Hot Thai Kitchen

menu icon
subscribe
search icon
×

Makrut Lime Leaves: Everything You Need to Know (kaffir lime leaves)

by 15 Comments

Makrut lime leaves, also known as kaffir lime leaves, are an integral part of Thai cuisine. It's a common ingredient that Thai people have in our kitchens, and is crucial in many famous Thai dishes such as tom yum goong, tom kha gai and panang curry. It's also my favourite Thai herb! Its fresh, citrusy aroma is unlike any other citrus fruits, and it can liven up any dish it's added to. 

Over the years I've gotten a lot of questions about makrut lime leaves, so in this article I'll cover everything you need to know to cook with them including how to use, choose, store and substitute.

makrut lime fruits on a tree

Video: Makrut Lime Leaves 101

If you prefer to watch, everything that's covered in this article is covered in this video, plus you will get to see me demonstrate how to prepare and store them.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Is it Makrut Lime or Kaffir Lime?

First and most importantly, we need to clarify the name of this herb. Makrut and kaffir limes refer to the same plant. Previously, "kaffir lime" was the most common English name, but because the word "kaffir" happens to sound the same as a racially derogatory term in South Africa, its use has been discouraged in favour of its Thai name makrut. (Note that the plant was not named after the derogatory term; they have different roots. You can read more about in this National Geographic article.) 

In my recipe writing, I have switched over to using makrut in the past few years, but older recipes on the website may still have the old name which I try to update as I come across them. But because I am an educator of Thai cooking, it's important for me to educate people on both these names because in most Asian grocery stores today, the leaves and fruits are still being labeled as kaffir, which can cause confusion when people are shopping if they're not aware.

What is a Makrut Lime?

2 whole makrut limes, one cut in half

Makrut lime is a type of citrus fruits native to Thailand. It has fruits that are green, about the size of a golf ball, and has bumps on the skin which make them look a bit like a cartoon brain!

The leaves and the zest have very similar aroma to each other, so for Thai cooking, we mostly use just the leaves because they're so much more abundant and easier to use. We do use the zest in situations where we want to incorporate it into a fine paste, such as in red curry paste, because the leaves are tough and much harder to grind down. 

Makrut lime juice, on the other hand, is not used much as makrut limes do not have much juice to offer, have lots of seeds (see pic above), and the juice tends to be bitter.

​

​Fun Fact: Makrut Lime for Your Hair

In Thailand, it is believed that makrut lime is good for your hair! You can buy makrut lime shampoo that is supposed to prevent hair loss, whether or not it works I love it because it smells amazing.

My great grandmother and grandmother used to burn makrut limes over fire, squeeze out the juice and the essential oils from the skin, and use that to wash their hair. Apparently my great grandmother had a head full of black hair till her old age, and my grandmother who's now 96 still miraculously have some black hair on her head! 

How to Cook with Makrut Lime Leaves

Lime leaves are incredibly versatile, and can be used in just about anything from soups, salads, curries, stir fries, even infused into drinks! Here are a few ways to use makrut lime leaves. 

1. Infuse into liquids.

A bowl of tom yum goong soup

The easiest way to use makrut lime leaves is to simply let them infuse into liquid such as soups, stews, or curreis, such as in tom yum goong in the pic above. Simply grab a few leaves with your hands, and then twist to bruise the leaves to release the aromatic oils, then roughly tear into big chunks and add to your dish. It only takes a few minutes for lime leaves aroma to come out, so this is not something you have to simmer for hours on end. 

*Important: In large pieces, makrut lime leaves are for infusion only and are not meant to be eaten as they are very tough. So think of them like bay leaves!

2. Finely julienne

If you do want to actually eat the lime leaves, you have to very finely julienne them, and I mean VERY finely because as I mentioned, the leaves are tough, if you have big ribbons it won't be comfortable to eat. In this form, you can add them to salads, stir fries, or use them as garnish as I do for panang curry and pad prik king. You may also want to remove the center stems if they're quite thick before julienning.

3. Toasting or Frying

Another way  you can use these is to toast or fry them until they're crispy. Sometimes I do this when I make toasted rice powder for laab; I add the makrut lime leaves in with the rice, and as the rice toasts, the leaves dry and become crispy. Then I grind the leaves and the rice up together, resulting in an aromatic toasted rice powder. 

Deep frying lime leaves is also something many Thai people do to get them crispy, but bewarned, they will splatter A LOT. So dry the leaves COMPLETELY, drop them into the hot oil and back up. They will take just a few seconds, once they stop splattering, they're crispy and can be used as garnishes on anything you wish. 

Is that one leaf or 2 leaves?

a pile of makrut lime leaves

Makrut lime leaves are what I call "double leaves" (I'm sure there's a botanical term for it), meaning each whole leaf is made of up two smaller leaves connected end to end. So when a recipe called for "1 leaf" people may understandably be confused whether that means the whole double leaf or just the single. I don't know about other recipes, but for my recipes, 1 leaf means 1 single leaf, NOT the double. 

I decided on this because often times when people buy lime leaves, the two sections will have already detached from each other and your bag will be full of single loose leaves, especially if they're older or frozen. So it wouldn't make sense if by "1 leaf" I meant that you had to pick up 2 leaves in your package. Not to mention, there is no such thing as too much lime leaves so I'd rather err on the side of you putting double the amount than only half the amount!  

Tip: Watch out for those thorns!

If you're lucky enough to find fresh lime leaves on the stems, handle them carefully! Makrut lime stems have many big sharp thorns. 

makrut lime leaves on the tree
Can you see the thorns on the stem?

Buying Makrut Lime Leaves - Fresh, Frozen, and Dried

Try to find fresh makrut lime leaves whenever possible, and I recommend first looking wherever you get your other Thai ingredients. You'll have better luck at stores that carry a lot of Southeast Asian products like Vietnamese and Thai, than stores that are primarily Chinese, Japanese or Korean. If you cannot find fresh lime leaves, look in the freezer section as they're often sold frozen which work perfectly well. When I buy fresh, I freeze them at home anyway!

Worst case, you may be able to find dried makrut lime leaves which are fine, but not ideal. Dried lime leaves can work in soups and curries where they'll have time to rehydrate and infuse in the liquid, but obviously you can't julienne them and toss them into salads and they're completely crunchy. If you're using dried, add a few more leaves than the recipe calls for and give them a few extra minutes to simmer and infuse. Or try powderizing them in a coffee grinder, then add to dishes.

How to store makrut lime leaves

If you buy fresh lime leaves, they will last at least a week in your fridge's crisper because they're quite sturdy. But if you don't have any plans for them within the next few days, I recommend freezing them to prolong their freshness.

To freeze makrut lime leaves, wash them first, then lay them out on a towel and let them dry completely. Once dry, gather them into a freezer bag and press out as much air as possible before you seal. If you've got a lot and you think it'll last you a long time, you may want to first wrap them in aluminum foil before putting them into a freezer bag as the foil will prevent freezer burn for longer.

Substitutes for Makrut Lime Leaves 

If you cannot find any form of makrut lime leaves (remember to look for frozen and dried first!), regular lime zest is your best substitute. They do not have the same aroma, but at least you'll get the same citrusy feel. You cannot use regular lime leaves or any other kinds of citrus leaves instead as they are not aromatic. 

Recipes with Makrut Lime Leaves

Ready to cook with makrut lime leaves? Here are a few recipes to get you started!

Types of Soy Sauce Explained

by 23 Comments

Have you ever been intimidated by the soy sauce aisle at the Asian grocery store, with hundreds of soy sauce bottles and you don't know which one to choose? It is usually the single biggest section dedicated to one type of product at most Asian supermarkets.

At my local store it's half of the entire aisle, and I've seen so many people stand in front of the aisle and looking entirely overwhelmed. Well, this article is here to help you pick the right soy sauce for the job!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Video: Soy Sauces Explained

If you prefer to watch rather than read, most of what's covered in this article is also covered in this video!

4 Main Types of Soy Sauces

The best way to attack this beast of a subject is to look at soy sauces by their main function. (FYI This is a system that I came up with to help people understand the different types of soy sauces. It is not an official categorization system).

The easiest way to understand the hundreds of bottles of soy sauce is to divide them into 4 main categories based on their main function:

Within these categories, there are various subtypes of course, and this guide will cover everything you need to know to get you cooking, without getting into all the obscure details that you likely won't need. At the end we will also cover soy sauce storage and soy sauce substitutes at the end.

But first, what is soy sauce?

At the basic level, soy sauce is made from 5 main ingredients: soybeans, wheat, salt, water and koji. Koji is a special mold that does the fermentation and is responsible for a few other food products such as miso paste.

Each manufacturer will have their own recipe and processes, and they often also add other ingredients such as MSG and/or other flavours.

Regular Soy Sauce 

What it's for: 

This is the stuff you'll need when a recipe calls simply for "soy sauce." And by "regular" soy sauce I mean soy sauces whose main function is to add saltiness, umami, and of course soy sauce flavour. By contrast, the main functions of dark and sweet soy sauces are added for colour and sweetness, respectively.

What to buy: 

First, decide which cuisine you're cooking, and buy the soy sauce that is from that cuisine. If you're cooking Thai food, try to get Thai soy sauce, if you're cooking Japanese food, get Japanese soy sauce, etc. If you don't want to stock 3 different soy sauces, that's fine and understandable! For the most part you can use the "wrong" country's soy sauce and you will still have a fine-tasting dish, albeit slightly different.

Once you've narrowed down the cuisine, you want to go for the bottles that are simply labeled as soy sauce, light soy sauce (explained below), or in the case of the Thai ones, thin soy sauce. All of these are considered regular soy sauce. Of course if there are generic descriptors such as "premium" or "organic," that doesn't really count.

Low sodium and gluten-free soy sauce: 

These are considered variations of regular soy sauce. If sodium and gluten are issues of concern, you can use these in place of regular soy sauce in the same amount. Note: The Japanese tamari is usually gluten free, but always double check as tamari can technically contain gluten. 

Soy sauce for Thai cooking: 

Since this is a Thai cooking site, let's go deeper on Thai soy sauce! The only brand of Thai soy sauce that I've seen overseas is Healthy Boy Brand, which is great cuz it's my favourite anyway. There are TWO types of Thai regular soy sauces, the "thin soy sauce" which is the original formula with a yellow label. And the "mushroom soy sauce" which is simply a mushroom flavoured version. Both are interchangeable in all recipes, it's just a matter of preference. Because I know you will ask, I use Healthy Boy Brand Mushroom Soy Sauce when I can get it. 

*Thai mushroom soy sauce is not to be confused with Chinese mushroom soy sauce, which is much darker and is a different thing altogether. 

​What's the deal with "light" soy sauce?

You might think light soy sauce is lower in sodium, lighter in colour, or somehow lower in calories... but it doesn't. It's actually just a way some companies label their regular soy sauce.

Some brands use the term "light soy sauce" to label their line of regular soy sauce in order to differentiate it from their dark soy sauce. For example, Lee Kum Kee does not carry anything called "light soy sauce", only "soy sauce." On the other hand, Amoy brand carries "light soy sauce," but they don't have anything that just says "soy sauce."

Dark Soy Sauce/Black Soy Sauce

What it's for: 

The main function of dark soy sauce, or black soy sauce as Thais call it, is to give your dish a dark rich brown colour, and also a deeper, molasses-y flavour.

A little bit of this stuff goes a long way so you never need much, so while it is salty, it would not be the main source of saltiness in your dish. In fact, if you put too much it tends to taste a bit bitter because of that molasses flavour. 

Most commonly you will find dark soy sauce called for in Chinese and Southeast Asian recipes.

What to buy: 

Again, it's always best practice to match your ingredients to the cuisine, but because it is not usually used in large amount, you can be pretty relaxed about cross-country use of dark soy sauce.

Chinese dark soy sauce can be used in place of Thai black soy sauce, though generally the Chinese variety tends to be saltier, so if more than a dash is called for it's wise to hold back on other salting agents a bit just in case.

Black soy sauce for Thai cooking: 

Things actually get a little confusing because for reasons beyond my understanding, there are so many formulas for black soy sauce in Thailand. Some are darker, some are lighter, some are sweeter, some are saltier. It's totally unnecessary IMO, but here we are.

My preference is Dragonfly brand black soy sauce (orange lid), which is the classic old-school brand that I like, but it can be hard to find. My second choice is Healthy Boy Brand Black Soy Sauce (formula 1), but it is MUCH darker than Dragonfly, which means I have to use much less of it. Note that Healthy Boy makes multiple formulas of black soy sauce, they're all fine to use.

If you can't find these, not to worry. Because you never use too much of this stuff, and its main purpose is colour not flavour, it's not a big deal if what you're using is different from mine. But it does mean that you have to be cautious and add a little at a time to ensure you don't accidentally over do it.

Sweet Soy Sauce

What it's for: 

The main function of sweet soy sauce purpose is as you might expect...to add sweetness! It's a thick, syrupy soy sauce that is not very salty at all despite its name, and it has a deep molasses flavour and a dark colour. It is most commonly used in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine, and in Thailand we use it very rarely, usually to make dipping sauces. 

What to buy: My go-to is the Indonesian ABC brand kecap manis (kecap manis mean sweet soy sauce in Indonesian). It also happens to be the most widely available. 

Specialty Soy Sauces

There are other soy sauce-like seasonings, made from fermented soybeans, but are not really considered soy sauce because their flavours are significantly different from soy sauce. For example, Golden Mountain Sauce (aka Thai Seasoning Sauce), Maggi Seasoning, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or liquid soy seasoning).

What it's for: 

These are usually comparable to regular soy sauce in terms of saltiness, and you can use them instead of soy sauce to change up the flavour. For me, I usually use them in combination with soy sauce to get a more complex flavour, or to add variety to different stir fries that might otherwise taste similar to each other.

What to buy: 

It's a cook's playground! These are rarely "core" to a dish's flavour, so buy whichever you're intrigued by and consider these opportunities to explore various soy based seasonings. I

In my recipes I use Golden Mountain Sauce, so if you want to do what I do, that's the one to get. Though Maggi Seasoning is a favourite of people around the world for boosting umami in all sorts of dishes, and in Thailand it's commonly drizzled over fried eggs!

Getting Deeper into Non-Thai Soy Sauces

I wanted this article to give you just enough info to work with without becoming overwhelming, and definitely enough to get you through Thai cooking. But if you're a food nerd and love deep dives into all sorts of minute details, here are some good resources.

Serious Eats has a great guide to soy sauces that go deeper into Japanese, Chinese and Korean soy sauces. I also did not talk much about Korean soy sauces as I know less about it.

How to Store Soy Sauce

Even though most soy sauces are so salty that they won't go bad in your cabinet, I recommend refrigerating all types of soy sauces because the flavour does deteriorate over time. Keeping it in the fridge where is cold and dark will help preserve the flavour of soy sauce longer.

In the fridge soy sauce will last indefinitely, meaning it won't go bad even after years. However, if you find a 4 year old open bottle in the back of your fridge...the flavour isn probably not as good as a fresh bottle.

Soy Sauce Substitutes

If you're looking to avoid soy sauce because you're on a gluten-free diet, there are now many brands of gluten free soy sauces on the market, though there isn't a Thai one that is readily available outside of Thailand yet. Bragg's Liquid Aminos is also gluten free.

If you are allergic to soy, however, it gets a little more complicated. Fish sauce works in many situations, especially in stir fries. Here's my guide to choosing fish sauce.

The other option is coconut aminos, which is made from coconut sap. This is much less salty than soy sauce so you may have to supplement with salt or fish sauce. I have not personally tried it, but people on the internet seems to be in favour of it.

Explore Other Sauces in Thai Cooking

Now that you are well equipped with the soy sauce knowledge, are you ready to get to know other Thai ingredients? Yes? Well, here you are:

Viral Tom Yum Instant Noodles (Mama Jeh O)

by 6 Comments

If you follow the Bangkok food scene you may have heard of a restaurant called Jeh O on Banthadthong Street (aka Jeh O Chula) with lines out the door everyday. What are people lining up for? Instant noodles.

Yes, instant noodles! But it is the most deluxe, most delicious bowl of tom yum instant noodles I have ever had, and it was worth the wait. I wanted to try it specifically so that I can recreate it, and I'm happy to report that my recreation was a success! You can see my experience at Jeh O in Bangkok and watch the recreation process in this video!

How Instant Noodles Went Viral and Became Iconic

"Jeh O" is the name of the auntie chef-owner of this a 60-year-old restaurant that was originally known for khao tom ped, a duck version of this Thai rice soup. Around 2015, Jeh-O's son made a tom yum mama noodle soup for himself (Mama being Thailand's favourite instant noodles). But instead of using just the seasoning powder for the soup, he made creamy tom yum soup from scratch and dressed it with a lot of toppings. He posted it on social media and it looked so impressive that his friends asked him to make it for them.

He served it right in the pot, with lots of toppings, and when he plopped it on the table people said, "Oho!" which is Thai for "wow." So he named the dish "Mama Oho."

When Jeh O consulted her son about how to draw in more customers during the quiet late night hours, he suggested putting his Mama Oho on the menu because mama is a popular late night snack for many Thais.

And people went wild for it. After they announced the new item on social media, lines were forming around the block on day 1. Literally overnight an iconic dish was born. It has been many years, and Mama Oho has stood the test of time and people are still lining up for it today, and I was one of them!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need, and important notes about them. For amounts, see the full recipe card below.

For the Noodle Soup

  • Creamy Tom Yum Mama noodles. You can find these at many Asian grocery stores. If this flavour is not available you can also get regular tom yum flavour, but note that creamy tom yum flavour is bigger than other flavours (90 g vs. 55 g), so you'll need to get more packs of the smaller size.
  • Makrut lime leaves, aka kaffir lime leaves.
  • Lemongrass, bottom half only as this is the most flavourful part.
  • Galangal, thinly sliced
  • Thai chili paste (nam prik pao) aka Thai chili jam. This is an important part of this dish, so there is no substitute! If you can't find it in stores, you can make your own following my Thai chili paste recipe.
  • Thai chili paste oil. This is the oil that is on top of every jar of Thai chili paste when you buy them. If you're using a half-used jar and there isn't any more oil, you can substitute another chili oil as long as it's doesn't have too-strong flavours of other "irrelevant" spices.
  • Fish sauce, read about how to choose food fish sauce here.
  • Fresh lime juice, yes fresh only, no bottled!
  • Thai chilies, chopped. Put as much or as little as you can tolerate, but the dish as served at Jeh O is about medium spicy.
  • Pork stock, unsalted (If you're making the meatballs, you can just use the meatball cooking water as your stock). Otherwise see my pork stock recipe here.
  • Egg whites, which will be mixed into the broth. Keep the yolks for topping.
  • Evaporated milk. If you can't have dairy, you can substitute coconut milk.

For the Toppings

Mama Oho is not complete without elaborate toppings, this is what makes it WOW! Feel free to pick and choose the toppings here, but I highly recommend the meatballs!

  • Thai style pork meatballs or what we call moo deng, recipe included beloe.
  • Crispy pork belly, store bought is fine, or if you're feeling ambitious you can make it using my crispy pork belly recipe
  • Shrimp, large ones for the same impressive effect. Ideally at least size 21/25.
  • Squid or crab meat, whichever you prefer, or both!
  • Sawtooth coriander or cilantro
  • Lime slices, these are just for show, feel free to omit.
  • Egg yolks

For the Meatballs (moo deng)

  • White peppercorns
  • Garlic
  • Ground pork, preferably not lean, but lean is fine
  • Soy sauce
  • Fish sauce
  • Sugar
  • A small ice cube, optional
  • Food processor, optional. Ideally you'll also need a food processor for the meatballs (small one is fine). If you don't have one, it's ok.

How to Make Mama Tom Yum Noodles - Jeh O Style

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, for the full recipe with complete instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.

  1. Pound the garlic and pepper into a paste (not shown). Add the pork, the garlic paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and a small ice cube into a food processor.
  2. Process the pork into a paste. Without a food processor just knead all ingredients together well with your hand.
  3. Roll them into little balls and cook them in boiling water for about 2 minutes or until cooked through.
  4. Remove the meatballs and, using the same water, blanch the shrimp until fully cooked. If using squid, blanch them in this water too. Keep the water as a base for the soup.
  1. Into a medium pot, add the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, Thai chilies, chili paste, chili paste oil, and all of the seasoning powder and chili paste packets that came with Mama.
  2. Add the pork stock (or meatball cooking water) and bring to a vigorous boil.
  3. Add the noodles and pour the egg whites on top of the noodles. Keep pushing on the noodles until they start to loosen and try to get all the noodles to be submerged.
  4. Once the noodles are softened (takes only 1 minute) turn off the heat and stir in the evaporated milk. *Noodles are already cooked, they just need to be rehydrated and they'll continue to soften in the hot broth, so do not overcook the noodles!
  1. Immediately pour into a serving bowl and top with toppings. Do this quickly as the noodles will swell up too much if you take too long.
  2. Take a quick photo of this masterpiece, and enjoy immediately!

FAQs

Can I use another brand of instant noodles?

Mama noodles are unlike any other instant noodles, so for the right flavour and texture, you should use Mama Creamy Tom Yum or regular tom yum flavours. If you use other brands, the noodle texture will be very different and you won't have the right seasoning powder, and cooking time will also be different.
However, feel free to take this idea and adapt your own "deluxe" version of your favourite noodles!

Can this be made in advance?

You can make the broth in advance. I would leave out the egg whites, lime juice and evaporated milk, then when ready to serve bring the broth to a boil, cook the noodles and egg whites, and add the lime juice and evaporated milk at the end.

Can leftovers be stored and reheated?

No, the noodles will be all swollen up and gross if you keep them. Don't make anymore than you can eat in one meal. You should also eat them immediately after they're cooked or, again, the noodles will swell.

a bowl of mama tom yum noodles with various toppings.

"WOW" Mama Tom Yum Noodles (Jeh O Chula)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
A viral dish from Jeh O, a popular restaurant in Bangkok, with lines out the door daily. Mama instant noodles in a rich and creamy tom yum broth, loaded with luxurious toppings. It was worth lining up for, and this recipe gets it almost identical to the real thing!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Food processor small is fine (optional)

Ingredients
 
 

Pork Meatballs (moo deng):

  • ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 9 oz ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 small ice cube, optional

Other Toppings (all optional, and amounts are just suggestions)

  • 4 pieces crispy pork belly
  • 3 big shrimp
  • 3.5 oz squid or crab meat
  • ¼ cup chopped sawtooth coriander , or sub cilantro
  • 8 thin slices of lime
  • 2 egg yolks, (keep them well wrapped so the don't dry out)

Tom Yum Mama:

  • 4 lime leaves, torn into chunks and centre rib removed
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, sliced diagonally into ½-inch thick pieces
  • 10 thin slices galangal
  • ¼ cup Thai chili paste, see note 1
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Thai chilies, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chili paste oil , see note 2
  • 3 cups pork stock, unsalted (or use the meatball cooking water)
  • 2 packs Creamy Tom Yum Mama noodles, see note 3
  • 2 egg whites
  • ½ cup evaporated milk

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. If possible, use Chua Hah Seng chili paste, which is the brand Jeh O uses, though I've not seen this in the export market. Otherwise look for Maepranom, and if all else fails, Pantai brand is fine. 
  2. Chili paste oil is the oil that is on top of the Thai chili paste jar. If you don't have much of it, you can omit, or use another chili oil that doesn't have too much of other strong "irrelevant" flavours.
  3. Two packs of Creamy Tom Yum Mama is a total of 180 g of noodles. You can also use 3.25 packs of regular size tom yum Mama.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

Make the meatballs and cook the seafood:

  • Bring at least 4 cups of water to a boil for cooking the pork. Meanwhile, pound the garlic and peppercorns into a paste.
    1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns
  • Add the pork into a food processor and add the garlic paste, all of the seasonings, and a small ice cube. Blitz until the pork resembles a paste, which should only take 15-20 seconds. It does not have to be super smooth. Scrape down sides as needed.
    If you don't have a food processor, simply knead all meatball ingredients together well with your hand. The texture of the meatball will be rougher, but it's okay.
    9 oz ground pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoon sugar, 1 small ice cube
  • Roll the pork into balls, about ½-inch in diameter, then add them all into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove with a wire skimmer and set aside.
  • Use the same water to blanch your shrimp and/or squid, just until they are done, then fish them out and set aside.
    3 big shrimp

For the Mama Tom Yum Noodle Soup:

  • * This dish takes just a few minutes to make and must be eaten immediately after cooking so make sure you’re ready to eat before you start!
  • In a medium size pot, add the lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, chopped chilies, chili paste, chili paste oil, fish sauce, lime juice, and all of the seasoning packets that come with the noodles (the chili powder is optional). Add the pork stock (or use 3 cups of the meatball cooking water) and bring to a boil.
    4 lime leaves, 1 stalk lemongrass, 10 thin slices galangal, ¼ cup Thai chili paste, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped Thai chilies, or to taste, 2 tablespoons chili paste oil, 2 packs Creamy Tom Yum Mama noodles, 3 cups pork stock
  • Once the broth is vigorously boiling, add the noodle blocks and pour the egg whites directly on top of the noodles so the noodles help breakup the whites. At first the noodle block on top will not be submerged, so I ladle the broth over the top and keep pushing it down and eventually the bottom noodles will soften which will make room for all the noodles to become submerged.
    2 egg whites
  • After about 1 minute, the noodles should be mostly loosened from their block shape, turn off the heat and stir in the evaporated milk.
    (Be careful not to overcook the noodles. Mama noodles are already fully cooked, so they just need to be softened, and they will continue to soften after the heat is off, so at this point it should be a little firm.)
    ½ cup evaporated milk
  • Immediately pour the noodles into a large serving bowl and quickly arrange all the toppings on top and serve immediately. Mama noodles swell up quickly even off heat so you want to eat as quickly as possible after cooking (and taking a photo)!
    4 pieces crispy pork belly, 3.5 oz squid or crab meat, ¼ cup chopped sawtooth coriander, 8 thin slices of lime, 2 egg yolks
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

All-Purpose Thai Salad Dressing: Yum Anything!

by Leave a Comment

This is one of the most useful recipes you will ever learn as a Thai food lover: an all-purpose Thai salad dressing, or nam yum in Thai. As you know I am all about teaching you the foundations so that you can cook Thai food on your own without relying on recipes, and this is a great start because once you learn the dressing, you can get creative with the actual salad.

a bowl of Thai salad dressing with a spoon in it, with garlic cilantro and chilies in the background.

With this dressing you can literally make hundreds of kinds of “yum,” and yum is a category of Thai salads that is the most varied because you can yum just about anything; and yes, in Thai yum is a verb :).

So I’m going to show you the basic yum dressing, as well as a few ways to jazz it up so things don't get boring!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

What is a Thai "Yum"?

a bowl of glass noodle salad with shrimp, with a fork and spoon holding up some noodles.
Yum Woon Sen is a classic Thai yum made from glass noodles.

In Thai cuisine, a yum is a type of Thai salad that uses a dressing made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chilies. It's sour and spicy, and well balanced with a little sweetness and a good dose of umami; which is why everyone loves a yum and it's an important part of a Thai meal.

You can make a yum from just about any ingredients, which is why it's the most common type of salad in Thailand, but the dressing remains more or less the same, with a few variations. This makes it easy because with just one dressing, you can make so many salads!

But before you think, wait, doesn't that make all my salads taste the same? Not at all! Unlike Western style salads where the identity of the salad is tied to the dressing (caesar salad = caesar dressing), the identity of Thai salads are in the main ingredients used. The dressing is there to season and give it that bright, fresh flavours that we enjoy as a balancer of richer dishes in a meal. It's kind of like sandwiches, you can keep the same bread and condiments, but by changing the meat, you change the whole sandwich!

Most of the common yum we eat in Thailand are centered around a protein main ingredient, such as this yum neua yang (grilled steak salad) or this yum tuna (tuna salad). However, yum can also be made with noodles or vegetables as the main ingredient, such as this glass noodle salad or wing bean salad.

Imitating a Yum Shop in Thailand

a thai salad being composed in a mixing bowl

This recipe was actually inspired by a video I saw of a raan yum or a yum shop in Thailand. Typically a yum shop is a stall in the market, but it can also be a restaurant, and it’s a bit like a salad bar - they have a bunch of ingredients for you to choose from, you tell them what you want, and they mix it up for you with their yum dressing.

But unlike western salad bars with a ton of different dressings on offer, the yum shop would have just 1 or 2 dressings. Definitely they’ll have The classic yum dressing, and maybe they’ll have 1 or 2 of the jazzed up versions that I'll show you below. Or perhaps they have only the basic dressing but with two different spice levels. But that’s it. This goes to show you the magic of the yum dressing, it works with everything!

Ingredients and Notes

The ingredients you need for a Thai yum salad dressing are super simple. Here are some important notes about them, and for amounts, see the full recipe card below.

  • Thai red chilies. You'll be hard pressed to find a Thai salad that is not spicy, so chilies are an important component. If your heat tolerance is low though, either use milder chilies if you can find them, or scrape the seeds and pith out of your chilies to reduce the heat instead of using fewer chilies. That way you'll keep the chili flavour!
  • Garlic. This is actually optional but I find it does add a flavour that I like; and if you love garlic, you'd love it too.
  • CIlantro roots or stems. Also optional, but if you already have some, I recommend adding it for a more complex flavour.
  • Fish sauce. It is important to use good quality fish sauce for this as it is a main flavour. See this post for how to choose good quality fish sauce here.
  • Lime juice. Use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavour here, no bottled lime juice!
  • Palm sugar. Palm sugar adds not only sweetness but a lovely flavour to yum dressing, if you don't have it, light brown sugar can work. You can also try to change it up and use honey or even maple syrup! Learn more about palm sugar here.

How to Make a Basic Thai Salad Dressing

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, for the full instructions, see the recipe card below.

process shots for making Thai salad dressing steps 1-4.
  1. Pound garlic, chilies, and cilantro stems into a paste. (If you don't have a mortar and pestle, alternative methods are in the recipe card.)
  2. Add the palm sugar and pound until it is dissolved into a paste.
  3. Add the fish sauce and lime juice; stir to mix.
  4. It's now ready to use!

Variations: 3 Ways to Jazz Up Your Yum Dressing

Though the basic dressing works on everything, sometimes you might want to try something a little different. Here are 3 common ways we change up the basic dressing:

Jazz #1: Replace some of the palm sugar with Thai chili paste.

Thai chili paste being spooned into a mortar

The basic dressing is quite light, so if you want a richer dressing, adding Thai chili paste is the way to go. Aside from richness, it also adds a lovely and a unique flavour. You can add more or less Thai chili paste, but remember that chili paste is sweet, so the more you add, the less sugar you need. Different brands of chili pastes are not equally sweet, so some tasting and adjusting is needed here.

Jazz #2: In addition to the chili paste, you can also add coconut milk. 

This makes for a creamier dressing with a wonderful coconut flavour. Note that coconut milk is typically added in addition to chili paste, although you can try adding only coconut milk to the basic dressing if you wish - I don't think it would be bad!

Jazz #3: For those who loves funky flavours, replace some of the fish sauce with pla ra or shrimp paste. 

pla ra being squirted into a mortar with a tub of open shrimp paste on the side.

Pla ra is a type of fermented fish sauce that's different from your regular fish sauce in that it is made from freshwater fish instead of anchovies, and it is much thicker as it has a lot of the fish bits dissolved into the sauce. It has a funky flavour that some people cannot live without, and it's packed with umami. I love a pla ra dressing because it feels more full-bodied. You can add as much or as little as you want depending on the level of funk you desire, but the more you use, the less fish sauce you'll need as they are both salty.

Fermented shrimp paste (gapi) is also a salty, funky ingredient, but it has a very different aroma. I personally prefer a pla ra dressing than one made with shrimp paste, but it is here for you as an option. Though if you've have never had shrimp paste before, putting it into a salad is not how I would suggest trying it the first time! I'd probably go with shrimp paste fried rice as a first.

You can substitute plara for fish sauce at a 1:1 ratio. For shrimp paste, I would add just 1 teaspoon to the basic dressing, and reduce fish sauce to 1 ½ Tablespoons. Tasting and adjusting is important here once again as different brands are not equally salty.

*This is the plara I like (not sponsored) but you can also get this pla ra from Amazon which I've never had but heard good things about it. Rule of thumb for buying pla ra: modern brands with herbs and seasonings added tend to be more beginner-friendly. If the packaging looks old school and very "authentic," and the ingredients look simple, it tends to be quite intense and these must be used with caution!

What To Put into A Thai Salad?

You've got the dressing, now what do you put in the salad? First of all, no salad greens. Thai salads, as you're about to see, are all about protein and noodles, and the veggies play a minor role; and even then, no leafy greens.

Let’s go through some of the most common yum ingredients to give you some ideas of what you can use - and I’ve divided them into 3 categories, the main ingredient, the veggies, and the herbs and toppings.

Main Thai Salad Ingredients

Most Thai salads are centered around a protein. Any kind of protein will work, but here are some options:

a spread of main ingredient options for a thai salad.
  • Cooked seafood: shrimp, squid, fish, shellfish, you name it. Most of the time these are simply blanched in water until cooked, but you can also pan fry or even deep fry them.
  • Raw seafood: Raw seafood goes very well with this kind of dressing! Any sashimi grade fish works, but in Thailand we also often eat raw shrimp and raw shellfish. Make sure the seafood you're using is safe to eat raw. Also see my salmon sashimi salad.
  • Cooked meat - Cooked chicken, thinly sliced steak, pork chops...this is a great way to use up any leftover meats! Rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, shredded up and tossed in a yum dressing is a great inexpensive meal idea!
  • Processed meats - Asian meatballs, Vietnamese ham, and hot dogs are all commonly added to Thai salads. This is a really convenient option.
  • Eggs - Crispy fried egg salad or yum kai dao is a classic Thai yum that is to die for. But you can also make boiled eggs salad, or even salted duck eggs salad.
  • Noodles - Glass noodles, as in yum woon sen, and instant noodles as in yum mama are the most common. But you can also make yum kanom jeen which uses Vietnamese style rice vermicelli
  • Ground pork or chicken - this is actually more of a supplement protein we like to add when the main ingredient is not meat. So when the main ingredient is eggs, noodles, or even seafood, a little ground pork is nice for that extra flavour and texture. Simply cook ground pork in a dry pan until it's all broken up and cooked through.

Veggies

Veggies play a secondary but important role in a Thai salad. While they're rarely the star, the add freshness and crunch to the salad. Here are some common options:

Vegetable options for thai salads.
  • Onion
  • Tomatoes
  • Chinese or regular celery
  • Carrots
  • Sweet corn
  • Cucumber
  • Chinese broccoli stems, blanched

Sometimes the veggies play a bit more of a major role, but even these situations, protein is usually still added to supplement, such as in the classic wing bean salad.

Herbs and Toppings

Herbs and topping options for thai salads

Herbs and toppings seem like minor flourishes, but they can really add to the flavour and complexity of your salad. Pick any of the following:

  • Cilantro
  • Green onions (cilantro and green onions are added to almost all Thai salads as default herbs.)
  • Lemongrass, thinly sliced
  • Mint
  • Shallots
  • Roasted peanuts
  • Roasted cashews
  • Fried Shallots, store bought or use my homemade crispy fried shallots recipe.

Storage and Advance Prep

If you want to have Thai salads regularly, you may want to make a bigger batch of this dressing and keep it for multiple uses. But here's what you need to know:

You can keep the yum dressing in your fridge for up to a week. Beyond one week, it'll still be good to eat because with so much chilies, lime and salt (all have preservative qualities), it would take a long time to spoil. BUT the flavour of the lime juice is best when it is freshly made, so I try not to keep it for too long.

Can you freeze the dressing? Yes, and it will prolong the flavour of the lime juice. But I have to note that though I haven't personally done it, my guess is that it won't freeze solid because of so much salt in the dressing. This is fine, and makes it easier to use even, but just in case you were thinking about making ice cubes out of them...that may not work. But let me know how it goes if you try it!

If you want to make a large batch to freeze, you can also omit the garlic and cilantro stems, as these fresh ingredients also shorten the shelf life of the dressing. You can add them when you make the salad.

a bowl of Thai salad dressing with a spoon in it, with garlic cilantro and chilies in the background.

All-Purpose Thai Salad Dressing

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Learn this spicy, tart salad dressing and you can make any kind of Thai "yum." Yum is the most common type of Thai salad. I recommend reading about the different variations of dressing in the blog post to help you decide which dressing is right for you!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 
 

Basic Yum Dressing

  • 3 red Thai chilies, seeds removed if desired (see note)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 5 stems cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Variation 1 and 2 - Chili Paste and/or Coconut Milk Dressing

  • 3 red Thai chilies, seeds removed if desired (see note1)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 5 stems cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • ½ Tablespoon palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Thai chili paste, (see note 2)
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1-2 Tablespoons coconut milk, (optional, see note 3)

Variation 3 - Umami Dressing

  • 3 red Thai chilies, seeds removed if desired (see note)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 5 stems cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon pla ra (fermented unfiltered fish sauce) , or sub 1 teaspoon gapi (fermented shrimp paste)
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. If you want it less spicy, it's better to remove the seeds and pith than to use fewer chilies. That way you can still keep the chili flavour.
  2. You can add more or less chili paste than the amount suggested, but since it is quite sweet, the more chili paste you use, the less sugar you should add. Different brands of chili paste also vary in sweetness, so tasting and adjusting is important here. 
  3. Coconut milk adds slight creaminess and richness, add more for a creamier dressing.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Note: If making a large amount you can put everything into a blender and blend just until there are no big chunks but don't make it silky smooth.

Method 1 using a mortar and pestle:

  • Pound the garlic, chilies and cilantro stems into a paste.
  • Add the palm sugar and pound until the sugar has turned into a paste. If using Thai chili paste or shrimp paste, add it now and use the pestle to mash it up and mix it into the herbs. Add the lime juice and fish sauce and/or pla ra and swirl the pestle or whisk until well combined.
  • If using coconut milk, simply stir it in now.

Method 2 without a mortar and pestle:

  • First combine the finely chopped palm sugar with the lime juice and fish sauce and stir until the sugar has mostly dissolved; set aside. Don’t worry about the last few stubborn bits for now, they will soften as they sit in the liquid.
  • Grate the garlic with a microplane or use a garlic press to make a paste and add to a small mixing bowl. Mince the chilies and the cilantro stems as finely as you can, then add to the garlic. If using chili paste or shrimp paste, add to the garlic mixture and stir to mix and loosen the chili paste.
  • Back to the fish sauce mixture, if there are any undissolved lumps of palm sugar, you should now be able to smash them down with the back of a spoon. Once all is dissolved, add to the garlic mixture and stir to combine.
    Tip: If you’re using chili paste, it will help to add just a splash of the liquid seasoning first, then stir to dissolve the chili paste before adding the rest.
  • If using coconut milk or plara, simply stir it in at the end - you don’t want to add these ingredients in the beginning as it’ll make it hard to see any undissolved lumps of sugar.
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Chinese BBQ Pork - Char Siu

by 18 Comments

Chinese BBQ pork or char siu is loved the world over, and it's actually not hard to make at home! With some key ingredients and a couple of techniques, it might even be better than buying. Actually, it probably will be :). You can have it with rice, noodles, use it in a sandwich or a steamed bun. Or just eat it straight up!

Chinese barbecue pork on a cutting board with several sliced pieces

What is Char Siu?

Char siu, often called Chinese BBQ pork or Chinese roast pork in English, is a Cantonese style of barbecued pork. It has become beloved worldwide, Thailand included, because of its unique sweet and savory flavor, the aroma of five-spice powder, and a distinct red color.

The word "char" means fork, and "siu" means burn, and it refers to the traditional way the pork is skewered with a big fork and roasted over open flames. (Thanks to my Cantonese speaking husband for the info!)

Char siu can be eaten with rice or noodles, and it also gets turned into steamed bun fillings and added to many other things. In Thailand, char siu is called moo dang which literally means "red pork" and we incorporate it into many dishes such as this kao moo dang - BBQ pork rice and street noodles with BBQ pork and wontons.

Ingredients

Here are ingredients for char siu, mostly basic stuff with the exception of the red bean curd.

  • Pork shoulder roast, boneless. See below for more on choosing the right pork for char siu.
  • Soy sauce
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Red bean curd. You can find Chinese red bean curd in a glass jar at most Chinese grocery stores. More on this below.
  • Five spice powder, store bought or use my easy homemade five-spice powder recipe.
  • Honey
  • White pepper, black pepper is fine if you don't have it
  • Garlic
  • Chinese cooking wine, optional
  • Toasted sesame oil, optional

For the Glaze

  • Honey
  • Red bean curd liquid or cooked leftover marinade

What is Red Bean Curd?

Red bean curd, and important ingredient for char siu

You can think of red bean curd as a kind of fermented tofu. They are soft, salty, funky cubes of fermented soybean curds that come submerged in a red liquid. The red colour comes from red yeast rice which is used during fermentation of the bean curd. Thankfully, it's quite widely available at most Chinese grocery stores.

It's the main ingredient for Cantonese char siu and is the source of the iconic red colour. If you don't have it, you can substitute 1½ tablespoons of miso thinned out with a bit of water, plus bit of red food coloring.

Don't know what else to use it for? Try these other recipes that use red bean curd: Thai style hot pot and sukiyaki stir fry.

Choosing The Best Pork for Char Siu

Choosing the right pork is the most important step. Traditionally, Chinese barbecued pork uses pork butt, a.k.a. pork shoulder. It is a flavourful and fatty cut that is perfect for dry roasting.

I go to the butcher and ask for a boneless pork shoulder roast, something that is at least 5 inches long so you have a nice long-ish piece at the end. It'll be at least 4 lb, more than what you need for this recipe, but you can save the rest for a slow braised pork dish like adobo, or make Thai street-style grilled pork skewers.

Preparing the Pork

Pork butt is an irregular piece of meat and it can seem intimidating to deal with, but rest assured that it isn't. The roast is made up of different muscles that look (and taste) slightly different, which I think keeps it interesting. It's also got lots of fat (yum) and some connective tissue running throughout, which means some parts are a bit chewier. The chewiness will be mitigated by slicing thinly when serving.

Despite its irregular shape, breaking it down is simple: Cut it down into log-shaped pieces, going with the grain of the muscles, ignoring any connective tissue or fat that's in your way—just cut right through them. You want to cut each log with the grain so that when you slice them for serving, you'll be slicing against the grain, which will yield more tender pieces.

You can trim off big chunks of fat, but don't trim too much as the fat keeps it juicy. And don't worry if your logs end up oddly shaped; Chinese BBQ pork is supposed to be rustic looking!

How About Something Leaner?

What about pork loin or tenderloin? They're more straightforward to prep, leaner, and easier to find. Are these okay to use?

Yes...BUT. These are not my preferred options because they are very lean, and your char siu will be less flavourful and less juicy. If you overcook them even a little, they become dry quickly. We all have experienced the horror of overcooked, dry pork chops, right? Yeah...we don't want that.

So if you still want to use it, I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure you don't overcook it. Even better, get a leave-in probe thermometer like this one  so you are guaranteed to have perfectly cooked pork. Remove the pork from the oven once internal temperature reaches 150°F (66 °C), let it rest for 10-15 minutes, which should bring the pork to a final temperature of 160°F (71°C).

The Glaze

The glaze is what makes this pork shine and glisten, and yields a sweet caramelized crust. I like to simply mix some honey with a bit of the red bean curd juice, but for an extra oomph of flavour you can take some of the leftover marinade, heat it up to boiling to cook off raw pork juice, and then combine that with the honey to make a glaze. It'll be less red that way, but it'll give you more of the flavours of the spices. You can always boost it with a couple of drops of red food colouring.

How to Make Char Siu

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps, the full instructions are in the recipe card below, and be sure to watch the full video tutorial before starting to ensure success.

process shots for making char siu, steps 1-4
  1. Mash the red bean curds with a fork.
  2. Add all marinade ingredients and stir to mix.
  3. Pour the marinade over the pork and toss to coat well. Marinate the pork for 24-48 hours.
  4. Roast the pork at 400°F (200 °C) on a rack for 15 minutes.
process shots for making char siu, steps 5-8
  1. Meanwhile, combine the glaze ingredients.
  2. Once the pork is out, brush the tops and sides with the glaze and return to the oven for 5-7 minutes until the glaze is dry.
  3. Remove the pork from the oven and apply another layer of glaze, and put it back in for another 5-7 minutes to dry.
  4. Repeat the glazing one more time and roast again for another 5 minutes until internal temp reaches 155°F (68°C). The total cooking time should be about 30 minutes. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube!

This easy Chinese BBQ pork recipe will beat anything you buy! Juicy, flavourful pork shoulder roast is perfect for this. Serve with rice, or top a salad for a low carb meal! #Chineserecipe #asianrecipe #chinesebbq #bbq #pork #charsiu #grilling

Char Siu - Chinese BBQ Pork

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Flavourful marinated pork with a sweet-salty glaze, roasted to perfection. It's a classic Chinese BBQ that can be served with rice or noodles. (Prep time above doesn't include 24-48 hr marinating time.)
5 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Marinating Time 1 day
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 lb pork shoulder roast
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 cubes red bean curd + 1 tablespoon liquid
  • 1 tablespoon five spice powder
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine, optional
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil, optional
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or mashed

Glaze

  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2-3 teaspoon red bean curd liquid or cooked leftover marinade

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork roast, along the direction of the meat's grain, into long strips about 2-inch thick (see video for size). You can trim off big chunks of fat but don't trim off too much.
    2 lb pork shoulder roast
  • In a small mixing bowl, mash the red bean curd until there are no more big chunks. Add all remaining ingredients (except for the glaze ingredients) and whisk until combined.
    2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 2 cubes red bean curd + 1 tablespoon liquid, 1 tablespoon five spice powder, 2 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Pour the marinade over the pork and make sure all pieces are coated. Marinate in the fridge for 24-48 hours (do not do less than this!), turning the pork half way through to ensure even distribution of marinade.
  • When ready to roast, preheat the oven at 375°F/190°C convection (if your oven has a fan) or 400°F/200°C regular (no fan).
  • Line a baking sheet with foil then put a roasting rack on it. Place the pork on the rack. Roast for 15 minutes.
  • While the pork is roasting, combine the honey and the red bean curd liquid (or cooked leftover marinade) to make the glaze.
    2 tablespoon honey, 2-3 teaspoon red bean curd liquid or cooked leftover marinade
  • Remove the pork after 15 minutes, brush the glaze on it (don't worry about the bottom side), then put it back for another 5-7 minutes or until the glaze has dried onto the pork.
  • Remove the pork and glaze again, then put it back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes.
  • Glaze the pork again (you should glaze a total of 3 times), then roast for another 5 minutes or until the pork is done; the total roasting time should be about 30 minutes. If using a thermometer, the internal temp should reach 155°F before removing from the oven.
  • If the pork has not browned or charred to your liking at this point, you can switch the oven to "broil" and broil the pork on the top rack, with the oven door open, for a few minutes to get some charring.
  • Let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and eating. Enjoy!
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Moo Deng Recipe - Thai Bouncy Pork Meatballs

by 2 Comments

Who would've thought that one day an adorable Thai baby hippo named Moo Deng would become a global sensation? But here we are. As you may know, moo deng is actually the name of a Thai food, so I thought I'd share my moo deng recipe because it's an easy, tasty and versatile pork meatballs that you can add to so many dishes.

a bowl of moo deng meatballs with 2 chilies and a plant in the background

What is moo deng?

Moo means pork, and deng means bouncy, and it refers to a kind of pork bouncy pork meatballs that we put in various dishes, typically noodle soups, including the viral tom yum instant noodles, pictured below. Sometimes, the pork is formed into patties instead of balls.

a bowl of mama jeh O tom yum noodles

Some non-Thai news outlets have been incorrectly reporting that moo deng means "bouncing pig," which I suppose is correct on paper, but not in practice. It's a classic case of "lost in translation" because in Thai, moo means both pork and pig (the same way that "chicken" refers to both the animal and the meat). But moo deng is a food!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are ingredients you'll need for moo deng and some important notes about them. It's super simple! For amounts, see the full recipe card below

  • White peppercorns
  • Garlic
  • Ground pork, preferably not lean for the best texture.
  • Soy sauce, use Thai soy sauce for the authentic flavour, but without it, other kinds of soy sauce is also fine.
  • Fish sauce. See this post on choosing good quality fish sauce.
  • Sugar
  • A small ice cube, optional.
  • Food processor. Ideally, you'll also need a food processor for the right texture and to get that bounciness, though a small one is fine. If you don't have one, you can still make it and it'll be tasty, but the texture will be more coarse and it won't be bouncy.

How to Make Moo Deng

Here's a bird's eye view of how to make moo deng. Like any other meatballs, you can make these ahead of time and freeze!

  1. Pound the garlic and pepper into a paste (not shown). Add the pork, the garlic paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and a small ice cube into a food processor.
  2. Process the pork into a smooth-ish paste - the smoother it is the bouncier the meatballs will be. Without a food processor just knead all ingredients well together well with your hand.
  3. Roll them into little balls with gloved hands. Without gloves, wetting your hands will prevent the pork from sticking to your hands.
  4. Cook them in boiling water for about 2 minutes or until cooked through. Fish them out, and they're now ready to be added to any noodle soup or any dish you want, or you can freeze them for another day.

Pro Tip: Save the Cooking Water.

After cooking the meatballs, the cooking water is also going to have lots of flavour in it, and it can be used as a base for many Thai soups, especially noodle soups. So if you're making moo deng for noodle soups, definitely keep this water for your soup. And for more ideas, here are my Thai soup recipes.

Storage and Advance Prep

Moo deng is a great thing to have in your fridge/freezer as they make for easy and delicious protein for a weeknight meal. Here are a few options for prepping moo deng ahead of time.

  • Cook the moo deng off and then freeze them fully cooked. Then simply boil them for a few minutes to reheat and add to your meal.
  • Make the pork mixture, roll them into balls, and then freeze them raw. If you don't have time to cook them before freezing, you can freeze them raw, but this is a little more work as you'll need to freeze them on a tray without them touching, then consolidated the frozen meatballs into a container. When ready to cook, you can thaw them first or boil them directly from frozen.
  • Make the pork mixture in advance and keep in the fridge for a few days. If you don't have time to roll and cook them, but you want to get ahead a little, you can just mix the meat mixture and keep it in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of time (assuming your ground pork is fresh!). You can freeze the meat mixture, but freeze it in a flat disc so it won't take much time to thaw.

What Dishes Can You Put Moo Deng In?

Moo deng is not a standalone dish, as you can probably tell, though to be honest if you cook them up and serve them with nam jim seafood or sweet chili sauce, it would make a fantastic appetizer! But here are a few dishes you can serve moo deng in.

Explore my Thai soup recipes for more ideas, and really, add them to anything you can imagine!

a bowl of moo deng meatballs with 2 chilies and a plant in the background

Moo Deng Recipe - Thai Bouncy Pork Meatballs

Moo deng is not just a baby hippo! It refers to Thai bouncy pork meatballs that we typically add to noodle soups, but you can add them to any dish you want. They're super easy and can be frozen.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 9 oz ground pork, preferably not lean
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 small ice cube, optional

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil for cooking the meatballs. Meanwhile, pound the garlic and peppercorns into a paste in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, finely grind the pepper and grate or press the garlic into a paste.
    ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns, 1 clove garlic
  • Add the ground pork into a food processor and add the pepper and garlic paste, all of the seasonings, and a small ice cube. Blitz until the pork resembles a paste, which should only take 15-20 seconds. It does not have to be super smooth. Scrape down sides as needed.
    *If you don't have a food processor, simply knead all meatball ingredients together well with your hand. The texture of the meatball will be rougher, but it'll still be tasty.
    9 oz ground pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 small ice cube
  • With gloved hands, roll the pork into balls, about ½-inch in diameter. If you don't have gloves, wet your hands to prevent the pork from sticky to your hands.
  • Once the water is boiling, add the meatballs into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove with a wire skimmer and it's now ready to be added to all kinds of dishes, especially noodle soups!
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Types of Rice Explained: Jasmine vs Sushi vs Basmati

by Leave a Comment

Rice is a foundational ingredient of Thai cuisine, as it is for many other Asian cuisines. And over the years I’ve gotten a lot of questions about different types of rice: jasmine rice, basmati rice, short grain rice. How are they different? When should you use which rice? And do they need to be cooked differently? So in this article I want to demystify all of that and help you make the right rice decision for your next meal!

I’m going to talk about the 3 most common types of rice used in Asia: Japanese short and medium grain rice (aka "sushi rice"), basmati rice, and jasmine rice.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Video: Sushi, Jasmine and Basmati Rice Explained + How to Cook Them

If you prefer watching to reading, in this video I cover most of what is included in this article, but you may find the visuals of the video more helpful as they more clearly show the differences between the types of rice. The video also includes a demo for how to cook each type properly.

The 3 Types of Rice Most Commonly Eaten in Asia

Let's go through the types of rice we're going to cover here.

First is what most people call "sushi rice." There are many varieties that fall into this category, some are considered short grain and others are considered medium grain. For this article I’ll call it "sushi rice" for simplicity, but know that in addition to Japan, this is also the type of rice that’s also eaten in Korea and parts of China. 

raw jasmine rice on a blue tray beside raw sushi rice

Then we have jasmine rice which is the staple rice of Southeast Asia. For our discussion jasmine rice will also represent other varieties of long grain rice that are similar but not technically jasmine. I’ll call these “jasmine adjacents,” which will also include the generic “long grain white rice” that you see in most Western grocery stores. 

raw jasmine rice on a blue tray beside raw basmati rice

Finally basmati rice, the longest grain of them all, and this is the rice eaten in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. Like the other two this also represents the many other subtypes of basmati rice that also exist.

Thai People Don't Eat Only Jasmine Rice

There's a misconception that Thai people, and Southeast Asians in general, only eat jasmine rice, but this is not true. Thai jasmine rice or hom mali rice is the best, most prized rice of Thailand, and it is our most popular exported rice. But it is also the most expensive, which is why when you go to Thailand and you're eating at an inexpensive street-side restaurant, they're likely not using jasmine rice, but one of the many other varieties of long grain white rice that we have.

Aside from being more fragrant, Thai hom mali rice also tends to be softer and stickier than other adjacent varieties, making it not ideal for fried rice So many restaurants who make fried rice will choose another variety, such as sao hai rice, which is less soft and sticky. Or they may also do a mix of varieties.

a bag of Kirkland Thai Hom Mali rice on the counter

It is worth noting that the word "jasmine rice" is not regulated. So it may say jasmine rice on the bag, but it may not be the prized jasmine hom mali rice Thailand is known for. So if you want real hom mali rice, look for the green round logo at the top of the bag in the picture above This is the government seal certifying that the rice is genuine hom mali. Now, the logo has also been known to be faked, so go with a reputable brand if you can (Royal Umbrella, Kirkland, or 3 Ladies, for example.)

Appearance, Taste, and Texture Comparison

Sushi Rice

a bowl of sushi rice being picked up by fingers

Sushi rice grains are short and chubby when compared to the other two rices, and the key feature here is that when cooked it is quite sticky. So when I try to pick it up with my hand, it sticks to my hand AND the grains stick to each other very well.

This is why it’s great for making sushi or kimbap where you want the rice to stick together - and this is why cultures that eat this kind of rice can eat it with chopsticks.

The texture, when cooked properly, is also a little bit chewy because it’s more dense than long grain rice. It is a very satisfying, toothsome texture.

Basmati Rice

a bowl of basmati rice being picked up by fingers

On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve got basmati rice which are not sticky at all. If I pick it up with my fingers they won’t stick to my fingers AND won’t stick to each other.

The grains are very long and skinny, and this becomes even more obvious after you cook them because the grains get significantly longer but not much wider.

The texture is not chewy at all. It is tender, but there’s also a brittleness or a snappiness to it when you bite into the grains. Because they don’t stick together at all, the mouthfeel of basmati rice tends to feel a little bit drier, and this is why it is often cooked with added fat such as butter or oil.

Jasmine Rice

a bowl of jasmine rice being picked up by fingers

And in between these two extremes is jasmine rice and its adjacents. The grains are shorter and fatter than basmati, but longer and skinnier than sushi rice. It sticks together better than basmati, but not as much as sushi rice. The texture is not chewy, but compared to basmati it is softer and cushier, with a fluffier texture - though some non-jasmine varieties, such as the generic long grain white rice at Western stores, tend to be less soft. The mouthfeel of jasmine rice also feels quite moist compared to basmati and short grain.

Important: Sushi rice is NOT sticky rice.

A lot of people call sushi rice "sticky rice" because, for all intents and purposes, it IS pretty sticky. But it is not true "sticky rice". REAL sticky rice is wayyyyy stickier than this and it is technically called glutinous rice. Glutinous rice comes in both short AND long grain; the short grain is what the Japanese call mochigome or “mochi rice”, and the long grain is what Thai people call khao niew which literally means “chewy rice”.

If you want to dig deeper into sticky rice see my post on sticky rice 101, but for now just know that they cannot be used or cooked in the same way as their non-glutinous counterparts.

Aroma Comparison

There is also big a difference in the way these types of rice smell. Most known for its fragrance is Thai jasmine rice. The reason it is called jasmine rice is because of its beautiful floral aroma similar to jasmine flower. In Thai jasmine rice is called "hom mali" rice which means "fragrant of jasmine flowers." You can smell this scent even before you cook the rice!

Basmati rice is also fragrant, though the aroma is different from jasmine rice. I’d describe it as having a grassier aroma, whereas jasmine is more floral.

Sushi rice is not as fragrant as the other two. It does have that smell you associate with rice in general, but it isn't distinctly aromatic. That was one thing I immediately noticed the first time I cooked sushi rice after a lifetime of cooking jasmine!

What About Brown Rice?

a plate of brown rice with rice on a spoon

So where does brown rice fit into all this? Brown rice is not another type of rice, it's just processed differently. All white rice has a brown version because white rice is simply brown rice with the bran removed.

So brown rice is going to be more fibrous, and chewier than their white counterpart, but the chew is coming from the brown bran on the outside, and not the rice on the inside. You can cook brown rice using the same method as white rice, but you’ll need a little more water and a little more time because it takes more time for the water to penetrate through the bran. 

Here’s my hot tip: If you don’t like brown rice because you think it tastes like chewy twigs, try brown Thai jasmine rice; meaning real hom mali rice. It is the best tasting, softest brown rice I’ve had, and the jasmine aroma will counteract any twiggy flavour from the bran.

How to Cook Different Types of Rice

The good news is that even though they are very different, you can actually cook all 3 types of rice using this standard method of cooking rice most common in Asia. It's the simplest, it's the same method that electric rice cookers use, and I think it yields the best results.

BUT you will need different amounts of water to match the rice you're cooking, as outlined below. There are other factors that can affect how much water you need, and we’ll talk more about that in a bit, but the type of rice is by far the biggest determinant.

If you're using a rice cooker, you still need to add the correct amount of water. The rice cooker is not magic, all it's doing is stopping the cooking when all the water has been absorbed, it cannot fix dry or mushy rice. So here is a guideline for how much water you need for each type of rice.

How Much Water Do You Need To Cook Different Types of Rice?

If you're using the standard stovetop method, OR if you're using a rice cooker, here's the amount of water you need:

For sushi rice (Japanese short grain and medium grain, including US grown brands)

  • You need a ratio of 1 part rice to 1 part water, by volume.

So 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of water. Whatever kind of cup, coffee cup, rice cup, measuring cup, it doesn't matter, it's all about the ratio. This ratio also seems to be quite stable between brands in my experience, but you can adjust according to your preference.

If you have a Japanese rice cooker like a Zojirushi, and you’re using the rice cup that comes with the cooker to measure your rice, you’ll notice that this ratio of water corresponds to the “white rice” line in the rice cooker, so you can go with that line to simplify. By extension, if you're cooking jasmine or basmati rice in a Japanese rice cooker, you cannot use those water lines. 

For jasmine rice and its adjacents.

  • You need a ratio of 1 part rice to 1¼ to 1½ parts water, depending on the variety, brand, and your preference.

If your rice cooker comes from a country that eats primarily jasmine and long grain white rice, including Thailand, Hong Kong, even US and Canada, AND if you’re using the measuring cup that came with the rice cooker to measure, you’ll notice that the water lines in these rice cooker corresponds to a ratio of 1 part rice to 1 ½ parts water.

For basmati rice

  • You need a ratio of 1 part rice to 1 ¾ - 2 parts water, again depending on the variety, brand and your preference.

Useful Fact: What's the Volume of the "Rice Cup?"

rice cup sitting next to a glass measuring cup with ¾ cup of water in it

The measuring cups that come with every rice cooker are equivalent to 180 ml or ¾ cup. Useful to remember if you ever lose the cup! I'm pretty confident that this is consistent across all brands of rice cookers, because I've used many rice cookers in my life, and I have never seen one with a different size cup. (*The Zojirushi provides an additional green cup that's 10 ml smaller, made specifically for Japanese no-rinse rice.)

The benefit of using this rice cup to measure your rice is that you can use the water lines in the rice cooker to measure the water, but ONLY IF you're using the type of rice that matches the nationality of the rice cooker. Which means...

The water lines in a Japanese rice cookers are made for Japanese rice, so it corresponds to a 1:1 rice to water ratio. And the water lines in most N. American rice cookers are made for long grain white rice (jasmine and adjacents) and it corresponds to a 1:1 ½ rice to water ratio. Do Indian rice cookers have basmati-specific water lines? Probably? Though I've never seen an Indian rice cooker before so I can't say for sure!

Other factors affecting the amount of water needed to cook rice

The ratio of water I provided is just a guideline, as there are other factors that can affect the amount of water needed, beyond the type of rice.  

  1. The brand of rice. Even though you’re cooking the same type of rice, the specific plant varieties can be different between brands. AND the processing can most certainly be different. Rice has to be dried before it’s milled and packaged, and how LONG the rice was dried will affect how much water is required to rehydrate it in the cooking process.
    So if you’re working with a new brand of rice, be aware that it may require a different amount of water than you're used to.
  2. Evaporation during cooking. How much water you add is one thing, but how much is lost during cooking is another. This depends on how high your heat is, how wide or narrow your pot is, how tight fitting your lid is, etc. Some people leave the pot uncovered in the beginning in order to see if the rice is boiling, so they’ll lose more water that way. All these things are slightly different for everyone.
  3. Your preference. Some people like rice that is firmer and dryer, others prefer it softer. I always find the rice at my parents' house too soft, but that’s how they like it, and that's okay! Also, if you're going to use the rice for fried rice, you may want to add slightly less water.

Does the 1-Knuckle Rule Work?

Some of you might have been taught to cook rice by adding enough water so that it is “1 knuckle” above the rice, specifically the first knuckle of your index finger. Does this method work? 

Well, it CAN work, but not always.

If you use the 1-knuckle rule, the rice to water ratio will be roughly equivalent to 1 : 1 ½ IF you're cooking at least 2 rice-cups of rice (1.5 measuring cups). So this is why it generally works for jasmine rice and its long grain white rice adjacents. And if you talk to people who follow the 1-knuckle rule, you’ll find that they are usually cooking this type of rice and cooking enough to feed a family. (I'm looking at you, my East Asian friends.)

And because jasmine rice is generally quite forgiving, meaning you can add a little more or a little less water and still have decent rice, the 1-knuckle rule seems to work for a lot of people despite different finger lengths.

But there are a few situations where the 1-knuckle rule does not work:

  1. If you’re using Japanese short/medium grain rice, basmati rice, or another kind of rice that takes a different ratio of water, it won't work.
  2. Your rice pot is not straight sided. If the pot has sloped or curved sides, like the pot of my Zojirushi rice cooker, it won't work.
  3. If your rice happens to be new crop, the 1-knuckle rule might produce slightly too-wet rice.
  4. If you're cooking a tiny bit of rice, i.e. 1 rice-cup (¾ measuring cup) or less, it will not work. These days I often cook only half a rice-cup at a time because it's the perfect amount for my son's lunch box, and using 1-knuckle would mean way too much water.
  5. This is obvious but it must be said: if you have unusually long or short knuckle!

Which Type of Rice Should You Use For Which Dish?

This is a important aspect of cooking with rice. You could cook the perfect rice, but if it's the wrong rice for the job, it won't be a perfect meal. We now know that there are huge differences between types of rice, so it should go without saying that they are NOT interchangeable.

Here’s my rule of thumb: You should always serve the rice that matches the cuisine. If you’re making japanese food, use Japanese rice. If you’re cooking Thai food, use jasmine rice. Indian food, basmati rice, etc.

Each country’s cuisine has been designed to pair with the rice that is local to their country. The food was not developed independent of the rice.

So if you mix and match, sometimes it might be okay, but other times it’s not. The extreme example is if you try to make sushi using basmati rice. Basmati rice will not hold together. But a more subtle example is if you try to eat a Thai green curry with basmati rice. Thai green curry, and most other Thai curries, are very thin and soupy, and if you poured it over basmati rice which doesn’t stick together at all, the rice will just turn into a soupy mess. But Thai rice with stick together enough.

Come Down the Rice Rabbit Hole!

If you're interested in learning about Thai rice, there is SO much more you can learn. So here are just a few more posts about rice, and if you're ready to get cooking, here are all of my rice-based recipes!

Authentic Thai Drunken Noodles Recipe - Pad Kee Mao

by 43 Comments

Pad kee mao ผัดขี้เมา or drunken noodles is stir fried rice noodles with holy basil and lots of chilies. It's a cult-favourite Thai street food. The combination of chewy fresh rice noodles, the epic savoury sauce, and the fragrance of holy basil ... there is nothing quite like it and it never gets old.

In this recipe I share 7 secrets to making the perfect, authentic pad kee mao, guaranteed to make this better than take out; and once the prep is done it takes literally 3 minutes to make each portion. You can see the video in the recipe card where I show the cooking in real time!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients for drunken noodles and important notes about them. Ingredient amounts will be in the recipe card below. You can change up the vegetables and I love using carrot and Chinese broccoli, though traditionally baby corn, long beans, and straw mushrooms are often added.

  • Soy sauce. I use Healthy Boy Brand soy sauce which is a classic Thai brand, but any other kind of regular or light soy sauce can be used.
  • Golden Mountain Sauce. This is another kind of soy sauce with a slightly more intense flavour, you can substitute Maggi Seasoning which is very similar, or use more soy sauce.
  • Oyster sauce. See this post for how to choose good oyster sauce.
  • Fish sauce. See this post for how to choose good fish sauce.
  • Sugar
  • Chinese broccoli, also known as gai lan. Choose young, small stems if you can as they are less bitter.
  • Carrot
  • Young peppercorns. These are totally optional. They can be found fresh or brined in glass jars at some Southeast Asian stores. They are added whole and still on the stems, and when eating you can pick out the peppers and eat them for extra heat.
  • Fingerroot (grachai). Also optional but they do add a lovely herbaceous aroma. They can be found fresh or brined in a glass jar at Southeast Asian stores.
  • Holy basil. Holy basil can be hard to find, you can sub regular Italian basil or Thai basil instead, but I do find Italian basil to have a flavour more similar to holy basil.
  • Garlic
  • Thai chilies. Add as many as you want depending on your spice tolerance. If your tolerance isn't high, add just one to start.
  • Large, mild red chilies such as spur chilies (pic below), anaheim peppers or red bell pepper.
  • Protein of your choice, I'm using shrimp. If using chicken, pork, or beef, a quick and simple marinade will be helpful. Instructions in the recipe card below.
  • Fresh rice noodles also known as ho fun noodles. If you buy them from the store they may be cold and stuck together in a block. You'll need to reheat them before separating, following instructions in the recipe card. It is possible to use dried large rice noodles instead but it is not as good, and you will need to cook them first before using.

Why I use 2 types of chilies in this recipe

Pad kee mao uses a lot of chilies, so the chili flavour, not just the heat, is part of the flavour profile. If we only used the fiery Thai chilies, we can only add a few before it becomes too spicy, and not enough chili flavour would come through. So we also use the milder chilies to add more chili flavour without the heat.

In Thailand, prik chee fa, or spur chilies are used, but any mild red pepper such as anaheim peppers or even red bell pepper would work in a pinch.

How to Make Authentic Drunken Noodles

Be sure to check out the detailed recipe and full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success - but here's a bird's eye view of what you'll need to do.

  1. Make a rough paste with chilies and garlic.
  2. Cook off the protein and remove from the pan.
  3. Sauté the chili garlic paste.
  4. Add gai lan stems, carrots, grachai and young peppercorns.
  1. Add the noodles, the sauce, and sugar and toss until the sauce has been absorbed.
  2. Let noodles sit and char slightly before tossing. Then repeat the charring a few times.
  3. Add gai lan leaves and holy basil.
  4. All done!

7 Secrets to Epic Pad Kee Mao

It is not hard to make a decent plate of drunken noodles, but an epic one? Not so simple. There are a few things you need to know:

  1. Do not eyeball the ingredients. Weigh the noodles, and measure all sauce ingredients. There are times when winging it is okay, and using your cook's intuition is romantic. But this is not one of those times. The noodle-to-sauce ratio is extremely important, and there's nothing more disappointing than pad kee mao that's bland, or worse, too salty (which cannot be fixed afterward).
  2. Make a chili and garlic paste. One of the great flavours of drunken noodles come from the garlic and chilies. Adding chopped garlic and chilies can only get you so far, but pounding them into a paste in a mortar allows for more flavour to come out and infuse into the whole dish. Also, adding extra peppers that are not spicy gives more chili flavour without it becoming too spicy.
  3. Cook 1 portion at a time. This is the secret to well-charred noodles that are not broken or soggy. Crowding the pan traps too much moisture and causes you to stir more which breaks the noodles. If you have a large wok and a high BTU burner, you can probably get away with 2 portions at a time. It seems tedious but watch the video below and you will see that once the prep is done, each batch literally takes 3 minutes to cook!
  4. Cook the protein separately, and do a "mini brine". By cooking off the protein first and adding it back in at the end you can control exactly how long it cooks, ensuring perfectly cooked protein every time. Good news is you do not have to cook the protein 1 portion at a time, just cook it all off together in the beginning. Also, if using chicken, pork, or beef, marinate it with seasoning plus a little extra water, like a mini brine, to get extra juicy meat.
  5. Allow noodles to char. Once noodles are mixed with the sauce, allow them to sit and "grill" a bit on the hot pan. This creates a little browning, a little smokiness, and a little extra flavour that makes all the difference.
  6. Use fresh noodles. Yes, dry rice noodles exist; and they will work, but it is not the same and not nearly as good as fresh. Cooked previously-dried rice noodles do not yield the same soft and springy texture of fresh noodles, in the same way that cooked dried pasta is not the same as fresh pasta. I understand you gotta use what you have, but if you can, it's worth either looking around for them or making them yourself.
  7. Use a stick-resistant pan. These fresh rice noodles are notoriously sticky. So it's important you use either a well-seasoned carbon steel wok, a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, or a nonstick wok. BUT if using a nonstick material that cannot be used with high heat, you will have to give up some noodle charring.
    *If you only have a stainless steel pan, you can try this: Heat the pan until very hot - until water sprinkled onto the pan beads up into little balls and glides around - then add the oil and begin cooking. This is a trick that turns stainless steel pan nonstick which I've tried with eggs with success, but have not tried with fresh rice noodles.

ALSO IMPORTANT: Make sure you watch the video in the recipe card below! You'll see me cooking pad kee mao in REAL TIME with no cuts. It'll show you how it's done in only 3 minutes, give you an idea of how the process goes and how to organize your prep, and I promise it'll be so helpful for when you cook!

Frequently Asked Questions

I can't find fresh rice noodles, what can I use instead?

You can make them using my recipe here! You can also use dried wide rice noodles, but the results are not nearly as good and you will need to fully cook them before adding to the pan. You can read my post here all about mastering rice noodles to learn more about different types of noodles and how to cook them properly.

I don't eat shrimp, can I substitute other protein?

Yes! Anything works, or even omit the protein altogether. If using chicken, pork, or beef though, I would marinate them following the instructions in the recipe card. That simple marinade yields wonderfully tender meat with the extra bit of water that gets absorbed into the meat.

How can I make these vegetarian or vegan?

You can use vegetarian stir-fry sauce instead of oyster sauce, and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce. You can also do a simplified version and use 2 parts soy sauce to 1 part Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

These noodles do not keep well, so if at all possible, cook only as much as you can eat. Once refrigerated and reheated, the noodles will not have as good of a texture and can be a bit mushy. Having said that, if you do end up with leftovers, do not keep it for any longer than 1 day. The next day, reheated pad kee mao is still edible, but after a couple of days...I wouldn't eat it.

To reheat, you can microwave it, but stir it halfway through and make sure the noodles are thoroughly heated through or they will not be soft, which is really awful. You can also re-fry it quickly in a nonstick pan, again, making sure the noodles are steaming hot.

A plate of drunken noodles with shrimp on red placemat

Pad Kee Mao - Drunken Noodles

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Popular Thai street food made with stir fried fresh rice noodles and holy basil. Be sure the watch the video of me cooking this dish in REAL TIME to see how fast it goes!
4.87 from 23 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 2 servings
Calories 439 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb fresh wide rice noodles, (see note 1)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic
  • 1-3 Thai chilies, or to taste
  • 1 spur chili, or ⅛ red bell pepper, chopped
  • 8 oz protein of your choice, (see note 2)
  • 2 oz carrots , cut in thin sticks
  • 2.8 oz Chinese broccoli, (see note 3)
  • 2 tablespoon julienned grachai , (optional)
  • 2 stems young peppercorns, cut in small chunks (optional)
  • 2 ½ teaspoon sugar
  • A dash black or dark soy sauce, (optional, see note 4)
  • 2 cups holy basil leaves , (see note 5)

Pad Kee Mao Sauce - For 2 Servings (see note 6)

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

1. Fresh wide rice noodles can be purchased from some Asian grocery stores in the refrigerated section. Dry wide rice noodles can be used, though the results are not as good. You will need 6oz of dry noodles; and they need to be soaked, boiled and rinsed in cold water before using.
2. If using chicken, pork or beef, thinly slice and marinate in 2 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water for at least 15 minutes.
3. Slice the stems thinly on a bias and roughly chop the leaves. Keep the leaves and stems separated.
4. Thai black soy sauce or Chinese dark soy sauce can be added to darken the colour if you prefer, though I don't think it needs it and have decided to simplify for this new version. If using Chinese dark soy sauce, reduce the amount of sauce slightly as it's quite salty, but Thai black soy sauce is not very salty. 
5. Regular Italian basil is a fine substitute for holy basil.
6. In the video I made enough sauce for 4 servings so amounts in the video are different from in the written recipe.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • *I highly recommend cooking 1 portion at a time for best results, so divide up your prep before you start cooking.
  • Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine.
  • Separate the rice noodles from each other (see video for technique). If they are cold, hard and stuck together, you need to heat them up until soft or they will break when you try to separate them. Carefully divide the noodles into 3-4 smaller bundles and spread them out onto a large plate. Microwave at 70% power, stopping every minute to move the noodles around for more even heating. Once they are soft, pull the noodles apart and divide them into portions.
  • Add Thai chilies into a mortar and pestle and pound until fine. Add garlic and spur chilies and pound into a rough paste.
  • Before you cook, organize your prep: 1) separate the ingredients into batches; 2) combine all non-leafy vegetables, grachai and young peppercorns together; 3) put the basil and leafy greens together; 4) put a tablespoon measure into the sauce and a teaspoon into your sugar crock.; 5) have a bowl ready to put your cooked protein into.
  • In a well-seasoned or non-stick wok, heat about 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Once very hot, add your protein to the pan and spread it out into a single layer. Sear on one side until browned or halfway cooked, then flip or toss and cook the other side until done. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Put the pan back on the stove with the heat still off, add the chili/garlic paste and a little more oil if needed. Turn heat on to medium and stir just until the small pieces of garlic start to turn golden brown.
  • Add your bowl of non-leafy vegetables, turn the heat on high and stir for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the noodles, drizzle the sauce (2 tablespoon per serving) and sprinkle the sugar (1¼ teaspoon per portion; you can eyeball the ¼ tsp) and toss until all the noodles are evenly coated and the sauce has been absorbed. If you want a darker colour, you can add a dash of black or dark soy sauce at this time, a little at a time.
  • Once the noodles are well coated, add the protein back in and toss to mix. Then let the noodles sit in the pan without stirring for 15-20 seconds or until the noodles are charred in some spots. Flip the noodles and repeat 1-2 more times.
  • Add the basil and any leafy greens and turn off the heat. Toss for just a few seconds until they wilt. Plate and repeat with your other batches. Enjoy!
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 30gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 284mgSodium: 2476mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 6722IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 273mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Ultimate Guide to Palm Sugar and Coconut Sugar

by 34 Comments

Palm sugar is a delicious sweetener made from the nectar of the coconut or toddy palm flowers. It's an integral ingredient in Thai and Southeast Asian cooking, especially desserts. It is what I like to call the "original sugar" in traditional Thai cuisine before white granulated sugar became a thing.

However, I get a lot of questions about it and importantly not all palm sugars are created equal. So in this article I will answer all of your questions so you have the confidence to buy the right palm sugar, and know how to use it.

piles of palm sugar blogs in a THai market.
Coconut palm sugar sold at a market in Thailand (50 baht per kg).

What's Covered In This Article?

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Watch The Video: Palm Sugar 101

If you prefer to watch rather than read, most of the information covered in this article is also covered in this video. The one part I encourage you to watch is when I show you the 3 different brands of palm sugar of varying quality, so you can see what to look out for when shopping:

What exactly is palm sugar and coconut sugar?

Palm sugar is sugar that's made from the nectar of the flowers of *either* the coconut tree or the toddy palm tree (sometimes called sugar palm tree, pic below). If it's made from the coconut tree, then it's also called coconut sugar. In other words, coconut sugar is a type of palm sugar. So all coconut sugar is palm sugar, but not all palm sugar is coconut sugar, makes sense? 🙂

toddy palm trees in a field
Toddy palm trees in Thailand are super tall!

And in Thai, the generic term for all types of palm sugar is nam taan peep น้ำตาลปี๊ป or nam taan peuk น้ำตาลปึก. Coconut sugar is called nam taan maprao น้ำตาลมะพร้าว and sugar made from toddy palm is called nam taan tanoad น้ำตาลโตนด.

While the two sugars come from different plants, the flavor, however, are very, very similar. The one time I tasted them side by side I could tell that they were slightly different, but I couldn't identify which was which. So in Thai cooking palm sugar can be used interchangeably with coconut sugar, with some caveats. More on these caveats in the discussion around choosing the right palm sugar below.

Is Palm Sugar, Jaggery and Gula Melaka The Same Thing?

Jaggery is a term that's used to refer to any unrefined chunk of sugar. So yes, palm sugar is a type of jaggery, but you can also have jaggery made from cane juice that's been cooked down. In everyday speak however, we don't refer to Thai palm sugar as jaggery.

Gula melaka is the Malaysian term for palm sugar that is made from coconut nectar. Though the raw material is the same as Thai coconut palm sugar, gula melaka is reduced and caramelized further, as you can see in the pic below, so it is darker and has a different flavour. So the two are generally not interchangeable in recipes, especially if the sugar is added in large enough quantities that the flavour difference will be perceptible. So, you should use Thai palm sugar in Thai recipes, and gula melaka where it is called for specifically.

disks of gula melaka
Gula melaka

And to further clarify, palm sugar is also not the same as piloncillo or panela, which is made from sugar cane.

How is Palm Sugar Made?

Palm sugar is quite a labour intensive process. It's done in 4 major steps.

Step 1: Collecting the nectar.

bucket attached to palm flower collecting nectar

The palm sugar farmer first climbs up to the top of the tree to reach the flowers. They then cut the flowers and tie a bucket to it to collect the nectar that drips out. Now, you have to imagine that these are not short trees. Toddy palm trees can be anywhere from 25 to 40 meters tal (see pic above)l!! Coconut trees are not as tall, and this is why toddy palm sugar is less common - because it is much harder and more dangerous to collect their nectar.

The palm nectar starts out as a watery liquid that is aromatic, sweet and insanely delicious. You can get the nectar actually as a drink In Thailand, and it's one of my absolute favourite things to drink ice cold. I always seek out whenever I'm in Thailand.

Step 2: Reducing the sugar.

left: sugar syrup boiling with bamboo basket on the wok. Right: palm sugar syrup in a wok.

The nectar gets transferred to a large wok, and it is reduced over flame to evaporate the water so that you're left with is just the thick, caramelly, tasty syrup. It's a very similar idea to making maple syrup! At this point, non-artisanal makers will also add various amounts of granulated sugar as a filler. More on this below.

During the boiling process, a woven bamboo "cage" is placed in the wok (pic above) to prevent the syrup from boiling over.

Step 3: Whipping the sugar.

palm sugar being whipped with a whisk

The hot syrup is then whipped using a springy whisk, or a machine (think a boat propeller attached to a stick blender). The aeration is so that the sugar will cool down quickly AND evenly. If they let the sugar cool without whipping it, it will cool from the outside in, causing the exterior to harden while the inside is still liquid.

Step 4: Placing the sugar into molds.

palm sugar being put into molds

Once the sugar is cool enough that it is a thick paste, it'll either be packed into containers such as tubs or jars, or if they are to be sold as hard pucks, they will be placed into molds. The molds are usually round and can be small or large. The molds are lined with cloth to prevent sticking, and once the pucks are cool and hard they are packaged for sale.

Are all palm sugars created equal?

Nope. Not even close. As mentioned in Step 2 above, most producers of palm sugar add in some amount of granulated sugar as a filler, and I saw it with my own eyes during my visit to the palm sugar factory in Thailand.

As you saw, palm sugar is a labour intensive process and fewer and fewer Thai people are choosing this line of work, so there is way more demand for it than there is supply. There would never be enough palm sugar for everyone if it were all pure, and we'd probably all pay a very high price for it!

So the quality is determined by how much white granulated sugar is mixed in. When I spoke to the palm sugar maker during my visit, she said that it could be anywhere from 25% to 75% depending on the brand (the factory made palm sugar for many different brands, many of which are exported).

Essentially ALL Thai palm sugar available on the market, even in Thailand, is not pure. Yes, even if it says 100% palm sugar on the package, that is 100% a lie. Unfortunately there is no palm sugar police that makes sure the packaging is honest.

There is an opportunity to taste pure palm sugar, however, and that is if you visit a place that demonstrates how palm sugar is made traditionally in Thailand. These are usually open to visitors, and are more of an educational/touristy place than an actual sugar producer. What they do produce is a small amount that's sold mostly locally.

How to Choose Good Quality Palm Sugar?

If you're just looking at the sugar, it is quite hard to tell, but there are some signs. I encourage you to watch the video where I taste 3 different qualities of palm sugar so you'll see the differences more clearly that way.

But here's the bottom line: Looks can be deceiving, so the only real way to tell is to taste them side by side. The more palm necar it contains, the more flavourful and aromatic it will be. It will taste like a floral, butterscotch candy, not merely sugar.

Even though looks can be deceiving, it can tell you something. Most importantly, look for palm sugar with a smooth texture. It should not look crystalized, and it should not be very pale. The worst one I've seen is Cock Brand. It's so pale, and you can even see the granulated texture! It has a very faint palm sugar flavour with a crunchy texture that palm sugar should not have. This sugar has a TON of white sugar added. Of course it's the one that says 100% palm sugar on the packaging, which is obviously not true.

While you don't want super pale palm sugar, darker doesn't always mean better. A dark colour can also be imitated by adding brown sugar rather than white sugar. This is not a practice I've seen in palm sugar from Thailand, but I have seen it in palm sugar produced in Vietnam. While I think brown sugar is better than white sugar, cuz at least it has some flavour, colour alone should not be used as an indicator of purity.

Choose the more expensive one. If you have a few brands to choose from, I encourage you to choose the one with a higher price tag. Stores usually price items according to their cost, and if one palm sugar costs more than the other, you've got a higher chance that it is more pure. This is no guarantee of course, but since the difference in price is usually just a few bucks, I think it's worth the gamble.

Choosing Between Hard vs Soft Palm Sugar

palm sugar on green cloth partially chopped, and some more palm sugar in a glass cup
Right: Hard palm sugar which needs to be chopped. Left: Softer palm sugar which can be spooned.

Palm sugar is sold in stores in two major forms, hard solid pucks and a soft paste in a tub or jar. Neither one indicates a better quality, but here's what you need to know:

Palm sugar can be reduced to various degrees, so if they leave enough moisture in the syrup, it will not completely harden once cool. This palm sugar is then packed into tubs, jars or even plastic bags, designed to be spooned out. This is the most common type in Thailand because we use palm sugar a lot, and the soft paste is more convenient to use, and it dissolves more easily.

But in the export market I more often see palm sugar in hard pucks, which is better if you don't cook with palm sugar often. Why? Because like brown sugar, palm sugar dries out over time. And if you've store palm sugar in a tub for a long time, it can completely solidify in the tub, making it a total pain to use. If this happens, check out the "how to use" section below.

So here I always buy the pucks of palm sugar, which can be chopped and then measured in a tablespoon (more on this below).

What Palm Sugar or Coconut Sugar NOT To Buy for Thai Cooking

left: bob's red mill coconut sugar. Right: Roger's coconut sugar

In recent years we've started to see granulated "coconut sugar" in non-Asian stores. Can those be used for Thai cooking? Well yes and no. Generally I encourage you to buy Thai palm sugar because that's how you ensure the right flavour profile, especially when making desserts. But let's go through some other products on the market that may cause confusion.

Some granulated coconut sugar is very dark and has an entirely different flavour, like the Roger's one above. It looks almost like dark brown sugar. And while it is made from the same stuff - coconut nectar - the processing is different resulting in a different tasting product. It's very toasty, almost a little smoky, burnt toast-ish. So this is not a good one to use in Thai recipes that call for palm sugar because the flavour difference is too much.

Some granulated coconut sugar is very light and has a much milder flavour. It CAN be used in Thai recipes because it won't introduce any off flavours like the dark one, but seeing as it is not caramelized at all, it has a lighter flavour than Thai palm sugar. The Bob's Red Mill coconut sugar looks like it's medium-dark, though I haven't personally tasted it so I can't comment on how well it'll work as a Thai palm sugar substitute.

Worth noting that Red Boat sells palm sugar from Cambodia that they claim is pure (and FWIW I believe it). But the processing must be quite different because it is so much darker and more acidic than Thai palm sugar. A little bit in savoury applications would be fine, but I would not to use it in Thai desserts where the intense flavours will be quite prominent.

How to Use Palm Sugar

If your palm sugar comes in a puck, simply chop it with a chef's knife, shaving it thinly with each stroke like you would a block of chocolate. Some people like to use a box grater, but I find it easier to chop.

Important: if your palm sugar is really old, it will have dried out and it will become so hard that chopping it will be nearly impossible without ruining the edge of your knife! So, if you know that you will have the sugar for a long time (say, a year) I would chop it all in advance to prevent such a situation.

If you end up with rock hard pucks of palm sugar, try whacking it in a heavy duty stone mortar and pestle and it'll break into bits.

If you have soft palm sugar from a tub and it's soft enough to spoon, great, spoon away. But if it has hardened, you'll need to heat it up in the microwave, then use a spoon to scoop it out while it is still warm. Work quickly because once it cools down, it'll harden again.

Measuring Palm Sugar For My Recipes

If you are measuring palm sugar by tablespoon or cup, finely chop it and then pack it tightly into the measuring spoon or cup. 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped packed palm sugar weighs about 12 grams.

If your palm sugar is a soft paste, you will need to use the weight measure provided in my recipes because more of it will pack into a measuring spoon. Or if you're willing to wing it, you can also just eyeball a little bit less than the volume called for.

How to store palm sugar

Palm sugar can be stored at room temp indefinitely. It's sugar and it won't go bad, BUT it can dry out. Make sure it's well sealed in an airtight container, and again, if you won't use it often, consider chopping it all in bulk while it's still soft.

Substituting Palm Sugar

What can I use instead of palm sugar? It depends. Generally, light brown sugar is a good all-purpose substitute, and it measures about the same in a tablespoon which is convenient!

If palm sugar is added in a small amount to a recipe with a lot of strong flavours, like a curry, then you can substitute with any other kind of sugar or sweetener you have because the flavour of the sugar won't come through.

But in a recipe where it is also contributing flavour, like in a salad, pad thai, and definitely in desserts, you want to use light brown sugar or perhaps you can try maple syrup, which has obviously a different flavour but might be good nonetheless!

Recipes with Palm Sugar

Want to start cooking with palm sugar? Here are a couple of recipes that really showcase the flavour of palm sugar:

Classic Thai Noodle Soup - Street Style

by 9 Comments

Noodle soup or guay tiew nam ก๋วยเตี๋ยวน้ำ, is one of the poster children of Thai street food. No matter where you are in the country, you can find a shop selling some type of noodle soup near you. But this one, with clear pork broth and Asian style meatballs, is what I consider the "OG," the basic, the margherita pizza of pizzas. It's the simplest and easiest of noodle soups, and the ultimate comfort food. Make the stock in advance, and it's quick enough to put together for a weeknight meal.

If you're a fan of Vietnamese pho, you're going to love this one!

A bowl of noodle soup with fish cakes with a lime wedge and condiments on the side

What is a "Classic" Thai Noodle Soup?

There are many, many different kinds of noodle soups in Thailand, ranging from the famous and flavourful boat noodles, the unique pink yentafo, and the rich curry noodle soup khao soi. But if you take away all of the particular spices and sauces and toppings used in other more elaborate noodle soups, this classic comforting noodle soup is what we end up with.

In Thai we call this guay tiew look chin, or noodles with meatballs, but usually you'd also specify what kind of meatballs. So here we're using fish balls and fish cakes, so it's guay tiew look chin pla. If using pork balls, another very common version, it is guay tiew look chin moo.

Fish balls and pork balls are the two most common types of meatballs used for this dish in Thailand, but you can definitely use chicken or beef meatballs instead, or sub any other kind of protein, more on this below.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the the full recipe card below. Don't be deterred by the list of ingredients! May of the ones listed are optional but I want to give you the whole range of possiblities, and the basics that you really need are not that many!

ingredients for classic Thai noodle soup with fish cakes

For the Pork Stock (or chicken stock)

There are times when store bought stocks are totally fine, and this is not one of them. The pork stock is the foundation of the soup, and it really needs to be made Thai style to have the right flavour and aromatics. If you don't eat pork, you can substitute chicken bones.

  • Pork neck bones or back bones, I prefer neck bones because it has more meat which you can either save for another dish of simply top the noodle soup with it. Sub chicken bones if you don’t eat pork.
  • Daikon. I used to think that daikon was an optional stock aromatic, but after having made stocks with and without daikon, I now believe it is essential. It makes the stock so sweet and flavourful, and is a must have in Thailand for stocks.
  • Garlic.
  • Onion. Onion is not actually added to stocks in Thailand, but I love the added sweetness that it gives, and don't we always have an onion around the house anyway? 🙂
  • Cilantro roots, or cilantro stems, smashed gently to bruise.

For the Broth

  • Good Thai style pork stock from above.
  • Soy sauce.
  • Fish sauce. See my post on how to choose good fish sauce here.
  • Sugar.
  • Ground white pepper, to taste

Noodle Soup Components

  • Noodles of your choice. The noodle soups vendors will always offer several noodle options. You can choose whichever you prefer, and I've listed them all, along with cooking instructions below.
  • Asian style fish cakes/fish balls, or other types of Asian style meatballs of your choice. You can buy fish cakes at any Asian grocery stores, either fresh in the seafood counter or frozen. There are many flavours, and you can use anything you like, but try to stick with ones with fewer ingredients as they tend to be of higher quality.
    Other protein options: Because the soup is quite plain, I encourage you to use protein that is flavourful such as: the meat you picked off from the bones after making the pork stock tossed with some soy sauce and pepper, chopped leftover meats that is flavourful like a good steak or roast chicken, thinly sliced marinated pork or chicken, or ground pork cooked with some soy sauce.
  • Bean sprouts.
  • Fried garlic and garlic oil. Really important toppings for Thai noodle soup! You simply need to fry some chopped garlic on low heat until golden, but you can see the full recipe for fried garlic here.
  • Chopped cilantro and/or green onions for garnish
  • Optional: "tang chai" preserved cabbage bits. These are little bits of crunchy salted cabbage that we often add to our noodle soups. You can see them at the end of the video, but they are totally optional.

Optional Tableside Condiments:

Thai people always provide extra condiments for noodle soup so people can make it taste exactly how you want it. You can also make it “tom yum style” which is a hot and sour version (more on this below).

  • Chili vinegar, the basic version is simpley chopped chilies and white vinegar. You can also blend the chilies and the vinegar together. Read more about this on my chili vinegar post.
  • Fish sauce, if you want to soup to be more salty.
  • Sugar.
  • Roasted chili flakes, or any kind of spicy chili powder if you want to make it spicy. this is also needed for the tom yum style. You can buy or easily make your own roasted chili flakes.
  • Lime, only for tom yum style, more about tom yum style below.

How to Make Classic Thai Noodle Soup

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. The full instructions are in the recipe card below, and if this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

Process shots for making thai noodle soup steps 1-4
  1. Simmer pork neck bones in water for about 30 minutes, then skim off the scum.
  2. Add the daikon, onion, garlic, cilantro roots/stems, and white pepper and simmer for another hour, at minimum.
  3. Remove the pork bones and vegetables; the stock is now ready to use. Once the bones are cool, pick off the meat from the bones and you can season it with some soy sauce and use it to top the noodle soup, or save it for another dish.
  4. If using rice noodles, soak them in room temperature water until they are fully pliable. Timing varies between noodles, more on this below.
Process shots for making thai noodle soup steps
  1. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper to the broth and bring to a boil.
  2. Add all of the fish cakes and simmer for about 2 minutes or until the fish cakes are hot. Keep covered until ready to use.
  3. Blanch one portion of the noodles and beansprouts in a noodle strainer or sieve for the required amount of time (varies between noodles). Drain and place into a serving bowl.
  4. Top with the hot broth and fish cakes along with all of the garnishes.
a bowl of noodle soup with condiments on the side
  1. Serve immediately with tableside condiments, if desired, or make it tom yum style (see below).

Noodle Options and Cooking Instructions

At most Thai noodle soup vendors, you will have several noodle options and they all need slightly different preparations below. You can learn more about how to cook rice noodles properly in my post on mastering rice noodles.

noodle options for boat noodles on a baking tray
  • Rice vermicelli (sen mee) - The smallest of noodles and the quickest to prep. Simply soak them in room temp water for 5-15 mins (timing varies between brands) until they are completely limp, then drain. DO NOT OVERSOAK as these overcook very easily.
    To cook, blanch them in boiling water, one portion at a time, for 3 seconds.
  • Small dry rice noodles (sen lek) - The most classic option. These noodles are 1.5 mm wide when dry. Soak in room temp water for 20-30 minutes or until they turn opaque white and are completely limp - they should have lost all of the kinks - and then drain.
    To cook, blanch them in boiling water, one portion at a time, for 5 seconds.
  • Glass noodles (woon sen) - woonsen is thin, delicate, and has a neutral flavour and is delicious in boat noodles. Soak in room temp water for 10 minutes until softened before cooking.
    To cook, boil in hot water for 2 minutes. You can cook all of the glass noodles at once since they take a longer time to cook, then separate into portions immediately after draining.
  • Fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai) - This is the noodles commonly associated with pad see ew. If cold and stuck together, microwave the noodles until they are hot and soft, so they can be peeled apart without breaking. Separate all the noodles before cooking.
    To cook, blanch them one portion at a time for literally 1-2 seconds just to heat them up and wash off the oil that's used to coat them. Do not let them linger in hot water for too long because they're already fully cooked and will quickly turn mushy.
  • Wonton noodles or egg noodles (bamee) - These vary greatly between brands, so you'll have to change the cooking time according to what you've got.
    But if you have thin wonton noodles like the one shown in the pic (fresh and coated in flour), loosen the noodles and boil them in hot water for 1 minute. If you're making many portions, you can cook them all at once and separate them immediately after draining.
  • Mama Instant Noodles (sen mama) - Mama are the Thai instant noodles and they are super tasty in boat noodles! Buy any flavour of mama since you won't need the seasoning packets, but make sure the noodles are the classic wheat fried noodles as shown in the pic.
    Boil the noodles in water for about 1 minute, and you can cook all portions together and separate them after draining.
  • Medium size rice noodles (not pictured): These are 3mm wide rice noodles, but they are actually not offered in Thailand for noodle soups because they are meant for stir fries. But if these are what you have, soak them in room temp water for 1 hour until fully pliable, then blanch in boiling water for 8 seconds.

Pro Tip: Making it Tom Yum Style

In Thailand, when you go to most noodle soup shops you can order your noodle soup "tom yum" style. This is not to be confused with the famous tom yum soup. In the context of noodle soup, this means that they will make your soup hot and sour with the addition of lime juice and roasted chili flakes, and you can have tom yum style for most types of noodle soups that have a clear broth.

The fully loaded tom yum style also has coarsely ground roasted peanuts and ground pork, but the lime and chilies are the most important. I have a recipe for the fully loaded tom yum noodle soup here if you want to give it a go!

Advance Prep & Storage

The only thing that takes time is the pork stock, everything else is super easy to come together. So I would make the pork stock in advance, and that should be all you need to do.

You can also soak rice noodles in advance, drain, and keep them in the fridge. But do not soak rice vermicelli in advance as I find they tend to become mushy as they sit in the fridge and absorb excess moisture around them.

You can store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 1 week, and you can freeze it of course.

Before you start, if this is your first time, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! 

Love Thai street food? You'd also love these!

A bowl of noodle soup with fish cakes

Classic Thai Noodle Soup - Street Style

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
This simple noodle soup is the epitome of Thai street food. Your noodle of choice, in a comforting clear pork broth, topped with fish cakes or meatballs of your choice. Prep the stock in advance and you'll have the perfect quick meal for a cozy evening.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 
 

Pork Stock

  • 2 lb pork neck bones or back bones , or sub chicken bones if you don’t eat pork
  • 3.5 L water
  • 4 inch piece daikon, peeled and large diced
  • 1 medium onion, large dice
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed until broken
  • 3 cilantro roots, or 8 cilantro stems, smashed gently to bruise

Broth

  • 4 ½ cups Thai style pork stock, from above, see note 1
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1½ teaspoon sugar
  • Ground white pepper, to taste

Noodle Soup

  • 8 oz Thai rice vermicelli noodles, or another noodles of your choice (see note 2)
  • 8 oz Asian style fish cakes and fish balls, or other types of meatballs of your choice
  • 2 cups beansprouts
  • Fried garlic and garlic oil, recipe here (see note 3)
  • Chopped cilantro and/or green onions, for garnish
  • Tang chai (salted cabbage bits), optional

Optional Tableside Condiments: Thai people always provide extra condiments for noodle soup so people can make it taste exactly how you want it. You can also make it “tom yum style,” more in the post above.

  • Chili vinegar
  • Fish sauce
  • Sugar
  • Roasted chili flakes, to make it spicy or if you want it tom yum style (see blog post above)
  • 1 Lime, if you want to make it tom yum style

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

1. Please do not use store bought stock for this, it really will not be the same.
2. The weight given only applies to dry rice noodles. If using fresh egg noodles you’ll need about 12 oz for 4 servings. If using something else, please use your judgement and eyeball it!
3. Don’t skip the garlic oil! The aroma it adds to the soup is incredible and in Thailand no noodle soup is ever served without it! You can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge. More detail on my post on fried garlic and garlic ol.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For the pork stock:

  • Wash the bones in cold water and add to a large stock pot. Cover the bones with room temp water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium to medium-low to maintain a simmer, and after about 30 minutes of simmering, skim off the scum that has floated to the top.
    2 lb pork neck bones or back bones, 3.5 L water
  • Add the daikon, onion, cilantro root or stems, garlic, and white pepper, then simmer gently for 1 more hour at minimum. You can keep it going for longer if you have time, just be sure to top up the water if needed to keep the bones submerged.
    4 inch piece daikon, 1 medium onion, 5 cloves garlic, 3 cilantro roots
  • Once done, remove the bones with tongs and set aside to cool. Use a skimmer to fish out all the vegetables and discard; alternatively you can strain it through a colander.
  • The stock is now ready to be used or stored. It will last a week in the fridge and it can be frozen indefinitely.
  • Pick any meat off the pork bones, and you can toss it with some soy sauce and use it to top the noodle soup or keep it for another dish (you can add it to fried rice, curry, pasta dishes, anything you like!)

For the noodle soup:

  • If using Thai rice vermicelli, soak the noodles in room temp water for 5-10 minutes until completely pliable - DO NOT OVER SOAK THEM. If using other kinds of noodles, change soaking time accordingly.)
    8 oz Thai rice vermicelli noodles
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking the noodles (use A LOT of water so that temperature doesn’t drop drastically once you add the noodles). Meanwhile, add 4 ½ cups of the pork stock to another pot and add soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and ground white pepper and bring to a boil.
    4 ½ cups Thai style pork stock, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon fish sauce, 1½ teaspoon sugar, Ground white pepper
  • Once the broth is boiling, add the fish cakes/balls and cook them for about 30 seconds or until heated through. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed, making sure the broth is strongly seasoned as it’ll be diluted once the noodles are added. Cover and keep hot while you cook the noodles.
    8 oz Asian style fish cakes and fish balls
  • Once the blanching water is boiling, place 1 portion of the noodles and 1 handful of bean sprouts into a noodle strainer or metal sieve that fits inside the pot. Dunk the noodles into the water and shake them around for 3 seconds (or change cooking time accordingly if using other noodles). Lift the noodles out, shake off as much excess water as you can, and place into a serving bowl. Repeat with the remaining portions of noodles, waiting for the water to come back to a boil each time before you cook the next portion.
    2 cups beansprouts
  • Ladle the broth and the fish balls over the cooked noodles, then top with garlic oil, fried garlic, tang chai, and green onions and/or cilantro.
    For a hot and sour “tom yum style” add a good amount of spicy roasted chili flakes and a good squeeze of lime (about 2-3 teaspoon of lime juice per bowl), plus about ¼ teaspoon of sugar to help balance the lime.
    Fried garlic and garlic oil, Chopped cilantro and/or green onions, Tang chai (salted cabbage bits)
  • Serve with tableside condiments, if desired.
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup

by 54 Comments

Regional Thai food isn't very well known, but khao soi ข้าวซอย, with egg noodles in an aromatic curry broth is an exception. Because Northern Thailand is such a popular tourist destination, this Northern Thai curry noodle soup has become popular amongst foreigners.

Some might even say if you visit the North of Thailand and didn't eat khao soi, you didn't really make it there! It's a truly unique dish, and with this recipe you can recreate the experience of Northern Thailand at home.

a bowl of khao soi with chicken drumsticks with condiments on the side.

What is Khao Soi and Where Did it Come From?

Khao soi ข้าวซอย is a northern Thai noodle soup that uses wheat-based egg noodles and is served in a coconut milk curry broth. It's typically made with chicken or beef, and the bowl is topped with crispy deep fried noodles. Although it is sometimes called "Chiang Mai Noodles" in the West, it is not unique to, nor originated from, Chiang Mai. 

Khao means rice and soi means to julienne. It's an interesting name because there is no rice involved in the process. Some say this is because the dish used to use rice noodles made by julienning sheets of dough. Others say khao is short for khao salee which means wheat. Yet some think that the word came from a similar Burmese dish called ohn no khao swe, which I think is more likely because the two dishes are really quite similar.

The exact origin of khao soi is debated, but the prevalent theory seems to be that it came into northern Thailand via Chinese-Muslim immigrants from the Yunnan region, which is why khao soi is not usually made with pork; despite the fact that pork is the most common meat in Thailand.

The Yunnanese, or jeen haw in Thai, would've had to travel through Myanmar in order to get to Northern Thailand, so it is possible that they encountered ohn no khao swe there and brought it with them to Thailand, hence the similarity of the two dishes.

Khao soi in Thailand can vary significantly. This is because after khao soi arrived in Thailand, in whatever form that was originally, Thai people in various places started to modify the dish to suit their own palate. So when you're in Northern Thailand, don't just try one khao soi and think you've "been there done that!"

For example, in northern Thailand you can find something called "Yunnanese khao soi" that bares almost no resemblance to this recipe - the broth has no coconut milk, and the noodles are big fat rice noodles. Aside from the fact that they're both noodles in soup, and a few common ingredients...there is very little else alike. This is possibly as close to the "original" khao soi as it gets.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients and important notes about them. For amounts, see the full recipe card below. There are a number of components to khao soi: the curry paste, the curry, the crispy noodles, and the condiments. Sounds like a lot but many of them are quite simple!

Curry Paste Ingredients

Unfortunately you can't buy store-bought curry paste for khao soi (at least not that I've seen). But the ingredient list for the curry paste isn't long.

khao soi curry paste ingredients
  • Dried chilies. Khao soi is not typically very spicy, so I stick with milder dried chilies such as guajillo or puya. If using spicier chilies, remove all of the seeds and pith to reduce the heat.
  • Coarse salt, the coarseness of the salt will add friction and helps the curry paste grind more easily.
  • Ginger, scrub or scrape any loose bits of skin off and trim the woody ends, but there is no need to peel everything off.
  • Fresh turmeric, wash it well and there is no need to peel it. You can substitute ground turmeric, but I do prefer the flavour of fresh turmeric.
  • Shallots
  • Coriander seeds
  • Black cardamom, this is the spice that will make this curry truly unique. It is not used in all variations of khao soi, but I think it does make it stand out from other kinds of Thai curries. Black cardamom (tsaoko) has an aroma that reminds me of leather, smoke, peaty scotch, and menthol. You can find it at Chinese or Indian grocery stores. If you can't find it, you can try using green cardamom, which is NOT similar, but it'll still taste good and it'll be better than nothing.

Noodle Soup Ingredients

khao soi curry ingredients
  • Coconut milk, read about how to choose good coconut milk here.
  • Chicken drumsticks or drumettes. Drumsticks are the most common in Thailand as the bones make the broth rich and flavourful. If you're short on time, use drumettes and they will cook in half the time of drumsticks. You can substitute boneless chicken with some caveats; see more on this in the FAQ below.
  • Soy sauce. It might surprise you to see soy sauce used in a Thai curry, but that's because this is a dish of Chinese Muslim origin! See more on the history of khao soi above.
  • Fish sauce. Optional, I use fish sauce to do my final seasoning adjustment because I like the flavour, but you can also just use more salt or soy sauce.
  • Palm sugar, finely chopped. But brown or granulated is fine also.
  • Wheat-based egg noodles, also known as wonton noodles, can be bought fresh in the refrigerated section at Asian markets. Most commonly khao soi uses flat noodles, but sometimes round ones are used, so whatever you prefer is fine. Some of these noodles will be used for frying as crispy noodles on top.
  • Chopped cilantro for garnish, optional (not pictured).

Condiments for Khao Soi

These four condiments are iconic, and khao soi is not complete if served without them! However, if you don't eat spicy, you can skip the fried chili flakes.

khao soi condiment ingredients
  • Lime wedges for a little acidity to help brighten the flavour of the broth.
  • Chopped shallots, or red onion for some freshness. I personally prefer red onions as they are sweeter and less pungent, but shallots are also fine.
  • Pickled mustard greens. These really make a difference! They are tart and crunchy and help counter the richness of the broth, a component that's very important in Thai cuisine (more on this below). You can buy pickled mustard greens at many Asian grocery stores, just make sure they are a product of Thailand. You can substitute another crunchy sour pickle though such as pickled carrots or cauliflower.
  • Fried chili flakes. This is optional for those who want to add some heat to their bowl, and it's made simply by sauteing some chili flakes in oil until dark and smokey.

KHAO SOI SHORTCUT: If you don't have time for a homemade curry paste, in my book SABAI: 100 Weeknight Thai Recipes, I have a "cheat" version that uses modified store-bought red curry paste. Doesn't taste the same, but it'll do in a pinch.

How to Make Khao Soi Step-By-Step

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. Since all the components can be made in advance, I recommend you spread the work out over two days to make it easier. See more on advance prep below. Also if this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

For khao soi curry paste

Process shots for making khao soi steps 1-4
  1. Remove the seeds from the black cardamom pods and place the seeds into a medium dry skillet along with the coriander seeds. Toast over medium high heat, moving them constantly, until the coriander seeds darken slightly. Set aside.
  2. In the same skillet over high heat, place the ginger and turmeric slices down and let them sear until they're slightly charred. Then flip and char the other side and remove from the pan.
  3. In the same skillet, add the shallots and let them char; stirring them around to char them more evenly. Remove from the pan.
  4. Cut the chilies into chunks and pour out most of the seeds.
Process shots for making khao soi steps 5-8
  1. In a coffee/spice grinder, grind the chilies, black cardamom and coriander seeds into a powder, remove and set aside.
  2. In a heavy-duty mortar and pestle, pound the ginger and turmeric into a fine paste. (*You can also double the recipe to get more volume and use an immersion blender, as shown in my red curry paste recipe.)
  3. Add the shallots and the coarse salt and pound; and once it starts to get wet and slippery, add some of the ground spices to help absorb moisture and add friction.
  4. Pound into a fine paste, then add any remaining dried spices and pound to mix.

For khao soi broth

Process shots for making khao soi steps 9-12
  1. Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until the mixture is very thick and coconut oil starts to sizzle around the edges of the paste.
  2. Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste. Then add water, soy sauce, black soy sauce, and sugar.
  3. Add the chicken drumsticks and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 40 minutes or until the drumsticks are fork tender. (Now's a good time to prep condiments and fry the noodles.)
  4. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more fish sauce if it needs a little more salt.
Process shots for making khao soi steps 13-16
  1. For crispy noodles: Cut the noodles for frying to about 4 inches, then fry them in a 350°F oil, pressing them down to keep them submerged. Once they are golden brown and the bubbling has almost completely stopped, remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.
  2. When ready to eat: Boil the noodles until they are fully cooked - timing will vary between brands and noodle sizes. Mine take 3 minutes. Drain and divide into serving bowls.
  3. Place 1 or 2 drumsticks into the bowl and ladle the curry on top.
  4. Serve immediately with the condiments.

For The Fried Chili Flakes (optional)

Of the 4 khao soi condiments, this is the only one that needs to be prepped beyond chopping, but it's a snap. It is also optional and only needed if you want to let your guests to make it spicier.

Process shots for making fried chili flakes, steps 1-2
  1. Add the chili flakes and oil to a small pot or skillet - you can make as much as you want here, it keeps indefinitely in the fridge. Then add just enough oil so that the chili flakes look like wet sand.
  2. Turn the heat on medium low and keep stirring until the chilies start to darken and smell smoky. Transfer into a small bowl immediately to stop the cooking.

"Gae Lien" - The Importance of The Condiments

I admit that on my laziest of days I have had khao soi without the condiments, BUT... it's also not as good. The condiments serve a purpose that we call gae lien, a very important concept in Thai cuisine.

Gae lien can be loosely translated as "to counter the richness." Thai cuisine places great importance in having well balanced flavours in a meal, so when we serve something that is rich and fatty, we always make sure there's something tart, light and crunchy to "counter the richness," and prevent things from becoming cloying and reducing your appetite.

This is why we usually include salads or dip platters in a multi-dish meal, as I explained in this video. But since khao soi is meant to be a meal in itself, the pickled mustard greens, shallots, and lime are necessary for gae lien.

Advance Prep Tips

There are several components to khao soi, so unless you're doing this as a weekend project, I suggest you break the work up over a couple of days. Here are the things you can do ahead of time and how to store them.

  • Make the curry paste in advance. If you do one thing in advance, this should be it. Make the curry paste, and then if you'll be cooking the curry in the next day or two, keep it refrigerated. Beyond that amount of time, you should freeze the curry paste. It can be frozen for a few months so you can make a big batch and freeze the remainder.
  • Make the curry broth in advance. The broth will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. You can even freeze it in smaller portions if you want to save it for a rainy day. It will actually taste better once it's had time to sit.
  • Fry the noodles in advance. The noodles can be fried and kept in an airtight container for up to a week. If you're frying them a few days ahead, fry them until all the bubbles are completely gone to make sure there is no moisture left in them. This will ensure they stay crispy for a long time.
  • Prep the condiments. Getting the condiments together is the kind of fiddly thing that I hate dealing with on the day I'm busy serving guests. So I prep the condiments the day before and put them in little bowls/ramekins, put them on a plate, then wrap the whole thing and refrigerate. Then you just bring the whole plate out when ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe using boneless chicken?

Yes. I recommend you to use dark meat, cut into chunky pieces, then let them braise in the broth until they are fork tender. I would then use unsalted or low sodium chicken stock instead of water to make up for the lack of bones. I don't recommend using chicken breast for this. 

How can I make khao soi using other kinds of meat?

You can substitute the chicken with any other meats that can be braised. Stew-friendly beef cuts such as beef shank or chuck would work, cut in smaller pieces, but you will need to extend the cooking time accordingly. You can also use pork butt, though khao soi pork is less common in Thailand.

Can I make a vegan khao soi?

Yes. I would substitute the water with a good vegetable stock, then use mushrooms of your choice and tofu and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Frozen tofu would be excellent in this as it can absorb more flavour.

a bowl of khao soi with chicken drumsticks with condiments on the side.

Khao Soi: Northern Thai Curry Noodle Soup

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Khao soi ข้าวซอย is a northern Thai noodle soup with egg noodles served in a coconut milk based curry broth and topped with crispy deep fried noodles. It's a dish that will impress!
5 from 25 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

For the Curry Paste

  • 2 pods black cardamom
  • 1.5 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 0.75 oz ginger, thinly sliced
  • 1.5 inch fresh turmeric (about 5 g) , thinly sliced, or sub 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ cup shallots, sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 0.75 oz mild dried chilies , such as guajillo or puya
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the Noodle Soup

  • 1 batch khao soi curry paste , from above
  • 1 ½ cups coconut milk, plus extra for drizzling, if desired (see note 2)
  • 8 pieces chicken drumsticks
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
  • 2-3 teaspoons fish sauce, optional, as needed
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar, finely chopped, packed, or sub brown sugar
  • 12 oz flat fresh egg noodles (also known as wonton noodles), divided
  • Chopped cilantro and/or green onions for garnish, optional

Condiments

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • ¼ cup chopped shallots or red onion
  • ½ cup chopped pickled mustard greens
  • Fried chili flakes, to taste (instructions below)

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. You can also use an immersion blender to make the curry paste as shown in my red curry paste recipe, but you will need to double the recipe to make it blend properly. Extra curry paste can be frozen for months. 
  2. Some people prefer a richer khao soi, and an easy way to do this is to drizzle a little extra coconut milk for on top (1-2 tablespoon per serving). The extra drizzle also makes for a prettier presentation!

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For the Curry Paste

  • Smash the cardamom pods with a pestle or something heavy and take out the seeds; place the seeds into a medium dry skillet. Add the coriander seeds and toast over high heat, moving them constantly, until the coriander seeds darken slightly. Remove and set aside.
    2 pods black cardamom, 1.5 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • In the same skillet over high heat, place the ginger and turmeric slices down and let them sear until they're slightly charred, this will take 2-3 minutes. Then flip and char the other side and remove from the pan. (See video for what all this charring should look like.)
    0.75 oz ginger, 1.5 inch fresh turmeric (about 5 g)
  • In the same skillet over high heat, place the sliced shallots and let them sear until charred spots form; this will take just a few seconds. Then stir the shallots and let them char a bit more, then remove from the pan.
    ½ cup shallots
  • Remove the stems from dried chilies and use scissors to cut them into chunks, pouring out the seeds as you cut them, but no need to get every seed out. Add the chilies to a coffee/spice grinder along with the black cardamom and coriander seeds and grind into a powder, remove and set aside.
    0.75 oz mild dried chilies
  • In a mortar and pestle, pound the ginger and turmeric slices into a fine paste. Then add the shallots and the coarse salt and pound into a fine paste. Once the mixture starts to get wet and slippery, add some of the ground spices to help absorb moisture, which will make it easier to grind.
    Once you've got a fine paste, add any remaining dried spices and pound just to mix.
    1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the Curry Broth

  • In a medium pot, add ½ cup (120 ml) of the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir to dissolve, then keep stirring for a few minutes until the mixture is very thick and coconut oil starts to sizzle around the edges of the paste. (If the paste is very thick and the coconut oil has not sizzled, this is okay, you can move on.)
    1 ½ cups coconut milk, 1 batch khao soi curry paste
  • Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to dissolve the curry paste. Then add water, soy sauce, black soy sauce, sugar, and the chicken drumsticks. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low and let simmer gently for about 40 minutes or until the drumsticks are fork tender. While the chicken is simmering, make the crispy noodles and prep the condiments.
    *Keep the simmer gentle as we do not want the soup to reduce too much.
    3 cups water, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon black soy sauce, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, 8 pieces chicken drumsticks
  • Once the chicken is done, taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or salt if needed (I love adding fish sauce). Remember to make the broth strongly seasoned as it will be diluted slightly once noodles are added. If it has become salty from reducing too much, you can simply add more water.
    2-3 teaspoons fish sauce

For the Crispy Fried Noodles

  • Take 3 oz (85 g) of the noodles for frying. Loosen them and shake off excess flour, then use scissors to cut them a few times so they are about 4 inches long.
  • Heat about 2" of frying oil in a wide pot or wok to 350°F (175 °C).
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and add a SMALL handful of noodles (they will expand A LOT) into the oil and press the noodles down as they fry to submerge them. Fry until the noodles are golden brown AND the bubbling is almost gone. Remove and drain on a paper towel and repeat with the remaining noodles. Tip: If you've put in too many noodles and they cannot be submerged, you'll need to flip them halfway through to fry the top.
    *No bubbling means noodles are crispy so you want to wait until the bubbles are almost gone before you take them out. If the noodles are browning faster than the bubbles can slow down, your heat is too high.
    12 oz flat fresh egg noodles (also known as wonton noodles)

For the Fried Chili Flakes (if using)

  • Add any amount of spicy chili flakes to a small pot and add just enough neutral flavoured oil so the chili flakes look like wet sand.
  • Turn the heat on medium low and keep stirring until the chilies start to darken and smell smoky - just a few minutes. Transfer into a small bowl immediately to stop the cooking.

Assembly

  • Bring a large pot of water to a full boil on high heat. Meanwhile, loosen the noodles and shake off any excess flour.
  • Once the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook until they are done - this will vary from brand to brand so if you're not sure, keep checking them every minute or so. (As a reference, the flat wonton noodles shown in the video take 3 minutes.)
  • While the noodles are cooking, and if you're cooking multiple servings, prepare a mixing bowl for the cooked noodles to go into, and add about a tablespoon of oil into the bowl to help noodles separate. (If you have garlic oil, this is a great place to use it!)
  • Use a slotted skimmer to fish the noodles out, shake off excess water, and add them into your bowl with oil. Toss the noodles in the oil, then divide the noodles into serving bowls.
  • Place 1 to 2 chicken drumsticks into each bowl, then ladle the hot curry broth over them - the broth is quite rich so you don't need much broth. For an extra flare, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk on top which will make it look prettier and adds a little more richness.
    Top with a handful of the crunchy noodles and some chopped cilantro if desired, then serve immediately with all the condiments.
    Chopped cilantro and/or green onions for garnish, 1 lime, ¼ cup chopped shallots or red onion, Fried chili flakes, ½ cup chopped pickled mustard greens
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Thai Breakfast Rice Soup with Shrimp (Khao Tom Goong)

by 20 Comments

We don't have many breakfast-specific dishes in Thailand, but of the few we do have, kao tom (aka khao tom) is an absolute classic. You can think of kao tom as the Thai sister of congee. Instead of being porridge-like with the rice grains broken down, it's more of a brothy soup with the rice still in whole grains. It's one of the most comforting dishes Thailand has to offer, and a staple in Thai breakfast buffets in hotels.

At the basic level it's simply jasmine rice added to a flavourful broth. The components can be prepped ahead, and then comes morning time it takes just a few minutes to come together!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe and some important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

  • Pork stock or chicken stock, unsalted. In Thailand this would most likely be pork stock, so use that if you want to recreate the exact Thai version, but chicken stock would also be just fine. For the right flavour, homemade Thai style stock is best. Here are my recipes for Thai style pork stock and chicken stock.
  • Garlic
  • White peppercorns
  • Cilantro stems or cilantro roots
  • Shrimp, cut into small chunks, plus a few extra whole ones for garnish if you so desire.
  • Fish sauce, see my post on choosing good fish sauce here.
  • Soy sauce
  • Cooked jasmine rice, if you have had trouble cooking jasmine rice, see my post here on how to cook perfect rice without a rice cooker. Having said that, this recipe would work perfectly with rice that you might have accidentally overcooked or under cooked, it's a great way to use it up!

Optional Condiments

  • Fried garlic & garlic oil, this is made simply by frying garlic in oil. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and it keeps well so you just have to make it once. I always keep a stash in my fridge as we use it to finish all kinds of dishes, especially noodle soups. See my fried garlic recipe here. *You can buy fried garlic from Asian stores, but you won't get the garlic oil which is arguably the more flavourful part!
  • Green onion and/or cilantro, for some greenery 🙂
  • Chinese preserved cabbage (optional), this is called tang chai in Thai and it is salty, crunchy bits of preserved (salted) cabbage. It is okay to omit this as it's hard to find, it just adds salty bits to the soup which is nice.
  • Extra ground white pepper, to taste.

How to Make Thai Breakfast Rice Soup with Shrimp (Kao Tom Goong)

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Process shots for making kao tom goong, steps 1-4.
  1. Pound white peppercorns until fine, then add garlic and cilantro stem/roots and pound until fine.
  2. Add half of the garlic mixture to the small pieces of shrimp and mix well. 
  3. Saute the small pieces of shrimp in a pan with a little bit of oil just until it's cooked through.
  4. If you're not using a nonstick pan and there is some bits of herbs stuck to the pan, deglaze the pan with a splash of stock to release the tasty bits of herbs. Then remove from pan and set aside.
Process shots for making kao tom goong, steps 5-8.
  1. If using whole garnish shrimp, sear the whole shrimp over medium high heat until browned and cooked through, set aside. 
  2. Bring the stock to a boil in a pot, add the other half of the garlic paste and simmer for one minute. Then season the broth with fish sauce and soy sauce, then taste and adjust seasoning.
  3. When ready to serve, bring the broth to a boil then add the rice and the shrimp. Bring the soup back to a simmer, and immediately turn off the heat (if you let this simmer for a long time the rice will swell up and absorb too much stock).
  4. Serve immediately, if you let this sit, the rice will continue to absorb liquid. Ladle into a bowl, and top with all the condiments as desired. Enjoy!

Advance Prep Tip

If you're not an early bird and need breakfast to be quick, it's totally doable! Once components are prepped, it takes just minutes to get it on the table. You can even prepare it for the week. Here's what to do:

Up to a week ahead, cook the rice, the broth, the shrimp, and the fried garlic and keep them in the fridge (in separate containers). Comes time to eat, bring the broth to a boil, and while you wait you can chop up the cilantro/green onions and set the table.

Once the broth boils, add the rice and the shrimp and let it heat up thoroughly for a few minutes, et voila! Gourmet Thai breakfast in minutes!

Recipe Card

Thailand's Favorite Sauce for Meats - Nam Jim Jeaw

by 16 Comments

Give Thai people a piece of meat and we're going to ask, "Where's the nam jim jeaw?" Nam jim jeaw is Thai people's #1 go-to sauce for all kinds of meats, especially grilled meats. A must-have for any Thai barbecue, but it's also amazing on steaks, roast chicken, or pork chops. It's also easy to make and can be made in advance!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

What is Nam Jim Jeaw?

Nam jim jeaw is the classic Thai dipping sauce for all manner of meats, especially grilled meats. It's made from fish sauce, lime juice and/or tamarind, sugar, dried chilies, toasted rice powder and fresh herbs. The spicy acidity, with toasted rice aroma and fresh herbs, makes it the perfect thing to enhance and balance the richness of meats.

Nam jim means dipping sauce and jeaw also means dipping sauce, but in the Northeastern Thai dialect! This is because the sauce originated in Northeastern Thailand, but it quickly spread to the rest of the country due to its ease, versatility, and deliciousness. So nam jim jeaw essentially means "the dipping sauce from the Northeast"!

Ingredients

There aren't many ingredients for nam jim jeaw, and they're all staples in Thai cuisine!

  • Fish sauce. See my post here on how to choosing good fish sauce
  • Tamarind. Store bought tamarind paste (aka tamarind concentrate) is fine, just be sure to buy one from Thailand. If you want to make your own from pulp it is easy! Follow my guide to making homemade tamarind.
  • Lime juice.
  • Palm sugar or white sugar. Read all about palm sugar here!
  • Toasted chili flakes. You can buy store bought chili flakes and toast in a dry pan briefly until smokey, or toast whole chilies (arbol is a good choice) and then grind. The toasting is optional, but adds a nice smokiness.
  • Shallots.
  • Toasted rice powder. This is absolutely key to this recipe! Adds an iconic toasty aroma that makes all the difference. It's made simply by toasting raw rice (pictured) in a dry skillet and then grinding it.
  • Fresh herbs, commonly green onion and cilantro, though mint, sawtooth coriander or even dill can be used.

How to Make Nam Jim Jeaw

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, for amounts and detailed instructions, see the recipe card below!

Process shots for making nam jim jeaw, steps 1-4
  1. If making toasted chili flakes from whole chilies, toast them in a dry skillet over medium high heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until some charred spots form on the chilies. You can also toast store bought chili flakes in this way.
  2. Grind the chilies in a coffee grinder or spice grinder.
  3. Make the toasted rice powder by toasting the rice in a dry pan over high heat, stirring constantly, until dark brown.
  4. Grind into a powder using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
Process shots for making nam jim jeaw, steps 5-8
  1. Combine the fish sauce, tamarind, lime juice, and palm sugar or white sugar.
  2. Stir until most of the sugar is dissolved. Any stubborn chunks of palm sugar should dissolve in 5 minutes or so as it sits in the liquid.
  3. Add the shallots, toasted rice powder, chilies, and fresh herbs.
  4. It's now ready to use!

3 Useful Variations of Nam Jim Jeaw

Nam jim jeaw is not a fixed recipe, it's more of a concept. So depending on what is being served, people will change the ratios of ingredients to better pair with the food. Nam jim jeaw from 2 restaurants will rarely be the same!

In the recipe card, I give you 3 different versions:

  • "Original" All-Purpose Jeaw. When in doubt, this is the one to make. A good balance of salty, sour, and sweet that will go with most thing; especially BBQ chicken, steak, and pork jowl. It has a bit of a thicker body so it will cling well to meats when dipped.
  • Light Jeaw. Made to be lighter in body with more lime juice, it will cling lightly to meats when dipped, making it perfect for thin, delicate pieces of meat such as in hot pot. It is also less sweet and more tart and salty, which helps it cut the grease of very fatty meat such as pork belly, or meat that is already quite sweet.
  • Mellower Tomato Jeaw. The original jeaw is very intense, making it easy for those unfamiliar to overdo it. So I came up with a mellower version with the addition of diced tomatoes that people can more generously spoon onto their meat.

What to Serve with Nam Jim Jeaw

Some classic dishes that are always served with nam jim jeaw are:

  • Thai BBQ chicken (gai yang). This is a staple in my house, and you can bake the chicken instead as well.
  • Grilled steaks. We love it so much that even some Western steak houses will offer nam jim jeaw alongside gravy because some Thai people (me included) just cannot have meat without it!
  • Grilled pork jowl.
  • Northeastern Thai hot pot (aka jim jum or jeaw hon). Since the pieces are delicate, we use the lighter jeaw for this one.
  • Crispy pork belly, I especially love it with crispy pork belly because the jeaw cuts the fat so well that you'll be able to enjoy it without it feeling overly greasy. I also recommend the light version for this.

But really, any meat, Thai or not, can benefit from nam jim jeaw. Try it on roast beef, roast chicken, or even some firm-flesh fatty fish such as salmon, trout, or mackerel.

Storage and Advance Prep

Storage: You can keep leftover nam jim jeaw in the fridge for up to a week. The herbs will look wilted, of course, and the sauce will thicken slightly because the rice will have absorbed some liquid, but it will still taste fine. So ideally, you don't want to make more than you need. But you can....

Make nam jim jeaw "base" in bulk! If you want quick and easy access to nam jim jeaw you can absolutely make a bunch of the "base" ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. You simply need to omit a couple of things:

  • Leave out the leafy herbs and add when serving. Otherwise the herbs will look dodgy within a day. If you're lazy you can definitely serve the sauce without the herbs at all.
  • Leave out the toasted rice powder and add when serving. You can toast the rice ahead of time and keep it whole in a jar. When ready to serve, grind it up and add to the sauce. The aroma of toasted rice is fleeting so you don't want to add it far ahead of time.
a bowl of nam jim jeaw with cilantro and dried chilies in the background

Thai Dipping Sauce for Meat (Nam Jim Jeaw)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
This is Thai people's #1 go-to sauce for meat; especially grilled and barbecued meats. Works great on beef, pork, chicken and firmer fish such as salmon.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Sauces
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

"Original" All-Purpose Nam Jim Jeaw

  • 1 tablespoon jasmine rice or glutinous rice, uncooked
  • 2 tablespoon tamarind paste, (see note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
  • 2 tablespoon finely diced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon toasted chili flakes, or to taste (see note 2)
  • 3 tablespoon chopped herbs such as cilantro, green onions, mint, or sawtooth coriander

Light Nam Jim Jeaw (see note 3)

  • 1 tablespoon jasmine rice or glutinous rice, uncooked
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, or sub another ½ tablespoon lime (see note 1)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted chili flakes, or to taste (see note 2)
  • 2 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 3 tablespoon chopped herbs such as cilantro, green onions, mint, or sawtooth coriander

Mellower Tomato Jeaw (see note 3)

  • 1 recipe All-Purpose Nam Jim Jeaw, from above
  • ⅓ cup small diced juicy tomatoes

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. Use tamarind paste from Thailand which comes in plastic tubs or glass jars. Sometimes they're labelled "tamarind concentrate." Do not use tamarind paste from India for this.
  2. Toasting the chili flakes are optional but adds a nice smokiness. You can buy store bought chili flakes and toast them in a dry skillet on medium heat for a few minutes until they darken and smell smokey. Or buy whole dried chilies, toast them in a dry skillet until charred spots form, then grind in a coffee grinder. (Arbol chilies are a good "medium heat" option.)
  3. Light jeaw is what I prefer for delicate meats (hot pot) or very fatty meats (pork belly). Mellower tomato jeaw is less intense and allows you to use it as a "spoon-over" sauce, as opposed to a dipping sauce, without it becoming overpowering. More info on these variations in the blog post!

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For All-Purpose and Light Nam Jim Jeaw

  • Make the toasted rice powder by adding the raw rice into a small dry skillet over medium high heat. Stir constantly until the grains are dark brown (it may get a bit smokey). Remove from the pan immediately to stop the toasting, and grind into a powder using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.
    1 tablespoon jasmine rice or glutinous rice
  • In a small bowl, combine the tamarind paste, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar; stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
    *If using chopped palm sugar, any stubborn chunks that won't dissolve after a good stirring should dissolve in 5 minutes or so as they sit in the liquid. So no need to worry about them unless you're serving it immediately; in which case you can warm it up in the microwave briefly (5-8 seconds) to help the final bits of sugar dissolve. Smashing the chunks with a spoon will also help.
    2 tablespoon tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon palm sugar
  • Add the shallots and chili flakes and stir to mix.
    2 tablespoon finely diced shallots, 1 teaspoon toasted chili flakes
  • Close to serving time, add the toasted rice powder and all of the fresh herbs; stir to mix.
    1 tablespoon jasmine rice or glutinous rice, 3 tablespoon chopped herbs such as cilantro, green onions, mint, or sawtooth coriander

For the Mellow Tomato Jeaw

  • Make the all-purpose jeaw as per instructions above, and stir in the diced tomatoes along with the fresh herbs. If you can, let it sit for a few minutes before serving to allow flavours to mingle.
    ⅓ cup small diced juicy tomatoes
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Authentic Thai Peanut Dressing (Salad Kaeg)

by 6 Comments

If you want a Thai peanut dressing that Thai people actually eat in Thailand, and not some peanut buttery concoction you find in hundreds of recipes written by non-Thai people, this is it right here. This dressing is what we use in salad kaeg สลัดแขก, which is is a filling and satisfying salad that is a specialty of Muslim-Thai cuisine.

The dressing is made from freshly ground roasted peanuts, NOT peanut butter (which isn't even a Thai ingredient). It's rich and flavourful, but mildly spiced, though the spiciness is customizable. We serve it with a classic mix of veggies and protein, but free to use it on whatever salad vegetables you like, or use it as a vegetable dip!

A bowl of salad veggies with a boiled egg with a bowl of peanut dressing on the side.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Thai Peanut Dressing

  • Large, mild dried chilies, such as puya or guajillo peppers, but anything that's not too spicy will work. You can find these at Latin American stores.
  • Shallots
  • Garlic
  • Ground coriander, I like to grind coriander from seeds because store bought pre-ground coriander tends to be stale and lacks aroma.
  • Coconut milk, check out the post on how to choose good coconut milk.
  • Water
  • Roasted peanuts. It’s best to buy raw peanuts and roast them yourself because the flavour is so much better than using pre-roasted peanuts which can often be stale. I'm including roasting instructions below.
  • Tamarind paste. You can buy tamarind paste for cooking, also labeled as "tamarind concentrate" but always make sure it is tamarind from Thailand! Indian tamarind paste is different and cannot be used in the same way. You can also make it from pulp using this homemade tamarind paste recipe.
  • Palm sugar, finely chopped. You can also sub light brown sugar. Read more about palm sugar here.
  • Salt or fish sauce. If you don't need this to be vegetarian, I recommend using fish sauce for extra umami.

Salad Components

Note: These are all classic components of a salad kaeg, but feel free to change things up! My only tip is that because the dressing is rich, make sure you have some sturdy veggies in the mix as delicate leafy greens will be easily overwhelmed by the dressing.

  • Greens: any kind you like, but I recommend including sturdy leaves such as iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce. Delicate greens alone will not hold up well under the rich dressing.
  • Cucumber, sliced
  • Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, cut in wedges, or cut cherry tomatoes in half.
  • Carrots, cut into thin sticks or juliennes. Using a julienne peeler makes easy work out of this
  • Boiled eggs. The doneness is up to you, but for this I personally like boiling for 9 minutes for large size eggs which will get you doneness as per the photo above.
  • Fried firm tofu. Deep fried tofu is traditional and it gives them a nice chewy texture, but you don't need to fry the tofu if you prefer then fresh. You can also pan fry them in a little oil just until browned on both sides, or toss the tofu in oil and air fry them at 400°F (200°C) until browned.
  • Potato chips or fried potato sticks. Totally optional but they add a super nice crunch!
  • Fried shallots. You can buy fried shallots from Asian grocery stores, but making your own is also an option. I also like to bake store bought fried shallots to refresh them and get them crispier. See more details in my fried shallots recipe here.

How to Make Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

To roast peanuts:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place peanuts on a baking sheet and spread them out into one layer and roast for 15-20 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the peanuts around. Check them often once they are close to finish, they burn fast!
  2. Remove from oven after they have turned golden brown. Once they are cool, grind them into a coarse meal (not peanut butter!) in a mortar and pestle or a food processor.

Note: If you have extra roasted peanuts, store them in the fridge to prevent them from going rancid. For even longer storage, put them in the freezer.

Make the curry paste:

process shots for making Thai peanut dressing steps 1-4
  1. Cut the dried chilies into chunks with scissors and remove all the seeds.
  2. Add them to a coffee grinder along with the coriander seeds and grind into a powder.
  3. In a mortar and pestle, pound together shallots, garlic, ground chilies and coriander into a paste (does not have to be super fine).
  4. Bring ¼ cup of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it is reduced and thick.
process shots for making Thai peanut dressing steps 5-8
  1. Once it is thick, continue to cook the paste for one more minute, adding a splash of coconut milk if it is sticking to the bottom.
  2. Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste.
  3. Add the water, ground roasted peanuts, tamarind, palm sugar, and salt. Simmer the dressing for 20-30 minutes over low heat, until thickened to the desired consistency, scraping the bottom frequently to prevent it from scorching.
  4. I like the dressing to be on the thicker side, but if you prefer a lightly dressed salad you can make it thinner by adding a splash of water. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, making sure it's got a strong flavour since it will be served with lots of veggies. Let it cool a bit before drizzling over your salad!

Wing Bean Salad ยำถั่วพู (Yum Tuapu)

by 2 Comments

Wing bean salad or yum tua pu is one of the most interesting and complex Thai salads, which makes it one of my favourite Thai salads! Crunchy sliced wing beans look like little stars tossed in a Thai yum dressing enriched with coconut milk and Thai chili paste. It's a filling salad, so you can definitely have this as your main meal with some jasmine rice, and it's super festive, perfect for the holiday table!

a plate of wing bean salad with boiled eggs on the side and shrimp on top.

What are wing beans?

Before we get into the recipe, for those unfamiliar, here are some wing bean basics. Wing beans, or tua pu in Thai are like green beans with 4 little "wings" extending around them. So when you slice them, the look like little 4-point stars ✨! The middle are crunchy, with a relatively neutral, slightly nutty flavour, very much like green beans.

You can buy wing beans from some Asian grocery stores. Here in Vancouver I see them occasionally at various stores, but not all the time, so when I do see them, this is 100% the dish I make to celebrate the find!

How to cook wing beans?

Most of the time we cook them by blanching in boiling water, and I only blanch them for 1 minute because I want them to remain crunchy. After 1 minute, to stop the cooking and keep the bright green colour, immediately dunk them into a large bowl of ice water, though in the winter in Canada the tap water is so cold I don't need the ice! 🥶

Once they are cool, simply slice and add them into this salad or whatever salad you make (they would be great in a salade niçoise!).

Technically you can also stir fry them or cook them however you would cook green beans, but Thai people only use them in salads or toss them into kanom jeen rice noodles to add extra crunch. My guess is that the "wings" wilt when extensively cooked in a stir fry, so they look best when minimally cooked.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe and some important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

  • Wing beans or green beans. You can find wing beans at many Asian grocery stores.
  • Chicken breast
  • Shrimp, this is traditionally added but it is optional. You can stick with just the chicken, or conversely, use only shrimp.
  • Shredded coconut, unsweetened, toasted. You can toast the coconut simply by adding it to a dry skillet and stirring it over medium high heat constantly until they are deep brown. (see video for desired colour.)
  • Roasted peanuts, finely crushed. If possible buy raw peanuts and roast them yourself in the oven and they'll taste much better!
  • Shallots, thinly sliced
  • Eggs, for making boiled eggs. Though technically optional, this is a classic accompaniment to yum tua pu and they are so good together! The dressing soaks into the egg yolks and it's just uber tasty, so I recommend not skipping it!
  • Mint leaves.

Dressing:

  • Lime juice, fresh lime juice is best for this recipe.
  • Fish sauce. See my guide on how to choose good quality fish sauce.
  • Thai chili paste, also called nam prik pao. This is a key flavour in yum tua pu. You can buy nam prik pao at Asian stores, or make your own using my Thai chili paste recipe (it's not hard!)
  • Coconut milk, read more about how to choose good coconut milk here.
  • Garlic, grated or minced
  • Thai chilies, finely chopped
  • Sugar. Be prepared to adjust this amount as the Thai chili paste's sweetness can vary between brands.

How to Make Wing Bean Salad

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Prep The Proteins - Chicken, shrimp and eggs:

*We typically poach our chicken and shrimp, but you can also cook them however you like - grill, bake, etc.They just need to be cooked one way or another. You can also use leftover roast chicken for this.

  1. For the eggs: Slowly add the eggs into a pot of boiling water and boil them for 8 minutes - this gets you medium-cooked eggs. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the eggs (cuz you'll need to water so don't drain it) and put them in cold water to cool.
  2. For the chicken: Turn the temperature of the water down to about medium or medium low so the water is rapidly steaming, but not bubbling (this should be 165-175°F). Cut a chicken breast in half lengthwise (you only need half for this recipe). Salt the water until the water tastes like a well-seasoned soup, then add the chicken and poach until the chicken is fully cooked, about 7 minutes. Remove the chicken (keep the water) and once cool enough, pull into shreds with your hands.
  3. For the shrimp: In the same pot you used to cook the chicken, bring the water to a boil and add the shrimp and poach them until done; 30 sec-1 min. Remove from water and cool.

For the Salad

Process shots for making wing bean salad steps 1-4
  1. Blanch the wing beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute, then remove from water and immediately add them to a big bowl of ice water.
  2. Drain well and slice beans into ¼-inch slices crosswise. If using green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces on a bias.
  3. Toast the dried coconut in a dry pan over medium high heat until it's got a deep brown colour; immediately remove from the pan.
  4. Grate the garlic with a microplane into the bowl, then add finely minced chilies.
Process shots for making wing bean salad steps 5-8
  1. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, Thai chili paste and stir until the chili paste is dissolved. Add the coconut milk and stir to mix.
  2. Add wing beans, shallots, and peanuts; toss to mix well.
  3. Add the chicken, shrimp and toasted coconut and mix well.
  4. Transfer onto a serving plate and serve alongside halved medium-boiled eggs. Serve with jasmine rice.

Spicy Salmon Sashimi Salad (My Fave Salmon Ever)

by 15 Comments

During my last trip to Thailand I visited an iconic restaurant called Jeh O Chula to try a viral instant noodle dish, which I then recreated. But while I was there, I tried another one of their signature dishes which blew me away; their raw salmon salad, which instantly became my favourite salmon dish ever. Fresh salmon tossed in a spicy, garlicky, lime dressing...it's incredibly delicious I could have it everyday. Lucky for us, it's very easy to make at home!

a plate of thai salmon salad with mint and lime slices garnish.

What is a Thai Salmon Salad?

In Thai this dish is called yum pla salmon sod (lit.: raw salmon salad), but to be clear this is not a traditional Thai dish (and salmon is not a Thai ingredient!). It's a dish that Jeh O came up with, and this is what they call it on the menu.

"Yum" is a type of Thai salad, so in theory a dish with this name can be any kind of yum that uses salmon as a main ingredient, but in this particular version, salmon is the ONLY main ingredient, and the salad dressing is the classic Thai seafood dipping sauce, nam jim seafood.

The Most Important Component: Nam Jim Seafood

There are really only 2 components to this dish, salmon and dressing, and the success of this dish relies entirely on the dressing (assuming your salmon is fresh). The dressing is in fact a sauce that's extremely important within Thai cuisine called nam jim seafood.

"Nam jim" means dipping sauce, and seafood, well, is seafood. It is the sauce that Thai people dip all kinds of seafood in. In fact, Thai people never do seafood without it, and sometimes we dip non-seafood in it as well (try it with crispy pork belly!)

I have shared a recipe for nam jim seafood before that was an all-purpose dipping sauce, but this recipe is slightly different as it was developed specifically to work in this application. You can, however, use this recipe as an all-purpose seafood sauce as well.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the the full recipe card below.

  • Salmon. You want to buy salmon that is safe for eating raw, so when shopping, ask your fishmonger if it's okay for sashimi. I buy mine (from Sungiven for folks in Vancouver) frozen and specifically labelled as "sashimi salmon." More on this below.
  • Garlic, you'll need some for the sauce, and if you want, some for garnish. Yes! Garlic for garnish! At Jeh O they put thinly sliced raw garlic on top and I was surprised to find that it actually tastes great together with the salmon. Just make sure you slice it really thin otherwise it'll be overpowering.
  • Chilies, I use red Thai chilies for this, and feel free to reduce or increase the amount depending on your heat preference.
  • Cilantro, stems and leaves all together.
  • Lime juice, fresh only for this recipe!
  • Fish sauce, read more about choosing good fish sauce here.
  • Palm sugar, or light brown sugar. Learn more about palm sugar here.
  • Salt, this is to replace some of the fish sauce to reduce the overall amount of liquid so that the sauce isn't too runny.

Step-By-Step:

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. The full instructions are in the recipe card below, and if this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

process shots for making salmon salad steps 1-4
  1. Blend all sauce ingredients until there are no more big chunks, but there are still some small bits. The amount in the recipe will likely be too small for a jug blender, so a bullet or immersion blender is great for this. Instructions for using a mortar and pestle is also provided in the recipe card.
  2. Cut the salmon first so the pieces are about 2-inches wide, then slice them into ¼-inch thick strips.
  3. Toss the salmon with the dressing.
  4. plate and top with garlic slices, mint leaves, and lime slices for garnish, if desired. Eat it soon or it'll turn into ceviche!

Safety Notes on Working with Raw Salmon

In the video I mentioned that you want "sashimi grade" salmon, but actually, that is not a real grade as determined by any governing body. But I said this to make sure that you stop to question the safety, that you don't just buy any old fish at the supermarket without first checking that it is safe to eat raw. You can read more about raw fish safety in this Serious Eats article, but here's my summary for you.

Fish can be made safe for eating raw by freezing at a very low temperature (much lower than your home freezer so don't try to DIY this) so that any parasites are killed. Farmed salmon is usually free of parasites, but parasites aside, it can still be contaminated with pathogens during the handling and butchering of the fish. So it's important to buy from a supplier who will handle your fish with care and cleanliness, here are some tips for deciding where to buy your raw fish from.

  • If possible, buy from a vendor who specializes in seafood, rather than a generic grocery store. Not only do fish tend to be fresher from these places, you can talk to the vendors directly to ensure that the fish you're buying is safe for eating raw.
  • Look around the shop for clues of cleanliness: the vendor should have a shop that is clean, doesn't smell fishy, and staff should practice safe handling practices such as wearing gloves and cleaning work surfaces regularly.
  • One easy option is to buy sashimi from your trusted Japanese restaurant. It'll be more expensive than buying from a fishmonger, but you'll at least be sure it's safe, and you don't have to cut anything!

And once you bring the fish home, now it's YOUR turn to make sure you handle it with cleanliness and care! Here are some tipes:

  • Make sure you wash your hands properly, with soap, before handling the fish.
  • Use a fresh, clean cutting board and knife to cut the fish.
  • Keep your fish in the fridge until ready to use, and eat it soon after preparing.
  • To thaw frozen salmon, wrap it in paper towel and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Thawing in the fridge ensures that the fish never reaches "dangerous" temperature (room temp) as it thaws, and the paper towel will help absorb the excess liquid that comes out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this dish in advance?

You can make the dressing up to a day in advance and keep it in the fridge, but longer than that and the colour will start to dull and the flavour of the lime juice will not be as good.

But don't toss the fish and the sauce together until ready to eat, because once you mix the salmon with the dressing, the acid in the dressing will slowly "cook" the salmon and turn it into ceviche, which will change the texture and colour of the salmon. So ideally, you should eat this dish right away, or at least within 20 minutes of it being made.

Can I substitute another kind of fish or seafood?

Yes, absolutely, as long as you ensure that said seafood is safe to eat raw. I can see this sauce being fantastic with raw scallops, hamachi, or even tuna. The dressing will work well with any kind of seafood because, after all, it is a nam jim seafood! But be sure not to cut the seafood so thin that it will be overwhelmed by the dressing.

What if I have leftovers?

Try not to make more than you can eat as it's not gonna be the same the next day. If you do have leftovers, you can keep it in the fridge and eat it the next day, but you will discover that the salmon looks like it's been cooked; because it has been "cooked" by the acid in the sauce. It will actually still taste fine, but the texture will have firmed up significantly.

Love seafood? You'd also love these!

Before you start, if this is your first time, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! 

Spicy Salmon Sashimi Salad

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
My favourite salmon dish EVER. Raw salmon slices tossed in a Thai seafood sauce that's tart, fresh, and spicy. It's a copycat recipe from a famous restaurant in Bangkok. A snap to make, and it's the perfect summer dish!
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Small blender such as immersion or bullet blender (see note 1)

Ingredients
 
 

Nam Jim Seafood

  • 6 sprigs cilantro
  • 3 red Thai chilies, or more/less to taste (3 chilies is about medium spicy)
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed until broken
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine grain salt

The Rest

  • 12 oz sashimi grade salmon
  • 10-15 mint leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced (optional)
  • ½ a lime, thinly sliced for garnish (optional)

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. I prefer using a blender for this, but because the amount is small, an immersion or bullet blender works better than a jug blender. If you only have a large blender and it won't blend properly, you can double the recipe and keep the extra in the fridge and use it to dip anything! Alternatively you can use a mortar and pestle which can handle small amounts of stuff (instructions provided).

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For the Sauce:

  • If using an immersion or bullet blender: Add all ingredients into the blending container and blend, starting on low speed and increase gradually, just until there are no more big chunks, but some small bits are still visible.
    6 sprigs cilantro, 3 red Thai chilies, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar, ⅛ teaspoon fine grain salt
  • If using a mortar and pestle: Pick cilantro leaves off the stems and set the leaves aside for now. Finely chop the stems and add to a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Add the garlic and chilies and pound into a fine paste. Add the palm sugar and salt and pound until the sugar is melted, then add the fish sauce and lime juice and swirl the pestle around to dissolve the sugar. Chop the cilantro leaves finely and stir it into the sauce.

Assembly:

  • Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel, then cut the filet down in half or thirds as needed so you end up with pieces that are about 2-inches wide. Then cut each piece into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place into a mixing bowl.
    12 oz sashimi grade salmon
  • Add the dressing to the salmon and toss well. Plate and garnish with mint leaves, garlic slices, and lime slices as desired. Serve immediately or within 20 minutes to avoid the salmon changing colour and firming up due to being cured by the lime juice.
    10-15 mint leaves, 2 cloves garlic, ½ a lime
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Homemade Glass Noodles with Sesame Soy Dressing

by 6 Comments

I use glass noodles all the time, but I never thought I could make it at home. Turns out, it is one of the easiest noodles to make, AND the process is so incredibly satisfying!

Fresh homemade glass noodles are more tender than dry ones, but they still have that subtle elasticity. They make the perfect cold salads, and in this post I will share how to make the noodles and a simple soy-sesame dressing that pairs perfectly with them.

a bowl of glass noodle salad made with mung bean jelly noodles with cucumber and carrots.
Homemade glass noodles; a beautiful, healthy, and super easy dish to make!

What are glass noodles?

"Glass noodles" is a term that's used to refer to any noodles that are clear; and there are a few varieties made from different things. In Thailand, they are made from mung bean starch, (which is what we're using today), but Korean glass noodles are made from sweet potato starch. Some brands will mix in other starches such as pea starch to cut costs.

In my recipes when I refer to glass noodles I am talking about woonsen, which are the very thin Thai noodles made from mung bean starch; and you can buy them dry at most Asian grocery stores. What we're making today is made from exactly the same ingredients, but using a different process. These fresh noodles are also called "mung bean jelly noodles."

Korean and Chinese Mung Bean Jelly Dishes

I first came upon the idea of homemade glass noodles not from a noodle recipe, but from a Korean mung bean jelly appetizer in Maangchi's cookbook. I was intrigued because these are cubes of jelly made from mung bean starch just like glass noodles.

Sometime later I walked by a Uyghur restaurant in my neighborhood, and they had a "mung bean jelly noodles salad" on their sandwich board. This intrigued me further and sent me researching, which is when I discovered a Chinese dish called liang fen. The process of making these noodles looked so cool yet so easy that I just HAD to try it.

The recipe I ended up landing on is different from the aforementioned dishes, particularly in regard to the starch-to-water ratio (which is really all there is to this recipe!). I used a higher starch ratio that I think yielded the perfect texture for the size of the noodles that I ended up with.

Ingredients for Homemade Glass Noodles

You need only two ingredients to make homemade glass noodles (mung bean jelly noodles), but you will need a couple of tools.

a bag of mung bean starch and a bowl of mung bean starch
  • Mung bean starch. I am using the classic Thai brand of mung bean starch, Pine Brand, who sponsored this post. If you cannot find it, Korean grocery stores also carry mung bean starch, it is called Cheongpomuk-garu. Well-stocked Southeast Asian markets and Chinese markets are also worth checking out.
  • Water. That's it!

A couple of tools you'll need:

  • Large hole grater. I loooove this Microplane extra coarse grater (pic below) which worked perfectly and yielded the perfect size noodle. This is also my go-to grater for everything else - cheese, zucchini, carrots, etc. - because I find it to be easier to handle than a box grater and takes up wayyyy less room!
    Note: They do sell liang fen graters online made specifically for this job, but they do have bigger holes and will create bigger noodles. I have not personally tried using it.
  • A rectangular mold. You will need a heat resistant container that is no larger than 8x8 inches. A glass food storage container or a loaf pan is perfect.
A large hole grater is a great tool for making noodles, but you can also hand-cut them with a sharp chef's knife.

Ingredients for the Glass Noodle Salad

Here are all the ingredients you'll need for the salad; for the amounts, see the recipe card below.

ingredients for glass noodle salad
  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce, I used Japanese soy sauce for this one.
  • Sugar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Green onion, you can also add chopped cilantro, mint, or other fresh herbs.
  • Chili crisp or chili oil. This really makes the dish. A Sichuan style chili crisp such as lao gan ma is great for this and is what I use.
  • Roasted peanuts, chopped, or sub toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  • English cucumber
  • Carrot, feel free to sub other crunchy veg.

How to Make Fresh Glass Noodles

process shots for making glass noodles steps 1-4
  1. Pour about ⅔ of the water into a medium pot and bring to almost a simmer over high heat. Meanwhile, stir the mung bean starch together with the rest of the water.
  2. Once the water steams and bubbles start to form (but it is not simmering) reduce the heat to medium high, then give the starch slurry a stir and pour it into the pot while stirring.
  3. Keep stirring CONSTANTLY until the thickens into a white paste.
  4. Once it turns white, keep stirring until the paste turns translucent. Once it is no longer changing and everything looks evenly translucent, remove from heat.
process shots for making glass noodles steps 5-8
  1. Pour into the prepared mold and let cool to room temp, then chill for at least 3 hours and ideally overnight where it will solidify and firm up.
  2. Pop the chilled jelly out onto a clean work surface.
  3. Use a grater to grate the jelly, creating noodles, by applying even pressure as you pull the grater towards you.
  4. There're your noodles! These are ready to use now, but for a more elastic texture and clarity I recommend blanching them.
process shots for making glass noodles steps 9-12
  1. Blanch the noodles in boiling water.
  2. Once the noodles turn translucent (about 10 seconds) they are done.
  3. Drain and cool them by running them under cold tap water. They are now ready to use!
  4. Combine the ingredients for the salad dressing together, pour over plated noodles and place the veggies on the side. Mix it up before you eat!
a bowl of glass noodle salad made with mung bean jelly noodles with cucumber and carrots.

Homemade Glass Noodles with Sesame Soy Dressing

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Easy homemade glass noodles (mung bean jelly noodles) are tender, slightly elastic and so refreshing. Tossed in a sesame soy dressing, it is the perfect side to a summer meal, or as a light healthy lunch! Gluten free and vegan.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Noodle chilling time 3 hours
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Large hole grater or use a sharp knife
  • Glass or metal rectangular mold, no larger than about 8x8 inches

Ingredients
 
 

Homemade Glass Noodles (mung bean jelly noodles)

*Makes enough for about 3x of the salad recipe below (6 servings total)

  • ⅔ cup mung bean starch
  • 3 cups water

The Salad (serves 2)

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, add more for a stronger sesame flavour
  • 9 oz homemade glass noodles, (mung bean jelly noodles)
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chili crisp, such as lao gan ma
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts, or toasted sesame seeds
  • 3- inch section of an English cucumber, julienned
  • 2- inch section of a carrot, julienned

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For the noodles:

  • Have the mold ready, which should be a rectangular, heat-resistant container such as a glass food storage container or loaf pan. Size should not be any bigger than 8x8 inches to allow for enough thickness.
  • Add roughly two thirds of the water to a medium pot and bring to almost a simmer over high heat. Meanwhile combine the remaining water with the mung bean starch and stir until there are no more lumps.
    3 cups water, ⅔ cup mung bean starch
  • Once the water is steaming and bubbles start forming at the bottom (but it's not simmering or boiling), reduce the heat to medium high.
    Give the starch mixture a stir once more and pour it into the water WHILE STIRRING with a rubber spatula. Keep stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and uniformly translucent. (I highly recommend watching the video to see what this looks like.) This process should take only 2-3 minutes, so do not walk away or stop stirring. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the prepared container, smoothing out the top.
  • Let cool at room temperature for about 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or ideally overnight) until the jelly is completely chilled and has become cloudy. (Refrigerating the jelly makes it firmer and much easier to cut/grate the jelly into noodles.)
  • Unmold the jelly by loosening the sides with a knife (if needed), then turn the mold over and the jelly should just pop out easily.

To cut the noodles (this is the fun part!):

  • Using a grater: Press the grater gently onto the top of the jelly and pull it towards you, maintaining firm pressure on the jelly as you grate so the noodles are not too thin.
    Place the noodles into a bowl and repeat the grating. Once you reach the end of the block, you will find it more difficult to grate, so at this point I switch to a knife and cut them by hand.
  • Using a knife: Slice the jelly into sheets as thinly as you; aim for somewhere between 1/16 - ⅛ of an inch. Then cut each sheet into noodles about ¼ inch wide (or whatever width you like).
  • Serving tips: Once you have the noodles you can use them right away, but for a more elastic texture and clearer noodles, I recommend blanching them in boiling hot water for about 10 seconds until the noodles are translucent again. Drain and rinse them under cold tap water until they are completely cooled.

To make the salad:

  • Make the dressing by grating the garlic with a microplane into a small mixing bowl; or alternatively press or finely mince it. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
    1 clove garlic, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Plate the noodles into a shallow serving bowl. (For a nicer presentation, see video for how to make pretty little noodle bundles.) Drizzle the dressing evenly over the noodles, then top with the chili crisp, green onions and roasted peanuts or sesame seeds. Place the cucumber and carrots on the side and serve. Mix everything together before enjoying!
    9 oz homemade glass noodles, 1 green onion, 2 teaspoons chili crisp, 2 Tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts, 2- inch section of a carrot, 3- inch section of an English cucumber
  • *Storage: Leftover salad will keep for a day in the fridge, but the noodles will firm up slightly and become cloudy again, and the noodles will also give off some water as they sit, diluting the dressing. So it is best to not keep any leftovers, but if you must, it will still taste "fine" after 1 day in the fridge.
    It is best to grate/cut only as much noodles as you will eat; but if you do have leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for a few days, but they will give off water as they sit and become firmer. Leaving it in a block will minimize water loss.
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Classic Hainanese Chicken Rice (Khao Man Gai)

by 13 Comments

Hainanese chicken rice, known as khao man gai or khao mun gai in Thai, is popular dish not only in Thailand, but in many Asian countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Each country serves it slightly differently, with different sauces, but the heart of it is the same: tender-poached chicken served over rice that has been cooked in chicken fat and chicken broth. 

This recipe is the Thai version, of course, and it's a dish near and dear to my heart because my grandmother is from Hainan, and this is her signature dish that she makes every time I see her. So if you're looking for authentic Hainanese chicken rice recipe, from an actual Hainanese grandma, this is it right here.

a plate of Hainanese chicken rice with a bowl of dipping sauce on the plate and a bowl of broth on the side.

What is Hainanese Chicken Rice (khao man gai)?

Known as khao mun gai or khao mun gai in Thai, this dish originated on the Chinese island of Hainan (obviously!), which is off the coast of Southern China. There are many Hainanese immigrants in Southeast Asia due to the island's proximity. And indeed, my mother's side of the family are Hainanese immigrants to Thailand!

Hainanese chicken rice is made by first poaching a whole chicken. Then the chicken cooking liquid, which will have turned into tasty chicken broth, is used to cook the rice. The rice is also first sauteed in rendered chicken fat that you get from trimming excess fat from the chicken.

In my family, we make khao man gai usually during Chinese New Year or Qingming festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) because these are days when we poach whole chickens to offer to our ancestors. Once the ancestors have had their share, we bring the chickens home and make delicious Hainanese chicken rice!

Khao Mun Gai in Thailand

Khao mun gai is the epitome of Thai street food. You can find them sold by street vendors, mom-and-pop restaurants, and food courts. It's cheap, fast, delicious, truly the food of the people. It was even featured in my Top 5 Rice Dishes in Thailand video!

Since it was brought into Thailand by Chinese immigrants, you'll find it more in areas with a large Chinese communities, such as Bangkok. But because of its popularity, it is available just about anywhere in the country so you will definitely come across one.

Khao man gai in different countries vary slightly, but most notably the sauce that's served with khao man gai in Thailand is unique. Ours is made from ginger and fermented soybean paste (taojiew), and in my opinion, I think it really is the best pairing with poached chicken!

As you'll see below, in my household we actually serve 2 different sauces with this dish, the classic taojiew one, and one that my grandmother created herself!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make khao man gai and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

This recipe is the traditional method that uses a whole chicken, and it does take time. If you are looking for something easier and quicker, check out my Quick & Easy Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe that can even be done in a rice cooker! 

THE POACHED CHICKEN

  • Whole chicken, preferably on the smaller side. If you can get free-range chicken it would also be better for this recipe as they tend to be smaller and more flavourful. If you are shopping at an Asian grocery store, you may find smaller whole chickens with head and feet attached, with the skin slightly more yellow, and these are THE perfect chicken for this recipe!
  • Cilantro roots, or 6 cilantro stems
  • Garlic, smashed until broken
  • Onion, roughly chopped
  • Daikon, cut in big chunks. This wasn't used in my original video but daikon makes for a super sweet, tasty broth and I highly recommend it! 
  • White pepper, ground or crushed
  • Ginger, sliced
  • Fine grain salt, I specify fine grain for accuracy in measurements. If you're using coarse grain salt, you'll need to measure out a bit more.
  • Green onions and/or cilantro, for garnishing the broth for serving, if desired.

THE RICE

  • Jasmine rice
  • Chicken fat trimmings, ​you just need to trim these off the chicken before poaching. There's usually a lot of fat around the neck.
  • Chicken broth from poaching the chicken, you don't need to buy this!
  • Garlic, chopped or pounded in a mortar and pestle
  • Cucumber slices, for serving.

SAUCE OPTION 1: The Classic Nam Jim Taojiew

​If you only make one dipping sauce, this is the one to make. This is the classic Thai dipping sauce that every khao man gai vendor serves in Thailand. 

  • Ginger, just wash the ginger well and no need to peel
  • Thai chilies, put as much or as little as you wish depending on how spicy you want it to be
  • Tao Jiew (Thai fermented soybean paste) which comes in a glass bottle and in export market this will usually be Healthy Boy Brand. It has the same colour as miso. You can also substitute an equal amount of miso paste of Korean doenjang.
  • Sugar
  • Black soy sauce, or dark soy sauce. Thai black soy sauce gives it a rich molasses flavour and a dark colour, but it isn't very salty. You can also use Chinese dark soy sauce instead, but because it's saltier, I'd reduce the amount of regular soy sauce. If you have sweet soy sauce, you can also use it and reduce the amount of sugar. Read more about different types of soy sauce here.
  • Soy sauce, whatever your regular soy sauce is fine.
  • White vinegar, or another type of mild-flavoured vinegar such as white wine vinegar or rice vinegar.
  • Chopped cilantro, optional

SAUCE OPTION 2: Grandma's Signature Spicy and Sour Dipping Sauce

You won't find this sauce sold at any khao man gai vendors in Thailand, but my grandma always makes 2 different sauces. For many years I thought that this sauce was the "Hainanese style" that she made back in her hometown. But I just found out from my aunt, during my most recent trip home (2024), that in fact my grandma made it up!

Apparently one day she made the classic sauce, and people said it wasn't good, so she went back into the kitchen and came out with another sauce that she just made up on the fly. And people LOVED it. Since then she's been making two sauces. I find a mix of the 2 makes for the perfect combo, and I always have the 2 together!

  • Garlic
  • Thai chilies
  • Cilantro, stems and leafy parts separated and chopped.
  • Soy sauce
  • Lime juice
  • Sugar

*In the video I put ginger in this sauce, but I misremembered. This sauce only has garlic!

How to Make Hainanese Chicken Rice

Here is an overview of all the steps to make this recipe. See the recipe card below for all the details and ingredient amounts. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Process shots for how to make kao mun gai steps 1-4
  1. If your chicken comes with the head and feet, cut off the neck, feet, and wing tips and add to a stock pot large enough to put the chicken into. And onions, daikon, garlic, ginger, cilantro roots and white peppercorns. Add enough water to generously submerge all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes to render a stock.
  2. Meanwhile, trim excess checking fat from the chicken (lots around the neck and butt areas) and add these trimmings to a wok or to the pot you will use to cook the rice. Set it aside for now.
  3. Once the stock is ready, season with 1 tablespoon of salt and fill the pot about ⅔ full with cold water. Add the chicken to the pot and add more water as needed to keep the chicken submerged.
  4. On medium high heat, bring the temperature of the water up to about 170°F. If you don't have a thermometer, the water should have lots of steam coming off the top but it is should not be bubbling. Reduce the heat to maintain this temperature and cook until the chicken's internal temperature is at least 175°F at the thickest part of the thighs, and 165°F at the thickest part of the breast. This should take about 40-50 minutes, but it will vary according to the size of the chicken.
Process shots for how to make kao mun gai steps 5-8
  1. While the chicken is cooking, make the rice by first washing the rice a few times, and drain. In a wok or the pot you're using the cook the rice, saute the chicken fat trimmings over medium heat until you have at least 2 tablespoon of rendered chicken fat.
  2. Remove the chicken bits from the oil and discard, then add the garlic to the chicken fat and saute until the garlic is golden.
  3. Add the washed-and-drained rice and stir until the rice is thoroughly heated through, about 2 minutes. If you're sauteing the rice in a wok, transfer the rice to the pot you'll use to cook the rice or the rice cooker. Leave it here for now while the chicken finishes cooking.
  4. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the broth and allow to cool. Taste the broth and add more salt as needed to make it taste like a lightly-seasoned but still delicious soup. Use the broth to add to the rice, and stir the rice over medium high heat until it starts to simmer.
Process shots for how to make kao mun gai steps 9-12
  1. Once the water is simmering, cover the pot and reduce the heat to LOW and let the rice cook slowly until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauces (instructions below).
  2. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, and the rice and sauces are ready, carve the chicken. If you need guidance for carving the chicken, watch this video: How to carve a chicken.
  3. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. The thighs will be a bit harder as you'll need to cut around the bone first before cutting the meat.
  4. Serve the chicken over rice with the sauces and some cucumber slices - the chicken can be room temp, but the rice should be hot. It's traditional to serve the remaining chicken broth on the side as well!
kao mun gai dipping sauce being poured from a mortar into a bowl

The sauces are both made in a mortar and pestle. If you don't have one you can finely mince everything, but you will be able to get flavours out of the herbs better by pounding in the mortar and pestle. If you're making a large amount you can also make them in a blender.

For the Classic Dipping Sauce

  1. Pound together the ginger and chilies into a rough paste. Then add fermented soybean paste, sugar, black soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in chopped cilantro, if desired.

For the Spicy & Sour Dipping Sauce

  1. Pound together garlic, chilies, and cilantro stems into a rough paste, then add the sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then stir in chopped cilantro leaves.

FAQ

I've seen Hainanese chicken rice served with different sauces, what are those?

As mentioned, different countries have different sauces to go with Hainan chicken rice. In Singapore, for example, they serve it with a sauce similar to the Thai sweet chili sauce. In Hong Kong, they serve it with a ginger scallion oil made by pouring hot oil over some finely chopped ginger, green onions and salt. You can definitely try them out! 

Can you make this in an instant pot? 

This is one dish I do not recommend using a pressure cooker for. Yes it take time, but the low temperature cooking is key to getting the best Hainanese chicken with tender, juicy meat. High heat will squeeze all the juices out of the chicken and leave you with tough and dry meat. If anything, sous vide is your best bet! 

If you're looking for a faster way to make this dish, check out my Easy Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe!

Classic Hainanese Chicken Rice (khao man gai)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Hainanese chicken rice of "khao man gai" is a popular street food, not only in Thailand, but all over Southeast Asia! This dish will amaze you how good "chicken and rice" can be. This recipe is the traditional method that poaches a whole chicken; for a weeknight, check out my Easy Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe.
4.89 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai

Ingredients
  

The Chicken

  • 1 whole chicken, preferably small
  • 2 Cilantro roots, or 6 cilantro stems
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ onion, rough chopped
  • 3 -inch section daikon, peeled and cut in chunks, optional
  • ½ teaspoon white peppercorns, crushed, or ground white pepper
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 1 tablespoon fine grain salt

The Rice

  • 2 cups jasmine rice, uncooked
  • 2 ⅔ - 3 cups chicken broth, from cooking the chicken
  • 2 tablespoon chopped garlic

Sauce 1: The Classic Dipping Sauce (Nam Jim Tao Jiew)

  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
  • 2 Thai chilies
  • 3 tablespoon Taojiew (Thai fermented soybean paste), or substitute miso or doenjang thinned out with a little water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon black soy sauce, see note 1
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 2 sprigs cilantro, chopped, optional

Sauce 2: Spicy & Sour Dipping Sauce (My Grandma's Signature)

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 red Thai chilies, or to taste
  • 3 sprigs cilantro, stems and leafy parts separated and chopped
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 teaspoon sugar

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. The "blackness" of Thai black soy sauce varies greatly between brands, so start out with 1 tablespoon and go from there. If you're substituting Chinese "dark soy sauce" for this, use only 1 tablespoon and reduce the amount of regular soy sauce by ½ Tbsp. See this video on the differences between dark and black soy sauce.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • If your chicken comes with the head, neck and feet, chop them off along with the wing tips and add to a stock pot large enough to put the chicken into. Add onions, daikon (if using), garlic, ginger, cilantro roots and white peppercorns. Add enough water to generously submerge all ingredients. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes to infuse the herbs.
    1 whole chicken, 2 Cilantro roots, 4 cloves garlic, ½ onion, ½ teaspoon white peppercorns, 2 slices ginger, 3 -inch section daikon
  • Meanwhile, trim excess fat from the chicken (lots around the neck flap and around the chicken cavity opening). Add these fat trimmings to a wok or the pot you will use to cook the rice. Set it aside for now.
  • Once the stock is ready, season with 1 tablespoon of salt and fill the pot about ⅔ full with cold water. Add the chicken to the pot and add more water as needed to keep the chicken submerged.
    1 tablespoon fine grain salt
  • On medium high heat, bring the temperature of the water up to 170°F (77°C). If you don't have a thermometer here's what to aim for: the water should have lots of steam coming off the top but is not simmering (no bubbling!).
  • Once the temperature is reached, reduce the heat to medium-low, or whatever is needed to maintain the temperature there. Taste the broth and add more salt as needed until it tastes like a nice-but-mildly-salted soup.
  • Cook until the chicken is done, flipping the chicken halfway through and keeping an eye on the heat to make sure the water is not simmering. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part of the breast, and 175°F at the thickest part of the thighs. This takes about 40-50 minutes, but timing varies depending on the size of the chicken. Note: Cooking time starts AFTER water temperature has reached 170°F. 
  • When the chicken is done, use tongs to remove it from the stock and let cool. Make the rice and the sauces while the chicken cools.

For the Chicken Rice

  • Wash the rice a few times until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
    2 cups jasmine rice
  • Heat the collected chicken fat over medium heat until you've got about 2-3 tablespoon of rendered chicken fat. If for some reason you do not have enough rendered fat, you can supplement with vegetable oil. Remove the solids and discard.
  • Add the garlic to the chicken fat and saute until the garlic is golden. Add the rinsed rice, turn the heat up to high and toss until it is heated through, 2-3 minutes. If the rice is in a wok, transfer it to the rice cooker or whatever pot you're using to cook the rice. Hold the rice here until the chicken is done cooking, if it isn't already.
    2 tablespoon chopped garlic, 2 ⅔ - 3 cups chicken broth
  • Once the chicken is done, take 2 ⅔ cups of chicken cooking water and add it to the rice. Over medium high heat, stir the rice occasionally until water is bubbling and the fat is mixed into the liquid and no longer floats on top. Cover and cook on LOW heat until rice is done, about 15 minutes. (If using a rice cooker, you can just let it go until it's done.) Make the dipping sauces while the rice cooks.

For the Classic Dipping Sauce:

  • Pound together the ginger and chilies into a rough paste. Then add fermented soybean paste, sugar, black soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in chopped cilantro if using.
    2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, 2 Thai chilies, 3 tablespoon Taojiew (Thai fermented soybean paste), 1 tablespoon sugar, 1-2 tablespoon black soy sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 2 sprigs cilantro

For the Hainanese Dipping Sauce:

  • Pound together garlic, chilies, and cilantro stems into a rough paste. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in chopped cilantro leaves.
    3 red Thai chilies, 3 sprigs cilantro, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoon sugar, 4 cloves garlic

Assembly

  • Taste the remaining broth and adjust seasoning as needed; we always serve a bowl of broth alongside the rice. You can add some chopped green onions or cilantro to the broth also if you wish. 
  • Carve the chicken, debone the thighs and drumsticks, and slice them into thick slices. You can follow this video for instructions: How to carve a chicken.
  • Serve the sliced meat over the rice, along with some sliced cucumber on the side, and a bowl of chicken broth as a palate cleanser. Don't forget the sauces! I like to use both sauces in combination.
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Quick & Easy Hainanese Chicken Rice (Khao Man Gai)

by 8 Comments

The traditional way to make Hainanese chicken rice, known in Thai as khao man gai or khao mun gai, is a bit of a project as it requires poaching a whole chicken, as per my classic Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe. This recipe simplifies it by using chicken parts and cooking the chicken and rice at the same time, making it instantly weeknight friendly without compromising the flavour at all. It now only takes 30 minutes to cook, and I no longer go back to the whole-chicken method after discovering this one!

a plate of Hainanese chicken rice with sauce being drizzled on it. A bowl of broth on the side.

However this does require that you have some good chicken stock on hand. You can use store bought chicken stock if you wanna make it super quick, but for the most authentic flavour I recommend you use homemade Asian style chicken stock.

I always keep homemade chicken stock in my freezer, and I recommend you do too because it comes in so handy in so many situations! Chicken noodle soup in a snap, anyone?

A note on the chicken stock

Though store bought stock is okay to use, if you want it to taste like in Thailand, you'll get best results with homemade, Thai style chicken stock. At the very basic level, you can simply simmer chicken bones in water and you'll have chicken stock. But to boost the flavour, adding some aromatics will help.

I like to use daikon and/or onions, garlic, white pepper and cilantro roots or stems. But If you're making the stock specifically for Hainanese chicken rice, adding a few slices of ginger works wonderfully.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

How to Stir Fry Anything in 5 Simple Steps

by 1 Comment

Growing up in Thailand, there was one kind of food that made it to every single dinner in our household: stir fries. That’s because they are fast, easy, and incredibly versatile. Here's the important part: if you know the basic principles of stir frying, you can make a good stir fry with any ingredients you have on hand; and that is what you'll learn in this article. And once you know the basic stir frying technique, you can be creative and have more fun!

The Plan: First we will cover "the structure" of stir fries and some ingredient options, then we will talk through the techniques.

a bowl of green beans and chicken stir fry
Chicken and green beans stir fry with Thai chili paste, a dish I used to demo my stir frying techniques.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Watch The Video

If you prefer to watch rather than read, most of the information I include in this blog post is also covered in the video, and the technique section will be more easily understood visually via the video!

The Structure of Stir Fries

This is the important mindset shift: once you start thinking about stir fries in terms of its structure instead of seeing different stir fries as different recipes, you can stir fry anything. There are 3 major components to any stir fries:

1. The Nuggets: Proteins and Veggies

"The nuggets" is my term for all the chunky pieces in your stir fry; basically the proteins and the vegetables. Most people are stuck thinking that they need a mix of protein and veggies to make a stir fry, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be an all veggie stir fry like my cabbage fish sauce stir fry, or gailan oyster sauce stir fry - or it can be an all-meat stir fry like my grandma’s garlic shrimp stir fry, or garlic pepper chicken.

For proteins: Chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish, tofu, you name it, it’s all stir-fryable. Leftover proteins are great and make it easy cuz it’s already cooked, such as in my black pepper beef recipe where I use leftover cut-up steak.

a variety of meats and seafood, tofu and eggs.
Protein options for stir frying.

For veggies, absolutely anything works. ANYTHING is stir-fryable. Even things you don’t associate with stir fries, like cucumber - which is great in stir fries - and also romaine lettuce!

a bell pepper, cucumber, squash, mushrooms, green beans and cabbage on a tray

Important Tips for Preparing Proteins for Stir Frying

  • The chewier the protein, the thinner the pieces should be. Pork and beef should always be sliced between ⅛ - ¼ inch (3-5 mm) thick. Chicken can be cut around ½ -inch (1.25 cm) thick. And fish should be kept in big 1-inch chunks at minimum.
  • Always slice pork and beef against the grain. If you're starting from steaks where the meat grain runs up and down, cut the steak into 1-inch-wide pieces, then turn it on its side so the grain now runs left-to-right - and you can now slice thinly against the grain.
  • Preventing fish from falling apart. Choose fish that is firmer and thicker, such as salmon and halibut, and cut them into big chunks; at least 1-inch thick. Pre-sear the fish pieces so they are about 80% done, or even 60% if using fish that can be eaten medium such as salmon. Then briefly toss them in at the end just to coat them in the sauce. You can also dredge fish chunks in flour and deep fry them before tossing into stir fries at the end - this is a restaurant trick for preventing fish from falling apart.
  • Tofu. Use firm, extra firm, or pressed tofu for stir frying. If using pressed tofu, such as the one I used in pad thai, you don't need to fry it as it is very sturdy. If using firm or extra firm, it should be fried or air-fried to prevent crumbling and to create chewiness. You can also use frozen tofu which is sturdy and can absorb sauce better. See this post all about the science of frozen tofu and how to use them in dishes.

1. The Sauce

Once you’ve decided on the big stuff (the nuggets), now we think about the sauce. The main job of the sauce is to bring taste elements into the dish. Note I said taste not flavour. The 5 tastes are: sweet, salty, sour, umami and bitter; although bitter is not really a part of most stir fries so we will leave that out for this discussion. Let’s break these down:

Salty - An element every dish needs

a variety of soy sauces in bottles
Common sauces for stir frying in Thai cuisine.

This is non-negotiable. You NEED something salty in your stir fry (or any dish, really). Some common options are: soy sauces of all kinds, fish sauce, oyster sauce, fermented soybean pastes (Thai taojiew) or miso, shrimp paste, salt, or anything else salty you can think of. You can use just one, like in my cabbage fish sauce stir fry, or a combination of a few which is more common in Asian stir fries.

Sweet - The salt balancer, or the star

sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, honey, sweet soy sauce and thai chili paste
Sweeteners for stir fries.

Sometimes you'll want the sweetness to be the star of the dish, like in sweet and sour stir fry, but more commonly you want just a liiiiiitttle bit of sweetness to balance the salt, such as the little bit of sugar in my mixed veggies stir fry. Or maybe something in between. It depends on the flavour profile of the dish - and is something you, the chef, have to decide upon.

In terms of ingredients, white sugar is great if you’re using just a small amount, but if sweet is a prominent flavour, then palm sugar, brown sugar, sweet soy sauce, maple syrup, honey, etc. will bring in more complexity. Note that Thai chili paste aka chili jam would also fall into the sweet category, but it’s also bringing in a lot of other great flavours as well, such as in my cashew chicken recipe.

Sour - Maybe you want it, maybe not.

vinegar, tamarind paste, sriracha and a lime

Unlike salty, sour is not a taste that every stir fry needs. Like sweet, it depends on what you’re going for, though it is used much less frequently than sweet.

If you do want an element of sour, you can use vinegar, like in my sweet and sour stir fry, or tamarind paste, like in my tamarind shrimp recipe, or even vinegary hot sauce such as sriracha as in my cucumber chicken stir fry recipe.

Lime juice and lemon juice are less common in stir fries, but if you're gonna add them it’s best to add them at the end as they taste better when they’re not cooked in high heat.

Other Sauce Ingredients

There are other sauce ingredients that don't offer any taste but bring on lots of flavour (remember taste and flavour are not the same thing). Things like sesame oil, coconut milk, or even chicken stock.

Pro Tip: Make sauce in bulk

If you’ve got a favourite stir fry, say cashew chicken, you can make 10x of the cashew chicken sauce and now you won't have to make it from scratch every time. Most stir fry sauces will last indefinitely in the fridge.

Also check out my Universal Stir Fry Sauce that you can make in bulk and use to stir fry anything including fried rice and noodles. This is something I learned working at Thai restaurants where they'd have a vat of this sauce and it goes into almost every stir fry that they make!

3. Aromatics

garlic, shallots, chilies, thai basil, makrut lime leaves, green onion, curry paste.
Some aromatics you can use for stir frying.

You could make a stir fry with just the nuggets and the sauce, but every good stir fry has aromatics. They're what give complexity to the dish. Aromatics include anything you’d call a herb or a spice. This can be as simple as chopped garlic, but you can also add shallots, chilies, black or white pepper, onions, lemongrass, basil, cilantro, or even curry paste. The possibilities here are endless.

The Technique - 5 Steps to Great Stir Fries

Now that we have the structure, let's talk technique. While everything will be written down, this part is better understood visually, so I highly recommend you watch the video tutorial where I show you two different stir fries using recipes that require slightly different treatment.

These steps are not Thai cuisine specific; you can use these techniques with any ingredients from any cuisine. But there are a few other techniques that are unique to other cuisines, or more common to restaurant cooking, that we won’t get into here.

Okay, my basic stir frying technique is done in 5 steps:

Step 1: Cook the meat separately.

cooked chicken in a wok

I first sear the meat in a hot wok until browning develops on the underside. Then I toss and stir the meat until it's cooked through, then remove from the pan. If your meat is already cooked, like leftover proteins, you can obviously skip this step.

Why cook the meat separately? You don't have to, but I like to do it because it gives me control over meat "doneness". If you add the meat in raw with everything else, how long the meat spends in the pan is tied up with how long other things take to cook, and you might then overcook the meat. You also won't get any browning if you don't sear it separately, and browning is flavour! 

Tip: I always ensure the meat is marinated so that the seasoning isn’t just in the sauce around the meat but IN the meat as well. A simple fish sauce or soy sauce marinade is fine.

Step 2: Sauté Non-Delicate Aromatics

garlic and chilies in a wok

In the same pan you used to sear the meat, add more oil if needed, then sauté any aromatics that are not leafy and don't "wilt". That's your garlic, onions, shallots, chilies, curry pastes, etc. Use medium heat at this stage as aromatics can burn easily.

Give the aromatics a couple of minutes to cook and infuse their flavour into the oil, and then the oil will carry the flavour of the aromatics into the rest of the dish. This is why we don’t just throw garlic in midway; the flavour wouldn't have a chance to permeate the whole dish. 

If using garlic, once the smallest bits of garlic turn golden, that's your cue for Step 3.

Step 3: Stagger-add vegetables and sauce

stir fy sauce being poured into a wok full of green beans

The longest-cooking veggie goes in now, and give them a good toss in the heat and the oil, then add the sauce (which I always have mixed up in advance so that I only have to add 1 thing). In this example I'm using the sauce from my Chili Paste Stir Fry recipe.

Bell pepper and green beans in a sauce in a wok.

If you’re using different types of vegetables that take different amounts of time to cook, stagger-add them accordingly. For example, if you like bell pepper crisp, add them after the beans are almost done.

kabocha squash in a wok with a lid over it

If a certain vegetable takes a long time to cook, add a splash of water then cover the pan and let it steam. Come back a minute before it's done. If you're not sure how long it takes, keep poking it with a fork every minute or so to check. In this example I'm making the kabocha squash stir fry recipe.

Okay once your veggies are done, we go to Step 4

Step 4: Add the protein back in

Bell pepper and green beans and chicken in a sauce in a wok.

Your pre-cooked protein goes back into the pan to be tossed in the sauce. If your protein is fully cooked and is still hot, it just needs to be tossed for a few seconds. If you are using cold leftover protein from the fridge, be sure to give it enough time to heat through.

kabocha squash and eggs in wok

If using eggs, they can go in at this step; and let them set a bit before scrambling so that they remain in chunks (best to see this technique in the video).

Step 5: Off the heat and ddd delicate aromatics

a wok with kabocha squash, eggs and thai basil

Now is the time for any leafy aromatics like basil and green onions to go in, and which I add off-heat so they don't wilt too much. For suuuuper delicate herbs that wilt very easily in heat like cilantro, you can even add them after plating. I always add them off-heat because the residual heat is more than enough to wilt the herbs without over-cooking everything else. 

And that is how you stir fry anything!

What about fried rice?

Fried rice is also a kind of stir fry, or what Thai people call a pad. Generally, the same steps still apply, with a few modifications:

  • Treat rice like vegetables. Add them in at step 3, after aromatics but before the sauce. The sauce should be drizzled over the rice as the liquid from the sauce will help the rice grains separate.
  • If adding eggs to fried rice, add the eggs in after the aromatics and before the rice. Scramble the eggs and then add the rice.
  • Allow the rice to toast. For good fried rice, you want the rice to toast and brown slightly to develop a deeper flavour. After the rice is well mixed with the sauce, let it sit undisturbed over high heat for 15-20 seconds to allow the rice to brown, then flip and repeat a few more times. Timing for how long to let the rice sit each time will depend on the strength of your stove, so a bit of trial and error is required.

What about noodle stir fries?

Noodle stir fries are harder to generalize because different kinds of noodles require different techniques. Step 1 (meat) and Step 2 (aromatics) are gonna be consistent, but from that point onward it kind of depends which noodles you're using.

My advice is to learn how to work with each kind of noodle separately. So if you want to learn how to stir fry fresh rice noodles, start by learning a pad see ew recipe, or for dry rice noodles learn an easy pad thai recipe, or for egg noodles, learn my mie goreng recipe.

Once you’ve mastered that, you can start generalizing the technique and change out ingredients. Keeping in mind of course that different ingredients may require different treatments, so you gotta use some critical thinking here. 

FAQ: The Best Cookware for Stir Frying

If you want to stir fry with any regularity at all, I suggest you get a wok, and it'll change your stir frying life.

Why wok? Because with a wok you can actually STIR and toss to your heart's content without worrying about things jumping out. Yes, you can stir fry with a large skillet, but it's so much more difficult to try to toss, flip, and stir without having things escape the pan.

If you need to use a skillet, make sure it is LARGE (12-inch at least) and I recommend you practice the "pan toss" - i.e. flipping things in a skillet without utensils - because that will allow you to toss and mix things more quickly and efficiently.

But...what kind of wok?

The best kind of wok is a whole other discussion, and it really depends on your specific needs. If you are a casual stir-fryer who just wants to stir fry with ease and convenience, Korean, flat-bottom, nonstick woks are a great, low-maintenance option. They also come in a few sizes to match your storage needs. That's what I use at home often where convenience is a priority. You can get them at most large Asian grocery stores, and definitely at H-Mart.

If you want to get serious with stir fries, and you want to get that smoky wok char and use max-high heat, you'll want to get yourself a carbon steel wok. It comes with some special maintenance however and are generally pretty big if you only have limited space.

For further discussion:

WATCH: My video about the best wok to buy

WATCH: My video about how to care for a carbon steel wok.

Salted Fish Fried Rice

by 6 Comments

Salted fish fried rice is comfort food for many Thai people. Such simple ingredients: salted fish, Chinese broccoli, rice and eggs...yet the flavours are just so satisfying! In Thailand we buy salted fish already made, but in this recipe I also show you how to make your own, which requires very little effort and I can make is less salty than the commercially made one so I can put more fish in my fried rice!

*In my cookbook SABAI, since it is all about weeknight-friendly Thai cooking, I have a quick version of this recipe as well.

A plate of salted fish fried rice
Salted fish fried rice using homemade salt-cured salmon.

Salted Fish Fried Rice in Thailand

In Thai, this dish is called khao pad kana pla kem ข้าวผัดคะน้าปลาเค็ม which literally means fried rice with Chinese broccoli (gai lan) and salted fish. The fish would normally be salt-cured king mackerel which is commonly available at any market.

It's a simple, rustic dish you can commonly find at food courts and some ahaan taam sung shops which are street-side restaurants that offer a variety of quick, wok-based dishes.

Fun fact: ahaan taam sung อาหารตามสั่ง means "food as you order," which conveys the idea that whatever you want, as long as they have ingredients and can be booked in the wok, they can make for you. Most commonly these are simple stir fries such as pad kra pao, fried rices and stir-fried noodles.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Spicy Garlic Lime Pork "Moo Manao"

by 9 Comments

Moo Manao means "lime pork," but that name doesn't do it justice because it's really one of Thailand's best kept secrets. A spicy garlic lime dressing is poured over tender and juice pork slices, all of this is on top of crunchy cabbage and garnished with mint. It's one of those things that makes people's eyes light up when they first try it because it the bright and bold flavours are unexpected. It is also super easy!

a plate of moo manao on red napkin

Moo manao is a popular Thai drinking food, and I must say it goes so well with beer, but I think it is also great any time, with rice or on its own!

*If you don't eat pork you can substitute chicken breast or thighs.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

  • Pork shoulder or pork loin. I prefer using pork shoulder because it's more flavourful and juicy, but I try to choose pieces that are on the leaner side as you don't really want too many big pieces of fat on it. Pork shoulder can be a bit tricky to work with because of its irregularity, so pork loin or tenderloin can be used instead though be very careful not to overcook these as they are lean and can become dry. Be sure to slice the pork against the grain for max tenderness.
  • Soy sauce
  • Oil
  • Cornstarch. Cornstarch is added to the marinade, and when blanched, the starch will form a very thin layer of gel around the pork which helps keep the juices inside. This technique is called velveting.
  • Garlic
  • Thai chilies. You can add as many as you want here to customize the spice level.
  • Palm sugar. Palm sugar will yield a dressing with more complex flavour. If you don't have it, substitute light brown sugar. Read more about palm sugar.
  • Lime juice. Only fresh lime juice for this, no bottled!
  • Fish sauce. It's important to use good quality fish sauce as it is a main ingredient. Read about how to choose good fish sauce.
  • Cilantro
  • Shredded cabbage. You can also do a mix of cabbage and shredded carrots, broccoli stems, kohlrabi, basically anything you'd eat in a slaw.
  • Fresh mint leaves.
  • Some crunchy fresh veg of your choice (optional). This is extra, but we typically serve moo manao with some raw Chinese broccoli, and you can use the leaves as a wrap and munch on the stems. But really, this could be any fresh veggies you like. Peeled broccoli stems, cucumber, carrots, kohlrabi, celery, or even serve this with some lettuce leaves if you want to wrap it.

How to Make Spicy Garlic Lime Pork "Moo Manao"

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Process shots for making moo manao steps 1-4
  1. Combine pork with soy sauce, water and oil and mix well. Then add the cornstarch and mix well.
  2. Marinade for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.
  3. For the dressing, in a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and chilies into a paste.
  4. Add the palm sugar and pound until mostly dissolved. Then add fish sauce and lime juice and stir to mix. Stir in chopped cilantro.
Process shots for making moo manao steps 5-8
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Prepare a big bowl of warm water on the side for rinsing the pork. Place the pork in a wire skimmer (no fine mesh) or a spider then blanch pork in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds, stirring the pork a bit to spread them apart.
  2. Remove the pork as soon as it's done—the pork overcooks very quickly in boiling water! Dunk the skimmer into the bowl of warm water and shake it around to remove any bits of velveting and drain well.
  3. Line the serving plate with shredded cabbage and any side veggies.
  4. Place the pork on top of the cabbage in one layer, then spoon the dressing evenly over the pork. Top with mint leaves and enjoy!

Recipe Card

Authentic Thai Laab (Larb) Recipe with Pork

by 22 Comments

Laab ลาบ is one of the most iconic dishes in Thai cuisine that is  popular in many Thai restaurants around the world. To me, it represents one of the best parts about Thai food - spicy, bright flavours loaded with fresh herbs. It is also one of the easiest Thai dishes you can make at home, making it very beginner and weeknight friendly!

What is laab? Is it the same as larb?

While most people, and many Thai restaurants, call this dish larb, the correct pronunciation and the way it should be written is laab. The R is not pronounced.

"Larb" is the most popular way Thai restaurants write out the dish on menus because when Thai people speak Thai-accented English, we don't pronounce the R (we pronounce "car" as "ka," for example).

Anyway, LAAB is a ground meat salad that hails from the northeast region of Thailand known as Isaan. It is typically made of ground meat and lots of fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, and green onions. It is dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, dried chili flakes, and most important ingredient of all: toasted rice powder.

Because laab is mostly meat, it is served with a lot of raw vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce leaves, cucumber and long beans. It is also always served with sticky rice. 

This recipe is for laab moo, made with ground pork which is the most popular version in Thailand, but you can substitute another kind of ground meat, more details in the ingredients section below.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials, and if it's your first time making laab, recommend watching it to ensure success! If you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

*This is an old video and I spelled the dish as larb back then. I (and you) know better now 😉.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

  • White glutinous rice or jasmine rice, uncooked. This is for making the most important ingredient in this whole thing: toasted rice powder or kao kua. It is not laab without kao kua. Glutinous rice is traditional since the northeast of Thailand eats a lot of sticky rice (glutinous rice), but jasmine rice works fine and I even find it to be more fragrant.
  • Ground pork. Lean ground pork is fine, but if you can, get regular ground pork as the fat will keep everything moist, especially since there is no added fat in the dressing. You can sub ground turkey, ground chicken (use chicken thighs for best results), or ground beef, but again, don't go for lean if possible. Here's my chicken laab (laab gai) recipe. For a vegan version, see my corn and tofu laab recipe here
  • Shallots, red onion will also work if shallots are not available
  • Fresh mint leaves, another must-have ingredient without which it is not laab!
  • Cilantro, if you're a cilantro hater, leaving it out is fine.
  • Green onion
  • Sawtooth coriander, also known as culantro. This is harder to find and is optional. You can also add more cilantro or mint.
  • Fish sauce, see my post here about how to choose good fish sauce.
  • Lime juice
  • Chili flakes, you can add as much as you want but laab is supposed to be spicy! In Thailand we toast our chili flakes to get them smokey, which you can do simply by toasting it in a dry skillet over medium heat until it darkens and smells smokey. Chili powder will also work in a pinch. Red pepper flakes in Western grocery stores are usually too mild, so I suggest visiting an Asian market and get some chili flakes with some heat. Or get dried spicy chiles such as chile de arbol, and grind it up yourself. 
  • Sticky rice for serving. Here's a post with 7 different ways to make sticky rice, but my favourite method is this hot soak method. 
  • Fresh raw vegetables for serving such as lettuce, cabbage, long beans and cucumber.

How to Make Laab

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

Laab being mixed in a pot
Laab is a one-pot meal. Thai people cook the pork in a pot and then use the pot as the mixing bowl!
  1. Make toasted rice powder: Place the raw rice in a dry skillet pan and cook over medium high heat, moving it constantly, until a deep brown colour develops. Don't stop at golden brown, for the best flavour you want it dark brown! 
  2. Grind the rice with a coffee or spice grinder, or in a mortar and pestle into a coarse powder.
  3. Add 2 tablespoon water to a medium pot over high heat, then add the pork and stir it constantly to break it up. Once it's cooked, remove from heat.
  4. Using the pot as your mixing bowl, add shallots into the pork and stir to break up the rings and lightly cook the shallots.
  5. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, the toasted rice powder, chili flakes, cilantro, sawtooth coriander and green onion into the pot and stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, which may vary because the amount of pork juice that remains in the pot will vary. If you feel like it's a little bit too strong (too tart, too salty) you can add just a pinch of sugar to balance, but do not make it sweet. Remember, there will be sticky rice to balance it all later!
  6. When ready to serve, stir in the fresh mint leaves. (I like to leave the mint out until serving time because they turn black when exposed to heat)
  7. Garnish with some mint leaves and more chili flakes. Serve with some fresh crunchy vegetables and sticky rice!

How to Eat Laab Like a Thai

A plate of authentic Thai laab arrives, and it comes with a side of sticky rice and a bunch of raw vegetables...and at this point most first timers stammer a bit because they don't know what to do with it all. Do you put the laab on the rice? Should you eat the laab and the veg together in the same bite? Or separately? Totally understandable! Let me explain.

Typically laab is served family style, meaning a few people are sharing one plate. But everyone should have their own sticky rice, so start by putting some of that on your personal plate. You then scoop some of the laab and a few pieces of veg onto your own plate as well. Then there are a couple of ways to go about it:

  • I usually take a bit of laab and follow it up with a bite of sticky rice, so both the rice AND the laab are in my mouth at the same time. And I munch on the vegetables in between as sort of a palate cleanser. 
  • I will also sometimes use leafy veg such as lettuce or cabbage as a "spoon" and put the laab on it. Kind of like a lettuce wrap. You can do the same with slices of cucumber. 
  • You can also use sticky rice to sop up the laab juices, which is the best part!
  • Finally, these are just suggestions. Feel free to eat it however you like 🙂

For more on Thai dining etiquette, check out my video for How To Eat Thai Food Correctly.

FAQ

What's the difference between this laab and northern laab?

This recipe is laab isaan or northeastern Thai laab. But if you've been to northern Thailand, you might have had a dish also called laab that tastes quite different from this one.
Northern laab, or laab neua or laab kua, is a traditional dish of northern Thailand that also involves ground pork, but instead of being a salad, it is closer to a stir fry. It is loaded with a ton of dry spices, and those spices are the key ingredients of northern laab. I can't get some of those spices here in Canada, which is why I don't yet have a recipe for it!

Can laab be made vegetarian or vegan?

I have a delicious recipe for a vegan laab here that uses pressed tofu and sweet corn, and soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Even hardcore meat eaters in your life, such as my husband, will enjoy it!

The Best and Worst Green Curry Paste - A Thai Chef's Review

by 34 Comments

Green curry is the #1 most popular Thai curry - and while many of us would love to be making the curry paste from scratch, let's face it, most of us are gonna be turning to store bought. No shame though, cuz guess what ... most Thai people buy our curry pastes too, myself included!

So the real important question is: which is the "best" brand of Thai green curry paste? I did a blind taste test for red curry pastes a while back and found huge differences between brands that could make or break your curry, and now we have to answer the same question for green curry!

More of a video person? Watch the Curry Paste Tasting Video here, complete with my live reaction!

How I Chose the Brands for Review

There are a large variety of brands out there, and it’s impossible for me to taste test them all, so I had to narrow it down to five which is a manageable number. To qualify for my test, the criteria was:

  • The brand is commonly available outside of Thailand. So nothing obscure, local, or specific to a region.
  • The brand has to have been around for a long time and have a good reputation; so they’re all coming in with a certain amount of cred. New brands are popping up all the time, but I wanted ones that have at least passed the test of time.
  • The brand has to have all the expected ingredients for a green curry paste. I also checked that they don't have any chemical additives, because a good curry paste should just be a mix of real food ingredients.

Our 5 Green Curry Paste Contestants

5 brands of green curry paste iin 5 glass bowls

With the above criteria, I arrived at these 5:

  • Maeploy - my current go-to brand and the winner from our red curry paste test. It does contain shrimp paste, which is traditional, but if you’re vegan, this one is out by default.
  • Aroy-D - another brand that I use quite often cuz it’s widely available; and if Mae Ploy isn't available this is the one I get. They also make my go-to coconut milk.
  • Maesri - the only brand that comes in a can, and also the only one with sugar in the ingredient list. It also contains "Chinese ginger" aka fingerroot or grachai, and I could definitely smell it upon opening.
  • Namjai - another one in our lineup that contains shrimp paste, and it did very well in the red curry paste taste test. It's a brand that's become increasingly popular in Thailand.
  • Thai Kitchen - not a brand I see at Asian grocery stores, but by far the most common one available in the “international aisle” at non-Asian grocery stores, so it's safe to say this is marketed to non-Asian customers. It's also probably the one that the largest number of people have access to. (Sidenote: It is a McKormick brand, but is made in Thailand.)

Where to buy these curry pastes in your city? Your local Asian grocer will surely have at least one of these, check out our map of Asian grocery stores to locate one near you!

But what is a Thai curry paste anyway?

Thai curry pastes are basically a mix of ground up fresh herbs and spices. The most common curry paste ingredients are: chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro root (coriander root), makrut lime zest (kaffir lime zest), and white peppercorns. Shrimp paste is always added to curry pastes in Thailand, though many exported brands omit this to make it vegan and allergy friendly.

The above ingredients are included in most curry pastes, and then other ingredients are added depending on the type of curry. Green curry paste is uniquely green because it's the only paste that uses fresh green chiles, while most others use dried red chilies.

If you want to learn more about curry pastes in general, I highly suggest watching my curry paste 101 video where I go more in depth into what it is, and how to use, store, etc. Also, to explore other ways to use curry paste here are 5 ways to use curry paste beside making a curry.

Green Curry Paste Tasting Video - Live Reaction!

The results are written out below, but for the full experience watch the video for my live reaction and detailed review!

How I Did the Taste Test - The 2 Tests

Pailin tasting green curry made from 5 brands of curry paste
I blind tasted the curries. Watch the video of my taste test!

Our first test involves making my popular green curry chicken recipe. The process is shown in the video above, but I weighed every single ingredient down to the gram and timed each step of the cooking process to control for any differences.

I first tasted the curry straight up so I can really taste the differences. Then I tasted them all again with rice, which is arguably the most relevant test because Thai curries are not meant to be eaten on their own but are always served with rice.

Then I picked my top 2 (which were very close) and got 4 of my friends and family to taste the top 2 to find out which was preferred by most!

And the best Thai green curry paste is...

Here's the official ranking:

  1. Mae Ploy: Though this wasn't my initial pick when I tasted in-studio, when I later blind-tasted it against Aroy-D at home, this was the one I preferred. It has the strongest flavour, good level of spice, and has the most umami due to the shrimp paste. "There's more going on," was the comment from a taster.
  2. Aroy-D: By far the best of all 3 vegan options. Also a very close runner up and was my initial favourite before I had a change of mind! *The Aroy-D curry paste I get contains no shrimp paste, however, a viewer has commented that he has seen a version that lists "shrimp powder" on the ingredient list. I don't know if that's an old formula, but it's worth double checking before buying if you don't eat shrimp.
  3. Maesri: Maesri green curry paste performed much better than it did as a red curry paste; which is very interesting to me. It had a prominent flavour of grachai (fingerroot) which was nice, but it had a slightly weaker flavour than the top 2. It was also very slightly sweeter, which is not surprising as it's the only brand with added sugar.
  4. Namjai: I was very surprised it didn't do better because its red curry paste performed so well! Overall it was weaker in flavour, and looking back it's not surprising because the paste was also on the moister side. And higher moisture content means less concentrated flavours. It also had a flavour that was the most unique compared to other brands (not in a bad way at all). If using this Namjai, I would use more of it than the 3 above.
  5. Thai Kitchen: The worst! It was the weakest flavour in the group by a long shot. It is not spicy at all (so kid friendly) and the resulting dish didn't even taste like green curry. If this is all you have to work with, I'd use the whole jar for a 4-serving batch of curry. If serving people who cannot tolerate any heat, such as children, this is the one to use.

My Final Recommendations

For most people, I recommend going with one of the top 2: Mae Ploy and Aroy-D. Maeploy is preferred if it's available, but Aroy-D was also good. You can also add your own shrimp paste to Aroy-D for that extra umami.

If you're vegan or allergic to shrimp, then Aroy-D or Maesri would be 2 great options. But always check the ingredient list because it's common for there to be multiple formulas of the same Thai product on the market.

Important notes on packaging: Over the years I have seen that the same brand would come out with different packaging for the same product. For example, I have seen pictures of Aroy-D in little cans à la Maesri. You should not assume that the product inside is the same if the packaging is different!

Different types of packaging may also require the food inside to be processed differently, and sometimes moisture content, acidity, and other things have to vary due to the different processing requirement. Companies also sometimes have different formulas for different markets, for example domestic vs export markets.

The Bigger Takeaway

The main takeaway is that there is a huge range between brands of store-bought curry paste. When following recipes, unless you are using the brand that was used by the recipe writer, you cannot assume that you will get a result that is even close to what they got. So you have to use your judgment and be prepared to adjust as needed (which is something you should do whenever you cook anything anyway).

For my recipes, I'm either using Mae Ploy or Aroy-D in my tests, both of which are very similar. But it is always safe to be prepared to adjust and add more paste if needed.

How to "taste and adjust" when using a brand of curry paste for the first time

If you're working with a brand of curry paste for the first time, after all the liquid has been added, taste the sauce. At this point it should taste slightly too strong because you have not added the proteins and veggies.

If you feel like it needs to be stronger, you'll need to saute the extra curry paste for a few minutes in some oil, and then stir it into the curry sauce and allow the curry to simmer for 5 minutes so the additional paste has time to infuse into the liquid.

Do not wait until the curry is done before you taste, because if you need to simmer the curry longer to infuse the added paste, you will overcook the veg/protein.

Recipes That Use Green Curry Pastes

Now that you know which curry paste to use, here are some recipes to try!

Thai Tamarind Shrimp Recipe (Goong Pad Makaam)

by 15 Comments

Tamarind shrimp or goong pad makaam กุ้งผัดมะขาม is a simple dish that truly highlights the brilliant flavour balance Thai cuisine is famous for. Juicy shrimp are tossed in a luscious sauce that is sweet, salty and sour in equal measure, with a little heat if you so desire. Served with jasmine rice, and it's a luxurious dinner in less than 30 minutes.

A plate of tamarind shrimp with chlies and cilantro garnish

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need with important notes about them. For amounts, see the recipe card below.

  • Shallots
  • Garlic
  • Cilantro roots or cilantro stems. Cilantro roots are super aromatic and are commonly used in Thai cuisine in steps where heat is applied. We don't use leaves here because they'd turn black in the heat. However, since cilantro in the West typically don't come with roots, you can use stems instead.
  • Thai chilies, to taste. A little heat is nice to balance the sweetness of this dish, but feel free to make it as spicy as you can tolerate.
  • Large shrimp, ideally look for shrimp that are size 21/25 or bigger (means there are 21-25 shrimp in a pound), although 26/30 will work if needed. Small shrimp are not meaty enough to hold up to the sauce.
  • Chicken stock, unsalted. Or water is fine in a pinch
  • Palm sugar gives not only sweetness but also a beautiful caramelly flavour. You can sub light brown sugar if not available. Read more about palm sugar here.
  • Fish sauce. Good quality fish sauce is important here as it is a main seasoning. I use Squid Brand for everyday cooking, but you can read more about choosing good quality fish sauce here.
  • Tamarind paste. You can buy ready-to-use tamarind paste, but make sure it is a product of Thailand and should have a brown colour with a pourable consistency. It is often labelled as "tamarind concentrate." You can also easily make tamarind paste from pulp which will give you the best flavour.
  • Red and green chilies, these are added mostly for colour. You can use any kind of peppers, mild or spicy, depending on your preference. For mild, bell peppers are fine, otherwise jalapenos, serranos and fresnos are all great spicy options.
  • Cilantro leaves for garnish.
  • Fried shallots, optional but recommended. You can buy fried shallots from Asian stores of make fried shallots from scratch. If buying, I recommend re-toasting them to get them crispier either by stirring them in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they darken slightly, or baking them at 300°F (150°C) for just 5 minutes.
  • Optional fried dried chilies for garnish. This is traditionally added for garnish but it is just for looks.
  • Jasmine rice for serving. See how to cook perfect jasmine rice.

How to Make Tamarind Shrimp

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. If it's your first time I recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. And for the full recipe see the recipe card below.

Process shots for making tamarind shrimp steps 1-4
  1. Pound garlic, shallots, cilantro roots and Thai chilies in a mortar and pestle into a rough paste. Alternatively, process into a rough paste in a small food processor. 
  2. In a wok or a sauté pan, sear the shrimp in hot oil over high heat until browned. Flip oand sear the other side. Turn off the heat, remove the shrimp from pan.
  3. In the same wok pver medium low heat, add the herb paste and saute until aromatic and slightly browned. 
  4. Add chicken stock, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and fish sauce.
Process shots for making tamarind shrimp steps 5-8
  1. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Let sauce reduce until it is thick enough to coat the shrimp.
  2. Add the shrimp and toss to coat in the sauce; if shrimp are not fully cooked at this point, let them cook until done.
  3. Toss in the red and green chilies, then turn off the heat.
  4. Plate and top generously with fried shallots, and garnish with fried chilies and cilantro, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice and enjoy!

Recipe Card

Authentic Thai Boat Noodles Recipe

by 35 Comments

One of the most iconic dishes in Thailand is boat noodles or guay tiew ruea. Thai people LOVE boat noodles, and every time I have it, I am amazed by how much flavour can be packed into such a small bowl. This recipe will give you boat noodles that taste just like what you get in Thailand, I promise!

It’s a complex dish with a lot of ingredients (that’s why it’s so good) but it is not that hard to make. The broth takes a bit of time, but it is SO worth it, and this can be made in advance. In fact, once the broth is made, the rest is quick and weeknight friendly!

a bowl of boat noodles on pink napkin

What is boat noodles?

"Boat noodles" is a direct translation from the Thai name, guay tiew ruea. It's so named because originally they were actually sold from boats along Bangkok's canals; though nowadays most vendors have moved on land, and you can find them all over the country.

This is why boat noodles in Thailand come in little bowls - it wasn't practical to pass around large bowls of hot soup on a wobbly boat. So it's not uncommon for someone to eat 3-5 boat noodle bowls in one meal!

a boat noodle vendor on a boat in thailand
Image from: meechai.net

The heart of boat noodles is the uniquely aromatic and rich broth. The broth is dark thanks to the various soy sauces, and it has a lot of herbs and spices infused into it. The most unique part about boat noodles is that it is extra rich due to the added blood! (Before you get squeamish, it doesn't taste like blood at all, but it's optional.)

What is guay tiew ruea nam tok?

You'll often hear boat noodles referred to as guay tiew nam tok. "Nam tok" means waterfall, and it refers specifically to boat noodles with the blood added. Nam tok tends to be the default (unless you're at a touristy place), so when you're ordering boat noodles in Thailand, if you don't want the blood you'll have to say mai tok (no waterfall).

But why does "waterfall" mean blood? While it is not proven, the most popular story seems to be this: Back in the day vendors would have the raw sliced meats sitting on ice on top of a woven bamboo tray, and over time, the meat juices and ice would melt and "fall" through the tray into a receptacle below. Vendors would then use meat dripping to add back into the bowl. Nowadays fresh blood is used instead of these drippings.

Ingredients and Notes

Boat noodles have A LOT of ingredients, but don't let the length of the list deter you. You probably have many of these in your kitchen already, and gathering them is really the hardest part, the rest is super easy!

Boat noodles broth ingredients on the table

Broth Ingredients

  • Pork neck bones, are my favourite bones to use for the broth because they have a lot of meat on them which will become tender and delicious when we're done. But you can also use pork back bones, beef bones or veal bones.
  • Cinnamon stick, crush it just until broken into smaller pieces so it'll be easier to toast
  • Star anise
  • Coriander seeds
  • Galangal, sliced into thin rounds. If you don't have it, it's fine to omit or use dried galangal.
  • Cilantro roots or cilantro stems. Smash them gently just to bruise and release the flavour.
  • Daikon, peeled and cut into big chunks. This helps sweeten the broth and make it extra delish. WIthout it, you can add more onion instead. Once done, the daikon will also be super delicious, so don't throw them away! Serve it with the noodles or save it for another meal.
  • Onion, cut into big chunks
  • Garlic, crushed until broken to help release the flavour
  • White pepper, ground. Black pepper is fine too.
  • Pandan leaf, optional. Pandan leaves are used mostly in desserts, but it's commonly added to boat noodles. You won't taste the pandan in the finished product, and it is fine to omit.
  • Soy sauce. I use Thai soy sauce but other kinds are fine. See more about soy sauces here.
  • Golden Mountain Sauce. Golden Mountain is a brand of "Thai seasoning sauce" that is the most popular so the brand has become genericized. It's a type of soy sauce with a different flavour. Healthy Boy Brand also makes a seasoning sauce (green cap), and Maggi Seasoning or Bragg's Liquid Aminos taste very similar and can be used instead. You can also simply use more of the soy sauce.
  • Taojiew, this is Thai fermented soybean paste; basically the Thai version of miso paste. You can sub miso or doenjang instead. If your taojiew looks particularly chunky, mash it with a fork so it distributes better.
  • Thai black soy sauce or dark soy sauce. If using Chinese dark soy sauce it tends to be a bit salty, so I'd hold back on the regular soy sauce and then add more as needed.
  • Fish sauce 
  • White vinegar
  • Rock sugar or granulated sugar. Rock sugar is traditional, but it'll make no difference whatsoever if you use granulated, so use it only if you already have it!
  • Liquid beef or pork blood. You can find blood at some Asian grocery stores, usually frozen. Do not buy cooked blood, which is solid, or fresh blood without the anticoagulant added.

Noodle Bowl Ingredients

Toppings for boat noodles on a baking tray.
Vegetables, herbs and chili vinegar for boat noodles
  • Pork shoulder, (not pictured) for making marinated sliced pork. If you already have the meatballs and meat from the pork neck bones, you can skip this to simplify a bit.
  • Dry rice noodles, (picture below) size small, or another noodle of your choice. This is my favorite noodle for boat noodles, but in Thailand you'll be offered many noodle options, so you can choose one of those that I talk about in the noodle options section below.
  • Asian style pork or beef meatballs. You can buy these at many Asian grocery stores, refrigerated or frozen. If you are in a DIY mood you can also make them from scratch using my Asian meatballs recipe.
  • Water spinach or spinach, cut into 2-inch pieces. Water spinach (aka morning glory) is the classic greens added to boat noodles. Regular spinach or another kind of greens work just fine.
  • Bean sprouts
  • Cilantro and/or green onions, chopped
  • Thai basil or holy basil (optional)

Optional Condiments

In Thailand you'll find these condiments on the table at boat noodle restaurants and you can add as much of them as you like, (though you'll have to pay for the pork rind if you add it!); except the fried garlic that is, which the vendor will add to your bowl for you.

  • Chili vinegar. Technically optional but I highly recommend it! You can make chili vinegar from scratch but I sometimes cheat by mixing 1 part sambal oelek with 2 parts white vinegar and it works just fine.
  • Crispy pork rind. They add a lovely crunch to the noodle soup!
  • Roasted chili flakes, but only if you want to make it spicy. Store bought is fine, or you can make your own roasted chili flakes easily!
  • Fried garlic & garlic oil. You can make your own fried garlic easily and it keeps well. I always have it on hand in the fridge! Here's my fried garlic recipe.

Noodle Options and Cooking Instructions

When you go to order boat noodles at any vendor, you'll be given the option of several noodles. Here they all are, and how to prep them:

noodle options for boat noodles on a baking tray
  • Rice vermicelli (sen mee) - The smallest of noodles and the quickest to prep. Simply soak them in room temp water for 5-15 mins (timing varies between brands) until they are completely limp, then drain.
    To cook, you'll need to blanch them in boiling water, one portion at a time, for 5 seconds just like I showed in the video.
  • Small dry rice noodles (sen lek) - The most classic option. These noodles are 1.5 mm wide when dry. Soak in room temp water for 20-30 minutes or until they turn opaque white and are completely limp - they should have lost all of the kinks - and then drain.
    To cook, blanch them in boiling water, one portion at a time, for 5 seconds as shown in the video.
  • Glass noodles (woon sen) - woonsen is thin, delicate, and has a neutral flavour and is delicious in boat noodles. Soak in room temp water for 10 minutes until softened before cooking.
    To cook, boil in hot water for 2 minutes. You can cook all of the glass noodles at once since they take a longer time to cook, then separate into portions immediately after draining.
  • Fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai) - This is the noodles commonly associated with pad see ew. If cold and stuck together, microwave the noodles until they are hot and soft, so they can be peeled apart without breaking. Separate all the noodles before cooking.
    To cook, blanch them one portion at a time for 2 seconds in hot water just to heat them up and wash off the oil that's used to coat them. Do not let them linger in hot water for too long because they're already fully cooked and will quickly turn mushy.
  • Wonton noodles or egg noodles (bamee) - These vary greatly between brands, so you'll have to change the cooking time according to what you've got.
    But if you have thin wonton noodles like the one shown in the pic (fresh and coated in flour), loosen the noodles and boil them in hot water for 1 minute. I find it easier to cook these 1 portion at a time, but if you're making many portions, you can cook them all at once and separate them immediately after draining.
  • Mama Instant Noodles (sen mama) - Mama are the Thai instant noodles and they are super tasty in boat noodles! Buy any flavour of mama since you won't need the seasoning packets, but make sure the noodles are the classic wheat fried noodles as shown in the pic.
    Boil the noodles in water for about 1 minute, and you can cook all portions together and separate them after draining.

How to Make Boat Noodles

Here's the bird's eye view of the process so you get an idea of what's involved; the full instructions are in the recipe card below. It's not hard, but there are a lot of moving parts and it can be confusing for first timers, so I highly recommend watching the video tutorial, especially the assembly part, and it'll make much more sense!

Process shots for making boat noodles steps 1-4
  1. Simmer the pork bones in water for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toast the dry spices until slightly charred.
  3. Put the spices in a soup infusion bag of cheesecloth, along with the galangal and cilantro roots/stems.
  4. After 30 mins, skim the scum from the broth.
Process shots for making boat noodles steps 5-8.
  1. Add the spice bag, daikon, onion, garlic, pepper, pandan leaf (tie it into a knot) and all of the seasonings except salt. Simmer gently for 1 hr 15 mins, topping it up with water as needed to keep the bones completely submerged.
  2. Meanwhile combine pork shoulder slices with soy sauce and sugar and set aside.
  3. When the broth is done, remove the vegetables (can be eaten), spice bag (discard), and pork bones. Pick off any meat from the bones and reserve. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
  4. Bring the broth to a simmer and place the pork shoulder in a sieve or wire skimmer and dunk it into the broth, stirring it around until cooked, this should take less than 1 minute. Lift it up from the broth and set aside.
Process shots for making boat noodles steps 9-12.
  1. Bring the broth back to a boil then gradually add the blood WHILE STIRRING and watch the broth thicken! Add the meatballs and keep the broth hot on low heat and covered, until ready to serve.
  2. Bring a LARGE pot of water to a FULL boil, place 1 portion of the soaked rice noodles, bean sprouts and water spinach in a noodle strainer or sieve, and blanch for 5 seconds (shake it around in the water) then place into serving bowl. (If using other kinds of noodles, see noodle options section for instructions.)
  3. Ladle the broth along with a few meatballs over the noodles.
  4. Top with marinated pork, meat from bones, and all the toppings and condiments as desired. Enjoy!

Advance Prep and Storage Tips

Boat noodles takes time to make, but if you prep all the components ahead of time, assembly is super quick and you'll have dinner on the table in 20 minutes!

Here are all the things you can do ahead of time:

  • Make the broth and cook the meat in advance. This is the most important thing you need to do ahead of time. You can also cook the marinated pork once the broth is done and this will save even more time on the day. The broth will last at least 1 week in the fridge and can be frozen indefinitely. Keep the cooked meat separately in an airtight container and it'll also last up to a week.
  • Soak noodles in advance. If you're using any of the noodles that require soaking, soak them in advance, drain, then keep in a covered container in the fridge and they'll last up to one week. Make sure to rest the noodles on a kitchen towel to absorb excess water before storage; any pooling water in the container will continue to get absorbed by the noodles and make them mushy.
  • Make the condiments. If you're going to have chili vinegar, fried garlic, or the roasted chili flakes, get them done ahead of time and keep them in the fridge. Make sure to keep the fried garlic and garlic oil in separate containers!
a bowl of boat noodles on pink napkin

Authetic Thai Boat Noodles (guay tiew reua)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
This iconic street food is my all-time favourite Thai noodle soup and it is an must-try. The rich broth packs a ton of flavour thanks to an abundance of herbs and spices. The broth can be made in advance and also freezes well!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 5 servings

Equipment

  • noodle strainer or metal sieve

Ingredients
 
 

Boat Noodle Broth

  • 3.2 quarts water
  • 2 lb pork bones, preferably neck bones (see note 1)
  • 6 inches cinnamon stick
  • 1 pc star anise
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 10 slices galangal
  • 3 cilantro roots or 6 cilantro stems, crushed until bruised
  • 3 inches daikon, peeled and cut into chunks
  • ½ medium onion, cut into chunks
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed until broken
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper, ground
  • 1 pandan leaf (about 18 inches), optional
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Golden Mountain Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Tao jiew (Thai fermented soy bean paste), or sub miso or doenjang
  • 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1.5 Tablespoons black soy sauce, or dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • 25 g rock sugar , or 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Salt, as needed
  • ⅓ cup liquid pork or beef blood, or more if you like it thicker (see note 2)

Marinated Pork

  • 225 g pork shoulder, sliced into ⅛-inch thick pieces
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

Noodle Bowl

  • 1 lb dried rice noodles, size small (1.5 mm)
  • ½ lb Asian style meatballs, pork or beef (see note 3)
  • 2 cups water spinach or spinach, cut in 2-inch pieces
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 6 sprigs cilantro, chopped
  • 1 stalk green onion, chopped

Optional Condiments for Serving

  • Chili vinegar, highly recommended (see note 4)
  • 3 sprigs Thai basil , optional
  • Fried garlic & garlic oil, optional
  • Crispy pork rind, optional
  • Roasted chili flakes, to taste, optional

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. I prefer pork neck bones because they have a lot of meat on them, which makes a great addition to the noodle bowl. If you’re using beef bones, you will not have much of this meat.
  2. Beef or pork blood can be found frozen at many Asian grocery stores. Do not get cooked blood which is solid and can’t be used for this recipe. If you cannot find blood, substitute coconut milk.
  3. Asian style meatballs can be found refrigerated or frozen at most Asian markets. If large, half or quarter them.
  4. Chili vinegar, though technically optional, adds a zing to boat noodles that I think MAKES the dish. My cheat is to mix 1 part sambal oelek with 2 parts white vinegar, but you can make it from scratch easily using my chili vinegar recipe (it keeps very well in the fridge).

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For the Broth:

  • Add pork bones and water to a large stock pot making sure the bones are completely submerged. Simmer for 30 minutes.
    3.2 quarts water, 2 lb pork bones
  • Meanwhile, crush the cinnamon sticks until broken in a mortar and pestle (or smash them with something heavy) and add to a dry skillet or pot. Add star anise and coriander seeds and toast over medium high heat, stirring or shaking constantly until the coriander seeds are slightly charred and start to pop. Remove from heat, then add the spices into a soup infusion bag or tie in a cheese cloth along with galangal and cilantro roots or stems.
    6 inches cinnamon stick, 1 pc star anise, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 10 slices galangal, 3 cilantro roots or 6 cilantro stems
  • After 30 mins of simmering, skim the scum off the top of the broth, then add the spice bag, daikon, onion, garlic and white pepper. Fold the pandan leaf in half and tie into a knot (this bruises it and releases the aroma) and add it into the broth as well.
    3 inches daikon, ½ medium onion, 5 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 pandan leaf (about 18 inches)
  • Add all the seasonings except the salt: soy sauce, Golden Mountain Sauce, tao jiew, vinegar, black soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar; simmer gently for 1 hr 15 mins. If the bones become exposed, top it up with just enough water to keep everything submerged.
    3 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons Golden Mountain Sauce, 2 Tablespoons Tao jiew (Thai fermented soy bean paste), 2 Tablespoons white vinegar, 1.5 Tablespoons black soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon fish sauce, 25 g rock sugar
  • While the broth is simmering, soak the noodles in room temp water for 25-30 mins for noodles size small (1.5 mm wide). Exact timing will depend on the brand and the temperature of your water, but you want the noodles to be completely pliable and no longer holding their original shape. Drain the noodles and set aside. (If using other kinds of noodles, see blog post above for instructions)
    1 lb dried rice noodles
  • Now is also time to make the marinated pork simply by combining the pork with the soy sauce and sugar and mix well.
    (If you’re making fried garlic and chili vinegar, now is also the time to make them as well.)
    225 g pork shoulder, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar
  • When the broth is done, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or sugar if needed. You want to season the broth strongly as it will be further diluted once we add noodles and veggies to it, so aim for it to be a tiny bit too salty right now. If it is much too salty, it means you have let it reduce too far, so add more water to dilute.
    Salt
  • Remove the spice bag and discard. Use a wire skimmer to remove the daikon, garlic and onion. If you want you can eat the daikon with the noodles or save it for another meal. The garlic and onions will mostly be dissolved by now but any pieces can be discarded, though they are also edible.
    Remove the pork bones from the broth, and use a fork or tongs to remove any meat off the bones and reserve this for the noodle bowl.
  • Cook the marinated pork: Bring the broth to a simmer over high heat, then place the marinated pork in a wire skimmer (you may need to do a half batch if it doesn't fit) and dunk it into the broth, keeping the pork inside the skimmer; stir it around just until the pork is no longer pink (less than 1 minute), then drain and set aside in a bowl. (This is much more easily understood by watching the video)
  • Add the blood: Bring the broth back to a simmer, and gradually add the blood WHILE STIRRING so the blood does not clump up. You'll notice the broth thicken up instantly - this is the boat noodle magic! Add the meatballs, then keep covered on the lowest heat until ready to serve. (The meatballs are already cooked, they just need to be heated.)
    ⅓ cup liquid pork or beef blood, ½ lb Asian style meatballs

To Assemble (this part is hard to describe via text so I highly recommend watching the video to see the process)

  • Bring a large stock pot of water to a full boil over high heat, filling the pot as high as you can without risking spillage; this is for blanching noodles and vegetables. You want a lot of water to ensure that temperature doesn't drop too much after you add the first batch of noodles, and also to make sure the noodles can be submerged inside the noodle strainer or sieve.
  • While you wait for the water, separate the noodles into portions and place them into their own serving bowls. Also get all the condiments and toppings ready for serving.
  • When the blanching water is rapidly boiling, keep the heat on high and put 1 portion of noodles into a noodle strainer or a metal sieve along with a handful of bean sprouts and a handful of spinach. Dunk the noodle strainer into the water and shake it around for 5-10 seconds (if the pot of water is on the smaller side, keep it in for 10 seconds). Shake off excess water and place the noodles and veg into a serving bowl.
    Check the noodle texture, it should still be chewy but should not feel undercooked. If they still taste undercooked, put it back in for another 5 seconds and increase timing for the next batch. Repeat with the remaining portions.
    (Note: I recommend blanching 1 portion at a time as it is much harder to separate noodles into portions after they're cooked.)
    2 cups water spinach or spinach, 2 cups bean sprouts
  • Stir the broth (as the blood will settle) and ladle the broth over the noodles along with a few meatballs. Top the noodles with the marinated pork, the meat from the bones, fried garlic, garlic oil, chopped cilantro and/or green onions, and Thai basil (if using).
    Serve immediately with roasted chili flakes, chili vinegar, and crispy pork rind. Enjoy!
    6 sprigs cilantro, 1 stalk green onion, Chili vinegar, 3 sprigs Thai basil, Fried garlic & garlic oil, Crispy pork rind, Roasted chili flakes
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Authentic Thai Green Curry Chicken

by 158 Comments

Thai green curry chicken is my most popular recipe on the YouTube channel with over 4 million views. If you want a completely authentic recipe, and one that maximizes deliciousness, this is it right here. It is one of the best known dishes of Thai cuisine, and despite its complex flavours, it is actually quite easy to make at home. It's also gluten free, and adaptable for vegans!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are ingredients you'll need for an authentic Thai green curry and important notes about them. For amounts, see the full recipe card below. The bamboo shoots are a common vegetable used for green curry, but feel free to change it up. And if you are DIY-minded and have time, here's my homemade green curry paste recipe.

  • Thai basil
  • Bamboo shoots, canned. You can use the strips of sliced version. If you don't like bamboo shoots, you can also substitute Thai eggplant, cut into thin wedges, or winter melon, cut into 1-inch chunks. But you will need to allow more cooking time and adjust accordingly: Thai eggplant needs 3-4 minutes, and wintermelon about 10 minutes. If using chicken breast the eggplant/wintermelon will have to go in before the chicken.
  • Red bell pepper, or any kind of red pepper. This is added just for colour.
  • Green curry paste, store bought or homemade. If using store bought I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D, or Namjai brands. Do not use Thai Kitchen brand as it is very weak, or if you must, you'll need at last double the amount called for. See my curry paste review for details.
    If using my recipe for the homemade green curry paste, you can put the entire batch of paste into this curry recipe, unless you're afraid it might be too spicy, then you can hold back a bit. Don't use the amount provided for store bought paste because the above-recommended brands tend to be more concentrated than homemade ones.
  • Makrut lime leaves
  • Full fat coconut milk, I recommend Aroy-D in paper carton.
  • Fish sauce
  • Palm sugar, or sub granulated or light brown sugar.
  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs do make the best tasting green curry, but if you must use chicken breast, the method is a little different and I've provided the details in the recipe card.
  • Chicken stock, unsalted. Store bought is fine but you can also use my Thai style chicken stock recipe.

How to Make Thai Green Curry

Green curry uses our basic curry making methods that you'll see in many different coconut-milk-based curry recipes. Once you know how to make a green curry, for example, you basically know how to make a red curry! Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but to ensure success, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial!

Steps for making green curry chicken steps 1-4
  1. Optional step: Pound green curry paste and Thai basil leaves for an extra vibrant colour.
  2. Get the paste as fine as possible.
  3. Reduce the coconut milk until very thick
  4. Add the curry paste and saute for a few minutes.
Steps for making green curry chicken steps 5-8
  1. Toss chicken with the curry paste.
  2. Add coconut milk
  3. Add chicken stock
  4. Add makrut lime leaves.
Steps for making green curry chicken steps 9-12
  1. Add fish sauce and palm sugar.
  2. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is fork tender.
  3. Add bamboo shoots and cook for a minute until the curry comes back to a boil.
  4. Stir in red bell pepper and turn off the heat.
Steps for making green curry chicken steps 13-14
  1. Add Thai basil and stir just until wilted.
  2. The green curry is now ready to serve with jasmine rice! Note: The makrut lime leaves are for infusion purposes only; they are not meant to be eaten when left in large pieces.

How to Make Green Curry Vegan

With a dish so flavourful, making it a vegan is very easy. Here are modifications I suggest below, but I also have a vegan green curry recipe that I have optimized for maximum umami you should check out!

  • Use any vegan protein of your choice, and if using tofu I recommend medium-firm tofu, or fried tofu made for soup which I use in this laksa recipe.
  • You can also do an all-veggie green curry without any protein. I recommend hearty vegetables such as Asian mushrooms and Japanese eggplant. Sauteing or roasting the vegetables first so that they are browne will make it more robust-tasting.
  • Replace fish sauce with soy sauce, salt, or vegan fish sauce.
  • Use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. Or use dried shiitake soaking water as I do in my vegan red curry recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is hotter, red or green curry?

This is a difficult question to answer because with any Thai curry you can make a very spicy or a very mild one. It just depends on who made the curry paste and also how much curry paste is used. But if you're using store bought curry paste, usually green curry tends to be hotter than red curry, and both of these tend to be hotter than yellow, panang and massaman curry pastes.

If you're looking for something mild, try this easy panang curry or my yellow curry!

What is green curry sauce made of?

Green curry sauce is quite simple and is made of mainly green curry paste and coconut milk. Water or broth is usually added to lighten the curry, and seasonings are simply fish sauce and sugar. To find out what's in green curry paste, check out my recipe here.

What does green curry paste taste like?

If you've never had green curry before, it'll be a flavour experience you've never had. If you're thinking of an Indian curry, it is completely different in every way. The flavours come mostly from fresh herbs rather than dry spices, so it won't have that u0022curry aromau0022 you associate with dishes made with curry powder. Texturally it's also much lighter and brothier, more reminiscent of a soup, rather than a thick stew.

More Thai Curry Recipes You'll Enjoy

Once you've made green curry, other Thai curries will be easy because the basic steps are the same. You're just changing up the curry paste, the meat and veggies, and modifying the process slightly to match the different ingredients used.

Here are some classic Thai curry recipes you should try:

And here are some lesser known curries for those who want to explore:

  • Hung Lay Curry - Northern Thai pork belly curry. Super rich and satisfying. Perfect for colder months.
  • Sour Curry with Shrimp and Green Papaya - a very different experience as this curry is sour and brothy like a soup, with no coconut milk. This is the epitome of Thai home cooking, and one you won't see much in restaurants overseas.
  • Jungle Curry with Chicken - Another light curry that uses no coconut milk. It's spicy and loaded with veggies...it's like a jungle in a bowl!
  • Jackfruit curry with Pork Ribs - Now if you're really looking for something obscure...this is it. A light northern Thai curry I promise you won't find outside of Thailand!
a bowl of thai green curry with basil garnish

Green Curry Chicken แกงเขียวหวาน (gaeng keow waan)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Authentic recipe for Thai green curry with chicken and bamboo shoots which is a classic combination. This recipe uses traditional curry making technique with no added cooking oil. You can use store bought curry paste, or make your own. 
4.89 from 76 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1¾ cups coconut milk, divided
  • 3 ½ Tablespoons green curry paste, store bought or homemade (recipe below, see note 1).
  • 1 cup chicken stock, unsalted
  • 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, 1-inch pieces (see note 2)
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar, or light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 4 makrut lime leaves, (aka kaffir lime leaves)
  • 1 550-ml can bamboo shoots strips, drained and rinsed (see note 3)
  • 1 cup Thai basil leaves
  • ¼ red bell pepper, or another mild red pepper, julienned
  • Jasmine rice for serving

Homemade Green Curry Paste

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 15 green Thai chilies, see note 4
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 15 Thai basil leaves, finely julienned
  • 3 Tablespoons thinly sliced lemongrass, from bottom half only
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped galangal
  • 2 teaspoons makrut lime zest, finely chopped (or sub lime zest)
  • 2 cilantro roots or 4 big cilantro stems, finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (gapi)

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. Adding more curry paste will give you a more flavourful curry, but it will also be spicier. As your first batch, start with 50 g of store bought paste and you can add more next time. As for brands, I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D and Maesri. Do not use “Thai Kitchen” brand. See: My Green Curry Paste Review. More details in the ingredient section in the blog post above.
  2. If using chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch thick, bite-sized slices, and marinate in 2 teaspoons of fish sauce while you prep other ingredients. Follow instructions specific to chicken breasts.
  3. Instead of bamboo shoots, you can substitute Thai eggplant cut into thin wedges (3 min cooking time), or winter melon, cut into 1-inch chunks (10 min cooking time).
  4. Ideally use Thai green chilies that are about 2 inches long, not the tiny ones. If not available you can also use other types of green chilies such as Korean green chilies or serrano peppers.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Reduce ¾ cup coconut milk until thick and coconut oil starts to separate from the coconut milk (if the oil doesn’t separate after it has reduced until very thick, it's okay, just proceed with the recipe).
    1¾ cups coconut milk
  • Add the curry paste and sauté, stirring constantly over medium heat for about 2 minutes until aromatic. If paste sticks to the bottom of the pan, you can deglaze with a little bit of the remaining coconut milk. 
    3 ½ Tablespoons green curry paste
  • Add chicken thigh and stir to mix with the paste. (Continue with instructions below if using chicken breast).
    1 lb chicken thigh
  • Add the chicken stock, remaining 1 cup of coconut milk, palm sugar and 1 Tablespoon of the fish sauce. Grab the makrut lime leaves and twist them to bruise and release aroma, then tear them into chunks and add them to the pot, discarding the center stems. Bring to a simmer and let simmer gently for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender.
    *The lime leaves are for infusion only and not meant to be eaten when left in large pieces. They are traditionally left in the curry, but be sure to inform your guests not to eat them.
    1 cup chicken stock, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar, 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons fish sauce, 4 makrut lime leaves
  • Once the curry is done simmering, add bamboo shoots and bring to a boil. If you prefer your peppers to be more cooked, add them at this stage. Once boiling, remove from heat.
    1 550-ml can bamboo shoots strips, ¼ red bell pepper
  • Taste and add more fish sauce and/or sugar as needed.
    *If you feel that the curry is weak and needs more curry paste, saute the additional curry paste in some oil in a small pot for a few minutes until aromatic, then add about a cup of the curry sauce to dissolve the paste and let it simmer for a few minutes, then stir it back into the curry. 
  • Add Thai basil and spur chilies or bell peppers and stir just until the basil is wilted. Serve with jasmine rice
    1 cup Thai basil leaves, Jasmine rice for serving

If using chicken breast:

  • After sautéing the curry paste, add makrut lime leaves, coconut milk, chicken stock, palm sugar and 1 tablespoon fish sauce; bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
    *The lime leaves are for infusion only and not meant to be eaten when left in large pieces. They are traditionally left in the curry, but be sure to inform your guests not to eat them.
  • Bring the curry sauce to a boil, then add the marinated chicken breast and cook until chicken is about 70% done, 1-2 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots and bring to a boil. If you prefer your peppers to be more cooked, add them at this stage. Once boiling, remove from heat.
  • Taste and add more fish sauce and/or sugar as needed.
    *If you feel that the curry is weak and needs more curry paste, saute the additional curry paste in some oil in a small pot for a few minutes until aromatic, then add about a cup of the curry sauce to dissolve the paste and let it simmer for a few minutes, then stir it back into the curry. 
  • Stir in Thai basil and spur chilies or bell peppers. Serve with jasmine rice.

For the Curry Paste

  • Toast cumin seeds by adding them to a dry sauté pan and stir constantly over medium-high heat until the seeds are aromatic and slightly darkened, about 4 minutes. Cool on a plate. Repeat with the coriander seeds.
    1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • Using a mortar and pestle, grind toasted coriander seeds, toasted cumin seeds, and white peppercorns into a fine powder. Remove from mortar and set aside.
    ½ teaspoon white peppercorns
  • Cut at least 8 green Thai chilies in half horizontally and, with a paring knife, scrape off and discard the seeds and pith, then finely chop along with the remaining chilies.
    Note: The seeds and pith are removed from some of the chilies to tone down the heat, you can remove seeds from all of the green chilies if you wish to tone it down even more
    15 green Thai chilies
  • Add chopped chilies and salt to a heavy-duty mortar and pestle; pound into a fine paste. If the mixture feels too wet at any point, add some of the ground spices to absorb the liquid.
    1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • Add basil leaves; pound into a fine paste.
    15 Thai basil leaves
  • Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, and cilantro roots; pound into a fine paste.
    3 Tablespoons thinly sliced lemongrass, 1 Tablespoon finely chopped galangal, 2 teaspoons makrut lime zest, 2 cilantro roots or 4 big cilantro stems
  • Add shallots, garlic, and any remaining ground spices; pound into a fine paste.
    3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • Add shrimp paste and pound to mix.
    1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (gapi)
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Fried Garlic and Garlic Oil - Essential Thai Condiment

by 4 Comments

Fried garlic or gratiem jiew is a quick an easy way to add garlicky goodness to any dish you make. You can sprinkle the crunchy golden garlic bits onto a dish, or drizzle the garlic oil on to anything. It's also an essential condiment for many Thai dishes, especially noodle soups. It's easy to make and will keep indefinitely in the fridge!

The good news is one you make the fried garlic, you'll end up with garlic oil as a tasty by product. So it's one process to make both things!

fried garlic in a sieve

How to Use Fried Garlic

Sprinkle the crispy fried garlic on top of anything you want! Your breakfast eggs, tacos, really anything. In Thailand, the crispy fried garlic is most commonly used on noodle soups such as boat noodles and chicken noodle soup. We also use it to top stir fried dishes such as Northern laab, garlic pepper chicken or garlic pepper pork.

The garlic oil can be used as a cooking oil or as a finishing oil and in Thailand we use it in both ways. I usually drizzle it on top of soups along with the fried garlic, but you can also use it to cook veggies, eggs, or use it to finish a salad.

How to Make Fried Garlic & Garlic Oil

Here's a bird's eye view of the process so you know what's involved. For ingredients amounts and full instructions, see the recipe card below!

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat and add 1 piece of garlic as a "test" and wait for it to bubble.
  2. Once the test piece bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and add the rest of the garlic. Stir constantly until golden, about 5-8 minutes.
  3. Drain through a metal sieve immediately (don't use plastic or you will melt it!)
  4. It's now ready to use! The garlic will not be crispy when hot, so let it cool first.

Storage

I keep the fried garlic and the garlic oil separately otherwise the fried garlic will lose its crispiness. Keep them both in sealed containers in the fridge and they will last many months.

Depending on the type of oil you use, the oil may solidify in the fridge. If this happens, simply take it out 10 minutes or so before using so it can liquify. In a rush, nuke it for a few seconds in the microwave (like literally 5 seconds, it goes fast!)

Common Problems When Frying Garlic

It's a simple thing to make, but you need to understand how it works or issues can occur! Here are some common issues:

The garlic is bitter.

Probably the most common problem, and it's because you over fried it! You want the garlic to be GOLDEN, not golden brown. If it's too brown, it might look nice but it'll start to be bitter. The garlic will also continue to darken slightly after you drain it from the oil, so aim to take it out a bit earlier.

The garlic burnt so quickly!

The heat is too high! Garlic goes from done to burnt fast, which is why you need to keep the heat medium-low or low throughout the frying process. People often get impatient and turn the heat up, and then it catches them off guard and burns instantly.

Also, do not walk away! The first few minutes will look like nothing is happening, so often people walk away to do something else. But the rule of the universe states that when you're not watching fried garlic, that is precisely when it will burn!

The garlic is golden but not crispy.

This is also from heat being too high. You took it out at the right beautiful colour, but the garlic got to that colour too quickly and not enough moisture had evaporated.

Crispiness comes from lack of moisture, if something is moist, it will not be crispy. The frying removes moisture, so you need to give it enough time for most of the moisture to evaporate. This is another reason to keep the heat low.

A sign that the garlic is crispy is that the bubbling has slowed down significantly because bubbling occurs from the water evaporating out of the oil. When the bubbling is weak or has stopped completely, the garlic has lost enough moisture to be crispy.

Cutting garlic too big will also cause this problem because there is simply too much moisture so the garlic cannot possibly lose it all before it turns golden. Keeping the pieces small enough is important!

The garlic is oily

This happens when the garlic is added to the oil when the oil was too cold, or if the heat becomes too low during the frying. When the oil is not hot enough to cause bubbling, there is not enough outward push from the water evaporation, so oil can seep into the garlic.

This is why I suggest you add a test piece of garlic to the oil and wait for the test piece to bubble before adding the rest of the garlic.

a bowl of fried garlic

Fried Garlic and Garlic Oil

An essential condiment in a Thai kitchen for adding garlicky flavour. Sprinkle the crunchy golden garlic, or drizzle the oil onto any dish. Keeps well in the fridge.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Sauces
Cuisine Thai
Servings 0.3 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head garlic
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Chop the garlic just until the pieces are no bigger than ⅛ inch (3 mm) but do not mince finely.
    1 head garlic
  • In a small pot, add the oil and turn the heat to medium. Add 1 test piece of garlic, and once the garlic starts bubbling, add the rest of the garlic and turn the heat down to medium low.
    (The oil should just cover the garlic, and you can add more oil if needed.)
    ⅓ cup neutral oil
  • Stir the garlic constantly until golden and the bubbling has mostly subsided, about 5-8 minutes. The more you make the longer it will take. Do not let the garlic brown or it'll become bitter; you're going for golden, not golden brown. It'll continue to darken slightly after you take it out from the oil so take it out a bit early to be safe.
  • Drain the garlic through the metal sieve, catching the oil in a bowl underneath, and it's ready to go!
    Store the fried garlic and the oil separately in a sealed container in the fridge. If the oil solidifies in the fridge, bring it out shortly before using so it can liquefy.
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Ginger Shrimp & Glass Noodles กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น Goong Ob Woonsen

by 11 Comments

Goong ob woonsen is a super popular Thai seafood dish I always order whenever we go to a seafood restaurant in Thailand. Glass noodles and shrimp are cooked together in a pot with lots of ginger, garlic and pepper, and the noodles soak up all the incredible flavours from the herbs and sauces. It is truly a classic, with a unique flavour that makes it a must-try dish of Thai seafood!

glass noodles with shrimp and cilantro on top in an aluminum pot.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Easier Weeknight Pad Thai (Sen Chan Pad Pu)

by 6 Comments

Making a fully loaded authentic pad thai is no simple task, but if you still want to enjoy the sweet-salty-sour noodle-y goodness on a weeknight without having to resort to takeout, you're in the right place. Sen chan pad pu is one of Thailand's many "pad thai adjacent" dishes, but it uses way fewer ingredients, making it much quicker and easier to prepare. Its relative simplicity actually makes it more similar to an American takeout pad thai...but I promise it is better!

a plate of sen chan pad pu with a fork lifting up noodles with Cucumber, beansprouts and a lime wedge on the side

What Is Sen Chan Pad Pu?

This dish is what I like to call pad thai's easier cousin. It's a rice noodle stir fry with that same sweet-salty-sour flavour profile as pad thai, and it is made typically with crab or shrimp. Sen means noodles, and chan is short for Chanthaburi, a province in Thailand famous for making rice noodles with a chewy texture that are perfect for stir fries. And this dish is Chanthaburi’s local specialty because it features their signature product.

And not just the noodles! Chanthaburi is a coastal city with abundant seafood, so in Thailand you'll see this dish made with seafood only, most commonly crab. (Pad pu means stir fried with crab.) Since crab isn't as accessible for most people, for this recipe I'll show you how to work with both shrimp and crab.

Sen Chan Pad Pu vs. Pad Thai

On the surface the two dishes look similar - sen chan pad pu looks kinda like an orange pad thai. Indeed the two dishes share most of the core ingredients: noodles, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, bean sprouts and garlic chives. But sen chan pad pu is flavoured with chili paste, hence the orange colour, and doesn't have any eggs, tofu, peanuts, preserved radish or dried shrimp.

Because it's made with fewer ingredients sen chan pad pu is easier than pad thai, and I find it to be totally doable on a weeknight. Side note: you can also make regular pad thai weeknight friendly by making the sauce and doing some prep work up front, and I share how to make that happen in my post on how to make pad thai in 5 minutes!

PS. On the subject of orange pad thai, unlike in America, most pad thai in Thailand is brown, not orange (with a few exceptions). American takeout pad thai is often orange because restaurants like to add ketchup or paprika to make the colour more vibrant, but this isn't traditional.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the full recipe card below.

ingredients for sen chan pad pu
  • Dried chilies. This is what gives the iconic orange colour. You can use spicy or mild dried chilies depending on how spicy you want it. I use a combination of 1 small guajillo (mild) and a few smaller spicier dried chilies giving me a nice medium spice level, but feel free to adjust this ratio.
  • Garlic
  • Shallots
  • Palm sugar. Palm sugar adds complexity to the sweetness. See my post all about palm sugar here if you want to learn more about it. You can also sub light brown sugar.
  • Tamarind paste. This is what gives sourness to the noodles. Make sure you buy Thai tamarind paste (aka tamarind concentrate) that is a pourable brown liquid, not Indian tamarind which is much more concentrated. You can also make tamarind paste from pulp quite easily!
  • Fish sauce. It's important to use good quality fish sauce. See more about how to choose good fish sauce here.
  • Shrimp and/or crabmeat. If you have crabmeat, you'll be making the "original" version, but shrimp also work just as well!
  • Rice noodles. I'm using Pine Brand (our sponsor!) which has great chewy texture because of the added tapioca starch. If using other brands, make sure you get one that is 3mm wide (⅛ inch) for the right size!
  • Bean sprouts
  • Garlic chives
  • Cucumber. This is served on the side to help lighten the dish. It's quite important!
  • Lime wedge for serving. This is optional, depends on how sour your tamarind is. I find that if you're using homemade tamarind paste, the acidity is quite strong and the lime isn't necessary, but it's always good to have on hand just in case you want that extra zing.

How to Make

Here's a bird's eye view of the process, if this is your first time I highly recommend watching the full video tutorial. For full instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.

Process shots for making sen chan pad pu steps 1-4
  1. Soak noodles in room temp water until completely pliable and then drain. (30 mins - 1 hour depending on the brand, more on this below.)
  2. Remove seeds from the dried chilies and grind into a powder. Alternatively, soak the chilies in hot water for 30 mins until rehydrated, then pound into a paste in a mortar and pestle.
  3. Pound garlic into a paste in a mortar and pestle, then add chopped shallots and the ground chilies and pound into a rough paste.
  4. The paste can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen.
Process shots for making sen chan pad pu steps 5-8
  1. Saute the chili paste in oil for about a minute or so over medium heat.
  2. Add the palm sugar and stir until mostly dissolved.
  3. Add the water, tamarind paste and fish sauce and bring the sauce to a boil.
  4. Add the shrimp and cook until done, then off heat and remove the shrimp.
Process shots for making sen chan pad pu steps 9-12
  1. Bring the sauce back to a boil over medium high heat and add the noodles.
  2. Keep tossing until the noodles absorb all of the sauce, then taste, and if the noodles are too chewy, add a splash of water and keep cooking until done.
  3. Add the shrimp, crabmeat (if using), garlic chives and bean sprouts and toss just until the bean sprouts are wilted.
  4. Plate and serve with chopped cucumber, extra bean sprouts and a wedge of lime. Top with more crabmeat for garnish. Enjoy!

Tips and Shortcuts for Soaking Noodles

One of the keys to success in stir frying rice noodles is properly soaking the noodles. Here are some tips:

  • To check if noodles are done soaking, lift the noodles up and they should droop completely and have lost all kinks. I soak my noodles in room temp water because it results in the most even hydration and the lowest risk of over-soaking.
  • The warmer the water temperature, the shorter the soaking time, so as a shortcut, you can use warm or even hot water, but you have to drain the noodles promptly or they will over-soak and become mushy after cooking.
  • It is possible to over-soak noodles in any temperature water, but in room temp water, you have a big buffer, so just check on them once in a while. If using warm or hot water, they will over-soak quickly so keep an eye on them.
  • In the case of absolute emergency, i.e. you forgot to soak the noodles, you can soak them in hot off the boil water for exactly 3 minutes (set a timer!) and drain them immediately. I have only tried this with Erawan brand noodles size M (3mm), and timing may vary if using other brands. I don't do this regularly because the risk of over-soaking is high.

Advance Prep Tips

Here are a few things you can do in advance to make this dish even faster to make!

  • Soak the noodles in advance, then drain well and keep in the fridge. I rest the drained noodles on a kitchen towel briefly before storing to absorb excess water because you don't want any pooling liquid in the container or they will over-soak in the fridge. They should last in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Make the paste in advance. You can keep the chili paste for up to a week in the fridge or freeze it indefinitely.
  • Make the sauce in advance. Take it a step further and make the sauce! Saute the paste, then add the palm sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce and water. Keep this in the fridge and it should last you a couple of weeks. You can make the sauce in bulk, but remember to measure the volume of the sauce once finished and make a note to yourself how much sauce you need per batch.

Storage and Reheating

Like pad thai, rice noodles stir fries in general do not reheat well. This is because the noodles continue to absorb moisture in the fridge, so when you reheat, the noodles will be softer than they were when fresh, and after a few days, they might even be mushy.

This is not a big deal if you have leftovers and you want to eat it the next day. It'll still taste great despite the not-as-chewy texture. But I don't recommend making this as meal prep for your lunch for the week! For that, I suggest trying my glass noodle pad thai which reheats much better.

To reheat, you can microwave or saute it in a non-stick skillet. Make sure to reheat the rice noodles until steaming hot or they will not be soft and may be a bit crunchy and rather unpleasant.

Easier Weeknight Pad Thai (Sen Chan Pad Pu)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Sen chan pad pu is a Thai noodle stir fry that has the same sweet-salty-sour flavour profile that we all love in pad thai, but is much simpler to make!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 6 oz dry rice noodles, 3 mm wide
  • 0.3 oz dried chilies , (see note 1)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  • 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1.6 oz palm sugar, about 3½ tablespoons packed (or sub brown sugar), finely chopped (~3½ Tbsp)
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons Thai tamarind paste , (see note 2)
  • 2½ Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 10-12 medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3.5 oz crab meat , optional
  • 1½ cup 85 g beansprouts, plus extra for serving
  • 4 stalks garlic chives, 2-inch pieces, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 baby cucumbers, halved and sliced, or sub English cucumber
  • Lime wedges for serving, (see note 3)

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

1. You can use spicy or mild chilies, or a combination, depending on how spicy you want to make the dish. For mild, I use guajillo or puya, and for spicy I use arbol chilies or the small dried chilies sold at Asian markets. If you want it a little spicy but not sure how much to add, use 1 spicy chili to be safe, and you can always add more to the finished dish.
2. You can buy premade tamarind paste from Thailand, also labelled as “Tamarind Concentrate.” Make sure it is from Thailand and that it is a brown, pourable paste. You can also make your own tamarind paste from a block of tamarind pulp.
3. You may or may not need the lime depending on how tart your tamarind paste is. If using homemade tamarind paste made according to my recipe, I find the acidity is strong enough that you don't need additional lime. But store bought paste can be quite weak, so a little squeeze can give you the extra zing needed.
 

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Soak the noodles in room temperature (not cold) water for 30 mins - 1 hour. Timing will vary between brands and temperature of your water. Check doneness by lifting the noodles up with your fingers and they should be completely limp, have no resistance to gravity, and no longer retain their old shape. If you’re in a rush, you can use warm water and it’ll shorten the soaking time, but be careful not to over-soak (see more noodle soaking tips in the blog post above).
    6 oz dry rice noodles
  • Remove seeds from the chilies by using scissors to cut them into chunks and allowing the seeds to pour out. No need to remove every last seed, whatever comes out is fine. Grind the chilies in a coffee grinder into a fine powder. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, you can cut and soak the chilies in room temp water until rehydrated (about 30 mins), then pound in a mortar and pestle into a paste.
    0.3 oz dried chilies
  • In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic into a paste, then add the shallots and the ground chilies and pound into a rough paste.
    2 cloves garlic, 3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  • Combine the tamarind paste with the fish sauce and ⅓ cup (80 ml) of water and stir to combine.
    3 Tablespoons Thai tamarind paste, 2½ Tablespoons fish sauce, ⅓ cup water
  • Before you turn the stove on, keep a cup of water nearby. Heat a wok or a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and the chili paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
    2 Tablespoons neutral oil
  • Add the palm sugar and cook until mostly dissolved, about 30 seconds. Then add the tamarind sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
    1.6 oz palm sugar, about 3½ tablespoons packed (or sub brown sugar)
  • Add the shrimp (if using) and cook them in sauce for 1 minute, flipping them halfway through, just until they are done. Turn off the heat and remove the shrimp, leaving all the sauce behind.
    10-12 medium size shrimp
  • Turn the heat back on medium high and add the soaked noodles. Keep tossing the noodles with tongs until all the sauce has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and taste the noodles, and if they are still too chewy, add a splash of water, and turn the heat back on and keep cooking until all the additional water has all been absorbed.
    Keep checking and adding water until the noodles are cooked through but still maintain a slight chew. (There are many factors that affect how much water you need to add, so it's okay if you end up adding a lot more or none at all, as long as the noodles are properly cooked.)
  • Once the noodles are cooked, add the beansprouts, garlic chives, cooked shrimp and most of the crab (if using), leaving a bit of crab behind for garnish. Turn off the heat and toss everything until just until the beansprouts are wilted.
    1½ cup 85 g beansprouts, plus extra for serving, 4 stalks garlic chives, 3.5 oz crab meat
  • Plate the noodles, top with more crab (if using), more beansprouts, cucumber, and a lime wedge on the side.
    2 baby cucumbers, Lime wedges for serving
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Thai 5-Spice Egg & Pork Belly Stew (Kai Palo) - Instant Pot or Stovetop

by 16 Comments

Growing up in Thailand, kai palo is one of my favourite dishes. And I would be willing to bet that many Thai people would say that it's their childhood faves too. Hard boiled eggs and tender pork belly are simmered in a sweet-salty five-spice broth...how could any kid not like it! It was a staple at my school cafeteria, and a classic in many cafeterias and food courts around the country.

a bowl of thai five spice pork belly and egg stew on an orange napkin

What is Kai Palo?

Kai means eggs, and palo means five-spice. Kai palo is a stew made from hard boiled eggs, pork belly, and tofu puffs in a rich and aromatic five-spice broth. It is a great example of Chinese influence on Thai cuisine because the key ingredients are ones that Chinese immigrants brought into Thailand: five spice, tofu, and soy sauce. In fact, the Chinese have a very similar dish that's probably the precursor of this dish!

In Thailand, kai palo is a humble dish so you won't find it in fancy restaurants. People make it at home, or you will find it in cafeterias and food courts. Also, anywhere kids go, you'll find kai palo because kids just love the sweet-salty flavour of this dish!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and some important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

Note: It is best to make this stew one day it advance, or aim to finish it at minimum 30 minutes before serving. The eggs will have time to absorb more flavour the longer you let them sit.

Spice Bag

  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Cloves
  • Star anise
  • Coriander seeds
  • Sichuan peppercorns
  • Cilantro roots or cilantro stems
  • Cheesecloth, or use premade spice infusion bag which you can find at many Chinese grocery stores.

Note: If you have five spice powder already on hand, you can make a shortcut version by simply adding the powder to the broth. Use 1 ½ tablespoons of five spice powder for this recipe.

The Stew

  • Pork belly, if you want a leaner dish you can also use pork shoulder.
  • Salt
  • Palm sugar, or sub brown sugar. Dark or light brown sugar will work here.
  • Unsalted pork or chicken stock, storebought is fine, or you can use my homemade pork stock or chicken stock recipes.
  • Soy sauce
  • Golden Mountain Sauce, or sub soy sauce (see Guide to Soy Sauce video)
  • Oyster sauce, see my post on how to choose good oyster sauce here.
  • Black soy sauce or dark soy sauce, this is added to get the rich dark colour iconic of this soup. Thai black soy sauce is less salty than Chinese dark soy sauce, so if using Chinese dark soy, you may want to hold back on the regular soy sauce a bit.
  • White pepper, ground
  • Garlic, crushed
  • Eggs, you can add as many as you like here, but I suggest 1-2 per person.
  • Tofu puffs, halved. You can buy tofu puffs at Chinese grocery stores. They are tofu that have been fried and has an airy interior which absorbs sauce exceptionally well.
  • Jasmine rice for serving

How to Make Five-Spice Eggs and Pork Belly Stew (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

process shots fr making kai palo steps 1-4
  1. Crush cinnamon sticks just until they break into smaller pieces. Toast all the spices in a dry saute pan on medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the coriander seeds start to darken slightly. Remove from heat and place in cheesecloth or spice infusion bag along with cilantro stems/roots.
  2. In a large pot or in the Instant Pot, add palm sugar and melt over medium high heat. Once melted, keep stirring until it turns a dark caramel colour.
  3. Immediately add the stock to stop the sugar from cooking. Then add soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce, oyster sauce, black/dark soy sauce, and salt.
  4. Add the spice bag, white pepper, and crushed garlic and bring to a boil.
process shots fr making kai palo steps 5-8
  1. Add the pork belly and simmer gently for 2 - 2.5 hours, loosely covered, until the pork is fork-tender. If using an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs in boiling water for 8 minutes, then cool and peel. Once the pork is fork tender, add the hard boiled eggs.
  3. Add the tofu puffs and simmer for another 8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  4. Let the stew sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, and preferably one day in advance so the eggs can have a chance to absorb the flavour. Enjoy!

Tip for Extra Flavour: Sear the pork

Though not traditionally done, searing the pork to get nice browning on the surface can add a lovely robust flavour to the soup. It's a simple step:

  1. Toss pork belly in the ½ teaspoon salt. Heat the pot you're using the make the stew over high heat, then add a little oil just to coat the bottom and sear the pork until browned on at least two sides (sear 4 sides if you've got the patience).
  2. Remove the pork and pour off any excess fat. Then continue with the recipe as usual - so the next step would be to caramelize the sugar which you can do in this pot without washing.

A Note on Using the Instant Pot

This is a great dish to make in the Instant Pot because it can save a lot of cooking time without affecting the end result. While you can do the whole thing in the IP, I prefer to start it stovetop and transfer after all the liquids go in because it's much faster to caramelize the sugar on the stove.

The only modification I made for the IP is to use a bit less stock since the stew will not reduce at all in the IP.

How to Get Flavourful But Not Overcooked Eggs

Typical kai palo in Thailand features hard boiled eggs that are simmered in the soup for upwards of 30 minutes. This is to allow the eggs to absorb the flavour of the broth, but it also results in what Westerners would consider "overcooked" eggs—rubbery whites and grey ring around the yolks. For Thai people, there's nothing wrong with this; it is an expected characteristic.

However, I personally prefer not-overcooked eggs, so my technique is cooking the eggs just until they're done but letting them sit in the stew overnight before serving. If you don't have time to do overnight, give them at least 30 minutes. Any less than that and you're not doing the eggs justice!

Recipe Card

3-Ingredient Crispy Thai Fish Sauce Wings

by 9 Comments

The thing that shocked me when I first had these popular Thai wings was that they only use one seasoning: fish sauce. Really? Only fish sauce? How can it be THIS good?? I guess that is the magic of fish sauce. It delivers salty umami that, in many situations, is all you need. These are one of the most popular appetizers in Thailand, and it is incredibly easy to make at home, no deep frying required!

a plate of fish sauce wings with dried chilies garnish and a plant and a beer in the background.

What Are Thai Fish Sauce Wings?

Fish sauce wings are called ปีกไก่ทอดน้ำปลา peek gai tod nam pla in Thai, which literally means "wings fried with fish sauce." They're served in many restaurants across Thailand, especially ones popular with the drinking crowds because it's such a great dish to pair with a cold beer.

In Thailand they are typically deep fried, but for this recipe I've also provided a method that uses shallow frying only, and also an alternative air-fried method (not as crispy, but works).

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here's all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the recipe card below.

  • Chicken wing flats. Thai fish sauce wings use only flats, as I explain more below. This is, as the name suggests, the flat part of the wings. They're sometimes called wingettes. For the drums, you can save them for another recipe such as my turmeric chicken soup, tom yum chicken, or these zingy spicy KFC wings!
  • Fish sauce. Since it is the only seasoning, it's important to use good fish sauce. Read more about how to choose good fish sauce here.
  • Rice flour. Though you CAN make this recipe without any flour, I find the flour helps create a crisper crust. You can also substitute cornstarch instead, but I do prefer the light, crisp texture of rice flour. **Be sure to buy regular rice flour (red bag) not glutinous rice flour (green bag).
  • Ground white or black pepper. This is optional 🙂
  • Optional: Sweet chili sauce for serving. In Thailand these are typically served without any dipping sauce (the beverage is the sauce!), and they don't need it. However, I understand the desire to dip! So if you want, Thai sweet chili sauce would be the perfect pairing, and you can buy it or use my easy homemade Thai sweet chili sauce recipe here.

How to Make Crispy Thai Fish Sauce Wings

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps. If this is your first time, I recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

process shots for making fish sauce wings steps 1-4
  1. Place wings in a dish just big enough to hold them, or a ziptop bag, and add the fish sauce. Toss the wings to coat, and marinate for 20-30 mins, turning them half way though.
  2. Pat the wings dry, and if you want you can pepper them at this point too. Then dust the rice flour over them so they are thoroughly coated.
  3. Flip the wings and dust the rice flour over the other side.
  4. Put the wings into the sieve and shake off excess flour.
process shots for making fish sauce wings steps 5-8
  1. Add oil into a 12-inch skillet it is about ¼ inch thick. One hot, lay the wings thick-skin side down and let them fry for about 4 minutes until they have a deep golden brown colour.
  2. Flip the wings to fry the other side for another 2 minutes or so until they are cooked through.
  3. When shallow frying, oil tends to jump more than when deep frying, so it's good to have a mesh guard!
  4. Drain on paper towel and enjoy! They don't need a sauce, but if you want, they are great dipped in Thai sweet chili sauce.

How to Deep-Fry and Air-Fry Fish Sauce Wings

I love to shallow fry these wings because I get the crispiness of frying without having to deal with a lot of oil, though all the flipping can be a bit fiddly if you need to make multiple batches. You can deep fry and air fry these, with pros and cons below:

Deep Frying

How: Bring about 1 inch of oil to 375°F (190°C) over medium high heat. Fry the wings for 4-5 minutes until browned and crispy.

Pros: Fasting cooking time and not at all fiddly - you drop them in and let them go. This is the best option if you're making a large amount of wings. You can also use drumettes with this method.

Cons: Uses a lot of oil.

Air Frying

How: Place the wings in the basket, thicker-skin side up, and spray or brush the wings with oil. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. I don't find it necessary to flip them as you want to maximize the crispness of the top side.

Pros: Convenient, we all love air fryers for a reason! It also allows you to use drumettes.

Cons: The result is fine, but the skin is not as crispy, so if you want maximum crispiness, stick with oil-frying. It also takes much longer per batch, so not ideal if you need to make multiple batches.

Advance Prep and Reheating Tips

You can marinate the wings one day in advance, and then then cook them before serving. If serving a party, you can also cook them in advance and then reheat close to serving time; they reheat very well!

To reheat: You can air fry them at 350°F(175°C) or bake them at 400°C (200°C) for about 8 minutes. You can also shallow fry or deep fry them again in a skillet, the way you did the first time.

Only Flats for Fish Sauce Wings!

The most interesting thing about many Thai wings recipes, this one included, is that they're almost always made ONLY with wing flats. No drumettes. Go to any Thai restaurant in Thailand, order fried wings appetizer, and you'll see for yourself.

For this recipe, using flats also allow us to get wonderfully crispy skin with shallow frying, no deep frying required! If you want to use drumettes, you'll need to deep fry them if you want them crispy, or air fry them if you don't need the crisp.

Personally think flats are the better part of the wings anyway, but I have to wonder...where do all the drumettes go?

One theory I have is that the drumettes all go to Thai KFC which makes these incredible spicy wings that use drumettes only, see my KFC Wingz Zabb recipe here. The drumettes are also often used in soups, such as this turmeric chicken soup, because they make for a super rich broth, and the meat is easier to remove with a spoon than the flats.

Recipe Card

The Science of Freezing Tofu (And 4 Ways To Cook It)

by 4 Comments

The other day I told my husband to put away the groceries and freeze all the protein…by which I meant all the meat. Next thing I know I opened the freezer and there was my tube of soft tofu looking…completely bizarre.

frozen silken tofu held in hand with more tofu in the background.

After taking a deep breath and reminding myself that tofu is technically protein, I decided to cook the frozen tofu and then post it on Instagram and YT Shorts where it went viral on BOTH platforms. To my surprise people are very interested in the concept of freezing tofu! And it absolutely IS a fascinating process, so I want to explore freezing tofu further. 

So for our exploration I froze 2 types of tofu - silken and firm - so you can see the two extremes; and you’ll also see WHY you might want to freeze tofu on purpose, what happens to them when you do, and how to use the results in your cooking.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Watch The Video

If you want to get all the cool visuals, (and frozen tofu is very cool), everything I cover in this post is covered in this video as well. Enjoy!

What Types of Tofu Can You Freeze?

You can freeze any kind of tofu; anything from silken all the way to extra firm, depending on the texture you want at the end. The soft tofu will remain soft, and the firm tofu will remain firm, but everything will be a little firmer and less fragile than it originally was. 

How to Freeze Tofu

a tube of frozen silken tofu

There is ZERO trick to freezing tofu and don't believe anyone who tries to get you to do any kind of "prep work." The easiest way is the best way - stick them in the freezer in the packaging, just like my husband did. Once frozen, it’s gonna look completely wrong; the colour will become dark yellow and translucent as per the pic above.

The tofu doesn't need to be frozen for any particular amount of time; you can thaw it as soon as it's completely frozen or leave it there until you want to use it. Let it thaw in its packaging either in the fridge over a few days or in a bowl of room temp water (which will take 3-4 hours) - though of course timing will depend on the size of the tofu. If thawing in water, keep changing the water once it becomes ice cold so it will thaw faster.

*Once thawed, the tofu will still last at least a week in the fridge (unless it is almost expired) so you can thaw it well in advance.

How NOT to Freeze Tofu

Some people will tell you to cut the tofu into pieces, dry them with a towel, then freeze them on a tray as individual pieces. If you just want to store the tofu long term, that's fine, but if you want to reap the benefits of frozen tofu's transformation, this is actually the OPPOSITE of what you want to do!

Yes, freezing tofu in small pieces make them quicker to thaw and easier to use, but for the most dramatic physical changes, you want as much water in the tofu as possible while it is freezing AND for the freezing to happen slowly (i.e. freeze the whole block of tofu). So just stick it in the freezer as is. I will explain the reason for this further in "the science" section below. 

What Happens After Tofu is Frozen?

For the tube silken tofu, you can cut the tube right through, (careful of any water squirting on you), and slide it out. And behold the crazy texture, holes, and layers in the pic below! And BECAUSE of all these holes, you'll also notice a ton of water just pouring right out of the tofu.  

Previously frozen tofu cross section

For tofu packed in a tub, you can just take it out as usual after it's thawed. With firmer tofu it is not as obvious that anything has changed, but if you look closely, you can see the little, tiny holes inside that weren’t there before. And if you press down on it (gently please, it's still tofu) you'll see a ton of water gushing out of those tiny holes.

frozen firm tofu beside regular tofu

Both soft and firm tofu basically became a sponge. The holes are much smaller in firm tofu because it had much less water to begin with as I will explain in "the science" below. But the takeaway here is: the softer the tofu, the more dramatic the effect.

The Science Behind Frozen Tofu's Transformation

Now let me explain why this happened with a rough analogy. Imagine that tofu is made up of millions of tiny water balloons. Each balloon is the soy protein, and each soy balloon is filled with water. This is how the water was able to stay suspended INSIDE the tofu in the first place.

But as anyone who’s ever forgotten a can of coke in the freezer knows, water expands when it freezes, and if the container is too full, it explodes. That’s what happened to our soy balloons; and the ice crystals are sharp, so they damaged the balloons as well. And once the tofu thaws, the water leaks out from the damaged balloons, leaving a bunch of saggy empty balloons behind, hence all the holes.

As evidence of this, if you freeze a whole tube of silken tofu, you'll notice that the holes at the ends of the tofu are not nearly as big (see the difference in the pic below). This is because the faster things freeze, the smaller the ice crystals. And smaller ice crystals cause less damage to the protein structure, hence the less pronounced holes. The middle of the tofu will have the largest, most obvious holes because it was the place that took the longest to freeze. And as I mentioned above, this is why you want to freeze the whole block of tofu and not freeze them in small pieces!

previously frozen silken tofu in a Thai sukiyaki soup in a bowl.
Tofu on the left comes from the end of the tube, tofu on the right comes from the middle.

Why would you want to freeze tofu anyway?

previously frozen silken tofu being sliced

Other than triggering trypophobia, this holey texture can be a good thing because one of the most challenging parts about cooking with tofu is getting it to absorb any flavour. You can coat the outside with sauce, but the inside usually just tastes like plain tofu. But with all these holes, sauce and broth and now penetrate INSIDE the tofu, making it much more flavourful. 

The other advantage is that because the tofu now has less water, it is a bit stronger and less likely to fall apart, which is why many people like to use frozen tofu in hot pot where things are constantly being agitated. And for firmer tofu, once we fry them, they’re gonna be chewier as well. 

Does frozen tofu taste like chicken? 

This is such a pet peeve of mine. If you go searching on the internet for frozen tofu you’re going to see people claiming that freezing is a "tofu hack" that makes tofu taste like chicken! As a chicken eater, I can tell you with 100% confidence that it does NOT. And if someone actually thinks that it does…well, maybe they haven’t had chicken for a while. 

Yes, if you freeze firm or extra firm tofu and then fry it, it is gonna develop a chewier texture, but you’re definitely not going to fool anyone that this is a meat product. What I CAN say is that  depending on what you do with it, it can tastes less like tofu because now more of the sauce is able to penetrate the inside, so the tofu flavour is drowned out a little bit more.

How to Cook With Frozen Tofu

However you currently cook unfrozen tofu, you can still do the same with frozen tofu. But the difference is that now the holey tofu will be able to absorb flavour and will be firmer. So here are a few suggestions I have that will allow you to take advantage of this new feature.

For Frozen Soft Tofu

previously frozen silken tofu in a Thai sukiyaki soup
  1. Cut it into pieces and let it simmer in a soup, stew, or anything saucy to let it soak up the flavour. I used it in this Thai sukiyaki soup recipe and it was delicious. Just add them at the end and let it simmer for just a few minutes so the tofu can heat through and absorb that flavour. 
  2. Hot pots! Frozen tofu is popular in hot pots because they are sturdier and less likely to fall apart with all the people constantly agitating the pot. Try this Thai hot pot recipe here!

For Frozen Firm or Extra Firm tofu

You can certainly just throw these into any soups, curries or stews. But if you pan-fry or air-fry them first, you'll also get a lovely chewiness AND this will help prevent them from falling apart when you cook with them, making them much more versatile. Here's how to fry them:

Process shots for how to fry firm frozen tofu, steps 1-4
  1. Press out as much excess water from the tofu as possible (don't be too aggressive, it is still tofu). Cut it into pieces that are slightly bigger than you want them to be at the end because they will shrink. 
  2. Lay them on a thick kitchen towel, put another towel on top and gently press to dry them out further. The dryer they are the better they will brown. 
  3. Option 1: You can pan fry them in some oil over high heat. Sear them on all 4 sides for a few minutes each side. Be sure not to crowd the pan for best browning.
  4. Option 2: For a less fiddly method, brush them with oil and air-fry them at 400°F (200°C) for about 12 minutes, turning them over half way through. Be sure to place them in a single layer and try not to let them touch.

*People have asked whether it is okay to deep fry frozen tofu. I have not done this, but my concern is that because of all the holes, the frozen tofu may absorb too much frying oil.

3 Recipe Ideas for Pan- or Air-Fried Frozen Tofu

Whether you pan fried the tofu or cooked them in the air fryer, here's what you can do with your golden nuggets of chewy tofu. 

  1. Toss them in a sauce. Here I'm using my Hot Thai Chicken sauce recipe. Simply toss the freshly fried tofu until it is well coated, but don’t overdo it cuz the sauce is intense. In a pinch, you can also just toss them in any store-bought sweet chili sauce.
frozen firm tofu tossed in sweet chili sauce
  1. Stir fry them. I recommend my pad prik king recipe which is a slightly sweet red curry paste stir fry with makrut lime leaves. Just throw the tofu in towards the end and toss until they're well coated by the sauce; giving them a minute to heat through and absorb the sauce.
frozen firm tofu stir fried in pad prik king sauce
  1. Simmer them in a stew and take advantage of those holes that can now suck up all that flavour. Try my five spice stew with eggs and pork belly (kai palo) which is a classic. 
frozen firm tofu in kao palo stew

And that's it! I hope you have fun experimenting with all kinds of frozen tofu, and let me know if you have a favourite way to use them!

Thai Chicken Laab Recipe (Larb Gai)

by 16 Comments

Laab (aka larb) is a famous dish that is iconic of northeastern Thai food, and this version uses chicken, making it laab gai ลาบไก่. It's spicy, tart, and fresh...few things satisfy the palate the way laab does. It's no wonder it's one of the most popular dishes in Thai restaurants around the world!  It is probably the healthiest chicken salad ever, and one of the easiest Thai dishes to make. You'll have it on the table in less than 30 minutes!

a plate of laab gai with green beans and lettuce on the side.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

What is laab gai? Or is it larb gai?

Let's settle the second question first, the dish is pronounced "laab" without the R. The reason it is often written with R is because, like the British and Australians, Thai people do not pronounce the R when it follows a vowel. So if you're American or Canadian, please pretend you're British for a brief moment when you see "larb" on a menu! (I explain more about this in my video about the madness of spelling Thai words in English.)

Laab is a northeastern Thai salad made of ground meat, and in fact "laab" means to mince in the north/northeastern Thai dialect! The dressing is spicy and tart, made primarily of fish sauce, lime juice, and chilies. It's loaded with tons of fresh herbs and served with sticky rice and fresh veggies.

Gai means chicken, and it's one of the most popular versions served in N. America. In Thailand, however, laab moo or pork laab is the more common one.

Note: This laab is from the Northeast, but there is another kind of laab from Northern Thailand that is entirely different. That laab is called laab nuea or laab kua and it is made with a ton of aromatic spices. If you love spices, try my northern laab (laab kua) recipe here!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need to make laab gai and important notes about them. For amounts, see the recipe card below.

  • Ground chicken, preferably not lean so as to not make the salad too dry. If you have a choice, choose dark meat ground chicken. For this recipe I grind my own using 50/50 chicken breast and chicken thighs. Grinding your own meat really is much easier than it seems especially if you have a cleaver. You can see the video @3:20 for how to grind your own chicken. I grew up grinding all our own meat (yes, as a child!) because pre-ground meat wasn't readily available where we lived. I also have a laab recipe made with ground pork here.
  • Water or unsalted chicken stock. Use chicken stock only if you've got some already open/available, otherwise just use water. It's not necessary to buy/make/open chicken stock for this. 
  • Fish sauce. This is the main seasoning for the dish so it's important you use a good one. See this post for how to choose good fish sauce.
  • Shallots. In a pinch, red onion will also work.
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Roasted chili flakes. Roasting chili flakes adds a lovely smoky aroma, and if you like spicy food, it's useful to have a bunch of it on hand and you can add it to anything! I use mine all the time. Here's a detailed tutorial on how to make your own Thai roasted chili flakes.
    You can also buy Thai chili flakes (if you like spicy) from an Asian market, or if you prefer it mild, use "red pepper flakes" available at Western stores. I recommend toasting store bought chili flakes in a dry skillet over low heat until it darkens slightly and smells smoky - it'll take just one minute or less so be careful not to burn it!
  • Toasted rice powder. THIS is the heart of laab. It is not laab without toasted rice powder or kao kua (aka khao khua). It adds a magical nutty flavor that helps mellow out the sharpness of the lime. It's very easy to make, recipe below.
  • Cilantro and/or sawtooth coriander. You can find sawtooth coriander from some Asian markets, and they're also known as culantro. It's very popular added to laab, but if you can't find it, cilantro alone is just fine.
  • Green onion.
  • Mint. Mint is an absolutely key ingredient of laab, don't skip it!
  • Crispy chicken skin, this is optional, and I have a quick microwave crispy chicken skin recipe here. It's just a way to add a little fun crunchy bits on top. You can also use store bought crispy pork rind instead.

Toasted Rice Powder (kao kua)

  • Uncooked Thai sticky rice or jasmine rice. Sticky rice is typically used in Northeastern Thailand since that is the rice that's most commonly eaten there, but I prefer jasmine rice because it is more aromatic. Both will work fine.
  • Makrut lime leaf (aka kaffir lime leaf, optional, but if you have it I highly recommend adding it cuz it adds such a lovely aroma). More about makrut lime leaves here.

​How to Make Laab Gai (larb gai)

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. If it's your first time I recommend watching the video tutorial first to ensure success.

Process shots for making laab gai steps 1-4
  1. To make toasted rice powder: In a small pot or skillet, add the rice and the makrut lime leaf and toast, stirring constantly, over high heat until the rice has a deep brown colour. Not golden brown, you want it DARK brown. 
  2. Transfer into a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Grind until fine (yes, grind the lime leaf too), but if using a coffee grinder, be careful not to over-grind—you don't want it to look like flour, you want it to be like a coarse powder.
  3. To make the laab : In a wide pot or medium size skillet, add the water or stock and bring to a simmer over high heat. Then add ground chicken and 1 teaspoon of the fish sauce. Cook, stirring constantly to break up any big lumps, just until it is done. 
  4. Remove from heat, then add the shallots and stir to wilt slightly and to make sure all the shallot layers are separated. 
Process shots for making laab gai steps 5-7
  1. Add fish sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and toasted rice powder; stir to mix well.
  2. Add all the fresh herbs except mint: green onions, sawtooth coriander and/or cilantro and stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you find the acidity a bit too intense, you can add just a half a teaspoon of sugar to balance, though this is not traditionally added. 
  3. Plate and sprinkle the mint on top (the mint is not added into the salad as it turns black in the heat). If you want, garnish with a couple of dried chilies and some crispy chicken skin (which you can make in minutes!). Serve warm or room temperature with sticky rice and fresh, crunchy vegetables such as  lettuce leaves, cucumber, long beans, or cabbage.

How to Serve and Eat Laab like a Thai

Laab is always served with sticky rice and lots of fresh crunchy veggies. If you've got some lettuce leaves, you can make little lettuce cups with the laab. You can also ball up the sticky rice in your hands and use it to sop up the dressing. Here is the easiest and best way to make sticky rice.

If you're looking to make a meal of it, here are a few other classic northeastern thai recipes that we often serve with laab:

​Advance Prep Tips

Though laab is super easy and quick to make, there are a few things you can make in advance to make it even quicker:

  • Toast the rice advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend not grinding it until you're ready to cook in order to preserve the aroma as much as possible.
  • Toast the chili flakes ahead of time.
  • The salad can be made ahead of time, but don't add the toasted rice and fresh herbs until just before serving, otherwise the toasted rice powder will absorb all the dressing and make the salad seem dry, and the fresh herbs will wilt. 

Recipe Card

Crispy Garlic Chive Dumplings (Gui Chai Tod)

by 39 Comments

Don't let the amount of vegetables in this popular street food throw you off. I didn't love vegetables as a kid and I would devour these every time. Garlic chives become so tender they almost melt in your mouth, and with the soft & chewy dough that is crispy on the outside...and the sweet & sour dipping sauce...oh man...these are a MUST try.

crispy garlic chive dumplings lined up in a row with sauce on the side

What is Kanom Gui Chai?

There are two types of kanom guichai ขนมกุ๊ยช่าย in Thailand. The classic version is the stuffed version, which is much harder because you have to make a dough and wrap the garlic chives inside. These are the ones I grew up eating, but after watching my grandmothers (both of them!) painstakingly make the dough (which is not easy) and wrap each dumpling (even more not-easy)...I had zero desire to go through the same ordeal, lol.

a plate of crispy garlic chives dumplings with dipping sauce

Then there are these fried ones, which I only discovered later in life and fell in love with them immediately. They are a thousand times easier, but deliver the same flavours that I love in the classic ones. Instead of stuffing, the chives are mixed right into the batter, so no fiddly wrapping required! And IMO they're just as delicious if not more because they are crispy! Oh yeah, and it happens to be gluten-free and vegan and all that good stuff 🙂

Still have some leftover garlic chives from this recipe? Then it's time to make an authentic pad thai, or my best pork dumplings (gyoza)!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients and important notes about them. Amounts and full instructions are in the recipe card below!

Dumplings

  • Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives or nira (in Japanese), are available at most Asian grocery stores. Some garlic chives can harbour a lot of dirt at the bottom of the plant where the leaves are joined, so you need to cut off about 1.5 inch off the bottom and then shake them in a bowl of cold water to remove the dirt before using. IMPORTANT: After washing dry off the chives as best you can! If there is a lot of water left in the chives it will make the dough too soft. I shake off the water as much as possible, then lay them on a tea towel, cover them with another, and roll them gently between the two towels.
  • Sugar
  • Soy sauce
  • Salt
  • Baking soda (optional). Baking soda is added to maintain a more vibrant green colour.
  • Neutral oil
  • Garlic, finely grated or minced, or you can substitute with garlic powder. If you have some garlic oil handy you can use garlic oil instead of the neutral oil and omit the garlic altogether.
  • White pepper
  • Rice flour. If you're buying rice flour from Thailand, be sure to get the one in the red bag which is regular rice flour. DO NOT GET glutinous rice flour in the green bag.
  • Tapioca starch. While rice flour provide tenderness, tapioca starch will add a bit of bounce and chew.
  • Water

Dipping sauce

  • Sugar
  • Water
  • White vinegar, or rice vinegar
  • Sweet soy sauce, I use ABC kecap manis or Thai Healthy Boy Brand sweet soy sauce. You can also substitute dark brown sugar.
  • Soy sauce
  • Sambal oelek or minced Thai chilies. Can be omitted if you want to make this not spicy

How to Make Crispy Garlic Chives Dumplings

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. If this is your first time I recommend watching the video tutorial, especially so you can see the texture of the dough. Full instructions are in the recipe card below!

process shot for making garlic chive dumplings steps 1-4
  1. Place the chives in a mixing bowl, and add salt, sugar, soy sauce, baking soda, oil, white pepper and garlic, and mix until combined. Let sit for at least 20 minutes until the chives are wilted.
  2. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by combining all ingredients and stirring until sugar is dissolved. This sauce will keep in the fridge for weeks!
  3. Make the batter: Combine water, rice flour and tapioca starch in a pot and stir until there are no more lumps. Turn the heat on LOW and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula.
  4. As the flour starts to cook and congeal into lumps, pull the pot off heat occasionally to smush any flour lumps against the sides to break them up. Continue stirring CONSTANTLY just until the mixture is thick enough that the chives can be evenly suspended in the batter (it can be thinner than in the pic). Remove from heat and continue stirring to break up any lumps of flour to make sure the consistency of the batter is even throughout.
process shot for making garlic chive dumplings steps 5-8
  1. Off heat, add the garlic chives into the batter until well combined.
  2. Grease a 7-inch round cake pan with oil (or use any heatproof container). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth off the top.
  3. Preheat a steamer with boiling water. If you're not using a bamboo steamer lid, wrap a towel around the lid of the steamer to prevent water from dripping onto the surface of the dumplings. Alternatively cover the dumplings with foil. Steam the dumplings for 15 - 20 minutes if using a 7-inch round pan, but this can be longer if you're using a smaller container (and therefore the batter is thicker). If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature of the middle should reach 190°F.
  4. Let the dumpling cool completely then you can keep them in the fridge for up to a week until ready to eat.
process shot for making garlic chive dumplings steps 9-12
  1. When ready to eat, use an oiled knife to cut the dumplings into bite-sized cubes. If there is a lot of dough sticking to the blade between cuts, wipe it off and re-oil the blade.
  2. To fry: In a non-stick pan, add just enough oil so it comes up just below half the height of the dumplings. Heat until hot and fry them until well browned and crispy, making sure to not let them touch while in the pan or they will stick together.
  3. Flip and fry them on the other side until well browned.
  4. Drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate and serve while they're hot and crispy with the dipping sauce!

Advance Prep Tips

These are the perfect make-ahead appetizers. You can steam the batter and keep it in the fridge. When ready to eat, cut and fry them up (or you can cut them in advance so all you need to do is fry!). The dipping sauce will also last you a long time in the fridge as well.

Can these be made in the air fryer?

The raw batter has to be steamed in a steamer, but you might wonder if the frying part can be done in an air fryer. I have tried this, and while it "works" it's really not as good because the dumplings came out not nearly as well browned and quite a bit drier.

But were they "fine"? They were fine. And if you're really not in the mood to pan-fry things and are willing to compromise on deliciousness, then here's what you do:

  1. Toss the cut dumplings in a generous amount of oil.
  2. Place them in an air fryer basket without letting them touch, then air fry at 400°F (200°F) for 4-5 minutes or until well heated through and slightly browned on the exterior. Don't try to cook them longer to get them more browned because they will dry out too much.

Recipe Card

Homemade Roasted Chili Flakes

by Leave a Comment

"I want to make this dish spicier, what can I add?" I get this question often for those who love heat. In Thailand, we have a couple of options, but by far the easiest, quickest, and most versatile option is to make roasted chili flakes, or prik pohn พริกป่น in Thai.

In Thailand you'll find roasted chili flakes as a tableside condiment offered at many restaurants, and at home everyone has a stash in their fridge or pantry. Not only does it add heat, the toasting adds a slight smokiness that gives food a little extra je ne sais quoi. It's very simple to make (and much cleaner, as I will explain later), and you only need to make it once and it'll last you the whole year or longer.

a pile of roasted chili flakes

Ingredients and Notes

  • Spicy dried chilies. You can use any kind of spicy dried chilies that have the right amount of heat for you. If you can get dried Thai bird's eye chilies, that's great, but where I live, I usually use arbol chilies which can be found anywhere Latin American groceries are sold.
  • Makrut lime leaves, optional. To make your roasted chili flakes extra aromatic, I like to add a makrut lime leaf (aka kaffir lime leaf) and grind it up altogether with the chilies. You can also change this to lemongrass is you wish. You do not need to be specific with amounts here, add as many as you want, but generally I add 1 leaf to about 1½ cups of dried chilies.

How to Make Roasted Chili Flakes

I've made roasted chili flakes in many of my youtube videos, and you can see me make it here in nam jim jeaw video.

*Note: You can make as much or as little as you want, the method doesn't change. But the more you make, the longer it will take to roast.

  1. Wash the chilies (optional). Some dried chilies are not clean; it really depends on the brand. If the dried chilies you have feel dusty, you need to wash them (wash the whole bag so you only need to do it once.) Dunk them into a bowl of cold water and swish them around for literally 5 seconds, then lift them out of the water and lay them out on a kitchen towel. Don't let them linger in water of they'll rehydrate. Towel them dry as much as possible, then let them dry completely overnight, (I use a fan to make them dry faster), before storing them.
chilies being deseeded
  1. Deseed the chilies (optional). If the chilies you have are too spicy for your liking and you want to tone the heat down a bit, cut the chilies with scissors and pour the seeds out.
chilies being toasted
  1. Option 1: Toast the chilies on the stovetop. Add the chilies (and makrut lime leaves, if using) to a dry pot, wok or skillet and stir them constantly over medium heat until a few charred spots form on the chilies (see pic below), then remove from heat. This should only take a few minutes especially for small amounts. If making a large amount you can increase the heat to medium high, but be careful as the chilies burn fast.

    Option 2: Toast chilies in the oven. If making a large amount you can use an oven. Preheat to 300°F (150°C) and bake the chilies for 5-7 minutes, or until they darken slightly and smell smokey. Chilies will not have charred spots like the stovetop method, but they should overall look a bit darker.
2 pictures of toasted chilies
  1. Transfer the chilies to a coffee grinder or spice grinder (for large amounts a food processor will also work) and grind them into small flakes or a coarse powder.

    Safety note: Do not immediately open the grinder lid after you stop the blade. Give the chili dust time to settle down before opening, 15-20 seconds at least, otherwise you will inhale chili dust and that is NOT FUN. Also when you deem it safe to open the lid, do not put your face directly on top of it; and make sure there isn't a fan or anything blowing nearby. This all seems obvious until you forget about it, folks.
roasted chili flakes being poured from grinder

How to Store Chili Flakes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, because chilies do get moldy overtime. I usually only make one small jar at a time and keep it in the fridge, but if you have more than you can use within 6 months, keep a small amount in the fridge and the extra in the freezer.

Shortcut: Toasting Store Bought Chili Flakes

If you can find chili flakes already ground at the store, you can also just toast these in the skillet over medium heat until they darken slightly. BUT because the flakes are tiny this will take a very short time (less than a minute) and will burn quickly, so you have to watch it carefully!

However, I have a two concerns about this:

  • If you're thinking of "Red Pepper Flakes" you can find at most Western grocery stores...they are usually too mild to be an effective way to add real heat to food. I wouldn't bother with them unless you're looking to make mild chili flakes.
  • Some Asian grocery stores will sell chili flakes from Thailand, and this stuff is SPICY. However, old chili flakes stored at room temp, especially in humid conditions, can develop mold. And because these are already ground it's impossible to tell whether there is any mold in them. So if you trust the quality of your chilies, that's great, but I prefer to grind my own from whole chilies so I can make sure the chilies are clean and mold-free.

Northern Thai Laab (Larb) Recipe

by 5 Comments

If you frequent Thai restaurants you probably know of a dish called larb or laab - a salad made of ground meat so popular that is was even mentioned in a Spider Man movie! But the laab I'm sharing in this post is something entirely different...it's not even a salad.

It hails from the North, so it is specifically called laab nuea (nuea = north) or laab kua (more on this below). If you've been to Chiang Mai, you might have tried it, but outside of northern Thailand it's very hard to find - a truly hidden gem! It's made from ground meat mixed with a unique blend of spices, giving it a flavour unlike any other dish in Thai cuisine.

a plate of laab kua with a side of fresh veggies and more fresh veggies in the background

What is Laab Kua?

Let's get the names straight because it is a dish that goes by a few different names. Laab kua ลาบคั่ว is also called laab nuea ลาบเหนือ or laab mueang ลาบเมือง. Sometimes it's referred to as the laab of the province in which it is made - so if you're in Chiang Mai they might call it laab chiang mai, for example. And laab found in different northern provinces can have slight variations, as with most regional foods.

Whatever the name, it refers to a dish made from minced meat - typically but not exclusively pork or beef - and the meat is flavoured with a special spice blend. This spice blend is called prik laab. It is served with fresh herbs, fresh vegetables, and sticky rice is a must.

Laab was originally a dish made for large gatherings. Villagers would butcher a whole animal specifically to make laab for whatever the occasion might be, and it would be a communal effort to make this dish. This is why traditional laab kua uses a lot of offal -and by a lot I mean ALL of the offal - because they wanted to use the whole animal! (But do not worry, for my recipe I've made it homecook-friendly, using only meat and, if you like, liver.)

In Northern Thailand laab is sometimes served raw (called laab dib, dib = raw). Think beef tartare, but with Thai spices! While I don't suggest you do this at home because of the obvious food safety risk (unless you're using sashimi-grade fish), it's an important thing to be aware of when you go to Thailand! And this is why the cooked version that we're making is called laab kua, because kua means to stir in a hot pan.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. It looks like a lot, but you probably have many of the spices at home already! For amounts, see the recipe card below.

ingredients for laab kua

The Spice Blend: Prik Laab

Gathering spices for laab kua is really the hardest part, but if you're missing a thing or two, it's fine to skip them. There are many recipes for prik laab; some use more spices, while others use less, so this is by no means the golden standard!

*To save time, you can buy pre-made prik laab here (US only) made by my good friend Chef Hong Thaimee. You can also buy prik laab at most markets in Northern Thailand. If you see other brands, please check first that it is a spice blend for NORTHERN laab, and not just a "laab seasoning mix" which is for the other kind of laab.

  • Cumin seeds
  • Sichuan peppercorns, I'm adding these as a substitute for a Thai herb called makwaen which is a relative of Sichuan peppercorns. They have similar tingly heat!
  • Coriander seeds, do not use ground coriander for this as I find ground coriander doesn't have half the aroma whole seeds do.
  • Fennel seeds
  • Cinnamon sticks, or ground cinnamon is fine.
  • Bay leaves
  • Black peppercorns
  • Cloves
  • Nutmeg, I'm using ground nutmeg here, but you can also grate fresh nutmeg.
  • White cardamom, or substitute green cardamom.
  • Long pepper, also known as Indian long pepper, has a super unique aroma that is hard to describe, but I get a zingy citrus plus a deep woodsy aroma. You won't find this in most stores, and I bought this online, but it is okay to skip it.
  • Star anise
  • Dried chilies or chili flakes. In Thailand the chilies are ground up into the spice blend, but for me I like to keep the chilies separate so I can adjust the heat each time depending on who I'm making it for. This means that if you already have roasted chili flakes handy (perhaps from my other recipes!) you can just use that!
Indian long pepper on a plate
Indian long pepper, also known simply as long pepper.

The Laab Kua

  • Fish sauce. See how to choose good fish sauce here.
  • Ground pork or ground beef, I'm using pork. Preferably not too lean.
  • Pork liver (optional).
  • Garlic, for making fried garlic.
  • Shallots, traditionally we fry the shallots crispy and then top the dish with it, using the same oil you used to fry the garlic. I simplify this step by simply just sauteing the shallots into the dish and then topping it with store bought fried shallots (there is enough to do already!). But if you want to make your own, here's my guide to making perfect crispy fried shallots!
  • Lemongrass, bottom half only.
  • Galangal (optional).
  • Cilantro
  • Green onion
  • Vietnamese coriander. This is called pak preaw in Thai but usually labelled in Asian stores as rau ram, which is the Vietnamese name. If you can't find it, it's okay to omit.
  • Sticky rice for serving. Please trust me on this: laab kua is not nearly as good served with regular/jasmine rice. The chewy, dense sticky rice really makes the dish. Here's my favourite method for making sticky rice, if that doesn't work for you, also check out 7 other ways to make sticky rice!
  • Accompaniments: fresh crunchy veg such as Asian green cabbage (this is the squat cabbage you find at Asian stores, which is sweeter and crunchier than the ball-shaped ones in Western stores), cucumber, carrots, long beans. It's also very common to serve crispy pork rind alongside laab (we really do use the whole animal!)
accompaniments for laab kua
Accompaniments to laab kua includes fresh crunchy vegetables and crispy pork rind. Don't forget sticky rice for serving!

How to Make Northern Laab Kua

Here's a bird's eye view of all the steps. If this is your first time I recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. For the full instructions see the recipe card below.

process shots for making laab kua steps 1-4
  1. Toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until the darken and start to pop. Remove.
  2. Toast the rest of the spices until the coriander seeds darken and start to pop.
  3. Toast spicy dried chilies over medium heat until charred spots form. You can also toast chili flakes until they darken slightly.
  4. Grind all the spices except the chilies into a powder. Grind the chilies separately into a powder.
process shots for making laab kua step 5-8
  1. Combine spices, chili powder, water and fish sauce and stir to dissolve the spices.
  2. Pour the spice mixture into the ground pork.
  3. Knead the pork with your hands until the spices are evenly distributed.
  4. Stir in chopped liver just to mix.
process shots for making laab kua step 9-12
  1. Fry garlic in oil over medium low heat until golden and the bubbling has subsided. About 5 minutes.
  2. Drain and keep the garlic oil separate from the fried garlic.
  3. In a wok, add the garlic oil, shallots, lemongrass and galangal and sauté until the herbs start to turn golden.
  4. Add the pork/liver mixture and cook until the pork is fully cooked; making sure to break up the pork so there are no chunks.
process shots for making laab kua step 13-16
  1. Off heat, then add cilantro, mint and rau ram (pak preaw) and stir to mix.
  2. Plate and top with mint.
  3. Sprinkle fried garlic, fried shallots and serve with extra fresh herbs, fresh veggies and sticky rice.
  4. If you want to eat laab like a Thai, eat it by hand! Ball the sticky rice up into a dense, small ball, and use your fingers to pinch the laab onto the rice and enjoy!

Tips for Advance Prep

This is a lot of things to do if you do it all in one go, but there are things you can do to make this weeknight-friendly:

  1. Make the spice blend in advance. This is the biggest thing to get out of the way as the rest is pretty easy. And once you make it one time, you'll have it for the next several batches.
  2. Make fried garlic and garlic oil in advance. I usually have garlic oil and fried garlic in my fridge already cuz I make it in bulk and use it for a lot of things (and you'll want to use it on a lot of things once you have it trust me!). So if you're gonna do it ahead, I recommend making a whole bunch - at least use a whole head of garlic.
  3. Make the roasted chili flakes in advance. I also usually have this in the fridge in bulk, and it's so useful for adding heat to anything that needs it!

FAQ: Can You Make Laab Kua with Other Kinds of Protein?

Pork and beef are the most popular options for making laab kua in Thailand, but you absolutely can use any other kinds of ground meat. Lamb would work beautifully with all of the spices in this dish, though ground chicken and ground turkey instead as well, and I would recommend dark meat for both of those.

You can also make laab with fish! Any kind of fish will work. If using fish, you will need to mince the fish yourself as they don't sell ground fish, last I checked :). Simply chop the fish into small pieces and then use a cleaver or a sturdy chef's knife to mince. You can see my laab chicken recipe video for how to hand-mince meats, starting at around minute 3:20.

Worth noting: if you're using sashimi grade fish, you can actually eat it raw! Mince the fish and then mix with the spices, seasonings, and fresh herbs as per the recipe.

To make it vegan, you can use TVP, or crumbled pressed tofu, like the one I used in my Vegan Laab Recipe. I'd recommend mixing it with finely chopped mushrooms for some extra umami and chew, then use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

More Northern Thai Recipes You'll Love!

a plate of laab kua with a side of fresh veggies and more fresh veggies in the background

Laab Kua - Northern Thai Laab (Larb)

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
Not the laab you know! This laab hails from the north, and it's made from ground pork or ground beef mixed with a ton of aromatic spices. Topped with fried garlic, fried shallots, and served with sticky rice, it is unlike any other dish in Thai cuisine!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 
 

Prik Laab (laab spice blend, see note 5)

  • 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, see note 1
  • 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 0.5 oz crushed cinnamon sticks, or 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 5 pods white cardamom
  • 3 pieces long pepper, see note 2
  • 1 piece star anise

For Laab Neua

  • 1½ Tablespoons laab spice mix
  • 2 teaspoons roasted chili flakes, or to taste (see note 3)
  • 1½ Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons water
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 4 oz pork liver , chopped into small pieces (optional)
  • 3-4 Tablespoons neutral oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ¼ cup shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, finely chopped
  • 5 thin slices galangal, optional, finely chopped
  • 5 springs cilantro, chopped
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 10-15 leaves Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), see note 5
  • ½ cup mint leaves

Garnishes and Serving

  • Sticky rice
  • Fresh crunchy vegetables such as Asian cabbage, carrot, cucumber and long benas
  • Crispy pork rind, optional

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. Sichuan peppercorns are a substitute for a Thai herb called makwaen which is a relative of Sichuan peppercorns.
  2. Long pepper, aka Indian long pepper, can be found online, but it is not necessary and can be omitted.
  3. You can toast whole dried chilies (such as arbol or Thai chilies) until charred and then grind into flakes as shown in the video. Or simply toast chili flakes in a dry skillet over low heat until it darkens and smells smokey. 
  4. Rau ram, aka Vietnamese coriander or pak preaw in Thai, is typically added to laab but if you can’t find it or don’t like it, simply add more of the other fresh herbs.
  5. To save time, my good friend sells pre-made laab spice blend here. If you see other brands check that it is for northern laab, and NOT for the other laab. 

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

For the Laab Spice Mix

  • Place the cumin seeds in a small skillet and toast them over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly until they start to pop and darken slightly. Immediately pour them onto a plate to cool.
    1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
  • Place all of the remaining whole spices into the pan and toast over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the coriander seeds start to pop and darken slightly. Pour onto the same plate to cool.
    1 Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, 0.5 oz crushed cinnamon sticks, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 5 pods white cardamom, 3 pieces long pepper, 1 piece star anise
  • Place all of the whole spices and any ground spices you’re using into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Store in a cool dark place, in an airtight container, for up to 6 months.
    1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Laab

  • In a small bowl, combine the laab spice mix, chili flakes, fish sauce and water and stir to dissolve the spices.
    1½ Tablespoons laab spice mix, 2 teaspoons roasted chili flakes, 1½ Tablespoons fish sauce, 1 ½ Tablespoons water
  • In a medium mixing bowl, insert the ground pork and flatten it in the bowl, then pour the spice mixture over the pork and knead it with your hands until well combined. Add the chopped liver (if using) and knead gently just until mixed.
    1 lb ground pork, 4 oz pork liver
  • Make fried garlic and garlic oil. In a small pot, add 3 tablespoon of the oil and one small bit of chopped garlic and set it over medium high heat. Once the garlic starts to bubble, add the rest of the garlic and turn the heat down to medium low, adding more oil as needed to keep the garlic barely submerged. Keep frying, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden (not brown) and the bubbling subsides, about 5 minutes. Drain the garlic with a metal sieve, reserving the garlic oil.
    3-4 Tablespoons neutral oil, 5 cloves garlic
  • In a wok over medium high heat, add about 2 tablespoon of garlic oil (keep leftover oil in the fridge, it’s good on everything), then add the shallots, lemongrass, and galangal, and fry until the lemongrass starts to brown.
    ¼ cup shallots, 1 stalk lemongrass, 5 thin slices galangal
  • Turn the heat up to high and add the pork and keep stirring and smashing it to break up the lumps. Keep going until fully cooked; there should be a little bit of liquid left in the pan but not a ton. Taste and adjust more seasoning with fish sauce as needed.
  • Turn off the heat, then stir in cilantro, green onions,and rau ram.
    5 springs cilantro, 1 green onion, 10-15 leaves Vietnamese coriander (rau ram)
  • Plate, top with fried garlic, fried shallots, and mint, and place extra fresh herbs on the side. Serve with sticky rice, fresh veggies, and crispy pork rind.
    Sticky rice, Fresh crunchy vegetables such as Asian cabbage, carrot, cucumber and long benas, Crispy pork rind, ½ cup mint leaves
  • How to eat: this dish is typically eaten by hand, and I recommend watching the video tutorial at the end to see how it's done! But basically you take a small amount of sticky rice and ball it up into a tight ball. Then “dip” the rice ball into the laab and use your fingers to “pinch” the laab onto the sticky rice - then into your mouth. Follow it up with veg and/or crispy pork rind!
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Hot Thai Chicken - Fried Chicken in Sweet Chili Lime Sauce

by 23 Comments

I have finally developed the dish deserving of the name "Hot Thai Chicken"! This fried chicken recipe has been simmering in my mind for a long time, and when I finally tested it out, it absolutely blew me away. The perfect mix of sweet, tart, spicy, sticky, crispy and tender...this sweet chili lime sauce would be good even on fried tofu or fish. This one is a must-try!

a plate of fried chicken in sweet chili lime sauce and a wedge of lime and makrut lime leaves

The Cool Story Behind "Hot Thai Chicken"

Many times, when I try to say "Hot Thai Kitchen" on camera, it comes out as Hot Thai Chicken, which always makes me laugh. And this isn't just me, I've had many other people make the same mistake when they're talking to me about my site. So I thought, wouldn't it be cool if Hot Thai Chicken was actually a dish?

I thought long and hard about what that dish would be, because whatever it is, it has to DESERVE this "hot thai" designation. And let me tell you, this one totally does.

The inspiration came from when I worked at a Thai restaurant many years ago. Their most popular item was pieces of boneless chicken breast, fried and tossed in a red sweet-and-sour sauce. It was their attempt to copy the popular Chinese Orange Chicken or General Tsao Chicken. It's not a traditional Thai dish at all, but the American customers loved it.

I liked the dish fine but always found it too sweet (as most Americanized Thai food tends to be) and lacking in complexity. But I knew the idea was solid, and that it had the potential to be awesome.

So I got to work making a sauce that would have a well-balanced sweetness, adding aromatics to amp up the complexity, and brightening it with fresh lime juice for that all-important zing. It worked, and the chicken was crowned Hot Thai Chicken, and it has since gotten over a 1.4 million views on YouTube.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with video tutorials, I highly recommend you watch it to ensure success, especially if it's your first time!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the full recipe card below.

Fried Chicken

  • Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut each thigh into 6-7 pieces. You can also substitute chicken breast if you really want to, but thighs are more resilient to overcooking so you can fry them until crispy without worrying about the chicken becoming dry like chicken breast can.
  • Egg
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cornstarch, if needed you can use flour only, but cornstarch reduces the gluten and makes the coating crunchier and lighter.
  • Oil for frying

Hot Thai Chicken Sauce (Sweet Chili Lime Sauce) 

  • Thai chili paste, called nam prik pao in Thai. You can find it at many Asian grocery stores. I used Pantai Brand but Maepranom brand is also great. You can also make your own using my homemade nam prik pao recipe here.
  • Dried chilies. This is where you determine how hot your Hot Thai Chicken is. If you want it mild, use mild dried chilies such as guajillo peppers. If you want it spicy, you can use spicy dried chilies such as Arbol. You can use a mix of the two for something in between. Alternatively, you can also use a combination of paprika (mild) and cayenne pepper (hot) to achieve the right heat level for you.
  • White vinegar, or any kind of mild flavoured vinegar you have such as rice vinegar or even white wine vinegar.
  • Sugar
  • Oyster sauce, see my post about choosing good quality oyster sauce here.
  • Garlic, finely grated or minced. In a pinch garlic powder will also do.
  • Fish sauce, see my post about choosing good fish sauce here.
  • Water
  • Lime juice
  • Makrut lime leaves (aka kaffir lime leaves) center rib removed, finely julienned then minced into small pieces (see video for technique). If you don't have it, you can also use more of the lime zest.
  • Lime zest, finely grated

How to Make Hot Thai Chicken

Here's a bird's eye view of the process. I highly recommend watching the video tutorial first to ensure success. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

Process shots for making hot thai chicken steps 1-4
  1. Place chicken in a bowl, add the egg, 2 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and salt. Stir until well mixed and let sit while you prepare the sauce.
  2. Cut the dried chilies into chunks. If you want to lessen the heat, remove the seeds. Grind the chilies into a powder in a coffee/spice grinder.
  3. In a small pot, add the Thai chili paste, ground chilies, vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, garlic, fish sauce, and water. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently (it should look too thick right now as we will thin it out later).
  4. Turn off the heat and immediately add the minced makrut lime leaves, grated lime zest and stir to mix; the heat of the sauce will help infuse the lime. Once mixed, stir in lime juice. Keep covered while you fry the chicken.
Process shots for making hot thai chicken steps 5-8
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken all at once, then toss the chicken in the flour until all pieces are well coated, making sure that no pieces are stuck together. If you want a thicker crust, drizzle a little water over the chicken and toss one more time, and the water will help the chicken pick up a little more flour.
  2. Heat about 2 inches of frying oil to 375°F (190°C) in a pot or a wok. Grab a piece of chicken and gently shake off loose flour, then place it gently into the hot oil. Fry in batches, making sure not to crowd the pot. After 2 ½ - 3 minutes, the chicken should be golden brown and crispy—remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat until all chicken is fried.
  3. Pour the sauce into a large mixing bowl, add the chicken and with a large spoon, quickly toss the chicken until all the pieces are coated in the sauce. If you start to feel like there isn't enough sauce to coat all pieces thoroughly, scrape the sauce off the sides of the bowl and your spoon, and this will stretch the sauce a bit further.
  4. Serve immediately, on its own or with jasmine rice or sticky rice. Enjoy it, I know you will!

Tip for Extra Crunch: Double Fry!

If you have the time and are so inclined, you can double fry the chicken and they will be crunchier. Here's what you do:

After frying them the first time, remove the chicken from the oil and allow to cool completely. Then heat the oil again to 375°F (190°C), and fry the chicken one more time for 1.5-2 minutes, just until the chicken develops a richer brown colour. Drain and toss with the sauce as per the recipe.

Advance Prep Tips

Hot Thai Chicken is a crowd pleaser and it's the perfect thing to serve at a party, so here are all the things you can do ahead of time:

  • Make the sauce in advance but do not add the lime juice, this will keep in the fridge for up to a week! Reheat the sauce close to serving time, then add the lime juice off heat.
  • On the day of serving, fry the chicken ahead of time and keep the oil on the stove. Then close to serving time fry them again at 375°F (190°C) for 1.5-2 minutes and toss in the sauce. This way you'll get the benefit of the extra crunch because you're double frying! You can fry chicken and leave them at room temp up to 4 hours in advance, of if it'll be more time, you can fridge the chicken until ready to serve.

Can You Air-Fry Hot Thai Chicken?

Yes! The chicken isn't going to be as crunchy as deep fried (obviously), but it can work and will still taste great. There IS a major downside which I will discuss below, but first, here's how you do it:

  1. Use a little less flour to coat the chicken, you want the chicken coating to look moist, and not powdery when it goes into the air fryer. So start by tossing the chicken with half the flour/cornstarch mixture, then add more little by little until the chicken is well coated but there is very little excess dry flour in the bowl.
  2. Place the chicken into the air fryer basket, making sure there is room between all the pieces (you may need to do this in two batches). Spray or brush the top of the chicken with oil, then air fry at 400°F for about 12 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. At the halfway point, turn the chicken and brushing/spraying with a little more oil.
  3. Toss the chicken in the sauce as per usual.

The downside of using the air fryer: Air-frying is great if your air fryer can hold all the chicken in one batch (my Instant Vortex cannot). If you have to do 2 batches, this ends up taking a very long time to cook because your total cooking time will be close to 30 minutes, where as you can finish deep frying all the chicken in 5-6 minutes.

Not to mention, the first batch of chicken will have to wait at least 12 mins before getting tossed, so it will have cooled down a lot. If you've got an eater who's picky about food being hot, you might need to pop the first batch into the air fryer to reheat for a few minutes!

What else can you use instead of chicken?

I have made this dish with great success using fried tofu! Use firm tofu, fry until golden and chewy, and toss in the sauce.

You can also use it on calamari or fried fish or even shrimp. Just make sure the pieces are big enough because the sauce is quite strong, and you don't want teeny tiny shrimp or skinny calamari rings that will be overwhelmed by the sauce.

Recipe Card

Pad Prik King: Thai Red Curry Stir-Fry with Chicken

by 17 Comments

You can think of pad prik king as a kind of a "dry curry". It's a dish that concentrates the iconic flavours of Thai food into one quick and easy stir-fry. Chicken and crunchy long beans tossed in salty-sweet red curry paste, and served with creamy salted duck egg. It can easily be modified to work with other proteins as well.

A plate of chicken and long bean stir-fry

What is Pad Prik King

Pad prik king is a stir fry of protein with red curry paste and makrut lime leaves (aka kaffir lime leaves). The flavour profile is salty and sweet, and it's usually medium to mild when it comes to heat. It's a dry stir fry, so all of the flavours are concentrated and coating all of the meat and vegetables, delivering an explosion of flavour with every bite. It really is one of my faves!

In Thai, pad means to stir fry, prik means chilies, and king means ginger, which is kind of odd because there is no ginger in this recipe! From what I could find, the most likely story behind this dish name is that it's supposed to be about as spicy as ginger, so not super hot like some other Thai dishes can be.

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the recipe card below.

  • Chicken breast or thigh, boneless skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces. I always prefer thighs, but in the video I did show you how to use chicken breast because it's important not to cut them too thin to prevent them from drying out too fast.
  • Fish sauce, you'll need some for marinating chicken and another amount for the stir fry. How much you need for the stir fry will depend on how salty the curry paste is to start, so be sure to add just a teaspoon, then taste and add more as needed.
  • Cooked salted duck egg, this is optional but it is often added to pad prik king and I think it works so well. The creamy saltiness contrasts the slightly sweet stir fry beautifully. You can buy salted duck eggs at any Chinese supermarket, but be sure to buy COOKED ones, not raw.
  • Neutral flavored oil
  • Red curry paste. Store bought is totally fine, but you can also make your own curry paste using my red curry paste recipe. Brands of Thai curry paste vary greatly, so I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D, or Namjai for best flavours. If using Maesri in little tins or Thai Kitchen, they are much weaker and you will need to double the amount of paste to get the same flavour. 
  • Palm sugar, finely chopped, packed, or sub light brown sugar
  • Unsalted chicken stock or water
  • Long beans, also known as string beans of Chinese long beans have a nuttier and firmer crunch than green beans, but if you cannot find them, you can use French green beans instead (the smaller, skinnier ones).
  • Makrut lime leaves, this is a key ingredient for pad prik king, if you can't find fresh, check the frozen section as frozen ones work just as well!
  • Jasmine rice, for serving.

How to Make Pad Prik King

Here's a bird's eye view of the steps involved, if it's your first time I highly recommend watching the video tutorial first to ensure success. Detailed steps are in the recipe card below.

process shots for how to make pad prik king steps 1-4
  1. Toss the chicken with fish sauce and let marinate while you prep other ingredients.
  2. If using, cut the salted duck eggs right through the shell in half, then use a spoon to scoop the halves out. At this point you can either cut each half into chunks and toss them into the stir-fry, or serve it on the side.
  3. Heat the oil over high heat until very hot and sear half the chicken without stirring until browned, about 1 minute. Once browned, stir the chicken briefly just to cook the surface of the other side, and then remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
  4. With the heat OFF, add a little more oil and add stir in the curry paste until it's loosened, then turn the heat on to medium and cook for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Then stir in the palm sugar, fish sauce, and deglaze with a little chicken stock or water and stir until sugar is dissolved.
process shots for how to make pad prik king steps 5-8
  1. Add the torn makrut lime leaves and let them infuse into the sauce for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. If the sauce looks thick by this point, add a little more stock or water to get it into an pourable consistency.
  2. Add the chicken back in and toss just to coat in the sauce.
  3. Add the long beans and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is no longer pooling and the curry paste is coating the chicken and the beans. If you want to add the salted duck egg chunks into the stir-fry, toss them in at this point and toss just to mix.
  4. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Garnish with finely julienned makrut lime leaves and if you didn't mix the duck eggs in, place the eggs on the side. Serve with jasmine rice. and enjoy!

Variations of Pad Prik King in Thailand

In Thailand, the most common version of pad prik king is actually made with deep fried catfish. Thai catfish are sliced into steaks, the bone-in steaks are then deep fried until the outside is crunchy, and then that gets stir fried with the curry paste.

This is typically done in restaurants because prepping and frying the catfish in this manner is pretty involved. For home cooking, we tend to use easier protein options such as chicken and pork (pork belly is very popular). A vegetarian version that use TVP (texturized vegetable protein) or deep fried tofu is also quite common during the vegan festival (chay festival) in Thailand.

Similar Recipes You Might Like

If you love pad prik king, there are a few other dishes you might also enjoy.

  • Pad ped is also a red curry stir fry, but it is saucier, less sweet, and this version uses coconut milk.
  • Cauliflower Yellow Curry Stir Fry. Once you get a hang of stir frying with curry paste, try this recipe as your next veggies for the meal!
A plate of chicken and long bean stir-fry

Pad Prik King - Thai Red Curry Stir Fry with Chicken

By: Pailin Chongchitnant
This authentic recipe for pad prik king is quick and easy, but delivers an explosion of flavours. Spicy red curry paste is stir fried with tender juicy chicken and crunchy long beans, this dish truly represents the essence of Thai cuisine.
5 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 3

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces (if using breast, make sure it's at least 1 cm thick)
  • 2 teaspoon fish sauce, for marinating chicken
  • 1 cooked salted duck egg, optional, but recommended (see note 3)
  • 3 tablespoon Neutral flavored oil
  • 3 tablespoon red curry paste, or more if you like it spicier (see note 1)
  • 2 tablespoon palm sugar, finely chopped, packed, or sub light brown sugar
  • 1-3 teaspoon fish sauce, for the stir fry (see note 2)
  • ½ cup unsalted chicken stock or water
  • 1 ½ cup long beans, cut into 1.5” pieces
  • 7 makrut lime leaves, 5 torn into chunks, 2 finely julienned
  • Jasmine rice , for serving

Want to save this recipe?

We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Notes

  1. Brands of Thai curry paste vary greatly. I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D, or Namjai for best flavours. If using Maesri in little tins or Thai Kitchen, they are much weaker and you will need to double the amount of paste to get the same flavour. 
  2. Some brands of curry pastes are saltier than others, so start with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and add more as needed.
  3. You can buy cooked salted duck eggs at any Chinese/Asian supermarket. Make sure you buy the one that is cooked, not raw.

FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Instructions
 

  • Toss the chicken with 2 teaspoon of fish sauce. Let chicken marinate while you prep other ingredients, about 15 minutes.
    1 lb chicken breast or thigh, 2 teaspoon fish sauce
  • If using, cut the salted duck eggs right through the shell in half, then use a spoon to scoop the halves out. From here you have two options: you can cut each half into chunks and toss them into the stir-fry, or cut the halves into wedges and serve on the side and let people take as much as they want.
    1 cooked salted duck egg
  • In a wok or a large skillet, add just enough of the oil to coat the bottom and heat over high heat until the pan is very hot. Add about half of the chicken and spread it into a single layer, being sure not to crowd the pan. Let the chicken sear without stirring until browned, about 1 minute.
    Once browned, stir the chicken briefly just to cook the surface of the other side, and then remove from the pan, leaving any excess oil behind—the chicken is not supposed to be fully cooked at this point. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
    3 tablespoon Neutral flavored oil
  • Let the pan cool a bit, then with the heat OFF, add a little more oil as needed just so you have at least a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the curry paste and stir the curry paste in the oil until it's loosened, then turn the heat on to medium. Cook the curry paste, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until aromatic.
    3 tablespoon red curry paste
  • Stir in the palm sugar, fish sauce, and deglaze with ¼ cup of the chicken stock or water. Keep stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved, deglazing with more stock/water as needed if it starts to stick to the pan.
    2 tablespoon palm sugar, 1-3 teaspoon fish sauce, ½ cup unsalted chicken stock or water
  • Add the torn makrut lime leaves and let them infuse into the sauce for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
    7 makrut lime leaves
  • If the sauce looks thick, add a little more stock or water to get it into an pourable consistency. Add the chicken back in and toss just to coat in the sauce. Add the long beans and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is no longer pooling and the curry paste is coating the chicken and the beans. If you want to add the salted duck egg chunks into the stir-fry, toss them in at this point and stir just to mix.
    1 ½ cup long beans
  • Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Garnish with finely julienned makrut lime leaves and if you didn't mix the duck eggs in, place the eggs wedges on the side. Serve with jasmine rice. and enjoy!
    Jasmine rice
Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

Thai Corn & Cucumber Pounded Salad (tum tang kao poad)

by 8 Comments

You might be familiar with som tum or green papaya salad, but did you know we make so many other kinds of "tum," or pounded salads, that's don't have any green papaya in them? This corn and cucumber version is one of my favourite variations, but the takeaway is the technique, and you can then change up the vegetables as you wish!

a plate of corn and cucumber salad

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients and Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts and full instructions, check out the full recipe card below.

  • Sweet corn, I prefer corn on the cob because I like for the corn to be in big pieces and it is sweeter that way, but in a pinch, frozen or canned will be fine.
  • Garlic
  • Thai chilies, add as many as you want here, but start with 1 or even half if your heat tolerance is low.
  • Palm sugar, finely chopped. Read more about palm sugar here.
  • Dried shrimp, roughly chopped if large
  • Long beans, this is commonly added to Thai pounded salads but you can totally skip it and add more cucumber if you can't find them. You can also substitute green beans, but be sure to blanch them first in boiling water for 30 seconds; you can eat long beans raw but green beans need to be cooked.
  • Tomato, cut into wedges on a bias, or use halved cherry tomatoes.
  • Fish sauce, it's important to use good fish sauce here, and if you like a bit of funk, you can also do a combination of fish sauce and pla ra (aka padaek in Lao) which is an unfiltered fish sauce.
  • Lime juice, another option is to do a combination of lime juice and tamarind paste for a slightly richer dressing.
  • Julienned cucumber. Cut them thin if you like the cucumber to wilt and soften slightly, or keep it thick if you prefer that fresh crunch.
  • Salted duck egg, cooked. This is optional but I love the creamy, salty bits of salted duck eggs in pounded salads. You can buy them at Chinese supermarkets alongside all the eggs. Make sure you buy COOKED ones.

How to Make Corn Cucumber Salad

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success.

Note:This recipe uses a large mortar and pestle made specifically for pounded salads. See my post here for a mortar & pestle guide. If you do not have it, you can still make this salad in a mixing bowl using instructions below. If you have a small stone mortar & pestle, you can do everything up until adding the long beans, then transfer to a mixing bowl for the rest.

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add corn and boil for 6-7 minutes. Remove from water, sprinkle the corn with salt on all sides and let cool completely.
  2. Once cooled, lay the corn on its side and slice the kernels off the cob, trying your best to keep the kernels together in big pieces; set aside. You will need roughly 165 g of corn kernels, so depending on the size of the ear, you may not need all of it.
  3. Cut the salted duck egg, if using, in half right through the shell and scoop out the egg in one piece with a spoon. Cut one half of the egg into chunks (for tossing into the salad), then cut the other half as nicely as you can into wedges (for putting on top of the salad).
  4. In a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and chilies until there are no more chunks. Add palm sugar and pound until mostly dissolved.
  5. Add dried shrimp and long beans, and pound briefly just to crush the long beans. Add tomatoes, fish sauce and lime juice, adding also a few pieces of the lime rind after juicing.
  6. Pound GENTLY to mix and crush the tomato slightly, using a large spoon to help fold the mixture as you pound (best to see video for technique here)
  7. Add cucumber, corn and the chunks of the salted duck egg, toss to mix with a spoon.
  8. Plate and arrange the wedges of salted duck eggs on top.

How to Make the Salad without a Mortar and Pestle

If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can still make this salad in a mixing bowl using instructions below. If you DO have a mortar and pestle but it's too small, you can still make the dressing in it, and maybe even add the dried shrimp and long beans, and then transfer to a mixing bowl.

  1. Mince the garlic or grate with a microplant, and mince the chilies. Add to a mixing bowl.
  2. Finely grate the sugar and add to the mixing bowl, then add the fish sauce and lime juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Roughly chop the dried shrimp and add to the mixing bowl along with the long beans.
  4. Add tomatoes and crush gently with a wooden spoon or spatula to release their juices into the salad. Add the cucumber and salted duck egg chunks, if using, and toss to mix.

Recipe Card

Authentic Thai Pork Satay & Peanut Sauce

by 27 Comments

Grilled satay skewers served with peanut sauce can be found all over the streets of Thailand. And even though I know chicken satay gets all the love in N. America, 99% of the satay you'll find in Thailand is made from pork!

The peanut sauce in this recipe is the real deal, no peanut butter, no soy sauce, it's the real stuff I grew up eating. It's so good that you can put it on anything you like, but FYI, in Thailand, this peanut sauce is only used on satays. No, Thai people do not put peanut sauce on everything despite what you might have been led to believe!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

Ingredients & Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

  • Pork loin, cut into 2-cm thick chops. Pork loin is common in Thailand but you can also use pork shoulder for a fattier cut, or pork tenderloin for something more tender. If you're using other kinds of meats, see my chicken satay recipe and my beef satay recipe. (see note)
  • Coconut milk, for basting
  • Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours. If you forget to do this, it's not a big deal, just make sure you place a strip of folded foil under the skewer handles to protect them from heat (see video tutorial), and make sure the tip is not exposed.
  • White bread, for serving, yes! You might be surprised but in Thailand it is very common for satay to come with toasted white bread. You dip the bread in the peanut sauce and eat alongside the satay, and if there's any sauce left after the satays are gone, use the bread to sop up the rest!

Satay Marinade

  • Coriander seeds, toasted
  • Cumin seeds, toasted
  • White peppercorns
  • Lemongrass, finely chopped
  • Galangal, minced (optional)
  • Chopped fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground clove
  • Brown sugar, or white sugar
  • Salt
  • White vinegar
  • Coconut milk

Real Thai Peanut Sauce

  • Red curry paste, store bought is just fine. I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D or Namjai. See this post for my review of different Thai curry pastes. You can also try using panang curry paste or massaman curry paste for a sauce with aroma of dry spices.
  • Coconut milk, see my post for how to choose the best coconut milk.
  • Roasted peanuts. I highly recommend buying raw peanuts and roasting them yourself for the best flavour. You can roast them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size, and stirring halfway in between. Check them early and often to prevent burning.
  • Toasted white sesame seeds, this is optional for added aroma, you can also substitute more peanuts.
  • Fish sauce
  • Finely chopped palm sugar, learn more about palm sugar here.
  • Tamarind paste, store bought in a tub or homemade using this recipe. If buying, make sure it is tamarind from Thailand, which may be labeled as "concentrate". Learn more about tamarind here.

Quick Cucumber Pickle (Ajaad)

Ajaad is a quick pickle that is served alongside satay as a palate cleanser to cut the richness of the satay. If you're feeling lazy you can also serve Western cucumber pickle or gherkins instead.

  • Cucumber
  • Shallots
  • Slices of Thai chilies, jalapenos, serranos, or fresno chilies, any kind of peppers will work here, and you can choose spicy or mild ones.
  • White vinegar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Salt

How to Make Thai Satay & Peanut Sauce

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. The full recipe is in the recipe card below.

process shots for how to make pork satay stepes 1-4
  1. Cut the pork chops in half along the length of the fatty rind.
  2. Then slice each piece along the short side into ¼-inch thick pieces.
  3. Grind coriander, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until very fine, then add galangal, lemongrass and fresh turmeric (if using); pound until fine.
  4. Add turmeric powder (if using), cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, salt, vinegar, coconut milk, and water; stir to mix well.
process shots for how to make pork satay steps 5-8
  1. Pour the satay marinade over the meat, massage with your hands, making sure that no pieces of meat are stuck together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. (If you're in a rush, a 20 minute marinade will also be fine).
  2. Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce by grinding the peanuts and sesame seeds (if using) into a fine meal in a food processor (do not let it become peanut butter).
  3. Reduce ¼ cup of the coconut milk by about half, until it is quite thick.
  4. A curry paste to the coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until it is very thick.
process shots for how to make pork satay steps 9-12
  1. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, ground peanuts and sesame seeds, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste.
  2. Simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened into a dip consistency, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching. You might even see red oil floating on top, that is a good sign. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
    *If you want to make the cucumber pickle, make the pickling liquid now by combining all ingredients and cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
  3. Skewer the meat onto bamboo skewers, about 3 pieces to each skewer, and lay them flat on a tray and brush the top side of the skewers with coconut milk.
  4. Place the skewers on the grill, coconut-nut-milk-side-down, and brush the top side with coconut milk. Placing aluminum foil under the skewer handles will prevent the skewers from burning.
process shots for how to make pork satay steps 13-14
  1. Flip the skewers and grill the other side just until done. These are small and thin skewers and should only take a couple of minutes to grill, so watch them carefully and do not overcook them!
  2. If making ajaad, place the cucumber, shallots, and chilies into a small serving bowl and pour the cooled vinegar mixture over it.

Recipe Card

15 Thai Street Food Recipes You Can Make At Home

by 6 Comments

Getting a taste of the amazing food from the streets of Thailand doesn't require a plane ticket, vacation days, or a language barrier. Get it right here with my 15 Thai street food recipes that you can make right at home!

Many people go to Thailand, fall in love with the amazing street food, and then come home craving those flavours. While many Thai street food dishes are not easy to replicate at home as they require unusual tools, hard-to-find ingredients, or special skills, so many others absolutely doable!

All you need are the right instructions, and that's what I'm here for. Enjoy!

1. Thai Fried Chicken - Hat Yai Style

Golden brown Hat Yai fried chicken wings are placed in a delicious pile on a ceramic plat with crispy fried onions and garnished with a sprig of herbs. It is placed on a grey stone background.

In Thailand, fried chicken is street food, not something you order in a restaurant. The best ones comes from unassuming carts. My goal for this recipe is to prove to you that Thai fried chicken is the best in the world, no exaggeration 😉. Specifically, Hat Yai style fried chicken; Hat Yai being my hometown in southern Thailand.

I’ve had fried chicken from all over the world, and I still haven't experienced one better than ours. Read on, then try the recipe (it's really quite easy) and see if you agree!

Get the Thai fried chicken recipe here

2. Authentic Thai Drunken Noodles - Pad Kee Mao

Pad kee mao is placed in a heaping pile on a white and blue ornate plate. The succulent shrimps are placed on the top left side of the pile while the vegetables are a beautiful contrast to the rich and flavourful noodles. A pair of chopsticks are placed on the left side. Herbs are placed on a red background beside the plate.

Pad kee mao ผัดขี้เมา or drunken noodles is stir fried noodles with holy basil and lots of chilies. It's a cult-favourite Thai street food. The combination of chewy fresh rice noodles, the epic savoury sauce, and the fragrance of holy basil ... there is nothing quite like it and it never gets old.

Get the Pad Kee Mao recipe here

3. Easy Hainanese Chicken Rice - Khao Mun Gai

Beautiful succulent pieces of chicken are placed on a steaming bed of rice. THe kao mun gai's sauce is drizzling over the chicken as the hand is gently lit with soft lighting. The dish is placed on a square piece of banana leaves. It is accompanied with slices of cucumber and a bowl of the same sauce being drizzled over. The spoon and fork are delicalately placed on the left side on on the plate as a bowl of soup and a large serving bowl of chicken are gracing the background.

Khao mun gai is a serious contender for a last meat for me. This street food is ubiquitous in Thailand, and you can find it at just about any food court in any mall.

For this at-home recipe, I use chicken pieces instead of whole chickens that street food vendors use, so cooking time is greatly reduced without compromising the flavour at all. After discovering this weeknight-friendly method, I have not gone back to the whole-chicken method yet!

Get the Khao Mun Gai recipe here

4. Easier & Healthier Pad Thai with Glass Noodles

A fork full of golden glass noodles are being pulled out of a pile of pad thai woonsen. Its vegetables and ingredients glow and glisten in contrast to the refreshing garnishes of lime and beansprouts. The chili powder and peanuts give a wonderful splash of colour.

Classic pad thai with rice noodles is not an easy dish - definitely not something that I would recommend beginners start with. First timers often end up with mushy, clumpy, broken, or undercooked noodles. But here's a variation of pad thai that uses a noodle that is easier to work with and healthier: glass noodles. It's a different texture, but I promise the taste is just like the classic pad thai!

Get the Pad Thai with glass noodles recipe here

5. Authentic Thai Pork Satay & Peanut Sauce

Skewers of pork Satay perfectly grilled and placed in a uniform pile on a white plate. It is paired with a rich peanut sauce and veggie side.

Thai satays can be found all over the streets of Thailand, and they're almost always made from pork. The peanut sauce in this recipe is so good you can put it on anything you like, however, few people know that in Thailand, this peanut sauce is only used on satays, and we do NOT put peanut butter in it (or in anything else for that matter!)

If you don't eat pork, I also have a recipe for beef satay, and for a weeknight friendly version, try my no-skewer chicken satay.

Get the Thai pork satay & peanut sauce recipe here

6. Authentic Thai Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew noodles lay in a georgeous pile on a blue and whote plate surrounded by two bottles of sauce and a red floral white place with wide plain rice noodles. A pair of chopsticks are placed at the top of the blue plate and the background is a grey stone countertop.

Pad thai may have all the fame, but Thai food lovers know that pad see ew is where real noodle bliss is at. This pad see ew recipe is tried and true, and I promise it'll rival anything you've had at Thai restaurants! It's a quick and simple dish, but you need to know some tricks to achieve perfectly seasoned, not-broken rice noodles with that smokey wok char.

Get the Pad See Ew recipe here

7. Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

A bowl of Thai chicken noodle soup

The ultimate love child of street food and comfort food. If you like pho, this is very close to it but with Thai flavours! Well balanced flavours with lots of textures going on...topped with crispy garlic...this ain't your mama's chicken noodle soup! Haha, that is definitely true for my mama, although my GRANDmama would make something like this often. This is probably the easiest noodle soup you could make at home, especially once you've mastered the art of Thai style chicken stock.

Get the Thai chicken noodle soup here

8: Tom Yum Noodle Soup

A golden steaming bowl of tom yum noodles in a white bowl. Topped with vilantro and beansprouts.

When you go to Thailand, sitting at a noodle shop on the street somewhere, please order yourself a tom yum noodle soup if they have it. This is not the famous "tom yum soup" that you might know…the one with lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp. Nope, this is something else that's equally delicious.

Get the Tom Yum Noodle Soup Recipe Here

9. Holy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry - Pad Gaprao (Pad Kra Pao)

A heaping serving of pad gaprao lay on a bed of rice and topped with a beautiful over-easy fried egg. Garnished with a sprig of herb, the dish is decorated with splashes of green and red from the pad gaprao's veggie mix. The plate is placed on a wooden mat with a metal spoon and fork set to the side.

This popular Thai dish has many English spellings: Pad Kra Pao, Pad Ka Prao, Pad Ka Pow, Pad Krapow...etc. No matter how you spell it, they all point to this same delicious, rustic, spicy stir-fry featuring the aroma of holy basil. For a truly classic way to serve this dish, pour it over rice and top with a fried egg!

If you want to make pad gaprao using different kinds of protein, check out my formula for turning anything into pad gaprao!

Get the Pad Gaprao recipe here

10. Sukiyaki Stir Fry - Suki Hang

A generous portion of Suki Hang is placed on a white square plate. The celery brings a bright green composition to the over all look as the red sauce glistens on top of the delicious slices of chicken.

Sukiyaki is obviously a Japanese dish, but this particular recipe is very much unique to Thai cuisine. Here's the story. Sukiyaki is a Japanese hot pot, and Thai people took the inspiration and started making our own sukiyaki hot pot served with a spicy, flavourful red sauce that's more suited to the Thai palate.

Over the years, people realized that the sauce for the hot pot would also make a great stir fry, and suki hang or "dry suki" was born!

Get the Suki Hang recipe here

11. Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup

A steaming bowl of kao soi is beautifully topped with crispy noodles, bright and fragran chili crisps, contrasted with the bright red onion slices, lime wedge, and sprig of cilantro.

Regional Thai food isn't very well known, but khao soi, egg noodles in aromatic curry broth, is an exception. Because Northern Thailand is such a popular tourist destination, this Northern Thai curry noodle soup has become popular amongst foreigners.

Some might even say if you visit the North of Thailand and didn't eat khao soi, you didn't really make it there! It's a truly unique dish, and with this recipe you can recreate the experience of Northern Thailand at home.

Get the Khao Soi recipe here

12. Chinese BBQ Pork Rice - Kao Moo Dang

A plate of Chinese BBQ pork on rice with gravy on top. With a side of medium boiled egg and cucumber slices and a bowl of soy chili vinegar dippins sauce.

This dish is the epitome of "Thai street food". If you wanted kao moo dang you can walk into any food court and you're guaranteed to find a vendor. At the basic level it's just Chinese BBQ pork (char siu) on rice, but what makes this dish unique to Thailand is the savoury-sweet gravy studded with roasted sesame seeds.

Get the Kao Moo Dang recipe here

13. Thai Banana Pancakes (Banana Roti)

Placed on a black square plate, a crispy Banana roti is perfectly cut into 12 pieces. Sweetened condensed milk is drizzled on top with a light powdering of icing sugar.

Thai roti is one of THE most popular snacks/desserts amongst visitors to Thailand! You can see roti carts at many tourist attractions around the country, and nowadays, vendors offer so many different filling options like bananas, chocolate sauce, nutella, apples, etc. which, by the way, were not available when I was a kid. If you go to non-touristy parts of Thailand you may still see some old-school roti vendors that still don't offer many fancy fillings.

With this recipe, you can recreate this popular snack at home. It does require some technique, so I highly recommend you watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

Get the Banana Roti recipe here

14. Thai Coconut Pancakes - Kanom Krok

Various kanom krok halves are placed cut open side up or down on a wire rack. The fillings of corn, taro cubes, or spring onions peak through the cooked batter. The are two clear bowls filled with corn or spring onions.

These famous little Thai coconut pancakes are one of the most popular street foods in Thailand. So much so that even Trader Joe's now sells frozen kanom krok, and Thai people all over the US are going crazy over them!!

They're so incredibly tasty that I seek them out every single time I go to Thailand...it's an absolute must-have for me. You do need to get a special pan for it, but it's not expensice, and the treat will be well worth it, I promise!

Get the Kanom Krok recipe here

15. Thai Iced Tea

Two glasses of Thai tea, one with half and half being poured into it.

Thailand has one famous (non-alcoholic) drink, and this is it: Thai iced tea. The orange coloured sweet concoction is so good it feels like it should be dessert. A lot of times I find restaurants make it too sweet, so I actually prefer making my own so I can make it exactly how I want it. If you love Thai tea and you're a coffee drinker, you're also going to love this easy Thai iced coffee!

Get the Thai iced tea recipe here