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Spicy Swamp Eel Curry (แกงเผ็ดปลาไหล; gaaeng phet bplaa lai)
Spicy Swamp Eel Curry (แกงเผ็ดปลาไหล; gaaeng phet bplaa lai)
Gaaeng phet bplaa lai: swamp eel sliced and tossed with its own blood, simmered in a pork-lard-fried red curry paste. Maawm Sohm Jeen, 1890.
shrimp and tomato curry
c1937 Shrimp and tomato curry (แกงกุ้งกับมะเขือเทศ คู่มือการครัว นางสาวฉลวย กันตวรรณี พ.ศ. 2480; gaaeng goong gap makheuua thaeht)
Stocked with a contemporary brew of umami-rich ingredients, this ancient, bright and slightly sour coconut-based shrimp and tomato curry demonstrates how simple – yet clever – flavor-layering techniques can spotlight the shrimp and the spectacular savory tomatoes over the curry background.
Fish Miang Naem (เมี่ยงแนมปลา; miiang naaem bplaa)
Fish Miang Naem (เมี่ยงแนมปลา; miiang naaem bplaa)
Miiang naaem bplaa, grilled snakehead fish with fire-roasted galangal juice and bitter orange, served in lettuce cups. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Three-Color Vegetable Fried Rice (ข้าวผัดผักสามสี; khaao phat phak saam see)
Three-Color Vegetable Fried Rice (ข้าวผัดผักสามสี; khaao phat phak saam see)
Three-color vegetable fried rice with diced chicken, carrot, peas and radish, the beans boiled in ash water to stay green. From Paan Nanthaaphiwat, 1953.
Coconut-Braised Spiced Beef (เนื้อสัมฤทธิ์; neuua samrit)
Coconut-Braised Spiced Beef (เนื้อสัมฤทธิ์; neuua samrit)
Neuua samrit — beef tenderloin dry-braised in coconut milk with roasted coriander and cumin, glazed dry. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.
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.
Whole Roasted Duck (เป็ดอบทั้งตัว; bpet ohp thang dtuaa)
Whole Roasted Duck (เป็ดอบทั้งตัว; bpet ohp thang dtuaa)
Bpet ohp thang dtuaa, whole duck brandy-rubbed and air-dried before roasting with a nutmeg butter paste. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Shrimp Ball Soup (แกงลูกชิ้นกุ้ง; gaaeng luuk chin goong)
Shrimp Ball Soup (แกงลูกชิ้นกุ้ง; gaaeng luuk chin goong)
Gaaeng luuk chin goong, shrimp balls pounded and slapped for springy texture in clear broth with garland chrysanthemum. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
peanut-bar-salad
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)”.
Crispy Chicken Offal (เครื่องในไก่กรอบ; khreuuang nai gai graawp)
Crispy Chicken Offal (เครื่องในไก่กรอบ; khreuuang nai gai graawp)
Khreuuang nai gai graawp, chicken offal spiced with white pepper and nutmeg, deep-fried and served with kapi relish. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
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.
Roasted duck curry with prunes and apples
Duck Curry with Prunes and Apples (แกงเป็ดกับพรูนและแอปเปิ้ล อย่าง ม.ล. เติบ ชุมสาย; gaaeng bpet gap phruun lae aaep bpeern)
When it comes to pairing fruits with meats in savory dishes, it’s hard to match the bold tangy-luscious combination of apples and prunes in this old-fashioned coconut-based spicy curry with braised duck. The dish is seasoned to a spicy, salty, and sour-sweet flavor profile, which is further intensified by the prunes’ subtle nectareous, savory-sweetness and the apples’ fruity, sweet-tartness. This curry is a perfect example of how fruits can complement the already complex and profound aromatic relationships between meaty-savory flavors, the curry paste’s aromatic identity, and the dish’s herbal character of Thai basil and fresh peppercorns – creating a most memorable flavor impression.
grilled-banana-leaf-parcels-with-chicken-fried-rice
Grilled banana leaf parcels filled with butter-fried rice with chicken, chicken offal and dried spices, served with a sour-sweet coconut-base vegetable relish (ข้าวงบไก่ อาจาดอังวะ ; khaao ngohp gai aajaat angwa)
The khaao ngohp gai (ข้าวงบไก่) recipe by Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (Princess Saisawali Phirom) evokes the flavor and aesthetics of Muslim-style cooking. First, cooked rice, chicken, and chicken offal are fried with butter and perfumed with whole spices. The buttery fried rice is wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled, forming a crispy outer crust of spiced-infused rice grains.
The Three Kings Curry
The Three Kings Curry (แกงเผ็ดสามกษัตริย์ ; gaaeng phet saam gasat)
Snap Bean and Yardlong Bean Salad with Duck (ยำถั่วแขกถั่วฝักยาวกับเนื้อเป็ด; yam thuaa khaaek thuaa fak yaao gap neuua bpet)
Snap Bean and Yardlong Bean Salad with Duck (ยำถั่วแขกถั่วฝักยาวกับเนื้อเป็ด; yam thuaa khaaek thuaa fak yaao gap neuua bpet)
Snap Bean and Yardlong Bean Salad with Duck combines two bean varieties with Chinese-style roasted duck and transparent shrimp. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 royal cuisine manuscript.
Layered Savory Rice Cake (ข้าวแขกสลับสี; khaao khaaek sa lap see)
Layered Savory Rice Cake (ข้าวแขกสลับสี; khaao khaaek sa lap see)
Layered Savory Rice Cake features steamed rice, seasoned prawn filling, and golden turmeric-coconut custard. From Mrs. Samakkhanatthon's 1945 Thai cookbook.
Chicken Massaman Curry Recipe
Massaman Curry - The Untold Story (แกงมัสมั่น – แกงมาชะแมน – แกงหมัดสมั่น)
Considered by some to be the most famous, and the most delicious, dish in Thai cooking, the story of Massaman curry is interwoven with trade, politics and religion in 17th-century Siam. The story is filled with mighty kings, legendary explorers and unsolved mysteries, adding an air of magic and power to this already-heavenly perfumed dish, and thickening the plot of this full bodied, coconut-based curry’s birth.
Pan Roasted Duck Breast and Hairy-Fruited Eggplant Curry (แกงเป็ดคั่วมะอึก; gaaeng bpet khuaa maeuk)
The hairy-fruited eggplant, known as ‘maeuk’ in Thai, is similar to the tomato in its unique confluence of sweetness, fruitiness, and savoriness. This ingredient is used in a wide range of Siamese dishes, including curries, salads, relishes, and seasoned rice dishes. This recipe, from the central region of Thailand, is a traditional duck khuaa sohm curry (แกงคั่วส้มเป็ด) that commonly uses garden ingredients to achieve sourness, including the madan (garcinia schomburgkiana) (มะดัน), the sour bilimbi fruit (averrhoa bilimbi) (ตะลิงปลิง), and the hairy-fruited eggplant.
c1908 Chuu Chee with Mackerel (ฉู่ฉี่ปลาทู ; chuu chee bplaa thuu)
A salty-sweet, water-based chuu chee dish that features a thick, almost dry sauce. The deep burnt-red and shiny chuu chee sauce clings to the skin of the crispy mackerel, gold-colored from frying the fish in pork lard. The aromatic profile of the chuu chee complements the mackerel's rich, full-bodied flavor. Although chuu chee is usually made using freshwater fish, saltwater fish, especially mackerel, is featured in chuu chee dishes prepared along the coasts of the Central Plains. This is especially common during the rainy season, when the mackerel is plentiful and of excellent quality.
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.
Celestial Beef Curry - Spicy Curry Simmered in Sacred Naliker Coconut Milk with Cannabis, Brandy, Pea Eggplant, and Two Basils (แกงเผ็ด คาวีสวรรค์; gaaeng phet khaa wee sawan)
Celestial Beef Curry - Spicy Curry Simmered in Sacred Naliker Coconut Milk with Cannabis, Brandy, Pea Eggplant, and Two Basils (แกงเผ็ด คาวีสวรรค์; gaaeng phet khaa wee sawan)
Gaaeng phet khaa wee sawan, spicy beef curry made with rare Naliker coconut milk, cannabis leaves, and brandy. From Delicious Side Dishes, 1935.
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