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…
Mains
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…
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.
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…
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 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…
Aromatic Pearl Couscous and Watercress Salad
Orange blossom water, also known as orange flower water, is a floral, aromatic scented water popular in North African cuisine. Traditionally made by distillation in a copper still, the flowers are boiled in water and the steam is condensed into the fragrant liquid you can find bottled on the shelves…
Vegan Soba Noodles with Tahini and Marmite
Soba, a highly respected noodle in its native Japan, is typically made from a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. Because the former contains no gluten and makes a crumbly dough on its own, wheat flour is often employed to give the noodles shape. Nevertheless, since the noodles are prized…
Vegan Pat Macaroni
Pat macaroni is a Thai dish of pasta sauced with various condiments that include sriracha, soy sauce (I use seasoning sauce) and ketchup. Yes, ketchup. This stir-fry (pat/pad = stir-fried) lacks a strong hit of chilies, unless you make it spicy by preference, so it’s a popular dish for children…
