Pandan, also called screwpine and bai toey in Thai, is used throughout Southeast Asia in food preparations. There are many pandanus plant species but pandanus amaryllifolius is the screwpine used in Thai cuisine as it is the only variety with such fragrant leaves. Pandan imparts a nutty and grassy element…
Easy Vegan Recipes
Messy Vegetarian Cook offers a selection of easy vegan recipes and methods for making tasty and unique vegan and vegetarian cuisine from all over the world. Browse the vegan recipe index to find some dinner inspiration or learn how not to behave in a kitchen should you want it to remain stain free.
Vegan Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen ชาเย็น) + CBD Oil
First, a quick aside: I use Endoca CBD oil in this recipe purely for flavour alone. There simply isn’t enough quality research to unequivocally state any of the medical claims about CBD oil are true. It is, however, a product garnering more attention, and so the research pool will hopefully…
Vegan Condensed Milk Recipe in an Instant Pot
While there are some commercial vegan condensed milk products available, like the Nature’s Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk, it’s very easy to make dairy-free condensed milk yourself. All you need is a slow cooker and a few simple ingredients. Use this condensed milk with Thai iced tea and coffee, Vietnamese…
Vegan Tofu Dok Kajorn Pad Kaprow ดอกขจรผัดกะเพราเต้าหู้
I have previously written about pad gaprao (simply another transliteration of pad kaprow), a star of Thai cuisine that is often misrepresented in Thai restaurants outside of Southeast Asia by their use of horapha (Thai basil) in place of kaprow (holy basil). Here I make kaprow with cowslip creepers (and…
Iced Sweet Thai Lemongrass Drink น้ำตะไคร้
There’s something about sugar in hot climes that is especially enticing, especially in the form of an ice cold glass of syrupy sweet liquid. It comes as no surprise then that this lemongrass drink is a popular refreshment in Thailand! In Britain we are usually much less fortunate with the…
Vegan Thai Curry Series: Gaeng Kua Kling Recipe
Imagine insisting maroon is the only shade of red. You would be correct that maroon is in fact a shade of red, but objectively wrong that it is the only one. Lately I’ve been ruminating over the myriad Thai curries there are available, yet the varieties people know outside of…
ผัดมาม่าวีแกน Vegan Pad Mama – Stir Fried Instant Noodles
In Thailand pad mama is a stir fried noodle dish that elevates an unassuming packet of instant noodles to new heights. While you might normally associate instant noodles with a soup base, Thai street vendors have taken this quick treat a step further by frying them up with fresh vegetables…
Vegan Chinese Sichuan Style Green Beans with Preserved Olive Dressing
During my last trip to Bangkok I visited a Chinese restaurant that sent the most extraordinary fried long beans out of its kitchen. Only a few strings came per order, so they were especially savoured and discussed over the course of the meal. The vegetables were very simply dressed with…
Vegan Mushroom Lap (Lap Het ลาบเห็ด) – Spicy Thai Mushroom Salad
If you’ve ever wondered upon the myriad spellings of this well known Thai salad (larb, larp, lahb, lahp, lab, lap, laap, laab, etc), it’s purely down to the transliteration. Technically it should be ‘lap’ but as the ‘a’ sound is elongated in native Thai, it has become accepted to add…
Five Minute Zhenjiang Vinegar Noodles
Zhenjiang vinegar (also commonly called Chinkiang) is a dark, aged vinegar made from fermented glutinous rice that conveys a rich, musky, smoky, and slightly sweet flavour. This style of vinegar is made in different Asian countries, but Zhenjiang reputedly turns out the best stock. There are also some excellent Japanese…
Creamy Tahini Maple Spinach
Tahini Maple Spinach Spinach is one of the few green vegetables my partner actively enjoys, and he is especially fond of the balance of nuttiness from tahini and sweetness from maple syrup and mirin in this recipe. This is an easy side to throw together on a weeknight and it…
Man Sampalang Cheum – Cassava in Syrup with Coconut Cream
One of my favourite things to eat in Thailand is nam kaeng sai (น้ำแข็งใส), or mixed ice desserts. These refreshing bowls are typically comprised of your choice of an impressive variety of toppings combined with shaved ice (or sometimes crushed ice), coconut milk, and simple syrup. These toppings can include…
