1. **Make sauce:** Combine fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar, and water in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves.2. **Stir-fry aromatics:** Heat oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and chilies, stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.3. **Cook meat:** Add ground meat. Break up with a spatula and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until cooked through and slightly crispy.4. **Add onion:** Add sliced onion and stir-fry for 1 minute until slightly softened.5. **Add sauce:** Pour sauce over meat. Stir-fry for 1 minute until well combined and slightly reduced.6. **Add basil:** Turn off heat. Add holy basil leaves and toss until just wilted (about 30 seconds).7. **Serve:** Serve hot over jasmine rice with a fried egg on top.
Cuisine: Thai
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Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)
1. **Prepare the broth:** In a medium-sized pot, bring 4 cups of chicken or shrimp stock to a rolling boil over high heat.2. **Bruise aromatics:** While broth heats, use the back of a knife or a pestle to lightly bruise the lemongrass pieces to release their essential oils. Similarly, lightly smash the galangal slices.3. **Infuse the broth:** Add the bruised lemongrass, galangal slices, and torn kaffir lime leaves to the boiling broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 5-7 minutes to allow the flavors to fully infuse.4. **Add vegetables:** Increase heat to medium-high. Add the sliced mushrooms, shallot, and tomato wedges. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften.5. **Cook shrimp:** Add the shrimp to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes ONLY, or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Do not overcook, as they will become rubbery.6. **Season:** Turn off the heat. Immediately stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar. Taste and adjust the balance – it should be sour, salty, and slightly sweet. If using, add 1-2 tsp of chili paste for extra flavor.7. **Add final aromatics:** Add the crushed Thai chilies (adjust quantity for desired heat) and most of the cilantro leaves, reserving some for garnish.8. **Serve:** Ladle the soup into bowls, ensuring each serving gets shrimp, mushrooms, and aromatics. Garnish with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately while piping hot.
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Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
1. **Soak noodles:** Soak glass noodles in warm water for 15 minutes until pliable. Drain and cut into shorter lengths.2. **Cook noodles:** Blanch noodles in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.3. **Cook meat:** Boil ground pork and shrimp in water until cooked (3-4 minutes). Drain.4. **Make dressing:** Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic, and chilies until sugar dissolves.5. **Combine:** In a large bowl, combine noodles, meat, shrimp, onion, tomato, cilantro, and green onion.6. **Add dressing:** Pour dressing over and toss well to combine.7. **Serve:** Arrange lettuce leaves on a plate. Top with noodle salad. Garnish with peanuts.
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Pad Thai (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)
1. **Prepare noodles:** Place rice noodles in a large bowl. Cover with hot (not boiling) tap water and let soak for 25-30 minutes until pliable but still firm (al dente). Drain and set aside.2. **Make sauce:** In a small bowl, combine tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, and white pepper. Stir until sugar completely dissolves. Set aside.3. **Prep ingredients:** Have all ingredients ready by the stove (mise en place). Beat eggs in a small bowl. Prepare tofu, shrimp, garlic, shallots, bean sprouts, chives, and peanuts.4. **Stir-fry aromatics:** Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and shallots, stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and starting to brown.5. **Cook protein:** Push aromatics to one side. Add tofu cubes and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add fresh shrimp and dried shrimp, cook for another 1-2 minutes until shrimp turn pink.6. **Cook eggs:** Push everything to the side of the wok. Pour beaten eggs into the empty space and let set for 10 seconds before scrambling. Cook until just set but still moist.7. **Combine noodles and sauce:** Add drained noodles and the prepared sauce. Using two utensils, toss and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until noodles are tender and have absorbed the sauce. If noodles stick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.8. **Add vegetables:** Add bean sprouts and garlic chives. Toss for another 30 seconds until vegetables are slightly wilted but still crisp.9. **Finish and serve:** Remove from heat. Transfer to serving plates. Top generously with chopped peanuts. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.
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Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan)
1. **Prepare ingredients:** Cut chicken into uniform pieces. Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces. Measure out all ingredients and have them ready.2. **Fry curry paste:** Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Add green curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the oil starts to separate from the paste.3. **Add coconut milk:** Pour in about 1/2 cup of the thick coconut cream from the top of the can (reserve the rest). Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes aromatic and slightly thickened.4. **Cook chicken:** Add chicken pieces and stir to coat with the curry paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is mostly white on the outside.5. **Add liquids:** Pour in the remaining coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.6. **Add vegetables:** Add the harder vegetables first (eggplant and bell pepper). Simmer for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender but not mushy. If using zucchini, add in the last 3-4 minutes.7. **Season:** Stir in fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning – it should be salty, slightly sweet, and creamy.8. **Add final aromatics:** Add torn kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil leaves, and optional chilies. Stir and cook for 1 more minute to wilt the basil.9. **Serve:** Remove from heat. Serve hot with jasmine rice. Garnish with extra basil leaves if desired.
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Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
1. **Prepare papaya:** Peel the green papaya using a vegetable peeler. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, shred the papaya into thin, long strands. Place in a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes to keep crisp while preparing other ingredients.2. **Make dressing:** In a small bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind juice (if using). Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty, and sweet to your preference.3. **Pound aromatics:** Using a mortar and pestle (traditional method), pound the garlic and chilies into a rough paste. If you don’t have a mortar, mince finely.4. **Bruise vegetables:** Add long beans to the mortar and pound lightly to bruise them (or use the back of a knife). Add tomato halves and pound gently just until they release some juice but remain intact.5. **Combine in mortar:** Drain the papaya well and add to the mortar along with soaked dried shrimp and peanuts. If your mortar is small, you may need to transfer everything to a large mixing bowl.6. **Mix thoroughly:** Add the prepared dressing. Using two large spoons or salad tongs, toss and mix everything together vigorously for 1-2 minutes to ensure the dressing coats every strand and the flavors meld.7. **Taste and adjust:** Taste and adjust seasoning if needed – more lime for sourness, fish sauce for saltiness, or sugar for sweetness.8. **Serve immediately:** Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with extra peanuts and Thai basil leaves if using. Serve immediately while fresh and crisp.
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Massaman Curry (Gaeng Massaman)
1. **Prepare beef:** Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper.2. **Sear beef:** Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides (about 3-4 minutes per batch). Remove and set aside.3. **Fry curry paste:** In the same pot, add a little more oil if needed. Reduce heat to medium. Add Massaman curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.4. **Add coconut milk:** Pour in about 1/2 cup of the thick coconut cream from the top of the can. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the oil starts to separate.5. **Return beef and add aromatics:** Return beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir to coat beef with the curry mixture.6. **Simmer beef:** Pour in remaining coconut milk and beef stock. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 60-70 minutes until beef is tender but not falling apart.7. **Add vegetables:** Add potatoes and onion wedges. Continue simmering uncovered for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender.8. **Season:** Stir in fish sauce, tamarind paste, and palm sugar. Simmer for another 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add roasted peanuts.9. **Finish:** Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.10. **Serve:** Remove whole spices if desired. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve hot with jasmine rice.
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Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)
1. **Prepare aromatics:** Bruise lemongrass stalks by hitting them with the back of a knife. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Thinly slice galangal. Tear kaffir lime leaves.2. **Infuse broth:** In a medium pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.3. **Add liquids:** Pour in chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes to infuse flavors.4. **Cook chicken:** Add thinly sliced chicken to the simmering broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes until chicken is just cooked through.5. **Add coconut milk:** Reduce heat to medium-low. Add coconut milk, stirring gently. Do not boil vigorously after adding coconut milk to prevent curdling.6. **Add vegetables:** Add mushrooms, onion slices, and tomato wedges. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender but still have some bite.7. **Season:** Stir in fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust – should be balanced between creamy, sour, salty, and slightly sweet.8. **Add final aromatics:** Add crushed chilies (adjust for heat), cilantro, and Thai basil if using. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.9. **Serve immediately:** Ladle into bowls, making sure each serving gets chicken, mushrooms, and aromatics. Garnish with extra cilantro. Serve hot.
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Thai Fried Rice (Khao Pad)
1. **Prep rice:** Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers so grains are separate. This is crucial for good fried rice.2. **Make sauce:** In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Stir until sugar dissolves. Set aside.3. **Stir-fry aromatics:** Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and onion, stir-fry for 30-45 seconds until fragrant and starting to brown.4. **Cook chicken:** Add chicken pieces and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.5. **Cook eggs:** Push chicken and aromatics to one side of the wok. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty space. Crack eggs directly into the oil and scramble quickly until just set but still moist (about 30 seconds).6. **Add rice:** Add the cold rice to the wok. Using a spatula, break up any remaining clumps and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until rice is heated through and grains are separate.7. **Add sauce and vegetables:** Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the rice. Add frozen peas and carrots. Stir-fry vigorously for 1-2 minutes until everything is well combined and the rice has absorbed the sauce.8. **Finish:** Add most of the sliced spring onions (reserve some for garnish). Toss for another 30 seconds.9. **Serve:** Transfer to serving plates. Garnish with remaining spring onions, cilantro, cucumber slices, and tomato if using. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
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Larb Gai (Minced Chicken Salad)
1. **Make toasted rice powder:** In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast 1/4 cup uncooked sticky rice, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown (about 8-10 minutes). Let cool completely, then grind to a coarse powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Set aside.2. **Cook chicken:** Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until fully cooked and no longer pink (5-7 minutes). If the mixture seems dry, add 2 tablespoons chicken stock or water.3. **Cool chicken:** Transfer cooked chicken to a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes (it should be warm, not hot).4. **Add aromatics:** To the warm chicken, add sliced shallots, chopped chilies, mint leaves, cilantro, and spring onions. Toss gently to combine.5. **Make dressing:** In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar until sugar dissolves.6. **Combine:** Pour dressing over the chicken mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure everything is well coated.7. **Add rice powder:** Add about 3/4 of the toasted rice powder (reserve some for garnish). Toss again.8. **Taste and adjust:** Taste and adjust seasoning if needed – it should be bright, salty, sour, and herbal.9. **Serve:** Arrange lettuce or cabbage leaves on a platter. Spoon the larb into the leaves. Sprinkle with remaining rice powder. Serve immediately while warm or at room temperature.