Do you ever order from your favorite Thai restaurant and think “this is amazing” but when you try to make it yourself there is always something a little off? Maybe the noodles become overcooked or you had to substitute hard-to-find ingredients. Next time, two articles from Tasting Table and EatingWell will guide you through the perfect pad Thai or tom kha soup. My name is Rachael Lake and I am the founder of Takeout Kit, a company founded with the mission of bringing global dishes to the home chef. I have a passion for traveling and cooking and I hope to connect with others who do as well!
Naomi Duguid’s article in EatingWell “10 Essential Ingredients of Thai Cooking” gives a list of the top 10 ingredients you’ll need to bring your Thai cooking to the next level. Pantry essentials include: Thai fish sauce, curry paste (red or green), rice vinegar, coconut milk, jasmine rice, dried cayenne or Thai bird chiles, garlic, and shallots. Having shelf-stable essentials on hand makes it easier to create a Thai masterpiece when your craving starts.
TastingTable’s “Thai Kitchen Essentials” article by Jake Emen gives a few more essential ingredients for mastering the art of home Thai cooking. His essentials include: oyster sauce, palm sugar, galangal, tamarind, wok, mortar and pestle, and Thailand: The Cookbook, by Jean-Pierre Gabriel. According to Emen, it is easy to use a wok if you have a gas burner.
Both articles highlight some important strategies for becoming a better Thai home chef which I’ve summarized below.
3 Philosophies to Help You Cook Amazing Thai Food:
One major difference between the two articles is the recommended use of ginger vs. galangal. According to a Thai cooking site, galangal has a peppery taste compared to ginger yet many people confuse and substitute between the two. I would love to hear about your Thai cooking experiences and tips for other home chefs – please feel free to stay in touch on Twitter @takeoutkit.
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