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Thai Cooking techniques and asian food guide

classic cooking techniques

There are a few classic preparation and cooking techniques upon which the whole Thai cuisine relies. The most important, without a doubt, is the preparation of spices and herbs, which give Thai dishes their unique flavor and character. Traditional Thai cooks prepare almost everything from scratch which is easy for the Europeans to use the ready –made spices.

Spices are roasted and ground into pastes to form the basis dipping of most dishes. Once the flavoring is prepared, the cooking is usually simple: stewing, steaming, boiling, stir-frying, deep-frying and grilling over hot coals. A few Chinese-influenced dishes such as duck and pork, are "roasted" which is not a traditional Thai cooking method. However,we can’t separate Chinese dishes from Thai dishes completely.

grinding spices:

The ideal method for grinding spices is to use a large, rough, Asian-style mortar. The rough sides tend to "grip" the spices, preventing them flying out of the mortar as you pound them. Dry spices are usually dry-roasted in a heavy frying pan before grinding.

1. Spread the dry spices in a single layer and cook over a very high heat for about 1 minute, shaking the pan. Lower the heat and cook for a few more minutes, until they start to color and emit their aroma.
   
2. Put the toasted spices to the mortar and pound to a fine powder. This releases the essential oils that are vital to the authentic flavor of Thai food.

Pounding and crushing:

Dry and wet spices, aromatics and herbs are often pounded together to form spice pastes. Other flavoring ingredients such as strong-tasting shrimp paste may be also be added.

1. Place the spices, herbs and any other flavoring ingredients in a mortar and pound with a pestle for several minutes to form a smooth paste

slow-cooking:

Stewing is the typical method for preparing soups and curries, and the lengthy cooking time makes sure that meat becomes very tender. Traditionally, a heavy clay pot, placed over a fire of medium heat, would have been used.

steaming:

This is an excellent way of preparing delicate food such as fish and vegetables. Steaming help to retain the flavor of ingredients and keeps them intact.

1. Place the food in a bamboo steamer. (Some recipes require the steamer to be lined with banana leaves.) Put the steamer on a wok rack over a wok half-filled with boiling water. Steam the food, replenishing the water constantly to prevent it boiling dry.
   
2. Parcels of food wrapped in banana leaves can also produce steamed results. Place a well-sealed parcel over a barbecue of in a preheated oven. The moisture is trapped within the parcel and steams the food inside.
   

stir-frying:

This is a very quick cooking method and it is important to prepare all the ingredients before you start to stir-fry. The order in which ingredients are added to the pan is very important and it should be quick to make the meat soft and vegetables crispy

1. Pour a little oil into a wok and place over a high heat for a few minutes.
   
2. Add spices and aromatics to the wok and stir-fry for a few moments.
   
3. Add evenly chopped pieces of meat poultry, fish or shellfish to the wok and stir-fry for 1 or 2 minutes more, shaking the pan constantly.
   
4. Add any hardy vegetables such as carrots, green beans or peppers and stir-fry for 1 minute.
   
5. Add any delicate vegetables and leaves such as bean sprouts, spinach or morning glory and stir-fry for about 1 minute more.
   
6. Finally add more seasoning and add fresh herbs such as basil or coriander that should not be cooked for long. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

deep-frying:

This method is used for many dishes such as wontons, spring rolls and prawn crackers. Use a lot of oil that can be heated to a high temperature, such as groundnut (peanut) oil.

1. Pour the oil into a pan or wok (filling it no more than two-thirds full) and heat to about 180 F. When the pieces you want to fry are dropped into the pan they should sizzle and rise to the surface, and that means the temperature is perfect.
   
2. Cook the food in small batches until crisp and lift out with a slotted spoon or wire mesh skimmer when cooked. Drain on a wire rack lined with kitchen paper and serve immediately, or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

boiling:

This method is often used to cook delicate meat such as chicken breast portions or duck.

1. Place the meat and any flavorings in a pan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 10 minutes, then drain.

cooking on the barbecue:

Grilling food over glowing coals is very popular. It is widely used by street vendors who cook skewered snacks such as Satay or barbecue-cooked chicken or seafood over small open braziers.

1. When using charcoal, light the coals and wait until they are covered with a thin layer of white or pale grey ash before starting to cook. Place the skewers, meat, poultry, fish or shellfish on a rack over the coals and grill turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through.

• Wooden and bamboo skewers: If you are using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes before using to prevent them from burning.

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