Bring the delicate flavors of Thailand to your kitchen with authentic and quick and easy-to-prepare Thai food recipes.

Classic Spring Roll (Poh Pia Tod)

Serves 8-16 | Prep. time 10 minutes plus 20 minutes soaking time | Cooking time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

Sweet chili sauce

• 1 cup water, divided
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4-6 pieces Thai chili, minced
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ketchup

Sweet plum sauce

• 1 Japanese salted pickled plum
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons water

Spring rolls

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 3 ounces bean thread noodles
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 medium to large prawns, cleaned, peeled, and minced (or about 3-4 ounces ground pork or beef)
• ½ cup carrot, peeled and shredded
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably light
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon Thai pepper powder
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons chopped spring onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 16 fresh spring roll wrappers

Flour paste

• 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

For the sweet chili sauce

1. In a cup or small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the water with the cornstarch. Set it aside.
2. Pound the ginger, garlic, and chili in a mortar and pestle to make a paste. Note: use rubber gloves when handling chili peppers to avoid pepper burns.
3. In a saucepan, pour the vinegar, remaining water, sugar, and ketchup. Bring it to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Stir the water and cornstarch mixture again and whisk it into the sauce. Stir until you notice some thickening.
6. Remove from the heat.

For sweet plum sauce

7. Place the ingredients in a small pot or saucepan and mash them together.
8. Bring them to a boil and continue boiling until they form a syrup.

For spring rolls

9. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 10-20 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the excess water. Slice thinly, and set them aside.
10. Soak the noodles in water for 15 minutes. Drain and cut into 1-inch strands. Set aside.
11. In a small bowl, combine the flour paste ingredients and set them aside.
12. Heat the oil in a wok, and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
13. Stir in the minced shrimp, shiitake, noodles, and carrot.
14. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and pepper powder. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes.
15. Add the bean sprouts, spring onion, and cilantro. Mix to heat through, and remove to a bowl and allow the mixture to cool down.
16. Place one wrapper at a time on a clean surface or tray, in a diamond shape.
17. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling close to the tip of the diamond at the bottom or closest to you. Do not put too much filling or else the wrapper will break while frying.
18. Fold the bottom tip of the wrapper over the filling. Roll tightly once.
19. Fold the left and right corners inward, and continue rolling up to the top corner.
20. Moisten the top corner with the flour paste to seal the roll.
21. Repeat this process until all filling or wrappers are used up.
22. Fry the spring rolls until they are golden brown, in about one inch of vegetable oil. For more efficient heating and to get crisp rolls, fry in batches, and do not overcrowd the rolls in the oil.
23. Use a spider strainer or tongs to lift rolls out of the oil, and place them in a dish lined with paper towels.
24. Serve hot with sweet-sour plum sauce or sweet chili sauce.

 

 

Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)

Serves 2–4 | Prep. time 5 minutes | Cooking/grilling time 0 minutes

Ingredients

• 4–6 red or green Thai chilies
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups green papaya, shredded
• 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
• 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon tamarind water
• 1–2 tablespoons fish sauce

Directions

1. Crush/pound the garlic, salt, and chilies using a mortar and pestle to make a fine paste.
2. Mix in the dried shrimp; continue to pound until the shrimp is broken up.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the prepared paste, peanuts, and tomatoes; mix well.
4. Add the palm sugar and 1 tablespoon of water to a heatproof bowl. Heat for 45 seconds to make a warm, sweet syrup.
5. To another bowl, add the shredded papaya and paste mixture. Add the sugar syrup, tamarind water, lime juice, and fish sauce.
6. Toss well and serve.

 

 

Quick Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Serves 4-6 | Prep. time 5 minutes | Cooking time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups pre-cooked cold jasmine rice
• 3-4 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups boneless skinless chicken breast fillets (lean pork or beef may be used), thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
• ¾ cup snow peas, trimmed
• ½ cup carrot, julienned
• 4 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar or table sugar
• 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1-3 teaspoons chili sauce, or according to taste

For garnish

• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Break up the cold rice with a wooden spoon or your hands (this is better) to separate the grains. Use plastic gloves or wet your hands so the rice does not stick. Set it aside.
2. Heat a large wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oil and swirl, then add the garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
4. Add chicken slices and stir-fry until done.
5. Move to the side of the wok and add more oil, if needed. Allow the oil to heat up again for about 15 seconds.
6. Pour in the beaten egg and scramble.
7. Add the snow peas and carrots, and stir-fry for about 45 seconds.
8. Add the rice, constantly scooping from the bottom up to ensure even frying. You should smell the rice getting toasted.
9. Add the spring onions, tomato, sugar, and sauces. Continue stir-frying to coat the rice with flavor.
10. Serve garnished with cilantro, cucumbers, and lime wedges, with fish and chili sauces on the side.

 

 

Shrimp Pad Thai

Serves 4 | Prep. time 8–10 minutes | Cooking time 10–15 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• ¼ pound dried thin flat rice noodles
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• ½ cup pressed tofu, sliced
• 3 scallions, green parts only, chopped
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts
• Lime wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Boil the water over medium-high heat in a large stockpot.
2. Remove from heat. Add the noodles, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Rinse the noodles and drain.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind paste.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a deep saucepan or wok.
6. Add the shrimp and stir cook for 2–3 minutes just until pink.
7. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
8. Heat the remaining oil and add the shallot and garlic. Stir-cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant and slightly golden.
9. Add the noodles and sauce mixture; stir well and cook for 1 minute.
10. Crack the eggs into the middle of the noodles and stir-cook for 30 seconds until scrambled.
11. Add the shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, scallions, and peanuts; toss to combine.
12. Serve with the lime wedges.

 

 

Steak Curry (Gaeng Panang Nuea)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 8–10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (13½-ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 pound boneless beef flank steak, cut into thin strips
• 1–2 red Thai bird’s eye chilies, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
• Cooked jasmine rice, for serving (optional)
• 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
• 3–4 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced

Directions

1. Avoid shaking the coconut milk can. Open the can and scoop out the cream on top.
2. Heat the scooped-out cream in a large, deep saucepan or frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and boil the mixture.
3. Mix in the curry paste and set heat to low.
4. Without stirring, simmer for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Add the remaining coconut milk and boil the mixture.
5. Mix in the sugar and fish sauce.
6. Add the beef and stir to combine; simmer for about 3–4 minutes until cooked well.
7. Top with the kaffir lime leaves, roasted peanuts, and red chili. Serve.

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Thailand: Thai Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Thai Recipes. To get your own copy, click on the cover or click here.

 

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