Snacks and light meals recipes (ตำราอาหารว่างอย่างไทย) Archives

Chicken in Pig's Stomach (ไก่ในกะเพาะ; gai nai ga phaw)

Chicken in Pig's Stomach features minced chicken seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, stuffed into a pig's stomach and steamed with soy sauce basting. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.

Steamed Gelatinous Rice with Beef Topping (ข้าวเหนียวนึ่งหน้าเนื้อ; khaao niaao neung naa neuua)

Steamed Sticky Rice with Beef Topping features pandan-infused rice crowned with coconut-fried salted beef floss. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 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)

Savory Filled Cockle Shell Dumplings (คลางแคลงทรงเครื่อง; khlaang khlaaeng sohng khreuuang)

Savory Filled Cockle Shell Dumplings, translucent palace-style dumplings with seafood and pork filling. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 Thai cookbook of appetizers.

Chicken-Stuffed Taro (ผะอบไก่เผือก; pha ohp gai pheuuak)

Pha ohp gai pheuuak: taro carved into a lidded vessel, filled with phrik khing paste, chicken, and sea crab. Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

“Sang-de-Boeuf Porcelain” Fermented Rice Noodles by Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul (ขนมจีนครามแดง อย่าง หม่อมเจ้าหญิงจงจิตรถนอม ดิศกุล ; khanohm jeen khraam daaeng)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

New-Style Vietnamese Crispy Khanom Beuuang Crepes (ขนมเบื้องญวนใหม่; khanom beuuang yuan mai)

Khanom beuuang yuan mai: a rice-mung bean crepe kneaded with limewater for crispness, filled with shrimp tomalley and lotus seeds. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

Chicken Corn (ข้าวโพดไก่; khaao pho:ht gai)

Chicken Corn, a delicate Thai snack where thinly sliced corn is simmered in chicken stock with shredded breast meat and salted egg yolk. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.

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.

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 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.

Surya Rice (ข้าวพระสุรี่ย์; khaao phra soo ree)

Surya Rice, pandan-infused rice served with dried beef, shrimp, fish floss, and chili relish. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 Thai cookbook.

"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.

Torpedo Fish - Torpedo Fish - Steamed Stuffed Squid (ปลาตอปิโดตุ๋น; bplaa dtaaw bpi do:h dtoon)

Torpedo Fish - Steamed Stuffed Squid features small squid filled with crab-pork mixture and sweet corn. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook of Thai appetizers.

Bite-Sized Fried Shrimp-Rice Cake Parcels Wrapped With Fresh Garnishes in Cabbage Leaves (ส้มผักสด; sohm phak soht)

Sohm phak soht: coconut-battered fried shrimp-rice cakes wrapped in Chinese cabbage with pickled ginger, peanuts, shallots, lime and bitter orange. Jeeb Bunnag, 1945.

Have a look at some of our favorite courses.

Aromatic Primer for Thai Cuisine - Part 1

Patterns – Decoding the Complexity of Siamese Curry Paste: A Multidimensional Exploration

Get Access – Join Thaifoodmaster Today

Practical and kitchen-tested recipes with a mix of theory, history, psychology, and Siamese culture tidbits.

Get access to everything right away. Unlock more than 50 Masterclasses, over 700 recipes and Articles
Access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional classes, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.
GET EXTRA - New Masterclasses and Daily Recipes
Gain access to NEW masterclasses as they become available. Access DAILY translations of heritage-recipes.
1-1 support from Hanuman
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
Live Q&A Sessions
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
Great Value!
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.

You will get everything you need to:

To Get inspired
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
To Satisfy your curiosity.
Finally !
To Master Your Craft
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.

It is truly brilliant with a revolutionary approach introducing aspects and concepts never broached by cookbooks.

Ian Westcott

Sourcing Wines for Discerning Private Clients