Recipes

Types of Rice Explained: Jasmine vs Sushi vs Basmati

September 27, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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.

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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

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

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

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.

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.
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.
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:

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.
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.
If your rice happens to be new crop, the 1-knuckle rule might produce slightly too-wet rice.
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.
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

July 16, 2021 by Pailin Chongchitnant 42 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.

Make a rough paste with chilies and garlic.
Cook off the protein and remove from the pan.
Sauté the chili garlic paste.
Add gai lan stems, carrots, grachai and young peppercorns.

Add the noodles, the sauce, and sugar and toss until the sauce has been absorbed.
Let noodles sit and char slightly before tossing. Then repeat the charring a few times.
Add gai lan leaves and holy basil.
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:

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).
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.

Ultimate Guide to Palm Sugar and Coconut Sugar

October 11, 2019 by Pailin Chongchitnant 33 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?

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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.

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.

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.

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

August 23, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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

Simmer pork neck bones in water for about 30 minutes, then skim off the scum.
Add the daikon, onion, garlic, cilantro roots/stems, and white pepper and simmer for another hour, at minimum.
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.
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

Add soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper to the broth and bring to a boil.
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.
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.
Top with the hot broth and fish cakes along with all of the garnishes.

a bowl of noodle soup with condiments on the side

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!

Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup

May 12, 2023 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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.

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

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.

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

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.
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.
In the same skillet, add the shallots and let them char; stirring them around to char them more evenly. Remove from the pan.
Cut the chilies into chunks and pour out most of the seeds.

Process shots for making khao soi steps 5-8

In a coffee/spice grinder, grind the chilies, black cardamom and coriander seeds into a powder, remove and set aside.
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.)
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.
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

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.
Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste. Then add water, soy sauce, black soy sauce, and sugar.
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.)
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more fish sauce if it needs a little more salt.

Process shots for making khao soi steps 13-16

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.
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.
Place 1 or 2 drumsticks into the bowl and ladle the curry on top.
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

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.
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.

Thai Breakfast Rice Soup with Shrimp (Khao Tom Goong)

December 29, 2017 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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.

Pound white peppercorns until fine, then add garlic and cilantro stem/roots and pound until fine.
Add half of the garlic mixture to the small pieces of shrimp and mix well.
Saute the small pieces of shrimp in a pan with a little bit of oil just until it's cooked through.
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.

If using whole garnish shrimp, sear the whole shrimp over medium high heat until browned and cooked through, set aside.
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.
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).
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!

Thailand's Favorite Sauce for Meats - Nam Jim Jeaw

October 6, 2023 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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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

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.
Grind the chilies in a coffee grinder or spice grinder.
Make the toasted rice powder by toasting the rice in a dry pan over high heat, stirring constantly, until dark brown.
Grind into a powder using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Process shots for making nam jim jeaw, steps 5-8

Combine the fish sauce, tamarind, lime juice, and palm sugar or white sugar.
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.
Add the shallots, toasted rice powder, chilies, and fresh herbs.
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.

Authentic Thai Peanut Dressing (Salad Kaeg)

February 26, 2016 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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:

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!
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

Cut the dried chilies into chunks with scissors and remove all the seeds.
Add them to a coffee grinder along with the coriander seeds and grind into a powder.
In a mortar and pestle, pound together shallots, garlic, ground chilies and coriander into a paste (does not have to be super fine).
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

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.
Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste.
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.
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)

November 28, 2014 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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.

Spicy Salmon Sashimi Salad (My Fave Salmon Ever)

August 9, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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

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.
Cut the salmon first so the pieces are about 2-inches wide, then slice them into ¼-inch thick strips.
Toss the salmon with the dressing.
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!

Homemade Glass Noodles with Sesame Soy Dressing

August 25, 2023 by Pailin Chongchitnant 5 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.

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

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.
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.
Keep stirring CONSTANTLY until the thickens into a white paste.
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

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.
Pop the chilled jelly out onto a clean work surface.
Use a grater to grate the jelly, creating noodles, by applying even pressure as you pull the grater towards you.
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

Blanch the noodles in boiling water.
Once the noodles turn translucent (about 10 seconds) they are done.
Drain and cool them by running them under cold tap water. They are now ready to use!
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!

Classic Hainanese Chicken Rice (Khao Man Gai)

April 18, 2014 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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

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.
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.
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.
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

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.
Remove the chicken bits from the oil and discard, then add the garlic to the chicken fat and saute until the garlic is golden.
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.
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

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).
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.
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.
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

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

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!

Quick & Easy Hainanese Chicken Rice (Khao Man Gai)

January 11, 2019 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

How to Stir Fry Anything in 5 Simple Steps

June 14, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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.

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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.

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

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.

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

February 7, 2017 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

Spicy Garlic Lime Pork "Moo Manao"

February 2, 2018 by Pailin Chongchitnant 8 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!

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!

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

Combine pork with soy sauce, water and oil and mix well. Then add the cornstarch and mix well.
Marinade for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.
For the dressing, in a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and chilies into a paste.
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

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.
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.
Line the serving plate with shredded cabbage and any side veggies.
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!

Authentic Thai Laab (Larb) Recipe with Pork

February 28, 2013 by Pailin Chongchitnant 21 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!

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!
Grind the rice with a coffee or spice grinder, or in a mortar and pestle into a coarse powder.
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.
Using the pot as your mixing bowl, add shallots into the pork and stir to break up the rings and lightly cook the shallots.
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!
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)
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

May 3, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 28 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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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)

October 3, 2014 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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

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.
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.
In the same wok pver medium low heat, add the herb paste and saute until aromatic and slightly browned.
Add chicken stock, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and fish sauce.

Process shots for making tamarind shrimp steps 5-8

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.
Add the shrimp and toss to coat in the sauce; if shrimp are not fully cooked at this point, let them cook until done.
Toss in the red and green chilies, then turn off the heat.
Plate and top generously with fried shallots, and garnish with fried chilies and cilantro, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice and enjoy!

Authentic Thai Boat Noodles Recipe

April 18, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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!

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:

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

Simmer the pork bones in water for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the dry spices until slightly charred.
Put the spices in a soup infusion bag of cheesecloth, along with the galangal and cilantro roots/stems.
After 30 mins, skim the scum from the broth.

Process shots for making boat noodles steps 5-8.

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.
Meanwhile combine pork shoulder slices with soy sauce and sugar and set aside.
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.
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.

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.
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.)
Ladle the broth along with a few meatballs over the noodles.
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!

Authentic Thai Green Curry Chicken

April 23, 2022 by Pailin Chongchitnant 156 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

Optional step: Pound green curry paste and Thai basil leaves for an extra vibrant colour.
Get the paste as fine as possible.
Reduce the coconut milk until very thick
Add the curry paste and saute for a few minutes.

Steps for making green curry chicken steps 5-8

Toss chicken with the curry paste.
Add coconut milk
Add chicken stock
Add makrut lime leaves.

Steps for making green curry chicken steps 9-12

Add fish sauce and palm sugar.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is fork tender.
Add bamboo shoots and cook for a minute until the curry comes back to a boil.
Stir in red bell pepper and turn off the heat.

Steps for making green curry chicken steps 13-14

Add Thai basil and stir just until wilted.
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:

Thai Red Curry with Pineapple and Shrimp - Red curry is as classic as the green. This version is super quick and easy, and perfect for pineapple lovers.
Vegan Thai Red Curry - With my techniques, this curry is loaded with umami even meat eaters will not miss the meat!
Yellow Curry with Chicken and Potato - Richer and thicker than a green curry, this is one that resembles a stew and full of aromatic spices.
Massaman Curry with Beef. - This is a world famous dish that is beloved by everyone. Lots of warm spices, rich and luscious. It also reheats well and you can make for the week. Try this version using an Instant Pot.

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!

Fried Garlic and Garlic Oil - Essential Thai Condiment

April 18, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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!

Heat the oil over medium heat and add 1 piece of garlic as a "test" and wait for it to bubble.
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.
Drain through a metal sieve immediately (don't use plastic or you will melt it!)
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.

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.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Course Sauces

Cuisine Thai

Servings cup

Ingredients

▢ 1 head garlic
▢ ⅓ cup neutral oil

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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.

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Ginger Shrimp & Glass Noodles กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น Goong Ob Woonsen

November 20, 2015 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

Easier Weeknight Pad Thai (Sen Chan Pad Pu)

April 5, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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.

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

Soak noodles in room temp water until completely pliable and then drain. (30 mins - 1 hour depending on the brand, more on this below.)
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.
Pound garlic into a paste in a mortar and pestle, then add chopped shallots and the ground chilies and pound into a rough paste.
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

Saute the chili paste in oil for about a minute or so over medium heat.
Add the palm sugar and stir until mostly dissolved.
Add the water, tamarind paste and fish sauce and bring the sauce to a boil.
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

Bring the sauce back to a boil over medium high heat and add the noodles.
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.
Add the shrimp, crabmeat (if using), garlic chives and bean sprouts and toss just until the bean sprouts are wilted.
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.

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

October 25, 2019 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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

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.
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.
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.
Add the spice bag, white pepper, and crushed garlic and bring to a boil.

process shots fr making kai palo steps 5-8

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.
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.
Add the tofu puffs and simmer for another 8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
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:

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).
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!

3-Ingredient Crispy Thai Fish Sauce Wings

May 31, 2018 by Pailin Chongchitnant 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!

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

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.
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.
Flip the wings and dust the rice flour over the other side.
Put the wings into the sieve and shake off excess flour.

process shots for making fish sauce wings steps 5-8

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.
Flip the wings to fry the other side for another 2 minutes or so until they are cooked through.
When shallow frying, oil tends to jump more than when deep frying, so it's good to have a mesh guard!
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

Crispy Thai Fish Sauce Wings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews

Author: Pailin Chongchitnant
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 6 mins
Total Time: 36 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

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Description

Salty, umami, crispy Thai wings are incredibly simple yet amazingly delicious. These are super popular appetizers in Thailand that can be easily made at home!