Alright. I am not a bad cook. I have read several Thai cookbooks. But I am danged if I can make it taste like it does at the restaurants. And I am a fiend for Thai food. If I cannot learn to make it at home, I will go broke. So please, what are the tips, tricks, and secrets? Am I overlooking something obvious?
I cook alot of Thai food at home. In my opinion, the first step is to eat alot of Thai food (in Thailand!), so you'll know what you're aiming at. There's really no better way to learn how to do food pre-prep (cutting, chopping, etc) than by studying 'Real' Thai food. I assure you, Thai food in America is NOT Thai food. Ok no more preaching...Assuming you know what Thai food REALLY is, here are a few "secrets"
Find an asian grocery in your area and buy: Squid brand fish sauce, Kimlan brand soy sauce, and a ground chili/garlic oil paste that says 'product of thailand' on the bottle. I've been happy with several brands of the chili paste so I'm not picky there..just make sure you see Thai writing on the bottle and you should be fine. Also buy some peanut oil for your wok. The last item I'm picky about is the rice. You MUST buy jasmine rice that says 'product of thailand' on it. Golden Phoenix is the best brand, and certainly grab that if they have it. If not, get another brand, but be sure its from Thailand. If they have Thai 'bird chilis' (the red, long, skinny, hot ones!), get some. Kaffir lime may be difficult or impossible to find and there is really nothing you can substitute for it. So in my opinion either avoid recipes calling for it, or just leave it out and don't worry about it.
Ok, that's all you need for 'special' ingredients. Everything else you can cheat on if you have to. Regular basil will substitute ok for thai (holy) basil. This year I'm growing Thai basil in my garden. I planted lots of it since I use alot of it. Search Ebay for seeds:-)
Be sure to go for a high quality fish sauce like the dark Kimlan brand. Fish sauce is a primary ingredient in Thai food that gives that unique smell/flavor. If the thought of fish sauce is unpleasing, too bad. Try not to think about it:-) Fish sauce is not really "fishy". I'd say its a complex taste/smell.
The big secret to cooking jasmine rice is to use less water than you think you should. I usually start with only about 1/4" of water above the level of the rice. The idea is that as the water is absorbed into the rice, the cooking method is changing from boiling to steaming. That's how you end up with fluffy jasmine rice! All you need is a saucepan and a lid. A rice cooker is not needed if you know what you're doing.
If you incorporate these ideas in with the basic recipes you're using, I'm confident you'll start getting better results. After you are producing passable Thai food your next step will be to start studying Asian spices, which will lead you to the curries. Curries are quite complex, so I wouldn't recommend a beginner start there, but there are 2 basic types: water-based, and coconut-milk based. You could try the pre-mixed red or green curry pastes by Mae Ploy. They work ok.
One last thing. Be sure to practice a dish at least 5 times before you attempt to impress anyone. Don't make your dinner guests your lab rats. I went to culinary school, and I still would never offer a 'first attempt' to someone.
Chok Dee Krap!
Dboy
palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves are two ingredients in many Thai recipes that are simply not available in the united states. restaurants can obtain them through international bazaars. western cookbooks tend to have replacement ingredients that are not quite as good. i suggest that you add a little more and a little less of the ingredients until you come up with a good combination more toward your liking. i always add a lot more sugar to my red curry than the recipes call for because i like mine sweeter. by the way, I am also a fiend for thai food :)
the secret?
fresh ingredients-lemongrass, limes, coriander, those gorgeous red chillies, seafood.
oh and also msg-its actually not bad for you in tiny doses.
go to your nearest chinatown(I know its not thai but you'll be surprised what you find) and buy the other ingredients you need. Make sure they're made in Thailand or malaysia. You'll want coconut milk, fish sauce (Budu) and prawn sauce (cencaluk) and stuff called belacan(which comes in cakes). Also try and get frsh Asam Jawa--I think in english its tamarind.
Use the best Jasmine rice you can find. Use lots of onion and lemongrass.
Cheat for extra flavour and use bouillion cubes whenever you cook. And seriously dont overlook those little packets of sauce that you just add meat to. convenience of take-out but cheaper! Add your own fresh ingredients though. Like if its tom yam paste add loads of onion, lemongrass, coriander and lime. experiment, make it your own.
You got your curry? you got your mint? coconut?
The main thing I've noticed at thai restaurants is they use tons of sugar of some sort.
I've learned that my choice of coconut milk make a big difference in the taste of many of the curries I cook.
But getting it just like the restaurants is like trying to get your turkey dressing to taste just like grandma's. Could be lots of little secrets to each person's attempt at a recipe. Different brand names can make a BIG difference when cooking.
My stuff isn't just like what I get at the restaurant, either - but it's still good and it's also not $11.95 a plate!
Good Luck!
(Oh - don't use Minute Rice ... gotta use Jasmin Rice!!
Good quality Basil helps, too!)
Do you have fish sauce?
Yes obvious! Get a Thai woman, simple problem solved!
learning to do it.
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