Mortar and pestle: Before the age of food processors, the traditional large stone mortar and pestle were necessary pieces of kitchen equipment in Thailand, for it was with these that Thai cooks pounded ingredients together to make the basic paste for curry seasonings. According to an old wives’ tale, a young suitor would walk through a Thai village listening to the noise of pounding. If the action sounded sure and swift, he would go in and ask for the young girl’s hand in marriage, as this meant she would be a good home cook.
Oyster sauce: Made from oyster extract, soy sauce, and water, oyster sauce is readily available in Asian and Western markets. It is a much-used seasoning in many dishes, and goes well with noodles, seafood, vegetables, bean curd, and meat.
Noodles: Although Thai cooks incorporate a variety of noodles in their meals, those most commonly used include thick, flat fresh rice noodles; dried rice noodles; slender dried vermicelli; brittle mung bean noodles; and fresh or dried egg noodles. Dried noodles used as accompaniments to curries usually require cooking and draining ahead of time; otherwise, they may be added directly to a soup. Fresh rice noodles that are coated with oil need no further preparation; if you rinse them, they may fall apart during cooking.
Palm sugar: Made from the sap of the coconut palm or the sugar palm tree, palm sugar is a popular Asian sweetener. The caramel-colored Thai palm sugar comes in the form of solid blocks or discs of varying sizes; it is also available as a semi-soft sugar in a jar. While less sweet than granulated sugar, it still imparts a sweet undertone wherever it is used. Thai palm sugar is available in most Asian markets and from online Asian grocers. If palm sugar is not available, substitute soft brown sugar or granulated sugar with a bit of maple syrup instead.
Pomelo: This large citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia, resembles a thick-skinned grapefruit. It weighs between two and four pounds and has a sweet or mildly tart flavor. The thick pale-yellow skin is easy to peel, but because the membrane covering each segment may be bitter and tough, segments are usually peeled before eating. Thais eat pomelos as a dessert as well as in salads.
Shrimp, dried and paste: Tiny air- or sun-dried shrimp add a slightly fishy and salty flavor to many dishes. They are available in most Asian markets, as well as some supermarkets. Be sure that the shrimp are still somewhat pinkish, hence fresh, and have not turned gray or white with age. If a recipe calls for shrimp powder, dry roast some dried shrimp, then pulverize in a blender or food processor. Shrimp paste ranges in color from pink to dark brown, with the pink used in curries and the darker paste used in dipping sauces. Shrimp paste should always be cooked before using, even if the recipe does not call for cooking. To use shrimp paste, wrap it in banana leaves and grill it before adding it to other ingredients.
Strainer: Wire-mesh strainers like the one shown here are commonplace in Asia. They are useful for skimming and scooping out items such as dumplings, noodles, and egg rolls from liquids or when deep-fat frying. The handles are usually made of bamboo.
Rice: A staple of the Thai diet, cooked rice is served at almost every meal to accompany curries. Steamed rice is served with grilled foods in the northeast part of Thailand; rice is also made into the Thai porridge known as chok and incorporated into desserts. The fragrant long-grain variety may be the best-known Thai rice, although new, organic strains of rice are now finding their way to the market. Counted among the most popular strains, it remains costlier than other kinds of rice, as it expands relatively little when it is cooked. Thais use many other rice varieties, including a long-grain glutinous type called sticky rice that is used in desserts and, particularly in northern and northeast Thailand, served with savory dishes. Regardless of type, rice is easily and quickly prepared either in a rice cooker or simply in a cookpot on the stove. Sticky rice must be soaked first, then steamed rather than boiled (see page 27). Black sticky rice is also used as a starch in some Thai desserts (see page 145).
Steamers: Thais use several kinds of steamers for their cooking. The woven bamboo baskets used for steaming sticky rice fit into a large metal steamer pot that holds boiling water. Round woven-bamboo steamers have one or two tiers for stacking when cooking dumplings or Thai sweets; these rest on a metal rack inside a cookpot of boiling water. Also essential are tiered metal steamers of varying sizes. These generally consist of two layers, with the bottom one holding boiling water. They are useful for steaming seafood, dumplings, vegetables, or even sticky rice. (For sticky rice, line the upper layer with cheesecloth and place the rice on top.)
Tamarind: The bushy tamarind tree produces an edible pod-like fruit. When the dried pod is soaked and then squeezed to remove the liquid, the interior flesh produces a slightly sour juice used to flavor many Thai dishes. Dried tamarind must be soaked for at least 10 minutes, then squeezed and strained through a sieve to remove seeds and fibrous material. Alternatively, tamarind paste is available in cans; this can be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely.
Thai basil: With its pointed dark green leaves, an edible purple flower and a slight minty taste, Thai basil, known in Thailand as bai horapa, is a tropical version of the more common Italian or Mediterranean basil, but the two basils are not interchangeable. Thai basil is readily available in Asian markets and in many supermarkets year round. My restaurant, Thai Basil, takes its name and symbol from this herb.
Thai eggplants: Several different varieties of eggplant are used in Thai cooking. These include the rather bitter pea-sized eggplants known as Thai wild eggplant or pea eggplant; the round green or white Thai eggplants, which are slightly larger than a golf ball; and the slender 8- to 10-inch-long purple, green, or white