THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK (3 page)

BLENDER —
great for making sauces and purées

CHINOIS —
a sieve perfect for straining stocks, sauces, and purées

HAND BLENDER —
great for making sauces and purées right in the pot

COLANDER —
perfect for straining noodles

MORTAR and PESTLE —
a stone bowl and club used to crush spices and herbs

MANDOLINE —
an extremely sharp utensil used for precise paper-cutting

There are three very common ingredients in Thai cooking that can be rather difficult to find in the United States. Luckily they have very inexpensive and common substitutions. In this book I have always used brown sugar in place of palm sugar, ginger in place of galangal, and vegetable oil in place of peanut oil. Substitutions for some common Thai ingredients are found in the following chart.

Thai Curry Pastes, Marinades, and Other Concoctions

10 green serrano chilies

3 shallots, coarsely chopped

5 cloves garlic

1 (1½-inch) piece gingerroot, peeled and chopped

1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, inner tender portion chopped

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

½ teaspoon shrimp paste

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup vegetable oil

Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and process mixed. Add the remaining ingredients, except the vegetable process until smooth. Slowly add the oil until a thick paste May be refrigerated up to 4 weeks.

Curry Paste

Curry pastes are the foundation of most Thai preparations and are essentially concentrated flavoring agents meant to add complexity and depth. They are usually relatively moist concoctions of chili peppers, lime, and various herbs. Typically, curry pastes are mixed with either broth or coconut milk to create a sauce or cooking liquid.

Thai curries are famous throughout the world. But the Western term curry powder isn't indicative of a spice at all. Instead, it's a varying mixture of ingredients such as cumin, turmeric, garlic, paprika, ginger, clove, coriander, etc. If you find a store-bought variety that you like, stick with it. Each brand can taste completely different.

3 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted

2–4 green jalapeño chilies, seeded and chopped

2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons chopped lemongrass

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped

4 tablespoons Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)

3 teaspoons water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
   
2. Stir in 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
   

Storing Pastes

Making homemade curry pastes can be a bit time-consuming. Luckily, they store very well. They can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a month or frozen for up to a year. To freeze, place the paste in an ice cube tray. After they are frozen, remove the cubes from the tray and store them in freezer bags.

3 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted

6–8 red serrano chilies, seeded and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed and discarded, inner core finely chopped

1 (½-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped

3 kaffir lime leaves or the peel of 1 lime, chopped

2 teaspoons paprika

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth.
   
2. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
   
3. Stir in 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
   

3 large dried red California chilies, seeded and chopped

5 dried Thai bird or similar chilies, seeded and chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed and discarded, inner core finely minced

1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

1. Place the chilies in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Drain the chilies, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
   
2. Place all the ingredients and 2–3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid in a food processor. Process to form a thick, smooth paste. Add additional liquid if necessary.
   

Red Curry Paste Applications

While green curry paste is usually used for specific purposes, red curry paste is often treated as a “general purpose” paste that can be added to almost any Thai recipe. Whenever you see a recipe call for “common” or “plain” curry paste, it is almost always referring to the red. And if not, you'll be safe using it!