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I know it is easy to reach to the supermarket shelves and grab a pack of Thai curry paste. I hope that you will consider making your own and I think you should. Things often get lost in translation, and even worse if they are commercially pre-packed for five years of use. Thai cooking is based on freshness and if you are serious about Thai cooking, you will be amazed how with just a bit of an effort your food rises into new levels.
Basic Red Thai Curry Paste Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 long dried chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon galangal, finely chopped
- 3 stalks medium size lemon grass (about 5 tablespoon) , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kaffir lime zest, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander root (about 3 stalks), finely chopped
- 8 medium garlic cloves (about 4 tablespoon) , finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon gabpi (fermented shrimp paste)
Method
- Soak the chilies in water until soft.
- In a mortar and pestle start pounding the chilies with salt as an abrasive.
- Add galangal and lemon grass and work it finely
- Add rest on the ingredients and pound it until smooth.
- Keep working it until you cannot identify the separate components by smelling it. The paste should wear a new smell, which is the sum of all the ingredients, and is something new.
- Add the gabpi and mix well.
- The paste stores well in air tight container for couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
Forest dwellings communities and populations bordering forests relay on the forest as their main food source. They collect herbs and plants, fruits and vegetables, roots and nuts, and hunt for a wide range of game, such as wild boar, dear, small birds and frogs.
Jungle food is quick and simple to prepare and contain only few ingredients. Today we find it on restaurants’ menus and even cook it at home, far away from the jungles.
It is thought that gabpi maawn was introduced to Thai cuisine by the Mon people, an ethnic group of Burma.
gabpi maawn is made from the flesh of small fresh water fishes, such as Thai river sprat (ปลาชิว) and Siamese mud carp (ปลาสร้อย). The fishes are sun dried and then finely pounded. They are left to ferment with salt for a minimum of one month.
It is the simple, elegant dishes like this one that bring local flavors to your palate and your table. And, truly, it is almost impossible not to welcome the soothing silkiness of this warm and creamy coconut soup that focuses on the essentials – tastiness.
Most Thai curry dishes call for freshly prepared curry paste that is best used fresh just before cooking.
Here is a delicious and simple exception – Stir-fried crab meat in curry powder, milk and eggs – A popular Thai seafood recipe which is unique in its use of commercially available curry powder.
The dish was first created by Teochew Chinese chefs in the numerous Chinese restaurants in Bangkok who used to cater to the working class of Thai-Chinese immigrates, that came to the Kingdom from the Guangdong province in the southern coast of China.
Blessed are the Thais for their unique attention for details. They do no spare efforts in creating intricate work of arts and their cuisine harmonizes flavors of robust ingredients in ingenious recipes.
However, there will be days that even the Thais would crave for an easy, simple, cheap and tasty meal – a laid back, quick and down-to-earth menu – The Omelette, Usually served over rice, with Chili & Lime Fish Sauce (phrik naam bplaa) or as a side dish for a multi course meal.
Great Thai omelette must have crisp borders and soft center. Endless tips and tricks were born in the search for a foolproof method of making the perfect Thai Omelette. Some will secretly add lime juice or baking powder, a drop of water or even frying the egg whites separately.
