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Here are some easy recipes for budding Thai chefs
to try their hands at creating amazing oriental dishes
in micro kitchens. Helps if you have all
the right ingredients, but if you cant find
the lemongrass, just use your fertile imagination ok?
(ALL RECIPES ARE COURTESY OF LONG TIME
BANGKOK RESIDENT AND CHEF MYRA BORISUTE)
Intro to Thai Cooking Thai Recipes
Groovy Dining Thai Cooking Schools

It has been suggested that Thai cuisine is derived from the Indian,
or the Chinese or even the Malay, but in fact although it has elements
of all of these, it is uniquely itself, and is instantly recognizable as "Thai food"
wherever it is correctly prepared. It is an Asian cuisine, based - as
is all south Asian food - upon the cultivation and use of rice.
The cooking and serving of Thai food involves not only
the food itself, but also its esthetic appeal: the food must not only
taste very good (and each particular dish has a "correct" taste)
but it must also LOOK beautiful. Even food cheaply prepared
is not just plopped onto a plate, but is arranged in an attractive
and tasteful way. The carving and fruits and vegetables, to decorate prepared
foods, has therefore developed in Thailand into a very fine art.
The best place to see this in all its splendour would be,
of course, the Royal Kitchens, but as this is quite impossible, a visit
to nearly any five-star hotel will show the visitor its resident fruit-
and-vegetable carver at work. This is an art particular to Thailand,
and is well worth trying to see. Thai food is supposed to consist
of more than one taste, and these are defined as: sweet, salty, sour,
bitter, hot and "mun" -- the last referring to the hard-to-
describe taste of things like oil and nuts. A combination
of one or more of these flavours is required for nearly all food
(except for sweets, which are ALWAYS VERY sweet indeed),
and if one taste overpowers the others then the food is considered badly
prepared. Most Thai people are VERY knowledgable about the proper taste
of any dish. The best known dish people eat in Thailand
is called ":gaeng", and is analogous to the Indian curry, and there are
many varieties. The yellow curry powder sold in supermarkets is
only occasionally used is one of these -- "gang matsaman" --
a dish which is universally believed to be of Islam origin, probably
from Malaysia. Gaeng is prepared starting with a paste, a mixture
of various herbs and spices -- each gaeng has its own mixture --
which are put into a mortar and pounded until the proper pasty consistency
is reached. In the very recent past, when Thailand was still primarily
an agricultural country, the very first sound one would hear in any village,
would be the pounding of the mortar and pestle, wielded
by just about every housewife, well before dawn, as she prepared
the gaeng paste for the day's meals. There being no electricity
or refrigeration in those days, it was the peppers in the paste
which prevented spoilage. Gaeng is ALWAYS served with rice.
Other well known and popular foods are "tom yom" - a kind
of sweet-sour soup made with lemon grass - and guaytiew,
or rice noodles, which is eaten by everyone and is sold throughout
the day until late at night at street stalls everywhere.
There are a number of differences in the foods served and eaten
in various parts of the country. In the Northeast,
known as "Isaarn", people eat mostly glutinous rice, and they
also maintain the old custom of eating with their fingers, rolling a ball
of this rice between the fingers and then dipping it into the dish of the day.
For those travellers who suffer from "Chinese restaurant syndrome",
where the mouth and face become numb after consuming a Chinese meal, it is
good to know that these days Thais put monosodium glutamate
automatically into MOST dishes. This is sold by a Japanese company,
the brand is called Aginomoto, and in the Thai language it is called
"pong chu rote". A careful diner will tell the waiter "yah sai pong chu rote" --
"don't put monosodium glutamate into my food" It is difficult
to purchase a bad meal in Thailand, even from street stalls. In fact,
whilst it may APPEAR that the foods sold in the street are not very clean,
the customer can SEE his food being prepared right in front
of him, and can therefore judge the cleanliness of what he is
about to consume for himself, something which cannot be done
when food is prepared in a hidden kitchen. Since most poorer people
DO buy their foods from street vendors, and they earn
so little that every baht has to count, they are VERY particular
about the taste of their food, and a vendor who sells a bad-tasting gaeng
or plate of guaytiew will be out of business very quickly. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients
Skinned boned chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces,
I cup Leeks, OR onions OR white part of green onions
cut into 1 inch pieces, 1 cup Cashew nuts,
fried till light brown, - 1 cup Oil ð 1 tablespoon
Minced garlic ð 1 teaspoon- 1 tablespoon Light soy sauce ­ teaspoon Dark soy sauce ð 1 teaspoon Paprika powder - 1 teaspoon Chicken soup powder ð 1 teaspoon - 1 cup water Long dark dried red peppers if liked

Method Place oil in a wok. Heat. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Add chicken to the wok and stir fry until cooked through. Add leeks OR onions OR green onion bulbs and stir around. Add water. Add the soy sauces and paprika. Add cashews and red peppers if liked and turn off the heat. Serve with white steamed rice.

Ingredients
1 ­ 1 cups chicken, skinner and cut into bite-sized pieces Garlic ñ 1 clove peeled and minced Ginger root, fresh ñ peeled and cut into julienne strips ñ 2 or more tablespoons to taste Green onion ñ white part at the bottom ñ 2 tablespoons Sweet peppers and/or hot peppers cut into strips for stir-fry - cup Onion ñ 1 small sweet onion peeled and cut into rings Mushrooms ­ cup cut up Light soy sauce or bean sauce to taste Oil for stir fry

Method:
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken and stir until cooked throughy. Add all the other ingredients EXCEPT the green onion bulbs and cook till done. Add the green onion bulbs last and turn off the heat. Adjust seasonings. Serve over seamed white rice.

Ingredients
Chopped chicken 2 cups Onion - 1 medium onion, finely chopped Bread crumbs - 1 cup Egg - 1 beaten egg Chutney - any kind - 1/4 cup or more to taste Flour - 2 tablespoons Coriander seed powder - 1 teaspoon or more to taste Salt - pinch Black pepper finely ground - to taste Matzoh meal for coating Oil for frying

Method
Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl except for the matzoh meal and oil. After this mixture is combined well, form into balls the size of a walnut. Roll in matzoh meal. Fry in hot oil. To Serve: These taste best dipped into chutney, a separate bowl of which should be provided for dipping.

Ingredients
Chopped chicken (or beef or pork) - 1 cup Peanut butter - 1/4 cup Coconut cream - 2 cups Pounded mixture (pounded together in a mortar) - Shallots - 2-3 tablespoons Coriander root - 3 roots Garlic - 2 peeled cloves Pepper - 10 black peppercorns OR equivalent amount paprika powder Sugar - to taste Light soy sauce or fish sauce to taste (salty flavour) Tamarind juice - 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves

Method:
1. Pour 1 cup coconut cream into a deep wok. Heat.
2. Add the pounded mixture to the wok and stir around until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken ( Or beef OR pork) and stir fry until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Add the peanut butter to the wok and stir into the mixture well, continuing to cook.
5. Add one more cup coconut cream and stir.
6. Add the seasonings to taste.
7. Add the tamarind juice. Serve as a dip with coriander leaves strewn on top. This is served in Thailand with thin rice cakes for dipping but other chips may be used if liked.

Dressing:
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon powdered sweetener (or sugar) 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or fish sauce) 1 tablespoon lime juice 1/2 tablespoon boiled water 1 - 2 small hot red or green peppers sliced into rounds 1 garlic clove, minced

NOTE:
this dressing is for a beef yom; if using chicken pieces, add 1 piece thinly sliced fresh ginger and some toasted cashew nuts) Mix dressing ingredients together. Prepare salad: Selection of sliced vegetables such as sweet red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander, mint, onion rounds, green onions. Sliced cooked beef OR chicken. Pour dressing over the salad IMMEDIATELY before serving.

Ingredients:
Macaroni one cup per hungry person, boiled until al dente and drained Chicken skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces - 1 cup per person Chopped vegetables to taste: Tomatoes Green onions sliced in 1-inch pieces including white bottom part Onions Peppers - red, yellow, green to taste Garlic 1-2 cloves peeled and minced Oil -1-2 tablespoons Ketchup - 2-3 tablespoons Sugar to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste Light soy sauce to taste

METHOD
1. Fry the garlic in the oil until fragrant
2. Add the chicken pieces and stir around till cooked through
3. Add the ketchup, and pepper
4. Add the onions and chopped peppers. Stir around
5. Add the drained macaroni to this wok and continue to stir until macaroni is well-coated with the ketchup mixture and turns red.
6. Add seasonings to taste - light soy sauce, sugar to taste
7. Add the tomato slices and green onions last.
8. If the dish is too dry a bit of water may be added

Ingredients:
Kaffir lime peel - 1 teaspoon Galangal root,peeled and sliced thin - 1 teaspoon Lemon grass sliced thin - 2 tablespoons Garlic gloves peeled - 4-5 large cloves Shallots peeled - 10 very small shallots Coriander root, chopped - 1 tablespoon Green small hot peppers - 2 tablespoons

METHOD;
Pound all the above in a mortar. Start with the drier ingredients and end with shallots and garlic. This may also be done in a blender but the amount should be doubled or tripled as this is a small recipe anb the blender blades won't catch a small amount.

Ingredients
Mix marinade:
Black pepper
Paprika
Wine
Oil
Egg one beaten egg
Magic Chicken Spice (Paul Prudhomme's brand)
Sugar
Amounts to taste.
Dip skinned chicken pieces in the marinade. Roll in corn starch. 
Pan fry till done. 
Drain on paper towels. 
Set aside.In the same oil as used for frying the chicken, 
quickly fry up 
several handfulls of washed and DRIED basil leaves. 
They should be as dry as possible since if they 
are wet the water will spatter. 
They become crispy VERY fast. Remove from 
the pan with a slotted strainer and set aside.

SAUCE
Mix together:
1/2 cup kati (coconut milk)
1 tablespoon vegetarian namprik pao (if available)
1 tablespoon tamarind juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Light soy sauce OR salt
Cook the above together until desired thickness. 
Water may be added.

TO SERVE:
Put chicken pieces in serving plate.
Pour sauce on top.
Sprinkle with crispy fried small pieces of garlic and onions
Strew crispy basil leaves on top.

Ingredients
Chicken: Skin large pieces of chicken. Rub with paprika. 
Place on a dish covered with plastic wrap and zap 
in a microwave oven until cooked through. 
Cut into slices.
Soup: Place chicken bones in a bot and boil. 
Skim the fat off. Put noodles into a strainer and cook.
Place cooked noodles, together with chopped boiled 
cabbage and parboiled bean sprouts on a serving plate.

Condiments -
Place in individual small dishes : Chopped peanuts
Light soy sauce Finely chopped green onions 
and coriander leaves, mixed together
Minced garlic fried in oil till brown, together with some 
of the frying oil Freshly ground black pepper 
(or can crush peppercorns in a mortar)
White vinegar with hot red peppers sliced into it White sugar

Ingredients
Galangal root, peeled and sliced into rounds Chicken,
skinned and cut into bite-size pieces Curry leaves
(Bai Makroot) Lemon Grass stalk (Takai) Chicken soup cube
Cocunut milk (kati) Tomatoes and/or mushrooms if desired

Method
1. Boil water - 1 cup per person
2. Add the sliced galangal root pieces and lemon grass stalk
3. Add the chicken cube
4. When cube is dissolved, add the chicken pieces
and boil until they are cooked through
5. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms if liked
6. Add 1 cup coconut milk (kati)

To serve: Sprinkle each serving with chopped coriander leaves, chopped green onions and a wedge
of lime (manao) Namprik Pao may be added if desired,
1 tsp per serving.

ingredients
Chicken, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces Green onions
and white onions, cut into bite-sized pieces Tomatoes,
cut up Pineapple chunks Raisins (sultanas)
Garlic clove, skinned and minced Ketchup or tomato
paste Chicken soup powder Oil 1 cup cold cooked rice per serving

Method
1. Mix the cold cooked rice with 1-2 tablespoons ketchup
OR tomato paste. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the minced garlic and stir
around until fragrant
3. Add the cut up chicken pieces and stir fry until cooked through
4. Add the raisins and pineapple chunks. Stir around in the wok.
5. Add the ketchup rice and stir until well mixed.
6. Season with salt and sugar to taste.
7. Add the onions and tomatoes and also freshly ground black
pepper if desired.
8. Usually served with a fried egg (sunny-side up) and wedges of lime (manao)

ingredients
Hard boiled eggs, peeled One or more large pieces
of skinned chicken Garlic clove, peeled and minced
Pakchee (coriander)
root Sugar - 2 tablespoons (approximately)
White soy sauce Water - 2 cups
Black pepper freshly ground to taste Chinese 5-spice powder 1-2 teaspoons 1 chicken cube

Method
1. Put small amount oil in a wok and fry the minced garlic until fragrant
2. Add 2 tablespoons sugar
3. Add 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
4. Add the chicken pieces and the eggs. Stir and cook
until chicken is well done. Turn the eggs to coat.
5. Add 2 cups of water, black pepper to taste and 1 chicken cube.
Add the 5-spice powder.
6. Boil until ingredients are blended. Taste and adjust seasonings To serve:
Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves before serving

ingredients
Chicken, skinned and cut into small pieces OR minced Paprika Basil leaves -
1 cup Garlic 1 clove skinned and minced Pakchee (coriander)
root optional Small red hot peppers (optional) Freshly ground black
pepper Paprika Sugar 1 tablespoon White soya sauce

Method
1. Pound toigether in a mortar 1 small hot pepper, 1 garlic clove,
1 pakchee root and black pepper
2. Put small amount of oil into a wok and fry the above mixture until fragrant
3. Mix the chicken with the paprika - gives colour). Add a small amount
of water to the chicken.
4. Put the chicken into the wok and stir fry until cooked through
5. Add 1 tsp or more sugar (to taste)
6. Add 1 tablespoon white soya sauce and/or equal amount
of chicken soup powder
7. Add 1/2 cup of water and one small hot red pepper
cut in half lengthwise
8. Turn off heat. Stir in the basil leaves. Serve immediately.

ingredients
Cocunut milk (kati) Green curry paste Water Chestnuts (haew)
Basil leaves Red pepper pieces Chicken skinned and cut
into bite-sized pieces Sugar White soy sauce

Method
1. Boil 1/2 cup kati in a wok
2. Add the curry paste and stir fry until fragrant
3. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry
4. Add the sugar (1 tsp or to taste) water chestnuts and 1 teaspoon
white soy saucewhite soy sauce5. Add kati one more cup
6. Cook until well done.
7. Add the peppers
8. Before serving stir basil leaves into the dish

ingredients
Chicken skinned and cut into bite size pieces Marinade:
1 egg, black pepper, paprika Roll chicken pieces
in cornflour Fry chicken pieces, drain on paper towels
and set aside Minced garlic clove Pineapple chunks Green onions cut
into 1 inch pieces Red pepper cut into bite size pieces Yellow
and green peppers cut into nbite sized pieces Carrots cut into rounds
Onions cut into slices Tomatoes cut up Ketchup mixed with water
and 1 tablespoon chicken soup powder to make 1 cup + sugar to taste

Method
1. Put oil - 2 tbsp - into a wok and fry the garlic
2. Stir garlic until fragrant
3. Add the carrots and pineapple and stir around
4. Add the ketchup mixture. Boil
5. Add remaining vegetables and cook.
6. Pour over the chicken pieces to serve. May be served alone
as a vegetarian dish if chicken powder is vegetarian

ingredients 
1 cup kati (coconut milk)
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons panang curry paste
1-3 pieces whole cardamom if desired
Cut up chicken pieces skinned and boned
White soy sauce
Sugar
Salt
Curry leaves
Basil leaves

Method
1. Put 1/2 cup kati into wok and boil.
2. Add the peanut butter and curry paste and stir around
3. Add the chicken pieces and stir till cooked.
4. Add 1/2 cup more kati. Add the soy sauce, sugar and salt to taste.
5. Before serving stir in curry leaves (bai makroot),
red peppers if liked and basil leaves

ingredients
Galangal root, peeled and sliced into rounds Chicken, skinned and cut
into bite-size pieces Curry leaves (Bai Makroot) Lemon
Grass stalk (Takai) Chicken soup cube Cocunut milk (kati)
Tomatoes and/or mushrooms if desired

Method
1. Boil water - 1 cup per person
2. Add the sliced galangal root pieces and lemon grass stalk
3. Add the chicken cube
4. When cube is dissolved, add the chicken pieces and boil until they
are cooked through
5. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms if liked
6. Add 1 cup coconut milk (kati) To serve: Sprinkle each serving
with chopped coriander leaves, chopped green onions and a wedge
of lime (manao) Namprik Pao may be added if desired, 1 tsp per serving.