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.
Heavenly Beef (เนื้อทิพย์; neuua thip)
Heavenly Beef (เนื้อทิพย์; neuua thip)
Neuua thip, beef rump stir-fried in thick coconut milk with Indian turmeric, served on cabbage with a chili dipping sauce. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Potato Rice Soup (ข้าวต้มันฝรั่ง; khaao dtohm man farang)
Potato Rice Soup (ข้าวต้มันฝรั่ง; khaao dtohm man farang)
Potato Khao dtohm Rice Soup, featuring a clear seafood broth with pork meatballs, served with crispy fried potatoes on the side. From Gingganok's 'Delicious Side Dishes,' 1935.
miang-bplaa-naaem
bplaa naaem (ปลาแนม) - A Siamese aristocratic small plate snack
Pork liver and firm pork fat fried in batter (มันสลับตับสุกร; man salap dtap soogaawn)
Pork liver and firm pork fat fried in batter (มันสลับตับสุกร; man salap dtap soogaawn)
Royal Duck Spicy Curry (แกงเผ็ดเป็ดเสวย; gaaeng phet bpet suay)
Royal Duck Spicy Curry (แกงเผ็ดเป็ดเสวย; gaaeng phet bpet suay)
Gaaeng phet bpet suay, duck dry-sautéed before simmering, with kaffir lime and optional nutmeg in the paste. Delicious Side Dishes, 1935.
Royal-Style Roselle Bud Salad (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบเสวย; yam phohn gra jiiap sa weeuy)
Royal-Style Roselle Bud Salad (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบเสวย; yam phohn gra jiiap sa weeuy)
Royal-Style Roselle Bud Salad combines wine-ruby roselle buds with pork and crispy aromatics in a bitter orange dressing. Components remain separate until serving, per Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript.
khao-prasuri
Phra Suli - Three-Flavor Seasoned Rice with Shrimp, Firm Pork Fat and Pork Skin (ข้าวพระศุลี; Khaao Phra Soolee)
Mrs. Paan Nanthaathiwat (คุณปาน นันทาถิวัฒน์) (1893-1955) was known for her kitchen skills. She often cooked for friends and family, spending time in the kitchen with her best friend, Mrs. Yim Pichaiyat Bunnag (คุณยิ้ม พิชัยญาติ บุนนาค (1892-1976). Thus, it was not a surprise when in 1953 she authored a recipe book as part of her merit offering on her 60th birthday. Sadly, Mrs. Paan passed away a year later and the publication, titled Hoong Khaao Dtohm Gaaeng (หุ้งข้าวต้มแกง), was later printed as a memorial book for her funeral. In 1977, the volume was reprinted for the funeral of her best friend, Mrs. Yim. It is unclear why Mrs. Paan named this citrusy, sour, and salty seasoned rice dish after Lord Shiva, calling it “Phra Suli (พระศุลี ; phra soolee)”. Yet I believe the name of the dish is meant to evoke the elegance and delicacy of the deity rather than to reference cultural authenticity or tradition.
The Elegance of Khanohm Khaang Khaao (ขนมค้างคาว)
If palaces represent grandeur and wealth within a society, and poems often focus on emotional experience or the beauty of language, then the significance of a dumpling may be inferred by its structured elegance and minimalism – each fold and pleat a deliberate act, and each filling a curated experience constructing comfort in its most elemental form. Khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) is a traditional Siamese fried, triangular-shaped dumpling with obvious Chinese origins. Its earliest recorded recipe can be traced back to Jao Khraawk Thaawng Yuu (เจ้าครอกทองอยู่), a distinguished aristocrat from the royal court of Ayutthaya. Historical records indicate that, from the early days of the Rattanakosin era, her recipe was a favored snack within the Siamese royal court. These dumplings are shaped like triangles and, according to some, resemble bats: For this reason, they are called khanom khaang khaao (ขนมค้างคาว) – ‘the bat’s treat’. The dumpling’s dough is made from rice and mung bean flours; its filling is prepared by combining grated coconut and shrimp meat, which are cooked together into a dense, flavorful mixture that brings out the nutty-sweet taste of the grated coconut and the savory-sweet flavors of the shrimp. Kaffir lime leaves, sliced into hair-thin juliennes, add a hint of citrus.
แกงรัญจวน ; gaaeng_ranjuaan
Beef Curry Seasoned with Fermented Shrimp Paste Chili Relish (แกงรัญจวน ; gaaeng ranjuaan)
Gaaeng Ranjuaan is spicy, sour, sweet and salty beef curry seasoned with no more than fermented shrimp paste chili sauce. It should be served steaming hot, and must possess three distinct flavors, similar to fish Tom Yam soup. These modest ingredients and an intensely-flavored curry emerge from a story about love, things lost in translation and…leftovers.
dry curry แกงแห้ง
c1935 "Dry Curry" with beef over coconut infused jasmine rice (แกงแห้ง ตำรับสายเยาวภา พ.ศ. 2478 ; gaaeng haaeng)
Roman Tube Noodles (Macaroni) (แป้งหลอดโรมัน; bpaaeng laawt ro:h man)
Roman Tube Noodles (Macaroni) (แป้งหลอดโรมัน; bpaaeng laawt ro:h man)
Roman Tube Noodles, a 1945 Thai-Western fusion dish with rich duck broth and macaroni. From Jeeb Bunnag's 'Cookbook of Desserts, Tea Accompaniments, and Snacks or Appetizers'.
Dtohm Jiu Beef Soup
Dtohm Jiu Beef Soup (แกงต้มจิ๋ว; gaaeng dtohm jiu)
Dtohm Jiu Beef Soup: sirloin simmered soft with sweet potato, soured with tamarind, finished with bird's eye chili and lime. Tamrap Sai Yaowapa, 1935.
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.
kaffir_lime_fried_chili_relish
Fried Kaffir Lime Chili Relish (น้ำพริกมะกรูดผัด ; naam phrik magruut phat)
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.
Golden Jackfruit Seeds
Thai Mung Bean Marzipan and Egg Yolk Dessert
(Met Khanoon ; ขนมเม็ดขนุน)
It is believed that this dish was introduced to the Siamese royal cuisine in the middle of the seventeenth century by Portuguese traders. Later, along with other egg yolk-based golden sweets like the golden drops (thong yot ทองหยอด), golden flowers (thong yip ทองหยิบ) and golden threads (foi thong ฝอยทอง), these royal desserts were passed to commoners outside the court. For the marzipan filling I am using, beside the mung beans, both the flesh and the water of fragrant young coconuts. It gives a rich, sweet and almost nutty flavor which works perfectly with the silky texture of the mung beans and the creamy golden egg yolks coating.
Beef-Stuffed Potato Croquettes (มันสอดไส้; man saawt sai)
Beef-Stuffed Potato Croquettes (มันสอดไส้; man saawt sai)
Man saawt sai, mashed potato shells encasing a minced-beef filling pounded with ginger, turmeric and coriander, fried golden. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
haaw mohk and ngohp
Haaw Mohk and Ngohp (ห่อหมก และ งบ)
Yam "Goliath Special" (ยำ "โกไลพิเศษ"; yam go:h lai phi saeht)
Yam "Goliath Special" (ยำ "โกไลพิเศษ"; yam go:h lai phi saeht)
Yam Goliath Special: eight boiled proteins — shrimp, pork, squid — dressed with pounded coriander root and garlic. Delicious Side Dishes, 1935.
Steamed Snakehead Fish Curry Parcels (ห่อหมกปลาช่อน; haaw mohk bplaa chaawn)
Steamed Snakehead Fish Curry Parcels (ห่อหมกปลาช่อน; haaw mohk bplaa chaawn)
haaw mohk pla chon: snakehead fish steamed in banana leaf with one coconut pressed into three grades of milk. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.
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