Snacks and light meals recipes (ตำราอาหารว่างอย่างไทย) Archives

Miang kham - A royal leaf wrap appetizer เมี่ยงคำ

Each leaf-wrapped parcel is a kaleidoscope of flavors and richness, textures, aromas and sensations. Fresh green-earthy-chlorophyll-herby-tobacco-peppery wild betel leaves enfold bursts of flavor from nutty roasted peanuts and crispy roasted coconut matches, the umami of savory dry shrimp, pungent-sweet diced shallots, small ginger cubes with a warm bite, sour and bitter unpeeled lime cubes, citrusy perfumed diced bitter orange (som za), naughty whole fresh tiny bird’s eye chilies, and small slices of the sharp and sour dtaling bpling (Averrhoa bilimbi, a relative of the carambola/starfuit). All of which is blended with a thick paste of sweet-sour and salty palm sugar and tamarind sauce. The miang kham takes every taste bud on a fascinating pleasure trip through sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and umami, piquancy, sharpness and spiciness, with an array of textures that slowly subside as the journey ends, leading to a familiar post orgasmic expression, a smile and the desire for more.

Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli (หมี่ฮ่องเต้; mee haawng dteh)

Emperor's Hong Te Rice Vermicelli, a royal Thai dish combining delicate shredded chicken and crab meat over rice noodles. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

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.

"Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain" Fermented Rice Noodles (ขนมจีนครามแดง; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)

Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain Fermented Rice Noodles featuring a coconut sauce infused with roasted shallots, garlic and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Crispy pork or sweet beef threads (หมูเค็มผัดฝอย; muu khem phat faawy)

Crispy sweet pork or beef threads (หมูเค็มผัดฝอย ; muu khem phat faawy)

This is a modern version of a classic sweet meat threads condiment that often complements chili relishes or is served as a side dish in classic Siamese samrub meals.

Chicken Krayakhu, Delicate Chicken and Crab Young Rice Porridge (ไก่กระยาคู; gai gra yaa khuu)

Chicken Krayakhu, a refined porridge combining ground young rice with chicken, crab meat and fresh ginger. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of aristocratic Thai cuisine.

The Ambassador’s House Style Rice Vermicelli in Broth (หมี่น้ำบ้านราชทูต; mee naam baan raat thuut)

The Ambassador's House Style Rice Vermicelli features crispy rice noodles in a complex sweet-sour broth with multiple proteins. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Mock Chicken Biryani (ข้าวหมกไก่จำแลง; khaao mohk gai jam laaeng)

Mock Chicken Biryani, a Thai-Indian fusion dish with cardamom-scented rice steamed in banana leaves. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of tea accompaniments.

Delicious Rice Noodle Rolls (ฑำแรยำซ แป้งหลอดอร่อย; tham raae yam sa bpaaeng laawt a raawy)

Delicious Rice Noodle Rolls (แป้งหลอดอร่อย; tham raae yam sa bpaaeng laawt a raawy)

Delicious Rice Noodle Rolls, a Thai appetizer of rice sheets wrapped around seafood-pork filling and tied with spring onion. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Italian Tube Pasta (แป้งหลอดอิตาเลียน; bpaaeng laawt i dtaa liian)

Bpaaeng laawt i dtaa liian, macaroni in clear bone broth with steamed pork meatballs, prawns, and shredded chicken. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Miang Sot (เมี่ยงซด) - Miiang Soht, circa 1928

The word ‘miang’ is often used to designate Thai hors d’oeuvre-like snacks consisting of various ingredients wrapped in leaves. To chew on a miang parcel delivers a delightful melee of flavors and textures, each triumphing over the other in a continuous transformation, creating a captivating and ever-evolving taste experience throughout the bite. Miang sot is a fermented leaves dish that appeared in a cookbook published in honor of Thao Suphatigaanapakdee (also known as Prik Sirisamphan) (ท้าวสุภัติการภักดี (ปริก ศิริสัมพันธ์)), in 1928. Titled Gap Khaao Thai (กับข้าวไทย), the book features a collection of recipes that were once prepared and served to King Chulalongkorn Rama V. The author, Sohmboon Sirisamphan (เถ้าแก่ สมบุญ ศิริสัมพันธ์) a respected elder (known as thao gaae (เถ้าแก่) in Thai), was a distinguished businessman of Chinese origins. The dish is composed of fermented tea leaves; it is perhaps the closest tea leaves wrap to the ‘miang’ style introduced to the Siamese court by Princess Dara Rasami in the late 1800s. The dish gives us a glimpse of flavor of what her household, which participated in the informal marketplace events within the palace, might have to offer. The popularity of miang in Siamese cuisine is tied to the history of two kingdoms, Siam and Lanna, and the life of one princess, Princess Dara Rasami. The daughter of King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai and the fifth consort of King Chulalongkorn, the princess was selected at the age of thirteen, in 1886, to serve as a consort to King Chulalongkorn in the Inner Palace; the decision was shaped by both political strategy and personal transition. At the time, Siam was consolidating its power and extending its influence over neighboring regions, including Lanna. As the ruler of Chiang Mai, Princess Dara Rasami’s father, Intawichayanon, viewed the move as a strategic alliance. In return, King Chulalongkorn presented him with the medal of the Order of Chula Chom Klao, which is the Siamese equivalent of a knighthood.

Khmer Rice Noodles with Fish Relish (ขนมจีนเขมร; jeen khaeh maawn)

Khmer Rice Noodles with Fish Relish features smoke-dried barb fish prepared through a four-stage process with aromatic herbs. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 cookbook.

Rice Crust Crackers in Savory Broth (ข้าวตังล่องชล; khaao dtang laawng chohn) - Sauced Refreshments (อาหารว่างอย่างน้ำ)

Khaao dtang laawng chohn, crispy rice crackers served with umami-rich seafood broth. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai appetizers.

Capital-Style Sausage (ไส้กรอกกรุง; sai graawk groong)

Capital-Style Sausage combines crab meat and pork with cinnamon and nutmeg, smoked over sugarcane peels and coconut husks. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Siamese Fireback Chicken (ไก่พระยาลอ; gai phra yaa laaw)

Siamese Fireback Chicken, a deboned whole chicken stuffed with aromatic phrik khing (พริกขิง) paste and mung beans. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 royal Thai cookbook.

Fermented rice noodles with multi-sour aromatic chicken sauce by Lady Gleep Mahithaawn (ขนมจีนน้ำพริกไก่ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงกลีบ มหิธร พ.ศ. 2492; khanohm jeen naam phrik gai)

c1949 Fermented rice noodles with multi-sour aromatic chicken sauce by Lady Gleep Mahithaawn (ขนมจีนน้ำพริกไก่ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงกลีบ มหิธร พ.ศ. 2492; khanohm jeen naam phrik gai)

Royal Favorite Corn Soup (ข้าวโพดทรงโปรด; khaao pho:ht sohng bpro:ht)

Khaao pho:ht sohng bpro:ht, a corn soup of thin-sliced waxy corn boiled in stock with pork, chicken and shrimp. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Crispy Rice - Khaao Graawp (ข้าวกรอบ อย่างหม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์)

Suan Sunandha Palace was the permanent residence of Mom Chao Sai Ladawan (HRH Princess Saisawali Phirom, พระวิมาดาเธอ หม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์), the Royal Consort to Rama V. In the kitchen of Suan Sunandha Palace, the Princess presided over a peak era of culinary innovation until her passing on June 24, 1929. Reflecting her practicality, the Princess’ recipes frequently incorporated the era’s common pantry ingredients in new and surprising combinations. For example, in her boat-embarking chili relish (น้ำพริกลงเรือ; naam phrik lohng reuua), a relish still enjoyed today, the Princess pairs fermented shrimp paste chili relish with sweet pork, crispy fried fish, salted duck eggs and hairy-fruited eggplant (maeuk) (มะอึก). Another example is her gaaeng ran juaan (แกงรัญจวน) – the Princess prepares a vibrant spicy and sour soup, fragrant with the aroma of Thai basil, from the leftovers of a stir-fried beef dish and fermented shrimp paste chili relish, which she cooked together with lemongrass, shallots and garlic. Mom Chao Sai Ladawan’s recipes, many already recreated here at Thaifoodmaster, were recorded by Princess Sadap Ladawan (เจ้าจอมหม่อมราชวงศ์สดับลดาวัลย์), a key figure in the Palace’s culinary affairs, and subsequently compiled and published by Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in a volume dedicated to seasoned rice dishes and chili relishes. In this dish called khaao graawp (ข้าวกรอบ), or “crispy rice” the Princess seasons cooked jasmine rice with chili jam, and adds four fried components, each highlighting a different element of the crispiness indicated by the dish’s name.

Khaao bping - grilled banana leaf parcels filled with fermented shrimp paste relish seasoned rice, sweet pork, and crispy garlic (ข้าวปิ้ง อย่างพระวิมาดาเธอ หม่อมเจ้าสาย ลดาวัลย์)

Khaao bping (ข้าวปิ้ง) is a dish of seasoned rice mixed with sweet pork and crispy fried garlic, then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Unwrapping the parcel reveals a slightly charred rice cake that melts into a pleasantly chewy, smoky, and deliciously savory treat. Created by using basic ingredients of Siamese cuisine, the dish can be served on a bed of banana leaves or on fine porcelain plates, thus touching the hearts of diners from all walks of life.

Cancer Crab Egg Noodles (บะหมี่กรกฎ; ba mee gaaw ra goht)

Ba mee gaaw ra goht, puffed deep-fried egg noodles topped with crab, shrimp, and salted duck egg yolk balls. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Braised Duck with Ginkgo Nuts or Lotus Seeds (เป็ดตุ๋นแบ๊ะก๊วยหรือเม็ดบัว; bpet dtoon bae guay reuu met buaa)

Braised Duck with Ginkgo Nuts, a Thai-Chinese dish where fried duck is slow-simmered with aromatic spices and ginkgo nuts. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

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