Monday, 23 March 2009 12:29
What is stopping you from making amazing restaurant quality thai food at home? It used to be time and ingredients. I bet you've never heard of exotic spices like galangal (thai spice similar to ginger). It takes forever to make curry pastes by hand with a mortar and pestle. But you don't need to anymore. Hand brand thai curry paste comes in a bunch of flavors. Its made with all the best fresh ingredients and is a consistent product. ~$3.75 gets you 2 packs (enough for 2 meals). You also will need a can of Aroy-D coconut milk (best c-milk).
Include whatever you've got available... For example, a chopped up onion, some potatoes and some chicken. Cut them all up to bite sized pieces and throw them in. Easy. The instructions are even on the box. You won't believe the quality, and it takes less time to make than it would to order and pickup at your favorite thai restaurant.
Importfood.com is a great resource. They have videos of real thai street vendors making all your favorites. There are even links to all the ingredients you need to make them. Its easy to get lost in all the great recipes. They've got solid business model, I'm definitely a loyal customer. They made thai food very accessible for me.
One last tip. Buy kafir lime leaves from them. You add them to all sorts of dishes towards the end. It gives it a real authentic thai flavor. You get a ton, but they store really well in the freezer. Enjoy!