5 Thai Recipes Hotter Than Global Warming

Thai food is known around the world as spicy beyond compare. My wife Golf has been kind enough to add to Thailand Musings by sharing her wonderful authentic Thai recipes with us and as a small thanks I am doing a Thai recipe roundup for her tonight. But not just any Thai recipe roundup, no these are the top 5 recipes rated in terms of hotness. I guarantee they will have you running for the water pitcher (unless of course you’re Thai).

The five recipes below are arranged from spiciest to most mild, but even the mild recipe will be spicy for most people. Recipes can be altered to some extent to make them more or less spicy by changing the amount of chili’s you add, but you run the risk of compromising the authentic Thai flavor.

Give them all a try and then come back to let us know what you thought. I know for me I was hardly able to eat Laab Gai 18 months ago and now I beg her to make it. Spicy food may be an acquired taste, but I think once you acquire that taste it becomes almost an addiction.

So, here they are without further ado…the top 5 Thai recipes hotter than global warming from Thailand Musings. I am not responsible for any pain you may experience through trying these recipes.

Laab Gai (Thai Spicy Chopped Chicken) - Thai’s have many variations of Laab, this one is made with chicken and is not for the faint of heart. Make sure you serve with plenty of rice and water.

Neua Naam Tok (Thai Spicy Grilled Beef) - One of my first and still favorite spicy Thai dishes this will knock you’re socks off. I love the combination of shallots and lemongrass with the chili and smoky flavor of the barbequed beef.

Naam Prik Ong (Thai Tomato Chili Sauce) - This is not meant to be eaten by itself, but should be served with white rice (preferably jasmine) and fresh vegetables such as cucumber or long beans.

Lon Dtao Jieow (Coconut Soup with Fermented Soybeans) - For those that like coconut (like me) this soup is great. Just be careful - if you breathe in while sipping this soup the chili aroma hits your lungs like a whiff of fire. Coughing is guaranteed to follow.

Khao Man Gai (Thai Steamed Rice with Chicken) - This recipes comes last as the most mild of the spicy dishes and if you make it as written it is pretty mild with just a slight kick. Of course you can always add more chili’s to kick it up a notch!

Thai Chili’s - This is not a recipe, but rather a short guide to Thai chili’s. Knowing a bit about what you’re eating sometimes enhances the eating experience.

Popularity: 68% [?]

Khao Man Gai - Thai Rice Steamed with Chicken

Because I’ve been working like crazy and now finally I’ve just have time for myself to post the Thai recipe now.

Khao Man Gai is one of the favourite dish for Thai people and when you’re there you can get this dish like 25-30 baht from many street vendors. When I was there I have 2 favourite Khao Man Gai places that sell awesome Khao Man Gai. Both of them are mostly like a vendor shop nearby the street. So if you’re not a Thai residence probably you won’t find them unless somebody tell you or take you there.

One was close to the apartment (in Rama IV Rd.) where I used to live while I worked at BNH. This one they open quite early in the morning and usually by 9-10 o’clock will be all gone. So if I wanted it I have to make sure I get up early enough. Another one is in Thanon Dinso (close to Sao Ching Cha) where I had my English class. This one I found unexpectedly but for the food is just like a top-flight restaurant.

They boil the chicken themselves, the chicken gets really tender and they also make a wonderful sauce. Everytime I was there I will order extra sauce. And for the sauce will cost like 5 baht for each small tiny bowl. Unfortunately in here I couldn’t find any Khao Man Gai even Thai restaurant in my town. That’s why I have to try and make Khao Man Gai myself in case I was craving it again! I think I did a pretty good job and if you follow my recipe you can have Khao Man Gai just like in Thailand.

Khao Man Gai Recipe ( 2 servings)
- 2 pieces chicken breast or thigh
- 1 1/2 cups Thai Jasmine Rice
- 3 crushed coriander roots
- 2 coriander roots
- 1 coriander plant, leave only
- 3 cloves crushed or pound garlic
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 cups of water
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 2 sping onion, finely sliced
- 1 slice of mature ginger (pound lightly)
- 1 tbsp mushroom flavored soy sauce

Khao Man Gai’s Sauce
- 4 tbsp fermented soybean
- 6 tbsp mushroom flavored soy sauce
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh hot chili (Prik khee nuu)
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp peeled garlic, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp mature ginger, finely chopped
- 2 coriander roots

- Wash chicken, wait until dry and sprinkle with salt all over.

- Place the chicken in a pot, add 4 cups of water, 3 crushed coriander roots, cook over medium heat. Wait until water starts to boil then add the ice cube 4-5 cubes(add everytime when the water starts to boil and all together will take about 30 minutes or so until the chicken done and cook thoroughly). And please make sure to skim off any broth to get the clear broth.

- When the chicken cooked well, take them out from the broth and paint the skin with vegetable oil (for protect from dry skin). De-bone and cut into thin slices. Strain the broth and set aside.

- Now we’re going to make rice. Wash the rice with water before cooking, rinse about 2-3 times, drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Saute garlic until fragrant and turns golden brown. Add the rice, 2 coriander roots, ground black pepper, stirring well and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the rice to an electric rice cooker, pour 2 1/4 cup of chicken broth over the rice, add one piece pound lightly slice of ginger and cook until the rice is done.

- While waiting for the rice we can start making the sauce for Kao Mun Gai. Put all ingredients for the sauce except fermented soybean in the blending machine. Blend until everything is mixed thoroughly then stop, add fermented soybean and start blending again about 5 second. Serve with the chicken rice. This sauce has a combination taste of a little bit salty, sour and also sweet. And you can keep in the refrigerator about a month if you can’t eat it all at once meal.

- Normally I serve this dish with a chicken broth too. So you can just heat the broth until it starts to boil again. Add 1 tbsp mushroom flavored soy sauce and add finely sliced sping onion.

- Spoon the rice onto a serving dish, arrange the chicken slices at the side or on the top, garnish with coriander leave. Serve with the sauce, chicken broth and sliced cucumbers.

Alright I hope you enjoy with Khao Man Gai style Golf. Please let me know what you think about it by put some comment for this and will see you next time with Yum Neua - Thai Beef Salad.

Take care…

Popularity: 5% [?]

Why Thai Food is So Uniquely Thai

Thai food is world renown for it’s diversity, excellence and flavor…not to mention it’s spiciness.  What many people do not know is that Thai food has not always been this way.  Prior to the 16^th century the food of the common people and royalty in old Siam consisted primarily of plain rice, fish and fresh vegetables.  So what is it that caused such a flavor explosion in Thai food?

Throughout most of Thailand’s history the Thai people had eaten their indigenous fruits and vegetables such as bananas, taro, sugar palm, mango and Thai oranges.  There were no domesticated animals up to the 17^th century, even though the pig had been domesticated in western Asia sometime around 6000 BC so any meats came from wild animals, fish and shellfish.

These meats were primarily grilled and food was cooked in clay pots.  There was no fried or stir fried dishes until the wok was introduced to Thailand from China in the 16^th century.  Primary dishes included yum (salads) and kruang jim (dips) which can still be seen as a mainstay in Thai cuisine today.  Spices were mostly added to food to mask gamy flavours from wild meats or bitterness from some vegetables.  In addition, fish was made into nam plaa (fish sauce) and kapi (fish paste) to add flavour to the plain foods.

All of this began to change in the 16^th century as the outside world discovered Siam and Ayutthaya became the commercial and political center of Asia.  At that time it seemed that all roads, both land and water based led to Thailand.  Traders and merchants came from all corners of the globe, beginning with nearby China, India and Malaysia, and later expanding to include travelers from Europe who arrived via the sea lanes.

As you can imagine these merchants and travelers brought with them the foods and cooking methods of their homelands, since many foods and spices were alien to Siam at that time.  Caravans would set up on the outside of Ayutthaya and sailors would be anchored in the river outside the city for months at a time waiting for the winds to turn and send them home.

As the merchants and sailors were cooking the foods of their homelands the delicious fragrances would be borne on the winds for all to smell and undoubtably drew the attention of the Thai’s.  One can imagine them asking about the wonderful smells and tasting new spices, fruits and vegetables from the visiting travelers.  And after tasting these intriguing new dishes they would logically ask about the recipe and ingredients.  Over time these new dishes would become incorporated into the Thai cuisine that we know and love today.

Northern routes brought the Chinese to Thailand and with them came tea, dried fruit, the wok and bamboo steamer, rice noodles and the concept of sweet and sour flavours together.  The Thai’s expanded that even more by including spicy and salty as well to form the current well known Thai dishes.  From the west came Indians, and later Europeans, carrying curries, coffee and spices.   Thailand’s nearby southern neighbors contributed betel nuts, satay and massaman while eastern Thailand was influenced by Lao cooking and less so by Vietnamese and Cambodian cooking.

 The arrival of the British, French, Dutch and Portuguese in the 17^th century created a huge impact on Thai foods.  Europeans brought the onion and shallot to Thailand which are now irreplaceable in Thai cuisine.  Merchants also brought garlic, peppercorns and chili’s which were surprisingly unknown in Thailand prior to this.  Other common Thai ingredients introduced at this time include lychees, papaya, watermelon, pineapples and cashews.

Europeans also introduced the white potato, corn and wheat to Siam at this time.  Along with the new foods, Europeans also brought new cooking tools and methods of preparation.  For example, the Portuguese and Indians introduced the addition of coconut milk to curries, which is now famous in Thailand and they also added tomato’s and eggplant.

Thai food is some of the most delicious and complex foods in the world.  Because of Thailand’s central location in Asia they were able to collect the best of the foods and cooking techniques of many lands and peoples.  They then took these as there own and made them uniquely Thai, combining sweet, salty, sour and spicy in sometimes amazing combinations to make some of the best tasting food one can find.  So next time you eat a Thai dish remember that it took many hundreds of years and the contributions of many lands to make Thai food what it is today…absolutely delicious!

Golf has already given us many of her Thai dishes to enjoy.  I’m wondering if there’s any specific Thai foods that you want to know how to make?  Or any recipes you can share with us.  Leave us a comment and let us know.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Guay-Dtieow Rad Nar Moo Mug - Thai Noodle Dish with Pork Gravy

Hi everyone, I’m really sorry that I didn’t post this recipe 3 days ago because I’ve been sick since Sunday and just feel little better by today. Alright now it’s time for Lad Nar Moo Muk - Thai noodle dish with pork gravy. Let’s see how it’s going to be…

This recipe will be a little complicated because have to prepare noodle dish, vegetables and gravy separately. Also it will take time for fermented pork because have to marinate them overnight. But its worth it, especially for the taste of gravy…It’s just about right, get a little
bit sweet and tender from pork mix with noodles and veggies. Just the only one word to say is AWESOME!!!

Recipe for noodles (serve 2)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 200 grams Pad large strip rice stick noodles (or if you can’t find you can use any
kind of rice noodle and should be soaked in warm water for about half an
hour or so depending on your preference).
- 2 tsp Thai Dark Thick Soy Sauce
- 4 medium-sized Chinese kale plants (normally I use Kale that I can get from grocery
in here because Chinese Kale hard to find either from Chinese grocery or
Vietnamese grocery)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp soybean paste
- 1 1/2 water or pork broth
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Thai seasoning sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Tapioca Flour
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Seasoning : chili powder, pickled chili, fish sauce and
sugar

Recipe for Moo Mug (fermented pork)
- 150 grams sirloin pork
- 2 tsp Tapioca Flour
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 egg (white egg only)

First cut the pork into thin and small pieces ( about 2 inches length). Toss with light soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Then mix well with
white egg and tapioca flour. Put the pork in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

Next day take the pork out and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so.

Wash the kale thoroughly, peel off old leaves and the tough skin covering the stems. Cut the kale into 2-3 inches length. Bring the water to the boil, add 1 tsp of salt, add the kale and blanch until just done. Transfer to soak in cold water until cool, and drain. Put aside.

Toss the noodles (after soaked in the warm water) with dark soy sauce until thoroughly coated. Place the wok over medium heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and spin the oil all over around the wok. Put the noodle in and stir until it is soft and cooked. Sometimes you have to add a little bit of water to make the noodles soft and cook thorough. Put the noodle onto the plate and wait for sauce.

Place the wok over medium heat until it is hot. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and then put the mixed pork and stir until pork start to cook. Add soybean paste, water (or pork broth) and season to tase with light soy sauce, seasoning sauce and sugar. When the soup starts to boil again
put the tapioca flour in mixing with 3 tbsp of water into the wok. Stir until the tapioca flour cooked and become thicken then turn off the heat.

Put the cooked kale on top the noodle dish and pour pork gravy on top of those. Before serving garnish with pepper and serve with the seasonings.

I hope you enjoy with Lad Nar Moo Mug and will see you next week with Khao man Gai - rice steamed with chicken!
Take care…

Popularity: 36% [?]

Laab Gai (Thai Spicy Chopped Chicken)

Sometimes make me and Steve surprise ourselves a lot that we both want to have spicy food almost everyday. The answer is maybe we’re just addict for spicy and that’s why he have it almost everyday but still crave for spicy food (on and on). I made Laab Gai for both of us yesterday and also just like I have promised with you guys before I left to Thailand trip that I will present Laab Gai. So let’s see the recipe…

Laab Gai (Serves 2)

- 200 gram breast chicken coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup shallots, sliced thinly
- 2 spring onions, coarsly sliced
- 2 tbsp coriander, coarsly sliced
- 2 tbsp mint leaf, coarsly sliced
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp Thai Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp (or less) Thai chili powder
- 1 tbsp Roasted Rice Flour (can use breadcrumb)
- 1/4 tsp seasoning powder (Rod Dee)
- 1 cucumber, sliced

Put the chicken in a wok, fry over medium heat until it is white and done. Turn off the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add shallots, spring onion, coriander, and mint leaves and toss lightly. Season the chicken to taste with lime juice, fish sauce and Rod Dee. Sprinkle chili powder and ground roasted rice over the mixture and mix well.

Arrange on serving dish and serve with fresh vegetables like cucumber.

And will see you next week with Lad Nar Moo Mug (Thai noodles dish with pork gravy)…really delicious, can’t wait!

Popularity: 41% [?]

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