Glossary of ingredients
Thai red chillies (‘Prik’)
There are several types of Thai chillies and they have different Thai names such as ‘prik kee noo suan’, ‘prik kee noo’ and ‘prik chee faa’. The smallest are the hottest. I prefer small red chillies (they are about 1.50cm long) as they have an intense spicy favour. They are available at all Thai supermarkets and even chain Western supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s often have them in stock. Bear in mind that the amount of chillies I suggest in my recipes would give the spicy taste that most Westerners would be okay with it, not really hot- most Thais would appreciate a stronger level of spiciness. You will have to experiment to find the level of spiciness that you like by reducing the amount of chillies or de-seeding them (taking the seeds out will lessen the spiciness but keep the favour). Alternatively, you can increase the amount of chillies if you like more intense heat for your dishes.
Thai aubergines (‘Makuar’)
You can use normal (purple) aubergines that you can buy from any chain supermarkets if you cannot find Thai ones. The Thai aubergines come in different sizes and colours. I normally use round, pale green ones (about 2.5cm in diameter) for green curry. I use small Thai, green, pea sized aubergines for red curry (they are a bit bitter).
Sweet basil (‘Bai horapa’) and holy basil (‘Bai krapow’)
Both of them are varieties of basil leaves. Thai sweet basil has the flavour that is closer to the basil leaves used in Italian cuisine. Holy basil has a stronger and more intense flavour and taste and has to be cooked to release the flavour. You normally get holy basil at chain supermarkets. You need specialist Thai or East Asian supermarkets if you want to get sweet basil.
Garlic (‘Kratiam’)
Garlic is an essential ingredient of most Thai dishes. Thai garlic cloves are smaller than normal garlic gloves and have a thin papery skin that you leave on when cooking. If you can’t find Thai garlic, you can use normal Western garlic. Of course, if you use normal non-Thai garlic cloves, you will have to peel off the skin before you chop them.
The most common way of using garlic in Thai cooking is to use it to flavour the cooking oil before stir-frying meat and vegetables. I tend to stir fry chopped garlic cloves in the cooking oil until they are golden brown before I add any meat or vegetables.
Coriander (‘Pak chee’)
It is also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley. In Thai cooking, it can be used to garnish food or for adding the unique aromatic fragrance to your dishes. You can get it easily from any major supermarket. You can use it whole, chopped or sprinkled on finished dishes in Thai cooking. It is useful for adding visual appeal and flavour to your Thai dishes. Coriander root is also used in Thai cooking. You can get it from any Thai supermarkets or get the whole coriander pots from chain supermarkets.
Coconut (‘Ma prow’) cream and milk (‘Kati’)
In Thai cooking, coconut is one of the most important ingredients. Fresh coconut can be used for juice to make a refreshing drink or to make Thai deserts. It is difficult to find fresh coconut in the UK and if you can find one it will not be Thai and consequently will be less sweet. Coconut cream is thicker and richer in its texture. Coconut milk is normally used in Thai curries and soups. There are several brands available. Some are better than the others. You have to try several brands and find the one you like the most. I prefer the creamiest one.
Galangal (‘Khaa’)
This ingredient is not used in Western cooking. It might be difficult to find as you will need specialist Thai or East Asian supermarkets for it. It is from the ginger family but it is harder and more translucent and has pink shade on the edge. You have to peel the skin and thinly slice it before use. I normally use it in soups.
Lemon grass (‘Takrai’)
This is another vital ingredient in Thai cooking. You can buy it from any Thai supermarkets and chain supermarkets. The stalks are about 20cm long. Cut off the ends and finely slice the stalks into small pieces. They give Thai dishes a refreshing unique lemon aroma.
Kaffir lime leaves (‘Bai magrud’)
They are dark green leaves. They can be found in Thai supermarkets. They give a pungent lemony aroma. I normally use them in soups.
Thai shallots (‘Horm daeng’)
Thai shallots are smaller, milder and sweeter than normal Western onions. They have pink thin skin which you have to peel like normal onions. You can use them in several Thai dishes and in different ways.
Morning glory ('Pak Bung')
Morning glory ('Pak Bung')
This is a Thai vegetable with no Western equivalent. Usually I stir-fry it with garlic, chillies and soya beans. You can add some prawns or bacon. I have got a recipe for this dish.
Glossary of Thai sauces
Fish sauce (‘Nam Pla’)
This sauce is the main flavouring sauce in Thai cooking. There is no substitute for its unique flavour and aroma. It can be made from shrimps or extracted from salted, fermented fish. When you buy it from Thai supermarkets or Western supermarkets, I would recommend that you should go for a lighter one, rather than darker liquid as the sauce darkens with age or if the bottle is left open for long. If it has noticeably changed in its colour, then it should be discarded.
Light and dark soy sauce (‘Si-ew’)
These are Chinese sauces made from salted cooked soya beans fermented with flour after the liquid is extracted. There are two types available: light soy sauce (which is thin with a clear delicate flavour) and dark soy sauce (which is thicker with a stronger and sweeter flavour). In most Thai dishes, you normally need light soy sauce.
Oyster sauce (‘Nam man hoy’)
This sauce is thick and brown colour. It is of Chinese origin. It is made from oysters that are cooked in soy sauce and then mixed with seasonings and brine. I use it a lot in all stir-fried dishes.
Bean sauce (‘Tow ji-ew’)
This yellow bean sauce is made from slightly mashed and fermented soya beans. It can add flavour to stir-fried dishes.
Sweet chilli sauce (‘Sod prik’)
This sauce is a thick dipping sauce made from garlic, hot chillies and other spices. It tastes sweet and spicy.
Utensils
Most Thai dishes can be cooked by using utensils available in most Western kitchens. If you intend to cook Thai food on regular basis I would recommend you to get a couple of things that would make your Thai cooking more fun and easier. These utensils are as follows:
- woks (I have a couple of them so I can do several dishes at the same time. You can start with one!)
- a rice cooker (you can of course boil rice in a normal pot but the rice would be softer if you use a proper rice cooker.)
- a stone mortar and pestle for crushing herbs and chillies
Oil
Any types of oil can be used in Thai cooking, except olive oil as it has a specific flavour that does not go well with Thai dishes. The principal idea of Thai cooking is to flavour the cooking oil with garlic before stir-frying meat or vegetables. Thai people do not use oil that carries its own flavour (such as olive oil). We also use peanut oil to give a unique aromatic flavour to certain dishes (do not use it if you allergic to nuts).
