Kao ka moo is a dish of Teochew Chinese origin that is now firmly Thai. The flavour profile is salty and rich, with an underlying sweetness (although this recipe isn’t as sweet as many versions you would find in central Thailand). Classed as aahaan jan diao, or a single plate dish for…
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.
Kongbiji Jjigae (Korean Okara Stew)
A destination long on my want list, I was unprepared for the briskness of my first evening in Seoul last Autumn after touching down on a flight from Phuket. For dinner I ventured, shivering, to Ose Gye Hyang. I sometimes go on complaint binges about the averageness of most meals…
A Vegan Fried Egg Recipe, Thai Style – Kai Dao Jay (ไข่ดาวเจ)
In Thailand fried eggs are expected to be crispy and golden, a result of deep frying as the cooking method. The use of bean curd sheets in this vegan fried egg recipe makes it easy to replicate that texture. When the sheets hit the oil they crisp right up.
Vegan Drunken Noodles (Kway Teow Pad Kee Mao – ก๋วยเตี๋ยวผัดขี้เมา)
Kee mao is a noun (not adjective) in Thai language that translates to drunk or drunkard. Prepended with pad or pat, which means stir-fried, the full title of this dish translates to drunk stir fry or drunkard’s stir fry. Somewhere along the road “drunken noodles” becomes the accepted translation and the name stuck.
Korean Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim)
In Korean dubu means tofu, while jorim refers to the cooking process of braising. This easy crowd-pleasing Korean braised tofu recipe comes together in just 30 minutes.
Thai Style Tomato Salad with Lemon Basil + What does “Thai Style” Mean?
Picture insalata di pomodori, Italian tomato salad, with a Thai twist and this salad is where you’ll land. The air conditioning in my apartment in Bangkok broke this year, leaving me with weeks of living in both an outdoor and indoor tropical climate. Consequently the last task I wished to…
How to Make Vegan Fish with Okara
Okara, a byproduct of soy milk (and hence tofu) production, is a nutritious ingredient that works well in mock fish and meat recipes. Thus if you have ever wondered how to make vegan fish then this is a good place to start. This recipe produces a very neutrally flavoured vegan…
Thai Herbal Fried Peanuts (Tua Tod Samun Prai )
Tua tod samun prai, or herbal Thai fried peanuts (tua = peanut, tod = deep fried, samun prai = medicinal herbs), are an easy to make snack that pairs consummately with cold, boozy fizz. These knock the socks off your every day roasted peanuts!
Pandan Water (Nam Bai Toey น้ำใบเตย)
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…
Vegan Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen ชาเย็น) + CBD Oil
In Thailand cha yen always refers to sweet, milky Thai iced tea and is probably one of the country’s top drinkable exports. Thai tea is found on Thai menus around the globe, and Thai tea powder is equally not difficult to find outside of the kingdom. My recipe for vegan Thai iced tea is based on the style we know and love, but with a twist: the optional addition of CBD oil.
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…
