Thai Herbs in Thai Food : Part 4

Cha-ohm (No English name)
Cha-ohm is also vegetable supplement whether boiled or steamed and also mixed with egg and fried. It is used in some curries in the north and northeast recipes; Kaeng Kae and Kaeng Lao.

Cha-phloo (No English name)

In the middle part recipe, the fresh leaves are used to wrap the tidbits of Miang khum. In the south, they are used in some curries with shrimp, fish and mussels and as well as vegetables with chilli paste.

Gord gourd (Ma Kua Puang)

The blanched leaves are delicious with chilli paste. Gord gourd is good also as ingredient in many recipes; vegetable soup, Kaeng Lieng or fried vegetable or mix with omelet.

Medical application
- intestinal stimulating
- carminative
- colic
- antipyretic
- reduce sugar in blood

Food application of Gord gourd

• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai

Pumpkin (Fak Thong)

Fresh leaves and young flowers are blanched or boiled to supplement with the chilli paste. Its flowers are used as ingredients in Kaeng Lieng and Kaeng Som. Besides, the ripe pumpkins are used in many dishes both soups and fried dishes. It is also good to make many recipes of desserts; pumpkin boiled in syrup and pumpkin in coconut syrup.

Medical application
- beta carotene

Food application of Pumpkin

• Kaeng Liang

Cumin (Yi Ra)

Cumin is roasted and pounded to make chilli paste in some curries, Kaeng Phed and Kaeng Khiao Wan.

Medical application
- carminative
- expectorant

Food application of Cumin

• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Phanaeng Kai

Thanks : Thaifoodtoworld.com

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Thai Herbs in Thai Food : Part 3

Basil (Kra - Prao)
Kra prao or sacred basil is used in Kaeng Pha, Kaeng Kae and some spicy fried meat dishes to reduce the savory of the fish meat. Fresh leaves are sprinkled on food before removing from heat.

Medical application
- carminative
- reduce sugar in blood
- release tension
- stomachic

Food application of Kra Prao

• Khao Phad Kra Prao

Mint (Sa - Ra - Nae)

The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint when storage of the mint is not a problem. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams. In Middle Eastern cuisine, mint is used on lamb dishes, while in British cuisine and American cuisine, mint sauce and mint jelly are used, respectively.

Mint is a necessary ingredient in Touareg tea, a popular tea in northern African and Arab countries.

Alcoholic drinks sometimes feature mint for flavor or garnish, such as the Mint Julep and the Mojito. Crème de menthe is a mint-flavored liqueur used in drinks such as the grasshopper.

Mints are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Buff Ermine.

Medical application

Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. 

Sweet basil (Ho Ra Pa)

Sweet basil is used as vegetable supplement and also odor seasoning in spicy recipes; Kaeng Phed and Phad Phed. 

Medical application
- carminative

Food application of Sweet basil

• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai

Pepper (Prik Thai)

Pepper is popularly found in every kind of chilli pastes, in soup together with coriander root and garlic and as well sprinkle for good smell. It is normally used in cooking of Kaeng Phed, Kaeng Pa and Phad Phed. 

Medical application
- carminative
- expectorant
- diuretic
- stomachic /colic
- digestive

Food application of Pepper

• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Kaeng Liang
• Kai Phad Phed
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Khao Phad Kra Prao

Coriander (Pak Chee)

This plant can be used by every part; plant, root, leaves and fruits. Normally, the coriander leaves are sprinkled to season the food, while the coriander fruits are mixed in the soup and curry for good smell and its root is used together with garlic in soup and some kind of snacks and desserts.

Medical application
- carminative
- diuretic

Food application of Coriander

• Tom Kha Kai
• Tom Kha Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai

Thanks : Thaifoodtoworld.com and Wikipedia

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Thai Herbs in Thai Food : Part 2

Ginger (Khing)
Thai people use ginger to reduce fishes smell in many dishes; Tom Som, steam fish with lemon or fry with meat and as well ingredients in Miang (tidbits), such as Miang Kum, Miang Pla Tou, Miang Som. It is also mixed with pickling, mussels, Tai Pla, Saeng Wha, etc. Chopped ginger is tasty to fry with meat and as well Yam Pla Tu, Yam Khing, Yam Pla Kra-pong and Yam Hoy Kraeng. Pickled ginger is a good supplement to boiled rice and many types of paste. Ginger juice and ginger boiled in syrup and mixed with mung bean or sweet potato are tasty desserts. 

Medical application
- carminative
- antihistamine
- antibacterial, fungal, yeast, virus

Food application of Ginger

• Beef Masaman

Shallot (Horm - Dang)

Shallot is used to reduce meat savory and as seasoning and also the main ingredient in chilli paste for Kaeng Phed, Tom Kloong, Kaeng Lieng, Tom Yam, Lhun, Yam, Larb and Nam Prik and as well in some desserts.

Medical application
- carminative
- stomachic
- catarrh relief

Food application of Shallot

• Tom Yum Kung
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Kaeng Liang
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Phad Thai
• Khao Phad Kra Prao
• Nam Ya Pla

Onion (Horm - Yai)

Used in Kaeng Masaman, spicy salads, and soup stock.

Medical application
- carminative

Food application of Onion

• Beef Masaman

Kaffir lime (Ma - Grood)

Kaffir lime skin is one of spices mixed in chilli paste for Kaeng Phed and Phad Phed, and in Nam Prik (for Thai noodles). Kaffir lime juice is sour and used to reduce savory of meat. It is actually mixed in fermented fish paste, Kaeng Som and Kaeng Tay Po. Chopped kaffir lime leaves are used to reduce meat smell and season Kaeng Phed, Phad Phed, Chu Chee Pla, Kaeng Tom Som, Tom Yam, Hua Mok, Tam Kanoon, Khao Yam and etc.

Medical application
- carminative
- expectorant


Food application of Kaffir lime

• Tom Yum Kung
• Tom Kha Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Phanaeng Kai

Krachai (No English name)

The rhizome of krachai is used in some specific mixture, almost are for fish soup; Nam Ya Pla and Kaeng Som due to the spicy and bitter taste of krachai that are good to reduce the fishes? savory and as well to other fish dishes; Phad Phed Pla.

Medical application
- carminative
- antihistamine
- antifungal, bacterial
- cardamonin to stop the growth of cancer

Food application of Krachai

• Kai Phad Phed
• Nam Ya Pla

Thanks : Thaifoodtoworld.com

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Thai Herbs in Thai Food : Part 1

Thai food is composed of herbs as the main compositions which refer to plants and vegetables including seasonings and spices. These represent the identity of the Thai food. Spices are used to season the odors, tastes and colors of the foods and as well to prevent the savory of the meat. Moreover, these spices contain various medical characteristics, thus Thai food is appropriate to good health.


Chilli (Prik)
The popular species of chilli used for cooking are hot chilli, red, green and yellow chilli, sweet pepper, etc. which are different in the levels of its spicy tastes. Chilli can be used both fresh and dried or pickling in vinegar and to every dish that requires hot and spicy tastes. Some are used for smelling and reducing savory and as well to color the decoration. 

Medical application
- digestive
- to protect cancer
- carminative
- expectorant
- relief pain
- relief sickness

Food application of Chilli

• Tom Yum Kung
• Tom Yum Kung
• Tom Kha Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Kaeng Liang
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Phanaeng Kai
• Som Tum
• Phad Thai
• Khao Phad Kra Prao
• Khao Phad Kra Prao
• Nam Ya Pla

Garlic (Kra - Thium)

Garlic is actually important ingredient in Thai food and found in every recipe prior to fry vegetables and meat. It is also unable to be missed in soup and chilli paste and as well spicy salad. This is including the pickled garlic, garlic plants and fried chopped garlic to sprinkle the food. 

Medical application
- carminative
- reduce blood pressure
- prevent heart disease
- antibacterial, fungal, yeast, virus

Food application of Garlic

• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Som Tum
• Phad Thai
• Khao Phad Kra Prao
• Nam Ya Pla

Lemon (Ma - Naow)

Lemon juice is used to make sour taste in Tom Yam, Som Tum, Phla, spicy salads and many chilli pastes and as well lemon juice for drink.

Medical application

- expectorant
- carminative
- antiscorbutic 

Food application of Lemon

• Tom Yum Kung
• Tom Kha Kai
• Som Tum

Galangal (Ka)

Galangal is used both its flowers as vegetables and fresh and hard rhizomes. The hard rhizome is very spicy and good to season many recipes of chilli pastes, the fresh rhizome is found good in Tom Kha Kai. 

Medical application
- carminative
- stop the growth of cancer
- antifungal, bacterial and yeast

Food application of Galangal

• Tom Yum Kung
• Tom Kha Kai
• Tom Kha Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Khao Phad Kra Prao
• Nam Ya Pla

Lemon grass (Ta - Krai)

Lemon grass is spicy and bitter and used for seasoning the Thai food and as the main ingredient in every recipe of Kaeng Phed, spicy salads and Tom Yam. 

Medical application

- carminative
- antibacterial, fungal, yeast
- diuretic

Food application of Lemon grass

• Tom Yum Kung
• Tom Kha Kai
• Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai
• Beef Masaman
• Kai Phad Phed
• Phanaeng Kai
• Nam Ya Pla

Thanks : Thaifoodtoworld.com

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Thai Food and Culture

The Importance of Food in Thai Culture

In Thailand, food forms a central part of any social occasions—and vice versa. That is, food often becomes the social occasion in itself, or reason to celebrate. This is partly due to the friendly, social nature of Thai people, but also because of the way in which food is ordered and eaten in Thailand.

In the West, a “normal” restaurant meal consists of a starter followed by the main course and dessert, with each individual ordering only for him or herself. In Thailand, there is no such thing as a starter; neither is there any dish that belongs only to one person. As a general rule, Thai diners order the same number of dishes as people present; however, all dishes are shared and enjoyed together. For this reason, it is better to have many guests at the table rather than just one or two. In fact, many Thais believe that eating alone is bad luck.

After the meal is over, there is no such thing as dispensing with leftovers. Throwing food away enrages the Thai “god of rice”, a female deity who watches over the people, ensuring everyone has enough to eat. Bad luck or even widespread famine may then ensue.

A typical Thai meal includes four main seasonings: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy.Indeed, most Thai dishes are not considered satisfying unless they combine all four tastes. When eating out, a group of Thai diners would order a variety of meat and/or fish dishes, plus vegetables, a noodle dish, and possibly also soup. Dessert may consist simply of fresh fruit, such as pineapple, or something more exotic, such as colourful rice cakes, depending on the region.

Aside from meals, Thais are renowned “snackers”. It is easy to pick up a quick but delicious snack for mere pennies along the roadside or at marketplaces in Thailand. Popular snacks consist of spring rolls, chicken or beef satay, raw vegetables with a spicy dip, soups, salads, and sweets.

The formal presentation of food is another important aspect of Thai culture. Developed primarily in the palace to please the King of Siam, Thai food presentation is among the most exquisite in the world. Serving platters are decorated with all variety of carved vegetables and fruits into flowers and other pieces of beauty. Palace-style stir-fries include elegantly carved vegetables within the dish itself. For such artwork, Thai chefs use a simple paring knife and ice water (the ice water prevents discoloration of the vegetables as they cut them).

Thanks : About.com

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Sticky Rice Dumplings

Sticky rice dumplings are common throughout Southeast-Asia - both savory and sweet versions. This savory Thai recipe has a healthy chicken and shiitake mushroom filling. These chicken dumplings are then wrapped in banana leaves and either steamed, barbecued, or baked in the oven. Serve them as part of a main course, or as a snack..

They also make a great lunch - just take one of these compact packets to work and microwave it for a quick, deliciously unique lunch..!

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

MAKES Approx. 6 Large Dumplings

• 1 pkg. banana leaves, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw for at least 1 hour)
• 2 cups Thai sweet rice (also known as "sticky rice", available at Asian/Chinese food stores)
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces or smaller
• 1 tsp. cornstarch stirred into 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, grated or cut into matchstick pieces
• 1/4 cup white wine or sherry (or cooking wine/sherry)
• some toothpicks, twine, satay sticks, or string to secure the dumplings

STIR FRY SAUCE:

• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger), peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (seeds removed if you prefer milder dumplings) OR 1-3 tsp. chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• OTHER: oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

1. Place the water in a pot and add the Thai sweet rice. Stir and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. (Sweet rice has a hard outer shell that needs to soften before cooking.) In the meantime, prepare the chicken, mushrooms, sauce, and other ingredients for stir-frying.
2. After 20 (or more) minutes, add 1/4 tsp. salt and give the rice another stir. Place the pot over high heat. When rice-water comes to a bubbling boil, reduce heat to medium-low (around 2.5 on the dial), so that rice-water continues to boil gently.
3. Place a lid askew so that it is 3/4 covering the pot (while allowing some steam to escape). Cook like this for 10 minutes, or until all (or most) the rice-water has been absorbed.
4. Now turn off the heat and cover completely with lid. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. If you're planning to make the dumplings immediately, place the pot in the refrigerator to cool.
5. Mix 1 tsp. cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. soy sauce until cornstarch dissolves. Pour over chopped chicken breasts in a small mixing bowl. Stir well and set aside.
6. Place a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the galangal (or ginger). Stir-fry 30 seconds. Now add the chicken (together with the soy sauce/cornstarch). Tip: As you stir-fry, add 1 Tbsp. wine or cooking wine (instead of more oil) whenever the wok/pan becomes dry. After about 2 minutes (or when chicken is cooked), add the mushrooms and stir-fry another 1-2 minutes, or until mushrooms have softened.
7. Add the stir-fry sauce and turn heat down to low while you stir it in. Do a taste-test, adding more lime juice if too salty for your taste, more sugar if too sour, or more fresh chili (or chili sauce) if not spicy enough. If too spicy, don't worry - the spice will be tempered later by the plain-tasting rice surrounding it. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
8. Unfold banana leaves. Using scissors cut one large rectangular piece (approx. 1 foot by 1 1/2 feet). Then cut a smaller piece to go inside (approx. 8-10 inch rectangle). The smaller piece is like a lining (banana leaves are naturally porous).
9. Bring out the sticky rice. Note that rice must be cool enough to work with, since you will be using your hands. Scoop out enough rice to make a square patty in the center of the 2 banana leaves (the patty should be about 4" square or slightly larger, and about 1/2" thick). Now place about 1 heaping Tbsp. of the chicken stir-fry filling (or slightly more) over the rice.
10. Now take another scoop of sticky rice and cover the filling (so that it's almost like a sandwich). Sticky rice is easy to work with - if you find there are places where the filling is left uncovered, simply "patch" these areas with a little more sticky rice.
11. Now fold down the top of the banana leaf rectangle over the sticky rice. Holding this in place, bring up the bottom of the rectangle. Think of wrapping a present or parcel.
12. Fold over the sides of the banana leaf rectangle, so that it looks like a packet. To temporarily keep the packet from opening, turn it upside-down on your counter-top.
13. To Secure your banana leaf packets (keeping them from unfolding), use one of the following methods:
• Using a toothpick: "Pin" the leaf by weaving the toothpick through the various layers (depending on the toughness of the leaves, you may have to do this gently, or the toothpick will break).
• If you have some satay sticks around the house: Snap off the sharp end of one of the sticks (at least 3 inches long) and use this to pin the leaves together (again, weaving the stick through the leaves). Satay sticks are much stronger than toothpicks and won't break.
• Finally, you can also tie the packets with string or baker's twine, like you would a small present.
14. Now you can store your sticky rice dumplings in the refrigerator (no need to cover them, as they are already well protected in the banana leaves), or heat them up right away (30 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees), or you can also microwave them or put them in a toaster oven. These packets are also great barbecued (turn the dumplings to cook on both sides until the leaves turn brown and crispy).
15. Eat the dumplings out of the banana leaves (the leaf lends the dumpling a unique fragrance and flavor). Note that these dumplings stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Thereafter, wrap in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months. Then simply thaw and heat up for an easy meal or snack. Enjoy!

Thanks: About.com

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Top 10 Thai Food (Part 1)

Thailand’s food needs little introduction. From San Francisco to Sukhothai, its profusion of exotic flavours and fragrances make it among the most coveted of international cuisines. As a walk through Bangkok forcefully reminds, these flavours and fragrances are seemingly inexhaustible. However, whether it be juicy pieces of grilled pork on a stick or a fiery bowl of ‘Tom Yum’ soup, we all have to start somewhere. And what better place than our carefully selected Top 10 of Thai Food, which spans everything from staple backpacker favourites to Thai classics. Once you’ve tried them all, please vote for the one that really thrilled your taste buds..

1. Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

The quintessential Thai aroma! A bold, refreshing blend of fragrant lemongrass, chilli, galangal, lime leaves, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce shapes this classic soup, giving it its legendary herbal kick. Succulent fresh prawns and straw mushrooms lend it body. A versatile dish that can fit within virtually any meal, the distinctive smell reminds you of exotic perfume, while it's invigorating sour-spicy-hot taste just screams 'Thailand'!

2. Pad Thai (Thai style Fried Noodles)

From Cape Town to Khao San Road, the default international Thai dish! Dropped in a searing hot wok, fistfuls of small, thin or wide noodles (you choose) do a steamy minute-long dance alongside crunchy beansprouts, onion and egg, before disembarking for the nearest plate. A truly interactive eating experience, half its fun (and flavour) lies in then using a quartet of accompanying condiments - fish sauce, sugar, chilli powder and finely ground peanuts - to wake it from its slumbers.

3. Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry)

Made with morsels of meat, red curry paste, smooth coconut milk and topped off with a sprinkling of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, this rich, aromatic curry always gets those taste buds tingling. At its best when the meat is stunningly tender, it could be likened to a beautiful woman: it's mild, sweet and delicately fragrant. And like all true love affairs, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

4. Kai Med Ma Muang Him Ma Parn (Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts)

Pardon the pun, but tourists go nuts for this stir fried dish. Perhaps it's the wildly contrasting textures of a dish that saut's chicken alongside roasted cashews, sweet soy sauce, onions, chilies, pepper, carrot and mushrooms. Perhaps it's the sweetening dash of honey that appeals. Do you really care? The important thing is that this dish works: it's simple but scrumptious, a little bit tame and yet still totally Thai.

5. Som Tum (Papaya Salad)

Hailing from the Northeast state of Isaan, this outlandish dish is both great divider - some can't get enough of its bite, some can't handle it - and greatly distinctive. Garlic, chilies, green beans, cherry tomatoes and shredded raw papaya get dramatically pulverized in a pestle and mortar, so releasing a rounded sweet-sour-spicy flavour that's not easily forgotten. Regional variations throw peanuts, dry shrimp or salted crab into the mix, the latter having a gut-cleansing talent that catches many newcomers by surprise!

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Top 10 Thai Food (Part 2)

6. Khao Pad (Fried Rice)

Fried rice, egg, onion, a few herbs - nothing more, nothing less. A popular lunch dish served typically with a wedge of lime and slices of cucumber, the secret of this unpretentious dish lies in its simplicity. The concept is this: you're the one devouring it, so you dress it. To do so, Thais use everything from prawns, crab or chicken to basil, chili and left-over vegetables, in the process turning an unremarkable pauper into a gastronomic prince!

7. Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Soup)

A mild, tamer twist on Tom Yum, this iconic soup infuses fiery chilies, thinly sliced young galangal, crushed shallots, stalks of lemongrass and tender strips of chicken. However unlike its more watery cousin, lashings of coconut milk soften its spicy blow. Topped off with fresh lime leaves, it's a sweet-smelling concoction, both creamy and compelling.

8. Pak Boong Fai Daeng (Red Flame Morning Glory)

Found all across South-East Asia, the leafy plant with hollow green stems and thin fragile leaves forms the main component of this super easy favourite. Cloves of garlic and birds eye chilies join it in a wok alongside oyster sauce, fish sauce and black fermented bean. A few lazy stirs, until the leaves are shrunk and soft, and it's done! The result is an alluring favourite with an unobtrusive flavour, a staple for those who love their Thai food but not spice induced sweats.

9. Gaeng Keow Wan Gai (Green Curry with Chicken)

Morsels of fresh chicken. Cherry-sized eggplants. Tender bamboo shoots. Sprigs of Coriander. Generous handfuls of sweet basil. These humble elements form the body of this seminal curry. But how does it get so gloriously green you ask? Oh, that'll be the spoons of green curry paste that's stirred furiously into hot creamy coconut milk. Sounds unexciting? Sure, but it's not. Served alongside a bowl of fragrant Thai rice, Gaeng Keow Wan Kai is the extreme opposite.

10. Yam Nua Yang (Spicy Beef Salad)

If there was such a thing as a 'Salad Hall of Fame', Thailand's zesty own breed, or 'yam' as they are known here, would surely take pride of place. Unconvinced? Experience the fresh, fiery thrill of yam nua - with its sprightly mix of onion, coriander, spearmint, lime, dried chili and tender strips of beef - and you won't be. It perfectly embodies the invigorating in-the-mouth-thrill of all Thai salads, the yummy-ness of yam.

Thanks : Bangkok.com

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Convert Cooking Measurements

Confused with the unit of culinary measurement..?!? 
Let's check the below chart out..!

Or plug in the number to this link :

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryreference/l/blconvert.htm

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