Discovering lesser known Thai dishes
When most people think of Thai Cuisine, the dishes which come to mind are usually: tom yum goong (tom yum soup with prawns); som tam (papaya salad); pad Thai (Thai fried noodles); gaeng khiao waan gai (chicken green curry) and pad kra pao gai (basil leaf chicken).
Khao Chae
Recently, I discovered khao chae, which is rice in jasmine-flavoured ice water served with different kinds of dried meat. After trying it, I read that it is listed among the recipes of the royal cuisine. It’s a good dish for hot weather.
Miang kum
Just when I was making new discoveries doing research on Thai cuisine, a family friend sent a photo of the miang kum he prepared for a small dinner party at home. Miang kum is a betel leaf wrap that is served as an appetizer or a snack. The main ingredients are: betel leaves, toasted coconut, roasted peanuts, dried shrimps, lime, chilli, shallots and ginger. The sauce is made of dried shrimps, galangal, ginger, palm sugar, shrimp paste, fish sauce, water, peanuts and toasted coconut.
Dr V was very happy that his guests were happy with the dinner. I am sure his wife was proud of his culinary success. I was happy to know that he was enjoying a new hobby, though his miang kum looked quite professional.
Mangoes marvels
Brenda, a young friend of mine, sent photos of the mango sago dessert she made with her family, with a note: “It was fun to make dessert! But it was difficult to get the mango cos it’s no longer mango season.”
Mangoes are still available in Bangkok. I discovered that mango and sticky rice can look like an art piece.
My favourite Thai dessert is coconut ice cream with peanuts. It’s a dessert from my childhood. There used to be ice cream shops in Bangkok that only served coconut ice cream with peanuts and jackfruit. I don’t know if they still exist. My brother has succeeded in making good coconut ice cream. It’s nice for a dinner party – or perhaps I should say: it’s cool!
Have a great weekend.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 2 September 2022
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