Thai Food

Thai Food.

The population of Thailand is around 61 million, and it has an ethnic mix of roughly 75% Thai, about 14% Chinese, and the 11% balance is a mixture of other cultures. So Thai Food and cuisine, has a strong influence on the whole country. If you have had the experience, of eating the traditional authentic Thai food that is a favorite around the world with all cultures, then you will know that when I say that it is one of the tastiest cuisines in the entire universe. With its unique blend of herbs, and spices, coupled with the wonderful way the vegetables and fish, or meat,(mostly chicken), are put together to create the most amazing taste sensations you could ever imagine.

When you consider the types of Thai food that there are out there, you would have to agree, that this Asian cuisine has the most fabulous, tasty, and varied array of soups in its menus. Whether you are vegetarian,or a meat lover, you will love the wonderful tasty and aromatic soups that are a big part of the Thai menu. Nothing in this cultures cooking is wasted, and so all juices saved from the cooking are used as a base for the different array of soups. Also by just by the adding of an extra spice or herb, they have changed the whole experience and given you an entirely new and refreshing taste in a completely different soup.

The lemon grass soups that I have given the recipes for below, are a good example of this. When you prepare these lovely lemon grass soups, you can, if you wish, add other herbs like ginger root, lime leaves, cilantro, and basil. The lemon grass herb has many uses, it is popular as a culinary additive, and is found in most Asian food, but it is also used in a lot of medicinal preparations, especially those which are used to fight infection, and it has had great results in the treatment of skin problems. But we know it more for its strong, citrus scent that is used to add flavor to our food. When you use lemon grass, after you have cooked with it and have had the aromatic benefits, you can either remove it, or keep it in the dishes that you are serving. When you use lemon grass, make sure that you peel off the outside leaves, and you need to crush the stalk a little, this helps in the flavoring of your soup by making it easier for the whole rich lemon aroma to be released.

I have found some of my most favorite lemon grass soup recipes, and I have added them below so that you could try them out if you wish, and I hope you do, because the great thing with these soups, is how easy and quick they are to prepare. In my love of Thai food, lemon grass soup is high on the list. I find that it is refreshing, tasty, and because of its health benefits, I feel like I am looking after my skin, detoxing, and treating myself at the same time.

Coconut Lemon Grass Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cans coconut milk
• 2 stalks of lemon grass, peeled and sliced into ½ cm pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 lime leaves, torn into 3 pieces
• 1 red pepper, cut into pieces
• ¼ jalapeño
  
• 1 block firm tofu
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 small zucchini, peeled and sliced
• 1 can button mushrooms, drained and washed
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sea salt for seasoning

Directions

Take a large soup pot, and add coconut milk, lemon grass, garlic, lime leaves and heat until the mixture starts boiling. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except salt and lime juice) Cook in medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Add lime juice and salt as per your taste. If desired, you can add hoisin sauce to spice up your lemon grass soup. Before serving it, discard lemon grass.

Lemon Grass Chicken Soup Recipe

• 2 large lemon grass stalks, peeled and cut into 4 inch pieces
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup sliced button mushrooms
• 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ½ cup cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 6 thin fresh asparagus spears, cut up
• Salt for taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Before you start to prepare this soup, cut your lemon grass stalks lengthwise then tie them with cotton string, this way you can remove them easily before serving, If you like to leave your lemon grass in the dish when you serve then do not bother with this. Next, in a pot, add lemon grass, chicken broth, mushroom and pepper, and heat this mixture until it is boiling, then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then discard lemon grass bundle if you wish. To the pot, add chicken pieces, asparagus and salt. Cook over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until asparagus turn crispy and tender. Remove lemon grass soup from heat, and add spring onions. A nice addition to the soup, is to put some fresh cilantro or basil leaves on top when serving.
There you have it, some tasty lemon grass soups that are easy and have the added benefit of being really good for you. If you like to experiment with Asian cuisine and especially like Thai food, then keep an eye on this website because we have some lovely recipe ideas to come. Happy cooking.

Sauces For Thai Food

The aroma of Thai foods coming from a home, or when passing a restaurant is unmistakable. That spicy, yet sharp combination of aromatic spices used in the preparation and cooking of a Thai meal, is almost like the promise of a delight which is out of this world, and if you are a Thai food fan you will understand exactly what I mean. When you sit down to a Thai meal, you get to experience the perfect balance of every basic taste sense that has gone into making this, and every Thai meal, a unique experience. Sweet, salty, spicy, and sour all at the same time, is the only way to describe this dining pleasure.

The Thai cooks, in every region of Thailand, have for centuries used an ingredient called nam pla. This is a very strong fish sauce, and a staple in the preparation and cooking of Thai food. The Thai people make their fish sauce usually from fermented fish, and it adds a fragrant, but strong salty flavor to their Thai foods. Nam pla, or, fish sauce has quite a few variations in the way it is prepared, and each seems to be unique to that area.

Then we have another must in the creation of Thai Foods and that is Nam phrik. These are chilli pastes, that again are peculiar to their own region and used in nearly all dishes in some form or another. The name “nam phrik” is used by the Thai people,and refers to any paste that contains chillies that can be used for cooking or dipping, although it has been used at times to describe a curry type paste which would normally go by the name of phrik kaeng, which denotes the curry flavors, there are also other names added, to determine the color of the paste, for instance, red curry paste may be called phrik kaeng phet, but whatever the name, these great pastes are made by crushing chilli’s together with various other ingredients such as garli, and fish pastes, like shrimp for instance. One of the most popular of these pastes is nam phrik num, which is made by crushing fresh green chilli’s with shallots, garlic, and coriander leaves. The Thai cook uses these pastes in lots of different ways, such as marinades, dips, and even as a spread on bread as a spicy jam. Another favorite is to eat it with rice, and a few slices of fresh cucumber, it is said to be absolutely yummy that way.

Asian cuisine would not be anything without the amazing soy sauces, that are a part of every Asian chef’s kitchen. Soy sauces have Chinese origins, and the Thai’s have given them their own versions of the original names, so really you could say that they borrowed the names of soy sauce types, and made them fit into their native tongue, because the original names came from the Teochew language, si-io-dam, means dark sauce, si-io-khao, means light sauce, and taochiao, is fermented whole soy beans, and last but just as important is the much used Oyster sauce, that also has its origins in China and goes by the name Namman hoi. Oyster sauce is a favorite the world over for stews, stir frys, and marinades among other things. So you see Thai foods are all around you, and in most of our daily meals, we use at least one, if not more Thai food ingredients and probably don’t give it a second thought. The recipe I have set out for you below is really, really scrumptious, and uses the oyster sauce and soy sauce, so is a good place to start using the some of the same ingredients the way they are supposed to be used in the cooking of genuine Thai foods. The serving is for two, but you can add to it, to make it go further. It takes twenty minutes to prepare, and only ten minutes to cook, so is a healthy, and very tasty, quick meal, to put together when you get home from work.

Beef Mushroom & Oyster Sauce Stir-fry

Marinade.

• 25ml (¼ tsp) salt
• 5ml (1 tsp) thick,dark soy sauce
• freshly ground black pepper
• 5ml (1 tsp) medium-dry sherry
• 5ml (1 tsp) corn flour
• 10ml (2 tsp) sesame oil

INGREDIENTS

• 225g (8 oz) rump steak, cut into thin slivers about 5mm(¼ inch) thick
• 60ml (4 tbsp) peanut or corn oil
• 125g (4 oz) mushrooms shiitake if possible, trimmed and cut into strips
• salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4-6 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 3 large spring onions, chopped
• 15ml (1 tbsp) medium-dry sherry
• 22.5ml (1½ tbsp) oyster sauce

1. Place the beef in a bowl, add the salt, soy sauce, pepper, wine and flour and stir in one direction until well coated. Gradually add 15ml (1 tbsp) water, stirring vigorously until absorbed. Stir in the sesame oil.
2. Heat 22.5ml (1½ tbsp) of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, adding a good pinch of salt. Set aside.
3. Heat the wok over a high heat until smoke rises. Add the remaining oil and swirl it around. Add the garlic, ginger and stir in to the mix. Add the beef, and using a wok spatula, turn and toss for about 20 seconds or until the beef is partially cooked. Splash in the sherry, stirring as it sizzles. Add 30ml (2 tbsp) water and reduce the heat, stirring as the water is incorporated. Add the mushrooms, spring onions and oyster sauce, stir to mix, the transfer to a serving dish and serve at once.

This is perfect served with egg noodles, or on a bed of rice. 

There you are. I hope that you try this, it is a really good introduction to Thai foods, and how simple it is to prepare them, you will find also, that when it comes to cost, this way of cooking is very easy on your budget. Have fun.

Nutrition And Thai Food.

Thai food has long been recognized for its good nutritional value. Like all ethnic foods, there are always some undesirable choices that you can make so that what you are eating is not as healthy as it could be, but the main Thai food chart is full of healthy options. Thai food has a wonderful blending of savory tastes that will delight your palate, and change the way you feel, and think, about what you eat. Thai food is an age old cultural blend of foods, and traditional cooking methods, derived from most of the surrounding Asian countries like China, Malaysia, Burma, Vietnam, and even includes a little of the French, Dutch, and Portuguese culinary specialties.

The cooking principle of the Thai food chef, is to get the perfect infusion, and balance of tastes throughout the whole menu. An authentic Thai menu has a great balance of fish, vegetables, herbs and spices, and chicken. The important thing here to note, is that all this food is very high in fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, but is very low in animal fats. Because of all these things, and the high usage of fresh vegetables in Thai food, there is no need to even concern yourself about nutrition, because, as you can see, it is abundant in all the good factors required for a good diet.

The cooking methods that are used in the preparation of Thai food, such as baking, stewing, grilling, steaming, are a very healthy alternative to other methods that use more fats, such as, stir frying, or, deep frying, so the result here, is that the food is cooked more quickly, and in turn, manages to keep the colors of the food looking fresh, and does not destroy the important vitamins and minerals in the food. You can actually feel the freshness of the vegetables, and take in the beautiful aroma of the fragrant herbs, and spices if you are having an authentic Thai meal, and believe me there is a huge difference if you are not. Any real Thai food is not complete without these special spices, and herbs, like coriander, coconut, galangal, turmeric, and lemon grass, these are what gives Thai food its authenticity, and also add their own type of health benefits to your diet.

A huge part of the cuisine of the Thai people, and most oriental diets, is noodles. These are a very important part of the balance of Thai food. The noodles used in, or with, Thai food, are mostly rice noodles which are of great benefit to your immune system. They contain traces of protein, carbohydrates, selenium and manganese, which makes them an extremely healthy addition to your diet. There are also egg noodles and these too are a healthy addition to Thai food, this is because they contain calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids. But be aware that there is a downside to the consumption of these beautiful noodles, and that is, that they are quite high in calories, and cholesterol.

Next we have the very versatile, irreplaceable part of any Asian cuisine, and that is rice. The importance of rice in Thai cuisine is paramount. The Thai people eat rice at every meal and that is including breakfast. The rice used is rarely anything but the standard white rice. White rice is a source of carbohydrates, and calories, but also contains the healthy addition of selenium, manganese, and antioxidants. This makes rice a very important part of the Thai diet.

Thai food contains a healthy amount of all available seafoods. This is an amazing addition to any diet because fish like squid, lobster, scallops, and many other varieties of seafood that are used in Thai cuisine, contain amounts of fatty acids, which will result in you having a healthier cardiovascular system. This brings us to the vegetables, which are of huge importance in any diet. I don’t know if you have noticed, but Thai food contains a lot of green vegetables of the leafy variety, and they are either steamed or blanched. Included in the vegetable selection are also bamboo shoots, mushrooms, Thai chilies, and bean sprouts to name a few. All these speak for themselves, with a huge array of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. Then we have the fruits like Papaya, pineapple, tamarind, and star fruit, that help minimize the possibility of cancers, diabetes, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Lastly, but just as healthy and important are the herbs and spices that are used in Thai foods. The particular blend of herbs and spices in Thai cooking is looked upon as the trademark of Thai food. Herbs and spices like turmeric, galangal or Thai ginger, coconut, lemon grass, and coriander along with cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, and others, make Thai food a rich and outstanding taste experience. These herbs and spices are also a very healthy addition, because they bring added health benefits by giving your body an immunity burst, which helps you stave off unwanted bugs, and viruses.

So there you have it, the basics on Thai food, and what an amazing cuisine it is, and the good thing is that it’s healthy for you as well, but don’t take my word for it, go out and give yourself a treat at an authentic Thai restaurant, and sample the delights of the various types of Thai food out there, you won’t be sorry I promise you.