When’s the last time you indulged in food from your favorite Thai restaurant? As the national health and economic crisis have many Nevada residents sheltering in place and limiting their spending, it’s likely been a while since you ordered takeout or dined at your favorite spot. Your taste buds are longing for curry chicken, fried rice, and sauteed veggies in exchange for your monotonous meal plan. Though no one has any idea when things will return to normal, you can give your body what it’s been craving by preparing Thai dishes at home.
Cookware and Supplies
Preparing Thai food at home will require you to have the best gadgets and utensils. If you don’t already have a wok, cutting board, shreding set, and varying sized non-stick pots and pans, then you’ll want to invest in these cooking tools. You can find quality cookware by searching the internet. Companies like MadeIn have websites and social media platforms where you can learn more about their products. As you shop for the ideal cookware, remember to consider price, efficiency, durability, maintenance, and aesthetics to make an informed decision.
Always Work with Fresh Ingredients
The next trick to cooking Thai food is using fresh, authentic ingredients as often as possible. From palm sugar and kaffir lime to fish sauce and rice noodles, the richer the ingredients are, the more your meals will taste just like it came from the kitchen of your favorite Thai restaurant. If finding these ingredients at your local grocery store proves challenging, you may need to look for an International or Asian location. There’s also the option to order online.
Take Your Time
There’s a common misconception that cooking Thai food at home is impossible. As with any type of cultural cooking, you can’t expect to master a complicated dish in one session. That’s why you must pace yourself. There are plenty of Thai recipes that require minimal experience, prep, or time to make. Most popular dishes are nothing more than grilled meats, unique dipping sauces, and vegetables. As you master simple recipes, you can experiment with more complex ideas to switch up your menu.
Master The Flavor Base
Here’s a little secret to Thai cooking you may not have realized—the same base ingredients are used in many dishes. If you can master these simple ingredients, you’re halfway there. If you combine lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, onions, and ginger, you have the base flavor for most Thai pastes and stir-frys.
Use Coconut Milk for Curries, Soups, and Stews
If you’re interested in making Thai curry, soup, or stew, you’ll want to stock up on coconut milk. Its thick texture makes it ideal for hearty meals while its fat content works perfectly with the spicy Thai ingredients. Coconut milk is also commonly used in desserts like sticky mango rice and coconut milk ice cream.
Fish Sauce is The Key to Thai Marinades and Sauces
Another secret ingredient to cooking Thai cuisine at home is fish sauce. Containing sugar, salt, and acid, this “magic in a jar” is perfect for marinating meats and adding flavor to pasta dishes. As you’re incorporating this into recipes, just be mindful of how much fish sauce you use. Since it has high salt content, it is best to add small bits at a time.
Start Searching For Recipes
The only thing left to do is get in the kitchen and start preparing your favorite Thai dishes. You can search the internet for step by step recipes on the most traditional meals. If you’d prefer, you can also follow along with cooking videos. Sometimes having a visual can make it easier to finetune your culinary skills.
Whether you’re mindful of your spending or your favorite Thai restaurant is closed, you can recreate the tastes and experiences from home. All you need is the right recipes, these Thai cooking tricks, and the necessary skills in the kitchen, and you’re ready to get started.