Traditional Recipes Archives

Chili relish of salted duck egg yolks (น้ำพริกไข่เค็ม ; naam phrik khai khem)

Gaaeng Jao Dtao – An Aristocratic Sour Curry of Catfish with Young Tamarind Leaves, Fingerroot and Lemon Basil, with a Rustic Flare (แกงเจ้าเต่า)

Gaawy goong suay (ก้อยกุ้งเสวย กับ น้ำพริกก้อย) - Old-fashioned chili relish enriched with shrimp tomalley and flaky acid-cooked shrimp meat

c1949 Quick-cured oysters with ginger and kaffir lime zest by Maawm Ying Soophaa (หอยนางรมดอง โดย หม่อมหญิงสุภา พ.ศ. 2492; haawy naang rohm daawng)

ยำผิวส้มส้า ; Salad of bitter orange peels (sohm saa)

Salad of bitter orange peels, shrimp, poached pork belly and pork skin, roasted peanuts, golden deep-fried crispy shallots and garlic with sweet and sour tamarind dressing.
(ยำผิวส้มซ่า ; yam phiu sohm saa)

This salad recipe is adapted from the book “Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa” (แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์), published in 1971 as a memorial for Jao Jaawm Phit (เจ้าจอมพิศว์). Jao Jaawm Phit was the daughter of Thanpuying (Lady) Plean Passakornrawong, who was a pioneer of noble Thai cuisine.

Thai Salad of Chicken and Seven Vegetables Blanched in Coconut Milk and Served With Sour-Salty and Sweet Coconut Curry Dressing, Crispy Fried Shallots and Roasted Sesame Seeds
(yam thawaai ; ยำทวาย)

This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens. This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing. These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.

Tamarind flower chili relish inspired by Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul (น้ำพริกดอกมะขาม อย่าง หม่อมเจ้าหญิงจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล ; naam phrik daawk makhaam)

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.

gaaeng muu yaang gap gluay dip ; แกงหมูย่างกับกล้วยดิบ

Old-Fashioned Thai Red Curry of Grilled & Smoked Pork Neck and Unripe Green Bananas (แกงหมูย่างกับกล้วยดิบ ; gaaeng muu yaang gap gluay dip)

Thai red curry is a broad term describing any curry that is red in color, although variations exist among the dish’s ingredients or their ratios. Today’s menu features a Thai red curry paste to which we add higher quantities of coriander root and kaffir lime zest; this creates a more aromatic character that will enhance the smokiness of the grilled pork meat and the mild sweetness of the unripe green bananas.

Salted Chinese black olive chili relish (น้ำพริกหนำเลี้ยบ; naam phrik nam liiap)

Grilled banana leaf parcels with shrimp curried rice (ข้าวงบกุ้ง)

Grilled banana leaf parcels filled with curried rice, shrimp meat grated coconut, and herbs. (ข้าวงบกุ้ง อย่างพระวิมาดาเธอ หม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์ ; khaao ngohp goong)

The khaao ngohp goong (ข้าวงบกุ้ง) of Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (Princess Saisawali Phirom) is a dish of seasoned curried rice mixed with shrimp meat, shrimp tomalley, grated coconut, and herbs. The rice mix is then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Unwrapping the parcel reveals an intense orange- and russet-brown colored rice cake that is rich, savory and naturally sweet. It is served with a drizzle of thickened coconut cream and herbs.

Khanohm faawy or Khanohm handtraa A Forgotten Thai Dessert and Snack ขนมฝอย หรือ ขนมหันตรา

Known as Khanohm faawy (ขนมฝอย) or Khanohm handtraa, this sweet or savory packet can be a dessert or a snack. The dessert has a sweet filling of silky mung beans and a coconut marzipan-like paste, while the snack’s savory filling consists of shrimp and pork minced and seasoned with garlic, coriander root and white peppercorns. Each is theatrically wrapped in a striking nest of skillfully crafted duck’s egg thread.

Devil's Chili Relish of Smoked Dry Wallago Catfish
(naam phrik narohk bplaa khang graawp rohm khwan ; น้ำพริกนรกปลาคังกรอบรมควัน)

I love my food very spicy and I'm very generous with all things chili. People like me who also enjoy spicy food, in part, love it because It's a truly a food & mood issue. Chilies are known to boost endorphin levels in the body and that makes us feel better. Maybe that's the reason why marketers get my immediate attention simply with red packaging and the naughty smile of the devil holding to the brand name logo of their products.

Curry of yellow chilies with whole quail, fresh turmeric and lemon basil (แกงเผ็ดนกกระทาพริกเหลืองสด; gaaeng phet nohk grathaa phrik leuuang soht)

Salty leading and sour-sweet to follow, this coconut-based gaaeng phet spicy curry might be made of chilies, but it is fruitier than it is spicy, and lighter than it is dense. Originally cooked with the meat of game birds, it retains a surprisingly light body that opens space for the birds to fly. The curry is tinted golden orange from a paste imbued with fresh yellow chilies and turmeric; it is perfumed with lemongrass and lemon basil leaves.

How to prepare the basic fermented shrimp paste chili relish (น้ำพริกกะปิมาตรฐาน ; naam phrik gabpi maatdtrathaan)

Crab and Spring Onion Coconut-Based Curry (แกงคั่วปูกับต้นหอม; Gaaeng Khuaa Bpuu Gap Dtohn Haawm)

Preparing a crab curry is an exercise in culinary diplomacy, wherein the challenge lies in negotiating the distinct flavors of land and sea into a cohesive understanding and capturing the perfect balance. This golden gastronomic horizon is where the delicate whispers of the ocean meet earth’s bold declarations – and at its core is a straightforward question: How do we craft a curry that testifies, via crab, to the ocean’s bounty, yet remains grounded in the earth’s aromatic flora, with roots like galangal and turmeric? In addition, it is challenging to create a curry that is luxuriously creamy, yet light and not too greasy; where the crab’s delicate natural sweetness surfaces as a pleasant sea breeze, levitating above the pitfalls of being too fishy or overly sweetened. Another hurdle is achieving the precise color – produced by red chilies, golden turmeric and peppercorns – that reflects the culinary traditions of southern seashore fishing communities. I like mine set to about a 70:30 ratio of yellow to red and, if using black peppercorns, with a deep brown undertone.

Battered and Deep-Fried Unripe Rice and Grated Coconut Banana Rolls (ข้าวเม่าทอด ; khaao mao thaawt)

Deceptively simple, the recipe for battered, deep-fried unripe rice and grated coconut banana rolls (khao mao thaawt, ข้าวเม่าทอด) is actually quite challenging to master. Like so many Thai dessert recipes, this seemingly straightforward dish has a complex character.

Sour Curry with Prawns and Pickled Vegetables (แกงส้มกุ้งกับผักดอง; gaaeng sohm goong gap phak daawng)

Gaaeng sohm goong, a tamarind-soured prawn curry with pickled vegetables, paste dissolved into boiling water. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Old-Fashioned Phat Phrik Khing, Yesteryear's Travel Food (ผัดพริกขิง อาหารคนเดินทาง)

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.

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.

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