The reason why most Asian cuisineshas a weakness for spices, is understandable: the climate unfavorable for storing food forces us to take measures to make it safer to eat by using hot spices with antiseptic and antibacterial properties. The basis of Thai cuisine is rice. The famous Thai rice, jasmine, is one of the most aromatic and delicious. Fish and seafood, as well as coconut milk, are held in high esteem in Thailand. Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, so there are no such restrictions on the consumption of any meat as in neighboring India, where Hinduism is practiced, or Muslim Malaysia and Indonesia. Thai cuisine is diverse in its composition of products and tastes. It is impossible to imagine it without spices such as ginger, chili, coriander, lemongrass, mint and basil. In addition to rice, different types of noodles are popular: rice, egg noodles made from flour and noodles made from mung beans. An important kitchen attribute of Thai cuisine is a wok. Food prepared in a wok is more dietary, less fatty. This is achieved due to the fact that all the products are concentrated in the center of the pan, the liquid evaporates more slowly and therefore less oil or fat is required. Dishes in a wok are cooked over high heat, at a fast pace, with continuous stirring. On the one hand, this saves time. On the other hand, it preserves more vitamins in the products, reducing the process of heat treatment. Thai cuisine recipes are becoming increasingly popular today, as, incidentally, are other oriental cuisines. The emergence of specialized stores with products from Asia expands the possibilities of lovers of gastronomic experiments. Now you can surprise your family with unusual tastes and healthy dishes. Let's get started?
Khau Phhat (fried rice)
In general, fried rice is a traditional dish,which you will encounter in Thailand at every turn. And each time it will most likely be a little different. Fried rice is supposed to be accompanied by a variety of additives: chicken, pork, seafood, beef… And also a lot of spices. We will prepare a basic version. You will need:
- Welded rice
- Garlic - 2-3 cloves
- 1 chili pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 fresh tomato
- 1 tbsp each. fish and soy sauce
- Additives for rice: fried pieces of chicken, pork, shrimp, pieces of pineapple - all of your choice.
Cook the rice in advance.Take the jasmine variety, which is mainly used in Thai cuisine. Wash thoroughly (really thoroughly, not sparing water and hands). Pour boiling water over the rice at the rate of one and a half cups of water per 200 g of rice. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight lid and cook over low heat for 13 minutes. Turn off, leave to brew for another 10 minutes. In general, ideally, the rice for this dish should be brewed and cooled. The longer - the better. Even yesterday's will do. Heat oil in a wok. Fry garlic, chili pepper, finely chopped onion in it. Do not forget to stir constantly. Add chopped tomatoes. Pour in soy and fish sauces. After two minutes, add rice. Fry for a minute. Serve sprinkled with cilantro. Before adding rice, you can add other ingredients to the pan: sweet pepper, finely chopped and pre-fried chicken or pork, pineapples, boiled shrimp, or just pour in one or two raw eggs and stir. And then add rice. In general, there can be many ingredients, that is, you can safely mix chicken, shrimp, pineapples, and oyster mushrooms. Or you can get by with just one. Do not be surprised that there is no salt in the recipe - soy sauce plays this role. But you can add a little sugar. Especially if you were stingy with pineapple. Thai fish sauce is the most specific ingredient here. If you do not have it, you can do without it. Moreover, not everyone who knows how to prepare it will risk trying it. But more on that another time... Let us repeat that Thai cuisine has many recipes for fried rice. As with Russian borscht, every housewife undoubtedly has her own tricks and ideas. So no one is stopping you from using your imagination... Another classic dish, the hallmark of Thailand, is Thai fish soup Tom Yam.
Tom Yam Soup
For the soup:
- Chicken broth - 2 cups
- Coconut milk - 1 glass Raw shrimp (peeled) - 450 g
- Lime leaves -2 pcs, cut
- Lemon sorghum - 5 cm (replaced with lime peel or half of one lemon)
- The root of ginger is grated, 1 tbsp.
- 1/2 tbsp. l. Sahara
- 3 tbsp. l. lemon juice
- 3 tbsp. l. Thai fish sauce
- 8 shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms or champignons, cut in half
- Green onions, coriander for decoration
Tom Yam Paste:
- Vegetable oil - 4 tbsp.
- Shallots - 1 pc.
- Garlic - 5 denticles
- Chile pepper - 2 pcs.
First, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a wok.Throw in chopped garlic for a few seconds. As soon as the characteristic smell appears, take it out with a spoon and put it aside. Next, add chopped onion and chili to the oil one by one. And take them out just as quickly. Mix everything in a blender, and you get that very tom yum paste, without which Thai cuisine would not be Thai. Next, put this paste in a pan with heated broth. Add ginger, lemongrass and whatever else exotic we found there. Cook for 5 minutes, tasting. At this stage, you can add fish sauce, more chili pepper (for those who like it hotter), sugar and coconut milk to soften the taste. In general, we make the broth acceptable for consumption. After 5 minutes, add mushrooms and shrimp. Cook for a few more minutes and it's ready. Pour into deep bowls (for authenticity), sprinkle with green onions or cilantro, and invite the hungry to the table. If you are intrigued and interested in Thai cuisine, the recipes of which, in practice, turn out to be not at all complicated, then finding sources of inspiration will not be difficult at all. The growing popularity of Asian cuisine is also noticeable on the World Wide Web. The only problem that can overtake you is the lack of exotic ingredients. But here, as they say, everything is in your hands ... We advise you to read:
