(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Thai cuisine is such a versatile cuisine with a lot of flavour and aroma to it. Dishes like the red curry, green curry, massaman curry, satay, panang curry are recognised worldwide and are present in modern day restaurant menus.
It is one of my favourite foods which I consider to dine out. Almost 15 years back Thai cuisine became popular internationally and Thai restaurant sprung up in every country ranging from fine dining restaurant to casual Thai restaurants.
The Thai cuisine revolves around the flavourful curries and the satays. There are many other aspects of Thai cuisine but as the case with almost all other regional cuisines only few dishes become overwhelmingly popular when the cuisine travelled outside its origin country. Thai cuisine was much spicier as compared to its present day form. In order to popularise any cuisine the taste and the spices have to be toned down so that a large population adapts it easily.
The essence of Thai cuisine is the perfect harmony of four aspects of taste like sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. All these flavours when combined together brings out the best flavours and makes this cuisine easily adaptable to everyone. Thai cuisine is a clever combination of eastern and western influences. Thai cuisine also varies depending on its geographic location. These cuisines can be distinguished based on its regions like north, northeast, south and central.
Traditional Thai cuisine includes a variety of cooking methods and techniques like stewing, baking, grilling, stir frying, deep frying, and boiling. Some of these cooking techniques were adapted by the Chinese immigrants in the region. Aquatic food, plants and fresh herbs are the initial and favourite ingredients in Thai cuisine and are included in almost every dish being prepared. Meats used in the cooking are sliced, shredded or small diced and are then being used in the cooking, it makes it easier and faster to cook them. Slow cooking and larger chunks of meats are not common when we think of Thai cuisine.
A write-up on Thai cuisine is incomplete without the mention of Thai chili also known as the 'padi chili or bird's eye chili. The chili were introduced to Thailand by the Portuguese invaders who brought this fiery spicy ingredient from South America. Another important ingredient which is used in almost all the dishes is the coconut and its derivatives. Coconut oil is used as a cooking medium, coconut milk is used as a thickening and flavouring ingredient, grated coconut is used to thicken and give body to the dishes.
There is always confusion about the Thai green curry, red curry and panang curry. Some people think it is only the colour difference but they are all significantly different from each other.
Panang curry has peanut as an additional ingredient and is not used in the red and green curry. Panang is less spicy but much sweeter than the red curry. The green curry is not just a green coloured curry, it translates as 'Sweet Green Curry and the red curry translates as 'Spicy Red Curry. The colour of the dish denotes the spicy or sweet nature of the curry. Among the three curries Panang is the sweetest. The green curry is sweet but not as sweet as panang and red curry the most spicy of them all.
When you decide to try your hands on with Thai cuisine, do not be scared with the long list of ingredients, they required little preparation. They are simply tossed in food processor or chopped. But without those ingredients, your dish will lack the rich, complex flavour it is meant to have.
Panang chicken curry
Serves 2
Ingredients
Chicken, sliced 450 gm
Lime leaves, shredded 1 /2 tbsp
Coconut milk 2 cups
Palm sugar 1 tsp
Fish sauce 1 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Curry paste
Red chili 1/3 cup
Salt to taste
Galangal, chopped 2 tsp
Lemon grass, shredded 2 tbsp
Cilantro, chopped 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds, crushed 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1tsp
Garlic, chopped 2 tbsp
Shallots, chopped 2 tbsp
Peanuts, crushed 1 tbsp
Shrimp paste 1 tsp (optional)
Method
To make the curry paste, start by soaking the dried red chilies in water until they are soft.
Soak the chillies for an 1 hour and then deseed it and keep aside.
In a heavy bottom pan, toast cumin seeds, cilantro seeds and peanut over medium heat.
Roast until fragrant for about 3-5 minutes.
Grind the seeds together in a stone mortar and pestle until powdered, and keep aside.
Add the chili and salt into the mortar and pound to a paste, you can use a grinder if you are making large quantity.
Add galangal, coriander, lemon grass and smash them to get a paste.
Add toasted peanuts, shallots, garlic and powdered cumin and cilantro seeds, add shrimp paste (optional ) and make a paste, set aside.
Thin slice chicken breast ( 4cm long, 1cm wide and .25cm thick).
Heat oil in a heavy bottom frying pan and add 1/2 cup coconut milk, add the paste and stir well.
Cook the paste over slow flame, add coconut milk if the paste becomes too dry.
You'll see oil floating on top, it means you are doing it right.
Once you have added all the coconut milk and the paste is like a curry consistency and it is boiling add the meat and simmer over slow flame.
Cook until the meat is cooked, finish with lime leaves, fish sauce and palm sugar and adjust the seasoning.
Garnish with lime leaves, Thai basil and crushed peanuts.
Note: The panang curry should be dry and thick and sweet. These are the three traits of a good panning curry. You can also choose your choice of meats like, lamb, shrimp, fish or beef.
* Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at
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