Thai Recipes From My Kitchen

There is a recipe for Panang curry on my blog here (the link) that one is simply served the curry with steamed rice and for this one I want the same curry have a different look in a nice style and also the texture is different too because of noodles.

The process is pretty easy even people who don’t know how to cook Thai food or think that cooking Thai food is so complicated, and also I have a video to show you how to make this dish (please see the video link below). Hope that also help to see a whole process.

Ingredients

4                  Large chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 can            Thick coconut milk (560ml.)

3 cloves       Garlic, finely chopped

1tsp             Sugar

1 tbsp          Vegetable oil

1 tsp            Soy sauce

1                 Cucumber, cut into small pieces (see video)

10                Kaffir lime leaves, cut into very thin and narrow strips

320-375g.    Vermicelli rice noodles

1 – 1 ¼ tbsp Salt

3 litre           Water

Instructions from video 

Instructions

* Use the pot is just big enough to contain the amount of chicken and coconut milk and cook on the small stove top. A large pot on the large stove top with the heat mentioned above, the liquid in the curry will be dry out before the chicken becomes tender. If this happened you can simply add some water into the curry. 

For 2 - 3 servings  Spiciness: mild

Ingredients

1  lb.            Salmon Steak, slice into 2 pieces or 2 Salmon Fillets

3 tbsp          Curry paste (the recipe below)

2 tsp            Palm sugar or sugar

4 leaves       Kaffir Lime leaves, cut into very thin stripe

7                 Thai basil or sweet basil

¾ cup          Thick Coconut milk from a can

1-1  ½ tbsp   Fish sauce

1 tbsp          Vegetable oil

¹⁄₃ cup          Water

Curry Paste

Ingredients – for about ½ cup of curry paste

7                  Dried big chillies, remove seeds and soak in water until soft and chop into small pieces

1-2               Fresh Thai Red chillies, chopped (optional)

2 tbsp           Lemongrass, chopped fine

2                  Shallots, chopped

2 tbsp           Garlic, chopped

2 tsp             Galangal, chopped fine

1                   Kaffir Lime, skin only about 2tsp, chopped fine

½ tsp            Ground pepper

2 - 3 roots     Coriander, chopped

 ³⁄₄tsp            Shrimp paste, roasted

¼ tsp            Salt

Instruction

We assume that Massaman is original from Malayu cuisine. We don’t know when we adopted but this dish has been well known for centuries as there was a famous poem which composed by the second king of Chakri Dynasty of Siam, ruling from 1809-1824 (Chakri Dynasty is the current ruling royal house of the kingdom of Thailand) and in his poem describing how good this dish was and how hot the aromatic cumin was if you had it you would dream of the dish and the cook (a girl who cooked this dish). His reign was known as the “Golden Ages of Rattanakosin Literature” (Rattanakosin was the name of Bangkok)

This piece of the poem of the king Rama ll is in the literature subject of our elementary school so every Thai knows this dish and sense of a romantic sentiment and aromatic spice from the dish though the poem.

Thai Royal Cuisine was the center of Thai food evolution, and has developed and flourished for centuries under the nurturing touch of the female members of the Royal Household, especially during King Rama ll. His wife, Princess Boonrod, was known for her culinary skill and many of the cooks from her kitchen became famous.

Curry Paste

Ingredients

 12               Dried big chillies, soak in warm water until soft, remove seeds and chopped fine

4 tbsp           Galangal, chopped fine (about 1 ½ inches piece of galangal root)

3 tbsp           Lemongrass, chopped fine.

4 cloves       Roasted garlic

4                  Roasted shallots

3 tsp            Coriander seeds, roast and ground

2 tsp            Cumin seeds, roast and ground

1 tsp            Pepper Corn, ground

5                  Cloves, roast and ground

4                  Cardamoms (seeds only) roasted and ground

1 tsp            Nutmeg, ground

1 tbsp          Shrimp Paste, roasted

1 tsp            Salt

Instruction

Combine all the ingredients in a mortar and crush with pestle until smooth. This process can be done with a food processer too.

Massaman Curry 

Ingredients

5                 Chicken thigh (or chicken breast, cut into big chunks)

2 cups         Coconut Milk (from can with the thick cream one)

2                 Onion, medium, cut into wedges (about 1 inch thick).

1                 Potato, large, cut into big chunks.

4 -5 tbsp     Massaman Curry Paste

3 - 4 tbsp   Tamarind liquid, from thick liquid (mix tamarind (see picture) with water and knead with hand)

1 sticks      Cinnamon

⅓cup          Peanuts or Cashew Nuts, roasted

3                Cardamoms

2                 Bay Leaves

2 tbsp         Sugar or palm sugar

 ½ tbsp       Salt (this can be adjustable, if you add more water, if the curry is too thick)

1 ½ cup      Water

1 tbsp         Vegetable oil

1 ½ tbsp     Fish sauce

Instruction

Sometimes we don’t want to spend a lot of time on cooking. This recipe is perfect for Thai food lovers, who are busy with work all day long and family after work, to have a nice dish, real Thai food dish with simply cooking.

Panang curry is another common, well-known and popular dish among Thai food. The texture of this dish is pretty much like the butter chicken in Indian food - chicken in creamy thick sauce but Panang is less rich. Panang curry has a very nice scent of the chopped kaffir leaves. The scent of kaffir leaves is really pronouncing a real Thai food.

I have attached a simple salad recipe below which has an oriental flavour and good with this curry.

Preparing and Cooking time 30 minutes

4 -6 servings

Ingredients

4              Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in chunks

1 can        Panang Curry Paste (114 g.)

1 can        Coconut Milk (560ml.)

2 cloves    Garlic, chopped

1 tsp         Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce

1 tsp         Sugar

1 tbsp       Vegetable Oil

4               Kaffir Leaves, chopped very fine

Instruction

Salad

Ingredients

Napa or Chinese Cabbage

Sweet Red Pepper

Salad dressing

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Lime Juice

Honey
Ground Pepper
Garlic (optional)

In Thailand we can find the green curry dish almost everywhere from street food vendors to high restaurants, and all kind of celebration parties and this dish also available at every Thai restaurants out side Thailand too.

If you’d like to serve the green curry with Roti or Paratha then the curry should be thick - you can skip the water. For more aroma of Thai taste, add the Kaffir Lime leave just before serving.  The best way to cut or chop Kaffir Lime leave finely is that – stack and fold the leave tightly and then cut.

* Freozen plain flat Roti or Paratha dough is available at Asian grocery stores.

for 3 – 4 serving

Ingredients

200 g.          Skinless Chicken breast cut in ½” thick 2” long or slice ¼” thick 2” long Pork loin

1                  clove Garlic, chopped

1  tsp            Soy sauce

¼  tsp            Salt

1                   Zucchini cut in chunks

1                   Medium size of red or green pepper cut in chunks

1  can            400ml. of Coconut Milk

5  tbsp           Curry Paste (see recipe)

1  tbsp           Vegetable oil

½  Cup          Water (optional)

2   tsp              Fish sauce

½  tsp             Sugar

3  stems          of Sweet Thai Basil leaves

3-4                  Kaffir Lime Leaves, chopped very fine.

Instruction

1.   Marinate Chicken at least half an hour with garlic, soy sauce and salt.

2.   Put vegetable oil in a frying pan or a pot until hot in medium high heat.

3.   Stir-fry curry paste in oil and then add chicken into curry paste mix well.

4.   Add half of coconut milk, simmer the pork or chicken in medium heat until tender.

5.   Add zucchini and red or green pepper and add the other half of coconut milk and water.

6 .  Add fish sauce and sugar for taste. Simmer until vegetables cooked but are still firm.

7.   Have a taste, you can adjust the saltiness, sweetness suit your favor.

8.   Add sweet basil and mix well.

9.   Remove from heat and add Kaffir Lime leaves.  Serve with Roti, steam rice or sticky rice, and or vermicelli rice noodles.

Green Curry is the most well known and popular curry in and out of Thailand. The method of making Green Curry Paste is the same as Red Curry Paste, except a few ingredients are different.

As for Thai cuisine using fresh ingredients, is the key of Thai food, produce the real aroma. Original the greenish colour in green curry is from Prik Kee Noo leaves (Thai chilli)(see herbs), they have a mild favour. People grow herbs, chilli and other vegetables in front or back yard of a house, it is called “Pak Suen Krua or Home Vegetable Garden” so the chilli leaves are always available. In this recipe we use coriander leaves instead. They will not change the favour of the curry as the Coriander roots are part of the ingredients of Green Curry Paste.

Ingredients

3 tsp         roasted Coriander seeds

3 tsp         roasted white peppercorn

3 tsp         roasted cumin

100 g        whole Coriander plants(including roots), chopped

150 g        Galangal, slice very thin

9              Lemongrass (cut off the top part and the bottom hard part remain 6” long and strip 2-3 the outer leaves), slice very thin

80 g          Fresh Thai green chillies, chopped

6              Kaffir limes, peel only green part of skin

10 cloves  Garlic, chopped

6               Shallots, chopped

3 tbsp       Shrimp paste, roasted

2 tsp         Salt

½ cups      Vegetable Oil

Instruction

1.  ground roasted coriander seeds, roasted white peppercorn and roasted cumin with mortar and pestle. Put aside.

2.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

3.  Pound the mixer small amount each time in a mortar and pestle and add oil and the rest of ingredients until finish and the mixture becomes smooth paste. (This process can be done by a food processer)

4. Divide and contain in the ziplock bags and freeze or for cooking. (see some tips at Red Curry Paste page)

In the past, you could hear the pestle and mortar pounding sound making curry paste everyday from your neighbours in Thailand but these days many people buy the curry paste from a market in stead which is convenient for contemporary lifestyles. Definitely the freshness and quality are not the same as you make your own.   This homemade fresh Red Curry Paste is from fresh ingredients. All ingredients you can find at Asian groceries, the fresh ingredients product the real aroma and good favour.

This recipe is for 4 – 5 batches. You can divide and contain in the small ziplock bags and freeze them for many months.

Ingredients

3  tsp            Roasted Coriander seeds

3  tsp            Roasted white peppercorn

3  tsp            Roasted Cumin
1                   Turmeric Root, about 2" long, chopped (or 2 tsp ground Turmeric)

30                 Coriander Roots including 2"green stems from the roots, chopped

150 g            Galangal, slice very thin

9                   Lemongrass(cut off the top part and the bottom hard part remain 6” long and strip 2-3 the outer leaves), slice very thin

18                 big dry red chillies, soak in warm water until soft  and chopped

80 g              Fresh Thai Red Chillies, chopped

6                   Kaffir limes, use only rind

10 cloves      Garlic, chopped

6                    Shallots, chopped

3  tbsp           Shrimp Paste, roasted (wrapp and roast in foil)

2  tsp             Salt

½ cups           Vegetable Oil

Instruction

1.  ground roasted coriander seeds, roasted white peppercorn and roasted cumin with mortar and pestle. Put aside.

2.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

3.  Pound the mixer small amount each time in a mortar and pestle and add oil and the rest until smooth and paste like. (This process can be done by food processer)

Chicken or pork red curry is very common, popular  and well-known dish in Thailand and around the world. You can find this dish from street food vendors to high end restaurants in Thailand. It’s hard to find homemade style curry paste at Thai restaurants outside Thailand. If you are real Thai food lovers you will notice it is really different.

I like to marinate the meat that I cook. The meat will be more tender and tasty than without marinating. The method using pork is the same as chicken but for beef you might not want to cook very long. For more aromatic you can add the Kaffir leaves just befor serving.

Chicken or Pork Red Curry for 3 – 4 serving

Ingredients

200  g.          Skinless Chicken breast cut in ½” thick 2” long

1     clove     Garlic, chopped

1    tsp         Soy sauce

¼   tsp          Salt

1                   Zucchini cut in chunks

1                   Red or green pepper cut in chunks

1   can          Coconut Milk (400ml.)

5   tbsp         Curry Paste  (see recipe)

1   tbsp         Vegetable oil

½  Cup         Water

2   tbsp           Fish sauce (or Chicken Base, adjust to suit your own taste)

½  tsp           Sugar

3 stems         of Sweet Thai Basil leaves
3-4               Kaffir Lime Leaves, chopped very fine

Instruction

1.   Marinate Chicken or Pork at least half an hour with garlic, soy sauce and salt.

2.   Put vegetable oil in a frying pan or a pot until hot in medium high heat.

3.   Stir-fry curry paste in oil and then add chicken or pork into curry paste mix well.

4.   Add half of coconut milk, simmer the pork or chicken in medium heat until tender.

5.   Add zucchini and red or green pepper and add the other half of coconut milk and water.

6.   Add fish sauce and sugar for taste. Simmer until vegetables cooked but are still firm.
7.   Have a taste and adjust the favor suit your palate by adding more fish sauce or sugar. 

8.   Add sweet basil

9.   Remove from heat and add Kaffir Lime leaves. Serve with steam rice, sticky rice, and or vermicelli rice noodles.