Pork Ball Soup (Gaeng Jued) is the first soup that I learned how to make, because it’s very easy. Gaeng Jued literally means “No Taste” soup. Most Thai food has many flavors in one dish and most of the dishes have very strong tastes, but this dish is a little more delicate and light. Gaeng Jued is a great dish for eating on a cold day, and along side spicy dishes to clear your palate.
Fresh spring rolls make great appetizers, they are originally from Vietnam, but I love them so much that I thought I would teach you how to make my own version. Spring rolls are fun to make, because the whole family can help wrap them like a small assembly line. The keys to excellent spring-rolls are fresh vegetables and some good peanut sauce.
It's traditional to use sliced pork or shrimp in fresh spring rolls, but I like the taste of turkey breast better. You can use whatever meat you desire as long as it's thin. If you're a vegetarian, simply leave out the meat all together!
In Thai we call this dish Khao Pad. Khao means rice, and Pad means to fry. Rice is the main export product of Thailand, and has a history of cultivation going back thousands of years. The word for meal in Thai is Gin Khao which literally means eat rice.
Fried Rice is very easy and fast to make, this dish is considered fast food in Thailand and is always an option when you want to make something quick, easy and good.
Everyone makes fried rice a bit differently, so feel free to experiment with different ingredients that you have in your fridge. This recipe uses chicken, but you can substitute pork, shrimp, or tofu. You can also add vegetables such as carrots and broccoli. Experiment with what you like. There’s even a variety in Thailand called American Fried Rice that's make with ketchup!
Thai Papaya Salad or Som Tam is popular throughout Southeast Asia. It's a refreshing, healthy salad that combines sweet, sour, salty, and spicy into one harmonious dish. Making Papaya Salad is more of an art than a science, and you will quickly settle on your own balance of ingredients to make it to your taste. This recipe is designed to be a good starting point to try out first.
Everyone has their own recipe, and word of street vendors who make good Papaya Salad gets around quickly and they build a loyal following, much like pizza places in the west.
Papaya salad has three basic types:
Som Tam Thai, which has roasted peanuts mixed in it. (this recipe)
Som Tam Bu, which has pickled crabs pounded in it.
Som Tam Lao, which has the juice of pickled mud-fish in it.
My personal favorite Papaya Salad is Som Tam Lao and Som Tam Thai. My mom likes Som Tam Lao and she's from Issan (North East Thailand) and my dad likes Som Tam Thai, he's from from Central Thailand so I got to eat and make both kinds growing up. Pickled mud-fish is definately an acquired taste, so we've decided to present the peanut version instead.
Papaya Salad really needs to be prepared using a mortar and pestle. When I was a little girl, my mom told me if I broke the mortar while making Papaya Salad, I have to dance around the outside of the house as punishment, so be careful because Americans have big houses.
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, or Tom Kha Gai, has a blend of tastes that gives this soup a very unique flavor. Tom Kha means "boiled galangal", which is a variety of ginger root and is the main ingredient in this recipe. The soup has the main flavor of galangal and the coconut milk is used to create a mild, rich and creamy taste. A little lime juice makes this soup a perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and sour.
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is a dish from the central part of Thailand, but served in Thai restaurants all over. I grew up eating this soup because my dad is from the central part of Thailand and this soup is his favorite (ed: and her husband's too!). My dad taught me how to cook Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, and we usually have it during the winter, its great for those cold days in Thailand where it gets down to a chilly 70°F (21°C)! It has a rich and creamy taste and the spice from galangal keeps you warm.
