Bean Sprouts Made from sprouting the small green mung beans. Fastidious cooks pick off the straggly ends one by one, leaving the sweetest pearly, white crunchy small stalks for adding texture to salads, noodle bowls and stir-fries. Avoid brown, wilted, or slimily wet sprouts. Handle them gently and keep them in an air tight bag or container for a couple of days.
Chilies The Thai people’s passion and copious use of chilies is profound. The recipes in this book primarily use two chilies: the intensely spicy small Thai chili and the more mild, yet still hot, finger-length red chilies. These chilies are pounded, sliced thinly, minced, crushed or left whole for a gentle infusion. The capsaicin compound responsible for the spice is primarily located in the veins, seeds are guilty by close association and the rest of the chili has some heat (see “Working with Chilies,” page 25). They should be firm, dark green to red and not shriveled and black. The best substitute is frozen Thai chilies, available in freezer section or just freeze fresh ones when available. You can substitute with Serrano. For the finger-length red chilies you could use jalapenos but I prefer the ripe red Fresno chilies.
Dried Chilies When chilies are dried their taste evolves since the drying process is slow they slightly ferment and concentrate, and achieve a deep red color. Water soaked chilies are often pounded or ground into spice pastes, marinades, and dressings. Also found on the table as a condiment, the dried chilies are roasted and ground. They can also be quickly fried whole and used as a spicy and crispy edible accompaniments to a variety of salads and other dishes.
Chili Paste in Soya Bean Oil (Nahm Prik Pow) Flavorful concoction of deep roasted-slightly sweet flavor comes from fried garlic and shallots, chilies, and dried shrimp. Palm sugar and tamarind balance the flavor and crates this multi-purpose sauce used in many of the recipes in this book. The base of a quick hot and sour soup (see Hot and Sour Tamarind Soup, page 56), component of a glaze (Grilled Chicken Wings with Tangy Chili Glaze, page 46), or simply spread on bread with a few slices of cucumber as a snack this is one of my favorite ingredients. This complex sauce is not easily duplicated and this ingredient tends to hold a pivotal role in the recipes it resides in. If a store-bought product cannot be found, you can make it yourself (see Thai Chili Jam, page 36). Once a container is open it keep in the refrigerator for months.
Cinnamon (Cassia) The dried bark of two varieties of trees, is infused in savory stews and broths and is part of the famous Chinese five spice used throughout Asia. The thicker bark, known as cassia is most common in Asia, yet the thinner type is acceptable in smaller amounts. Rather than grinding to a powder, it is common to use whole strips to infuse a soup or sauce. The two different types of this spice do not need to be labeled differently so follow the aforementioned visual clues and try to find the thicker cassia at an Asian market or online.
Coriander Leaves (Cilantro) The leafy green herb from which the coriander seed is produced has an amazing flavor all its own. Possessing a lemony, floral aroma and sharp tartness on the palate. As the most widely used herb in Southeast Asia all parts of this plant are very useful. The leaves and tender stems are usually chopped together, the seeds are used as a spice (Coriander Beef, Page 69), and roots have an earthy flavor used in most curry pastes and many marinades.
Coriander Seeds These seeds emerge from the top of the coriander (cilantro) plant at maturity. Their strong earthy and lemon-like flavor is ground into spice pastes. Toast seeds until slightly darkened, let cool, then, if need be, grind. There is no substitute, you might want to try to use fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).
Fresh Coconuts Coconuts change as they mature, young green-skinned ones are packed with juice (referred to as coconut water) and the flesh is soft and gelatinous. The older they get the thicker, and firmer and rich with fat that provides coconut milk, a pillar of Thai cooking. Cracking open a coconut requires a few swift swings of a large knife. Buying fresh coconuts can be challenging, many stores have inventory that sit for a long time and go sour, so seek out a reliable supplier. Young coconut juice/water can be bought canned, actually some brands are quite tasty. The frozen plastic containers have the best flavor and still somewhat silky flesh. Mature coconut should be heavy with juice, give a shake to feel for this and listen.
Coconut Milk and Cream Decadent white liquid with a hint of sweetness and velvetly smooth texture. Made by taking the shredded hard white flesh of mature coconuts, blended with water and squeezed to yield opulent creamy fluid. Coconut cream on the other hand is traditionally made by squeezing the shredded meat without water, then the water is added for a second extract on coconut milk. To learn more about making your own fresh coconut milk look in Southeast Asian Flavors or chefdanhi.com. Coconut milk is used as a foundation for savory curries, to enrich soups and sauces and create decadent sweet treats.
Canned or boxed coconut milk is pasteurized, often homogenized and sometimes stabilized; making the milk thicker than hand-made. To keep it simple this book was developed using all canned/boxed milk.
Squeezing the shredded meat without water traditionally makes coconut cream, then the water is added for a second extract on coconut milk. Used to begin Thai curries (see pages 28–29), for coconut toppings and custards and other places the rich satisfying cream is appropriate. Coconut milk should have about 15–23% fat content. Coconut cream contains about 24% fat.
Eggplant There are dozens of varieties commonly used in Asia, in Thailand some common varieties include the round (1½–2 inch /4–5 cm) diameter variegated green orbs, or the long slender purple Chinese/Japanese varieties. The variegated green are used raw to scoop up spicy chili dips or simmered in green curries, where as the longer eggplants are usually cooked. Firm fleshed, smooth skin with firm stems should be present. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.
Fried Garlic and Shallots These two favorite flavor boosters have become staples in kitchens across all of Southeast Asia. Although browned garlic and shallots can be created as the first stage of cooking a recipe, these crispy versions are used at the last moment, adding a crunch, a rich flavor and appealing look. You can make your own (see Fried Garlic, page 37 and Fried Shallots page 37). Bags, jars or plastic containers are available—the quality varies greatly. I look for those that only list shallot or garlic and oil, those with palm oil tend to have the best crunch and overall flavor. Avoid those that have flour or other starches included. They keep for months in the freezer or even the refrigerator where I keep a jar with a shake top for quick reference. They can be left at room temperature for weeks, I use my home made versions at room temperature. If they are store-bought, I store them frozen and defrost when needed.
Fish Sauce This salty, pungent, and essential seasoning has an amber color, and substantial umami impact, rounding out a lot of flavorful Thai foods. It is often the major sodium source in Thai food. Cooking a majority of real Thai food for vegetarians is a challenge since fish sauce is used so often, I turn to light soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce and begin with the same amount. If you don’t use it often you may want to keep in your refrigerator to slow down the aging process. Sometimes sodium crystals form in the bottle over extended times, no need to worry, proceed on!
Galangal (blue ginger) (Kha) Much tougher than ginger, the readily apparent lines around its circumference of the thin skin encompasses a mustard-camphor like citrusy aroma. I like to keep them loosely wrapped in the refrigerator. If they are hard