This is an aromatic stew that leans into the sweet spectrum of the palate. An all-time Thai favorite, moo palo was introduced locally by the Chinese-Cantonese and Tae Chiew immigrants who flocked to the Kingdom in the early nineteenth century.
The name of this dish originates from two Chinese words: pah ziah and lou.
Pah ziah refers in Chinese to the art of medicinal herbal preparations, while lou indicates a broth or a stew; placed together, the word phalo describes a broth made from an assortment of medicinal herbs.
Phalo-style dishes are usually made from duck or goose, pork, chicken or eggs, and are highly praised by Chinese and Thais alike.
The legendary Chinese five-spice mix, an all-purpose preparation believed to strengthen and stimulate the body, is in the heart and soul of this heavenly scented dish.
Acquire a small bottle of the five-spice mix. While you may not use it very often, it is definitely worth trying this stew for an exotic change.
Moo Palo Recipe, Eggs and Pork Fragrant Stewสูตรทำไข่พะโล้หมูสามชั้นเห็ดหอม ; khai phalo muu saam chan het haawm
Hanuman from Thaifoodmaster
An all-time classic and a favorite Thai stew, this easy-to-prepare, tasty and fragrant dish was introduced into Thai cuisine by Chinese immigrants.
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes.
When rehydrated, strain. Save both the water and the mushrooms, and set aside.
Remove and discard the hard stalks.
Gently place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to prevent the eggs from cracking. Bring to boil, and let it boil for one minute on medium heat. Then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a cold water bath, and let them cool down. Peel and dry. Set aside.
Cut the bean curd into 2cm (1″) cubes
Deep fry the bean curd on medium-low heat until the cubes are golden.
Remove the bean curd from the oil. Soak the cubes in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes, then strain and set aside.
Thoroughly clean the skin side of the pork belly, and cut into 3cm (1.5″) cubes. Cut the pork tenderloin into cubes of the same size.
In a hot wok, without oil, roast the pork belly pieces. The heat will render out the fat.
When the pork starts to brown, and there is liquid fat in the wok, then add the pork tenderloin cubes. Sear together until the meat is browned from all sides.
Set aside.
In a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander roots, the garlic and the peppercorns with a teaspoon of salt as an abrasive.
The paste does not need to be very fine. Set aside.
In a wok on a low heat, melt the palm sugar. Slowly caramelize it to a deep amber color, being careful not to burn it! You may add a tablespoon of water here and there, to control the rate of caramelization.
Now the sugar is nice and brown.
Add the garlic-coriander paste, the cinnamon sticks, star anise and the Chinese five-spice powder. Mix well.
Add the pork and eggs to the sugar sauce. Mix well.
Transfer the pork and eggs to a pot, and cover with a lid.
Add the rehydrated mushrooms and their water.
Add fried bean curd.
Fill the pot with 4 cups of water.
Add the sweet black soy sauce, the fish sauce, the light soy sauce and the oyster sauce.
Cover, and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour until the pork is soft and the eggs are a nice deep brown color. Skim any oil that floats to the top.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
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Naem is a fermented sausage made with pork, pork skins, cooked sticky rice (glutinous), fresh garlic, salt, sugar and bird’s eye chilies. The sausage is wrapped in banana leaves or synthetic casings, and fermented for 3-5 days at about 30 degrees (C) and 50% humidity. The fermentation process enables the growth of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, mostly lactobacilli, which accounts for the sourness of the sausage. The salt acts as an inhibitor – preventing the meat from going rotten, allowing the lactic acid bacteria and yeasts to feed on the rice and sugar, and fermenting the meat to perfection.
Bitter gourds have long been prized in Asia for a trait considered a defect in cucumbers: bitterness. We tend to believe that anything bitter is medicinal and, in this case, we could be correct. The bitter gourd is said to cure a wide range of ailments – from gastrointestinal conditions to cancers, and from diabetes to HIV.
Also known as bitter melons, bitter gourds are pale green, with an irregular, warty surface. Typically, they are eaten following an initial treatment to remove some of the bitterness; often they are stuffed, to complement their somewhat eccentric bite.
A quick and tasty dish from the hot mouth of the dragon with only three ingredients! Flowering Chives, Pork Liver and Garlic.
Flowering Chives are all year round favorites for their mild garlicky flavor, and can be purchased inexpensively at almost any Asian market.
In Thailand we like to fry them with pork, pork liver or shrimp. These flowering chives are actually the unopened bud stems of garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives.
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Practical and kitchen-tested recipes with a mix of theory, history, psychology, and Siamese culture tidbits.
Access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional classes, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.
Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
You will get everything you need to:
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
Finally !
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.