Traditional Recipes Archives

Goong Saawn Glin - A Thai Royal Appetizer of Flaky Acid-Cooked Shrimp, Peanuts and Pickled Garlic, with a Sour-Salty-Sweet Shrimp Tomalley Dressing. (กุ้งซ่อนกลิ่น)

กุ้งแนม" หรือ "กุ้งซ่อนกลิ่น - Goong naaem (goong saawn glin) according to the 1908 recipe in Lady Plean Passakornrawong’s “Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa (ตำราแม่ครัวหัวป่าก์)” cookbook. Flaky acid-cooked shrimp and the pork fat, along with thinly sliced roasted peanuts and very small unpeeled diced bitter orange (ส้มซ่า som saa), plus paper-thin slices of pickled garlic and julienned fresh red long chili peppers are mixed and seasoned with shrimp tomalley dressing. It is served in wrapped squares, using iceberg lettuce and young thaawng laang leaves.

Perfumed Muslim-style Curry of Fresh Chilies with Beef (แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อทรงเครื่อง; Gaaeng Khiaao Waan Neuua Sohng Khreuuang)

The Indian and Muslim cuisines present distinct approaches to using dried spices in curries, both of which influence Siamese cuisine in different ways. Indian-inspired Siamese curries spotlight chilies for their vibrant color, fragrance, flavor and heat, while spices like cumin and coriander play a supporting role. The spices complement and temper the chilies’ intensity, creating a rounded, multi-layered flavor profile; nonetheless, the chilies remain the star ingredient, gently complemented by the spices. Conversely, Muslim-influenced curries, such as massaman curry, prioritize spices over chilies. Spices like cardamom, nutmeg and mace take center stage, while the chilies provide subtle background heat rather than being the primary flavor. In these curries, the focus is on the rich, warm and complex aromas created by the blend of spices, which is a defining characteristic of many Muslim dishes. Moreover, Siamese cuisine favors using rehydrated dried chilies in curries for their depth; this depth is highly appreciated, along with the complexity, and comparatively milder heat of the rehydrated dried chilies. As well, the harsh grassy notes of fresh chilies are not favored; they’re referred to in Thai as “green rank” or “men khiaao (เหม็นเขียว)”. Muslim curries often use fresh green chilies, tempering their vibrant, grassy taste with dry spices and thus shifting the flavor from bright and fresh to more subdued and earthy tones, resulting in a dish that is perceived to be layered, despite the burst of fresh chilies.

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.

ม้งกรคาบแก้ว กับ ม้าฮ่อ ; mohng gaawn khaap gaaeo + maa haaw

Galloping horse & Crystal Dragon - Fruits Served with Sweet and Savory Peanut Sauce (มังกรคาบแก้ว กับ ม้าฮ่อ ; mohng gaawn khaap gaaeo + maa haaw)

Sweet and sour fruit slices are served with a nutty, sweet-savory peanut sauce condiment that balances the fruits’ natural tartness, and decorated with coriander leaves and julienned fresh long red pepper for a sophisticated finish. The paste-like condiment is typically made from the Three Kings of Thai cuisine (coriander root, garlic and ground white pepper) fried together with chopped shallots, minced pork belly and shrimp meat, along with crushed roasted peanuts, and seasoned with fish sauce [or salt], and palm sugar.

Thai Coconut Curry of Steamed Mackerels and Lotus Stems
(gaaeng gathi saai buaa bplaa thuu neung ;
แกงกะทิสายบัวปลาทูนึ่ง)

This old-fashioned Thai coconut curry dish is a simple expression made with ingredients commonly available to Thais, it features steamed mackerels - the fish that Thai people probably love the best and the stems of the lotus flowers - one of Buddhism's most recognized motifs. The fish together with peeled lotus stems are boiled in coconut milk, to which a simple yet very aromatic curry paste, made only of white pepper corns, shallots and fermented shrimp paste is added.

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.

Thae Phoh Thai Red Curry with Pork Neck and Water Spinach - แกงหมูเทโพใส่ผักบุ้ง

Thae Phoh Curry with Pork Neck and Water Spinach (แกงหมูเทโพใส่ผักบุ้ง ; Gaaeng Muu Thaeh Phoh Sai Phak Boong)

แกงหมูเทโพใส่ผักบุ้ง - Thae phoh curry is a spicy and salty Thai red curry with sour-sweet flavor shades. Thae phoh falls into the category of the gaaeng khuaa (แกงคั่ว) style of Thai red curries, as it contains no dry spices except white peppercorns. Instead, smoked dried fish meat is added to the red curry paste to accentuate and widen its umami-smoky savory flavor base.

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.

Chili relish of coriander leaves (น้ำพริกผักชี ; naam phrik phak chee)

c1936 Arabian noodles – Princess Maao Thongthaem’s Siamese-Orientalist fermented rice noodles light meal (ขนมจีนอาหรับ อย่าง เม้า ทองแถม; khanohm jeen aarap)

Roasted Pounded Unripe Rice Served with Shrimp Relish and Grated Coconut (ข้าวเม่าเบื้อง ; khao mao beuuang)

Khao mao bueang and khao Mao Mee (ข้าวเม่าหมี่) are the only two known savory dishes from antiquity made from pounded unripe rice grains (ข้าวเม่า; khao mao). While khao mao mee (ข้าวเม่าหมี่) is still a well-known and widely available dish, very few people remember khao mao bueang. Therefore, we are pleased to reintroduce into the Thai culinary repertoire the delicious khao mao bueang.

The Golden Trails of Curry Powder - เรื่องราวของผงกะหรี่

Santol Salad (ยำกระท้อน; yam gra thaawn)

Yam gra thaawn, tart santol salad with pork, shrimp, and crushed peanuts. Fruit is salt-soaked and air-dried to reduce bitterness. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

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.

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

Salted duck eggs and shrimp creamy lohn (หลนไข่เค็ม ; lohn khai khem)

Lohn of salted duck eggs is a smooth, rich and creamy relish with a vibrant three-flavor profile of sour-salty-sweet. Unlike other lohn relishes, it does not contain any overbearing fermented ingredients, making it easy to enjoy, and it does not require an acquired taste.

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.

Phla of Fresh Transparent Shrimp (พล่ากุ้งฝอยสด; phlaa goong faawy soht)

Phlaa goong faawy soht, raw transparent shrimp dressed whole and unpeeled with mint, from Maawm Sohm Jeen's Tamra Gap Khao, c. 1890.

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.

Saen Tung-Style Jungle Curry with Beef and Bamboo Shoots (แกงป่าเนื้อใส่หน่อไม้ แบบแสนตุ้ง; gaaeng bpaa neuua sai naaw mai baaep saaen dtoong)

This is my take on the famous jungle curry from the Saen Tung district in Trat province. In Trat it is usually cooked with game meat and thinly sliced pineapple shoots (แขนงสับปะรด).

Yam of Beef Innards (ยำเครื่องในโค; yam khreuuang nai kho:h)

Yam khreuuang nai kho:h, beef innards cleaned with slaked lime and dressed without coconut. From Maawm Sohm Jeen's Tamra Gap Khao, c. 1890.

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