HERBS AND SEASONINGS... 4 SOUPS RECIPES !

Thai cuisine is made up of strong preparations in aromas by the use of many aromatic plants.

It is also a balance between the 4 flavors: sweet, salty, sour and bitter (more or less optional) without forgetting the spicy.

Thai dishes are traditionally tasted using the fingers but also the fork and a spoon, the fork used to push the food into the spoon but not as in Europe to eat.  There is no knife because all dishes serve pre-cut foods.

For some dishes we will also use chopsticks (chopsticks), mainly for noodle soup.

SOME COMMONLY USED INGREDIENTS AND HERBS :

HERBS

The galangal or Thai ginger (<kha>)

It is used in various dishes including curry preparations, hot and sour soups and coconut milk soup.

Lemon Grass (<ta krai>)

It is commonly called citronella. It is used in many preparations but mainly the Tom Yum (soup) and in the preparation of the curry paste.

Thai Ginseng (<kra chai>)

Another form of ginger that is used very often and can also be consumed as a vegetable after peeling.

Kaffir Lime (<makrut>)

We know him in Europe under the name of Combava. It's a coarse-skinned citrus that tastes very close to that of lemon.

It is mainly used in the preparation of soups and curry paste.

Turmeric (<kha min>)

It is known in Europe under the name turmeric or saffron of India. It is used mainly in the making of yellow curry to give it its color.

Sweet Basil (<bai horapa>

It is the basil, which we know and which is used in very many preparations of curries where its aniseed flavor succeeds the taste.

Holy basil or hot basil (<bai kra pao>)

It is known as Tulsi basil or sacred basil. A spicy flavor is released after cooking and is used mainly in fish preparations.

Lemon Basil (<bai mang rak>)

Still called Lemon basil It is commonly used in salads and some curries.

SEASONINGS

Fish sauce (<nam pla>)

It is one of the basic ingredients of Thai cuisine. Translucent in golden brown colour it is often used for marinades of fish or meat as well as as a condiment in combination with chili and lemon juice. In fact it is used a bit like we use salt and pepper and it is found on all restaurant tables in Thailand.

Oyster sauce

The translation is "oyster sauce" Although the oyster is not its main component. This very dark brown sauce is quite thick, made of sugar, salt, water thickened with cornstarch and fragrant with a essence or an extract of oyster.

This sauce is commonly used in Thai cuisine but also in China, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Soy sauce

Still called soy sauce it is made from the fermentation of soybean peas (soybeans) with water and salt. Used for cooking and also as a condiment.

Palm sugar

It is an unrefined sugar, brown in colour and derived from different kinds of palms but mainly the coconut blossom. It is reputed to be rich in vitamins and minerals and much healthier than conventional sugar.

It is used in small-dose Thai cuisine in many preparations, in desserts of course.

palm oil

It is commonly used in Thai cuisine as very inexpensive. Personally I do not recommend it for ecological reasons regarding the damage caused in Asia by the intensive cultivation of palm oil.

We can use all the other oils, the choice is wide.

Black soy sauce

It is a thick sauce prepared with the soy sauce seen previously that is fermented with sugar.

This sauce brings a sweet-salty flavor and is very commonly used in rice preparations, noodles, soups...

SOUPS

4 different types of soups:

•Hot and sour soup (sour and spicy)

•Coconut milk Chicken Soup

•Sour and Creamy soup

•Spicy Basil Soup

The ingredients:

- 50g of chicken or prawn (large shrimp)

- 1 spoon of lemongrass cut very thin

- 1 or 2 sheets of combava (kaffir lime)

- 7 or 8 pepper crushed-pounded

- 1 lime

- Sugar syrup

- 30g of oyster-½ teaspoon of galangal (grate skin)

- 1 teaspoon of coriander and onions

- 50g of onions and tomatoes cut in 4

- 1 teaspoon of fish sauce

Preparation: (For all soups)

1) Mix in a container with water, a cube broth (chicken), a few leaves of Combava (kaffir lime), some leaves of lemongrass, galangal and 1 or 2 peppers.

2) arrival to boil one will add the Ognon, tomato, oyster and chicken (or prawn)

3) Add fish sauce, sugar, a little chilli paste, lemon juice, coriander and onions.

This regardless of the type of soup.

How to make the different types of soups.

We will add to the first joint preparation above:

Hot and Sour Soup

1 good cup of water, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chilli paste (chili paste)

Stir to mix well and simmer at low light 15mn

Coconut milk Chicken Soup

½ Cup of Water and ½ cup of coconut milk. Add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Stir to mix well and simmer at low light 15mn

Sour and Creamy soup

½ Cup of Water and ½ cup of coconut milk. Add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1.5 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chili paste (chili).

Stir to mix well and simmer at low light 15mn

Spicy Basil Soup

1 cup of water. Add a teaspoon of fish sauce, a teaspoon of sugar, chili paste (Chili), 2 to 3 grilled chilies and 1 to 2 basil stems.

Stir to mix well and simmer at low light 15mn