Thai Chinese Cuisine (อาหารจีน) Archives

Khao Soi Recipe, Northern Style Curried Noodle Soup with Chicken
(khaao saawy gai ; สูตรทำข้าวซอยไก่)

This dish (Khao Soi Recipe) takes us back in time to the mid-19th century. The trade caravans were trailing the jungles of northern Thailand along the ancient routes between India and China. Those long caravans were carrying wealth of exotic goods, leaving rich aroma of spices and the sweet scent of opium as they passed. The men on this long line of between fifty and one hundred mules would be Yunnanese Muslim Chinese, who dominated the trade routes and began to settle in Chiang Mai and the main towns of north Thailand at that time.

Clear Soup of Bitter Gourd Stuffed with Pork and Glass Noodles ต้มจืดมะระยัดไส้หมูสับ ; dtohm jeuut mara yat sai muu sap

Bitter gourds have long been prized in Asia for a trait considered a defect in cucumbers: bitterness. We tend to believe that anything bitter is medicinal and, in this case, we could be correct. The bitter gourd is said to cure a wide range of ailments - from gastrointestinal conditions to cancers, and from diabetes to HIV. Also known as bitter melons, bitter gourds are pale green, with an irregular, warty surface. Typically, they are eaten following an initial treatment to remove some of the bitterness; often they are stuffed, to complement their somewhat eccentric bite.

Mild Soup of Barramundi and Lily Bulbs (แกงจืดปลากะพงแป๊ะฮะ; gaaeng jeuut bplaa ga phohng bpae ha)

Gaaeng jeuut with barramundi and lily bulbs soaked until petals open. Thai-Chinese clear soup from Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.

Cantonese-Style Tofu (เต้าหู้แคนต้อน; dtao huu khaaen dtaawn)

Cantonese-Style Tofu, an elaborate Thai-Cantonese fusion dish featuring stuffed tofu and squid with pork offal in sweet-sour sauce. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Chinese-Style Chicken Soup (แกงไก่เจ๊ก; gaaeng gai jek)

Gaaeng gai jek, Sino-Thai chicken soup on skimmed bone broth with wood ear mushroom and chili lard finish. Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953.

Pork Liver Stir-Fried With Flowering Chives
(ดอกกุยช่ายผัดตับหมู ; daawk guy chaai phat dtap muu)

A quick and tasty dish from the hot mouth of the dragon with only three ingredients! Flowering Chives, Pork Liver and Garlic. Flowering Chives are all year round favorites for their mild garlicky flavor, and can be purchased inexpensively at almost any Asian market. In Thailand we like to fry them with pork, pork liver or shrimp. These flowering chives are actually the unopened bud stems of garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives.

Stir-Fried Ginger with Duck Feet (ผัดขิงบาทเบ็ด; phat khing baat bet)

Phat khing baat bet, duck feet deboned and stir-fried with fresh ginger, black ear fungus, and tao chiao. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Fat Horse - A Thai appetizer with an amusing name: (ม้าอ้วน ; maa uaan)

Maa ouan is a Thai appetizer with clear Chinese characteristics. It resembles the filling of khanohm jeep dumplings (ขนมจีบ), the crab and pork meat fillings of haawy jaaw (ฮ่อยจ๊อ), or the shrimp and pork meat mix of haae geun (แฮ่กึน). Minced pork and shrimp meat are seasoned with garlic, coriander roots, white peppercorns and salt, then mixed with duck egg and a bit of coconut cream, placed in small ceramic cups (thuay dta lai, ถ้วยตะไล), and steamed. It can be served either as a starter, an hors d'oeuvres, or even as a side dish to curries.

Stir-Fried Mock Pakchoi with Pork and Offal (ผัดกวางตุ้ง; phat gwaang dtoong)

Phat gwaang dtoong: mock pakchoi fried and plated, then covered with pork offal simmered in bone stock until thick. Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1951.

Stir-fried Chicken with Baby Corn (ผัดไก่กับข้าวโพดอ่อน; phat gai gap khaao pho:ht aawn)

Phat gai gap khaao phoht aawn, chicken and baby corn stir-fried with garlic, sauce thickened by pounded corn kernels. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Thai Spicy Catfish Recipe
Crispy Catfish Stir-Fried with Wild Ginger and Fresh Peppercorn
(bplaa dook thaawt graawp phat grachaai phrik thai aawn)
สูตรทำปลาดุกทอดกรอบผัดกระชายพริกไทยอ่อน

This Thai spicy catfish recipe gives catfish a new and fabulous spin. You can either use farmed or game fish with the same phenomenal results. The intensity of the wild ginger combined with aromatic fresh peppercorn will turn even muddy flavor fish into a delicacy. Slice the fish are first, then role it in flour and deep-fry it to a crispy crunch. Quickly stir-fry the crispy fish with wild ginger and the peppercorns releasing their aromatic oils, creating wonderful flavors. While seasoning with light soy sauce and oyster sauce, our fish is now regaining heavenly moisture without losing its tempting crispiness.

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.

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.

Stir-Fried Squid with Salted Duck Eggs
(ปลาหมึกผัดไข่เค็ม ; bplaa meuk phat khai khem)

In this straightforward and rewarding stir-fried dish, I am using boiled salted duck egg, available from Asian markets, as my flavoring assistant. During stir-frying, the egg yolk dissolves to a velvety sauce that softly coats the squids, and complimenting their ocean’s flavor. The alternate reds and greens strips of the vegetables emerged from the buttery yellow sauce are tempting for a taste. The original version uses three egg yolks – a bit too much for a health conscious person like me. Therefore, I am using only one whole egg, both the egg white and the egg yolk. I tune down the white’s sharp saltiness with an additional portion of sugar, and compensate for the color lost by adding a spoon of commercial chili sauce to improve. The resulting is a well-balanced dish with the right texture that stands up in this healthy version against its original with a winning smile….

c1935 Princess Yaovabha's Sweet Chinese Sausage in Coconut Cream Soup (แกงไส้กรอกหมูแห้ง; gaaeng sai graawk muu haaeng)

A 1935 Thai palace recipe preserving Princess Yaovabha's Chinese sausage coconut curry. This ivory-colored soup features sweet goon chiang sausage in creamy coconut with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind. The dish represents a historic culinary shift when Chinese ingredients entered royal Thai kitchens, transforming from street food to palace cuisine.

Introduction to Thai Clear Soups - The complexity of simplicity

Stir-fried crab meat with curry powder and eggs - neuua bpuu phat phohng garee – เนื้อปูผัดผงกะหรี่

Stir-Fried Crab Meat with Curry Powder and Eggs
(เนื้อปูผัดผงกะหรี่ ; neuua bpuu phat phohng garee)

Most Thai curry dishes call for freshly prepared curry paste that is best used fresh just before cooking. Here is a delicious and simple exception - Stir-fried crab meat in curry powder, milk and eggs - A popular Thai seafood recipe which is unique in its use of commercially available curry powder. The dish was first created by Teochew Chinese chefs in the numerous Chinese restaurants in Bangkok who used to cater to the working class of Thai-Chinese immigrates, that came to the Kingdom from the Guangdong province in the southern coast of China.

Stir-Fried Sea Crab (ปูทะเลผัด; bpuu tha laeh phat)

Bpuu tha laeh phat: sea crab fried in pork lard with shiitake and peas, bound with wheat flour and bone stock. Maawm Ying Soophaa, 1951.

Stir-Fried Wild Duck with Salted Duck Egg Dumpling and Mustard Greens (ผัดฟองวิหคโสภณ; phat faawng wi hohk so:h phohn)

Phat faawng wi hohk so:h phohn: wild duck stir-fried with ornamental salted egg yolk dumplings in naam khlook khlik sauce. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Pad Kee Mao Recipe of Stuffed Squid with Shrimp, Pork and Water Chestnuts Garnished with Crispy Basil Leaves
(phat khee mao bplaa meuk yat sai goong neuua muu lae haaeo)
สูตรทำผัดขี้เมาปลาหมึกยัดไส้กุ้งเนื้อหมูและแห้ว

This dish can be found both in Thailand's streets food stalls and in the menus of the high stars restaurants. The spicy stir fried is a perfect choice to the drunken man’s plate, it, with it's kick, helps the whiskey run down the glass and offers a wicked sauce to accompany the sophisticated squid's filling made of airy pork married with sweet shrimp. The mixture of pork and shrimp filling maintains moist and tender texture which is further enhanced by the surprise crunch from water chestnuts.

Beef Teochew Meatball and Pumpkin Coconut Curry (แกงบะช่อเนื้อโคกะทิ; gaaeng ba chaaw neuua kho:h ga thi)

Gaeng ba chaaw, Teochew-style beef meatballs seasoned with coriander root paste, simmered in coconut milk with pumpkin. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

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

Get Access – Join Thaifoodmaster Today

Practical and kitchen-tested recipes with a mix of theory, history, psychology, and Siamese culture tidbits.

Get access to everything right away. Unlock more than 50 Masterclasses, over 700 recipes and Articles
Access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional classes, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.
GET EXTRA - New Masterclasses and Daily Recipes
Gain access to NEW masterclasses as they become available. Access DAILY translations of heritage-recipes.
1-1 support from Hanuman
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
Live Q&A Sessions
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
Great Value!
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.

You will get everything you need to:

To Get inspired
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
To Satisfy your curiosity.
Finally !
To Master Your Craft
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.

It is truly brilliant with a revolutionary approach introducing aspects and concepts never broached by cookbooks.

Ian Westcott

Sourcing Wines for Discerning Private Clients