 |
|
 |
| |
 |
|
| |
Fish sauce is the key ingredient that is essential to Thai cooking. Fish sauce offers the salty dimension in Thai cooking and it's high in protein as well as minerals and vitamins. Fish sauce is made from small fish, salt-fermented. The byproduct is extracted and boiled. You should look for a clear and browning in color of fish sauce. Threre are many different types of fish sauce available in your local supermarket, usually located in the Asian/international isle. Some are too fishy and some are too salty. The most popular brands are Tiparos and Oyster brand. Theses are products of Thailand and are widely used because of their milder aroma and taste. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Chili Paste in Oil is a seafood-based seasoning, consisting of dried shrimp, chili, shallot and other Thai seasonings. It gives off somoky flavors to your dish like Tom Yum soup. Two good brands of chili paste in oil or sometime labeled as roasted shili paste are: Pantainora sing and Mae Poly. If there are choices of spice levels, we recommend either medium or spicy since most of them tend to offer a sweeter taste rather than spicy. Mild would be too bland. Since the combination of flavors and level of hotness and weetness can vary considerably from brand to brand, make adjustments as necessary in cooking. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Coconut milk is the cream based in cooking Thai curries. Similar to western cooking and the use of heavy cream, Thai cooking uses coconut milk instead. Making fresh coconut milk can take hours and is a laborious process, even for thai people. There are many brands out there and varying in taste and aromas. Some are light and starchy with many additives and preservatives. What to look for in food coconut milk is clean, white color, taste rich and creamy, with a milder sweet aroma of fresh coconut. In a can, look for thick creamy floating on top. Please shake them well before opening. The two recommended brands are Mae Ploy and Choa Koh. Mae Ploy is the richest and creamiest of all coconut milks we've used so far. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Tamarind provides another sour dimension to Thai cooking. It is better to purchase in a compressed block with plastic wrap. Look for reddish brown color, not dark brown or black. Tha package should not be too hard when pressing on it. This can be kept for a long time. To make tamarind sauce, recommended mixture is one tablespoon of tamarind to 1/4 cup of water. Hand-mush them slowly, filter and use only the juice. If you don't use all the juice, you can reserve them in the refrigerator for a week before it starts fermenting. We do not recommended premixed and ready-to-use tamarind sauce. It's watery and has unpleasant taste and colors. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Palm Sugar is primarily used to sweeten and enhance the flavor of curries and rich sauces in Thai dishes. Substitute with brown sugar only if you absolutely cannot find Palm Sugar. Fro sweetening light dishes, granulated sugar is preferred over palm sugar. The color of palm sugar ranges from beige to light brown, and it comes both soft and hard. For harder form, bang it with a hammer to break into small pieces before usage. In Asian markets, palm and coconut sugars are available in plastic containers or plastic bags and also in tin can. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Galangal is a type of ginger, but it's milder and looks different than the usual form of ginger found in supermarkets. It helps mask the strong aroma of some seafood and red meats, thereby making them taste cleaner and more delicate. When you purchase a fresh root, select a smaller and tender one. Imported frozen Thai galangal is readily available in Southeast Asian markets. Frozon Thai galangal is usually small and has a light pinkish brown skin. Dried galangal is also available. Soak them in water and allow to soften before using. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Lemongrass is the main herb in most of Thai cooking. It is a plasant that looks like grass, smells minty and tastes similar to lemon. We use the stalk, not the leaves. You can easily grow your own by putting a few stems in one inch of water, set in a sunny area, them transfer to your garden after roots start to grow. It can grow anywhere in frost-free areas. It is readily available in local supermarket around the world. Wrap lemongrass stalk in plastic before storing refrigerator to prevent them from drying out. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Kaffir lime leaves are just packed with a wonderful strong citrus fragrance. kaffir lime leaves are used in a wide range of Thai cuisine, notably soups. From the kaffir lime, which has virtually no juice, these fleshy green and glossy leaves resemble a figure eight. Imparting a unique flavor, they can be finely shredded and added to salads or torn and added to soups and curries. Can be substituted with other lemon-flavored herbs, but the best option is to freeze the leaves when you can find them, as they retain all their flavors and texture on thawing. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Shallots are purplish red in color and come smaller than the orangish-brown shallots sold in American markets, which may be substituted. Shallots give a greater depth of pasteds, shallots are rosted to give a smoky dimension. If you absolutely cannot find shallot, regular red onions should be just fine. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Thai Chilies: Bird pepper or Thai jalapeno can be substituted by Chili de Arbol or fresh cayenne pepper. Jalapeno and Serrano can also be substitution but they not as hot. The green ones have a very strong and immediate bite to them. Thai chilies can easily be dried for preservation. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Mock Duck is a vegetarian product similar to seitan and mostly comes in a can. It is hight protein and generally made with wheat gluten, safflower oil, water, soy bean, raw sugar cane, and seasalt. Mock Duck has a very distinct flavor with artificial texture like duck. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Oyster Sauce is made from oysters with salt and water, thickened with cornstarch and color-enhanced with caramel or burnt sugar extensively used as seasoning for stir-fried vegetable, meat, seafood and noodle dishes. Thai oyster sauce most readily available in Asian markets in the West has a label depicting a plum woman stir-frying shile shaking sauce from a bottle into the wok. Thai oyster sauces are less salty, have a more pronounced oyster flavor than Chainese. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Soy Sauce is mede from soybeans. Threre are many different types, light say sauce, thin soy sauce, black soy sauce (sweetened). Light soy sauce is used to marinate fish and meats, flavor vegetable soups, without having the black color from the sauce. We also use Golden Mountain soy sauce (Green Cap) to season food for many dishes. Golden Mountain has a distinct flavor and aroma and not too salty. Light say sauce is saltier than regular say sauce. For black say sauce, it is mainly used for coloring in See Ew noodles, Drunken Noodles, and sometimes being mixed with other ingredients to create dipping sauce. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Wide Rice Noodles or thick rice noodles are made from rice flour and water, though sometimes other ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are also added. Rice noodles are available fresh or dried (labeled as rice stick when in dried packaging). The fresh one should be soft and elastic--not easy broken--bright, shiny and smell fresh. You could store unused portion covered in refrigerator and reheat in microwave until it regains original conditions: soft and elastic. For dried wide rice noodles, you must soak them in room temperature water for at least 20-30 minutes before cooking. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Thin Rice Noodles are just like Wide Rice Noodle, they come in many shapes and sizes, but they can be roughly classified as thin, medium, and wide. Thin rice noodles are used in soup, salad, and spring rools. Medium noodles are the most versatile, and can be used in soups, stir-frieds, salads, or as a bed for meat fish. Wide noodles are best used in soups, stir-fries, and braised dishes. Before using rice noodles, soften them in hot water. This will take anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour, depending upon the thickness of the noodles. After they've softened, boil or stir-fry them briefly, usually not more than a minute. It's easier to stir-fry noodles if you break them into shoter lenghs. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
Spring Roll Pastries normally come frozen in square pieces and often are made of wheat flour. Sometimes, it is called egg rool pastry every though there is no egg. You must thaw them in room temperature in its original package or airtight bag until soften before separating them for use. While making rool, use moist cloth to cover them because it can easily be dried. |
|
|
| |
|
|
