมจีนครามแดง; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)
"Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain" Fermented Rice Noodles (ขนมจีนครามแดง; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)
Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain Fermented Rice Noodles featuring a coconut sauce infused with roasted shallots, garlic and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.
Crispy Cooked Liver (ตับสุกกรอบ; dtap sook graawp)
Crispy Cooked Liver (ตับสุกกรอบ; dtap sook graawp)
Dtap sook graawp, pork liver boiled then deep-fried in a coconut cream batter with garlic and coriander root. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Nang Laweng Sticky Rice (ข้าวเหนียวนางละเวง; khaao niaao naang la waehng)
Nang Laweng Sticky Rice (ข้าวเหนียวนางละเวง; khaao niaao naang la waehng)
Khaao niaao naang la waehng, black glutinous rice balls deep-fried in lard with spiced beef and potato filling. Delicious Side Dishes, 1935.
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'.
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.
magical-beef-curry
c1941 Magical beef curry (แกงเนื้อวิเศษ พ.ศ. 2484 ; gaaeng neuua wisaeht)
Royal Rice Porridge with Accompaniments (ข้าวต้มทรงเครื่อง; khaao dtohm sohng khreuuang)
Royal Rice Porridge with Accompaniments (ข้าวต้มทรงเครื่อง; khaao dtohm sohng khreuuang)
Royal Rice Porridge with Accompaniments features crispy dried shrimp, tofu, peanuts, and potato chips atop soft rice porridge. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.
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