South Thai Food

[Pakeha]

My partner is from the south and I want to cook her some good ald 'home style' food. She's from near Trang.

Does anyone have any recipes for food specific to this region? Snails were a favourite last time I was there but we can't get them in New Zealand...

We don't eat chicken, beef, pork etc. Just seafood and vegetarian diet so any fish / vegetable dishes would be preferred.

Thanks to anyone who can suggest anything.

[sbk]

Well, she'll like her coconut curries then.

One particularly Southern dish I can think of would be very difficult to make. Its called gaeng plah kua. It requires a dried salted meaty fish, like barracuda or something similar cooked for a very long time in a red coconut curry. If interested, let me know and I'll post the details

Otherwise, she would like the clear (not red) Tom Yum. Any regular fish curry, fried fish, coconut milk soup with squid and lemongrass (yum).

[Thewayup]

Well, she'll like her coconut curries then.

One particularly Southern dish I can think of would be very difficult to make. Its called gaeng plah kua. It requires a dried salted meaty fish, like barracuda or something similar cooked for a very long time in a red coconut curry. If interested, let me know and I'll post the details

Otherwise, she would like the clear (not red) Tom Yum. Any regular fish curry, fried fish, coconut milk soup with squid and lemongrass (yum).

You could also cook her Gaeng Som - Thai Sour (Orange) Curry. It's equally good with shrimp or veggies and you don't need too many other ingredients (ginger, pineapple and tamarind are the main exotic ones... the Thais often use local bitter fruit, such as winter melon, but you can substitute with lots of green veg). Aroy maak maak .

[Pakeha]

Well, she'll like her coconut curries then.

One particularly Southern dish I can think of would be very difficult to make. Its called gaeng plah kua. It requires a dried salted meaty fish, like barracuda or something similar cooked for a very long time in a red coconut curry. If interested, let me know and I'll post the details

Otherwise, she would like the clear (not red) Tom Yum. Any regular fish curry, fried fish, coconut milk soup with squid and lemongrass (yum).

Thanks SBK. If you have a recipe for gaeng plah kua that would be great. We can get some (nasty) dry salted fish here that will do as a good substitute. Not sure if it's mackeral or tuna but dam_n it's salted! My partner loves it.

I ended up doing laab plaa on the weekend because I had no other ideas. More a northern than a southern dish though. I just made it far too spicy to even comprehend eating and my partner loved it - of course.

Clear Tom Yum is a regular - you are right. The other thing that seems popular is grilled shrimp paste. Just take a scoop of shrimp paste and grill (burn) it on the stove top. It stinks out the whole house.

Thanks for your help. Doesn't seem to be as many people on tv associated with southern thai as there are associated with northern.

[Pakeha]

Thewayup - Thanks for your post.

Do you have a recipe for Gaeng Som? Mrs says she loves it.

[sbk]

Gaeng som is easy, but you need gaeng som paste.

Its basically curry but with water, not coconut milk. Fish is the most popular gaeng som dish (be sure to leave the head on) and you can add sliced pineapple to the dish right when its nearly finished cooking.

[Pakeha]

Sounds simple SBK.

Do you know how it's made if I can't get the paste?

Also have to find some alternative to melon for bitter fruit. Would young apple work?

[sbk]

I've never made it myself, but found this recipe online: thai-food-curry.blogspot.com/2007/01/gaeng-som-paste.html

Ingredients

Dried small chili (soaked in water) 150 g.

Shallot (grilled) 90 g.

Garlic (grilled) 70 g.

Krachai (sliced across finely) 50 g.

Shrimp paste 1 teaspoon

Salt

Method

Put all ingredients in mortar or blender, grind until finely blended

[dantilley]

Unfortunately for you, she may well ask for a dish including "sator" or stink beans, according to wikipedia - to me, one of the worst tasting vegetables I've ever come across. But the southerners seem to love it!

(Actually, I've met the occasional farrang who likes them too, so you may be one of the lucky ones...!)

[Pakeha]

I've never made it myself, but found this recipe online: thai-food-curry.blogspot.com/2007/01/gaeng-som-paste.html

Ingredients

Dried small chili (soaked in water) 150 g.

Shallot (grilled) 90 g.

Garlic (grilled) 70 g.

Krachai (sliced across finely) 50 g.

Shrimp paste 1 teaspoon

Salt

Method

Put all ingredients in mortar or blender, grind until finely blended

Thanks SBK. I'll give it a go this weekend and let you know how it goes. Just have to work out what krachai is!

[Pakeha]

Unfortunately for you, she may well ask for a dish including "sator" or stink beans, according to wikipedia - to me, one of the worst tasting vegetables I've ever come across. But the southerners seem to love it!

(Actually, I've met the occasional farrang who likes them too, so you may be one of the lucky ones...!)

Ahhh Yes. The old stink beans... You have discovered one of the reasons I am looking for southern food I can cook fo her. Stink beans and shrimp paste are wearing thin. Not to mention the neighbours putting their house on the market.

I remember the first time she turned up with a bag of the stink beans from the market in LOS. Nearly had to end it that day. I have to admit I have tolerance to the smell now...

It's nearly as bad as when the carcass stink fruit comes out!

Edited December 16, 2008 by byoung2

[Mosha]

Unfortunately for you, she may well ask for a dish including "sator" or stink beans, according to wikipedia - to me, one of the worst tasting vegetables I've ever come across. But the southerners seem to love it!

(Actually, I've met the occasional farrang who likes them too, so you may be one of the lucky ones...!)

I'm an occasional farang. I love the peppery flavour to Sator. None of my friends do though.

[sbk]

Salted fish curry,

cook chunks of a large meaty salted fish in coconut milk, with red curry paste and fish paste (2 to 1 I think is the ratio). Add a spoonful of palm sugar (brown sugar will work if you can't get palm sugar). Make sure to cook for quite a long time, until the oil separates from the cream. This will re-hydrate the fish.

this is a fantastic dish, the blending of sweet, salty and spicy is delicious. And probably very bad for the cholesterol levels

[Pakeha]

Unfortunately for you, she may well ask for a dish including "sator" or stink beans, according to wikipedia - to me, one of the worst tasting vegetables I've ever come across. But the southerners seem to love it!

(Actually, I've met the occasional farrang who likes them too, so you may be one of the lucky ones...!)

I'm an occasional farang. I love the peppery flavour to Sator. None of my friends do though.

Do you refuse to kiss yourself and then demand you brush your teeth?

[suegha]

Salted fish curry,

cook chunks of a large meaty salted fish in coconut milk, with red curry paste and fish paste (2 to 1 I think is the ratio). Add a spoonful of palm sugar (brown sugar will work if you can't get palm sugar). Make sure to cook for quite a long time, until the oil separates from the cream. This will re-hydrate the fish.

this is a fantastic dish, the blending of sweet, salty and spicy is delicious. And probably very bad for the cholesterol levels

If you can get unrefined white sugar this works well too. Gives it a more 'dense' flavour.

[Pakeha]

Gaeng som is easy, but you need gaeng som paste.

Its basically curry but with water, not coconut milk. Fish is the most popular gaeng som dish (be sure to leave the head on) and you can add sliced pineapple to the dish right when its nearly finished cooking.

Ok. My partner discovered me trying to work out how to cook Gaeng som and quickly trotted off to the kitchen only to appear with her version of gaeng som (fish head and all) - smarty pants! It was ok but not a lot of flavour and just burning hot chilli really.

If you're interested:

She used bamboo shoots from a can for the sour fruit bit.

She put lemon or lime (not sure which one) juice in to make it really sour.

She used frozen fresh saffron (looks like ginger) for the colour and flavour

It appears there was about 30 fresh chillis in it...

I'm going to try your recipe this weekend SBK. I'm sure I can do better

[Nampeung]

Do you ever tot (fry) your pla khem (salted fish) and have it with steaming hot, soft boiled rice and a soft fried egg - yum - good for brunch