Quick & Easy Thai: 70 Everyday Recipes

appetizers & snacks

Meatballs in Panaeng Curry Sauce

Spicy Fish Cakes with Green Beans and Wild Lime Leaves

Soft Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Fresh Mint

Spicy Cashew Salad with Chilies, Cilantro, and Lime

Thai Crab Cakes

Northern-Style Dipping Sauce with Ground Pork and Tomatoes

Crispy Pork Spareribs with Black Pepper and Garlic

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

INTRODUCTION TO APPETIZERS & SNACKS

This chapter sparkles with an array of contrasting dishes that epitomize the Thai philosophy of food; they’re playful and varied, delicious and diverting, full of energy, surprises, and wit. Bright flavors abound, from brash chili sauces and tangy dressings to an aromatic breeze of lime juice, cilantro, and mint. This food makes noise, from the crunch of pork rinds and tart green apples to the sizzle of frying fish cakes and the hiss of satays browning over glowing coals. Garlicky spareribs invite you to lick your fingers, serene soft spring rolls look almost too pretty to eat, a bowl of Swedish meatballs turns out to be panaeng meatballs, in a luscious red curry sauce that definitely speaks Thai.

These dishes can be starters and snacks, in-between food for toting to potlucks or for getting people talking at your next open house. Some work with rice or noodles as part of a meal, and leftovers are always a treat. Cook Spicy Fish Cakes with Green Beans and Wild Lime Leaves (page 15) tonight, and make tomorrow’s lunch a leftover fish cake on an onion roll, with lettuce and tomato and a dollop of mayonnaise spiked with red curry paste. Toss leftover satay sauce with spaghetti or macaroni, and enjoy with cucumber slices and spicy salsa on the side. Pick a recipe, shop a little, and start cooking. You will love the sparkling flavors, and you will be amazed how quickly and easily you can cook this food.

meatballs in panaeng curry sauce

panaeng look chin neua sahp

This is my favorite contribution when we’re invited to a party for which guests bring along something to share. Whether it’s a Southern California potluck or a North Carolina covered-dish supper, my Thai version of meatballs disappears fast. My family loves it as a weeknight curry, along with Spinach with Black Pepper and Garlic (page 123), Easy Omelet with Sri Rachaa Sauce (page 59), and Jasmine Rice (page 100); or spooned over a bowl of noodles. If you don’t have wild lime leaves, just substitute fresh basil or fresh cilantro, or omit the herbs altogether— it will still be delicious.

1½ cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 pound ground beef

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons panaeng curry paste or red curry paste

½ cup water

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar

6 wild lime leaves (optional)

Heat the coconut milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens a little and becomes smooth and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the ground beef with the salt and shape it into meatballs. Use about 1 tablespoon for each one, and place them on a plate.

Add the curry paste to the saucepan and cook about 3 minutes more, mashing and stirring to dissolve the paste into the coconut milk. Add the meatballs and cook, turning gently to coat, 1 to 2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a gentle boil, and add the water, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Crush the lime leaves, if using, in your hand and stir them in. Simmer, stirring gently now and then, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving bowl, and serve hot or warm.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen meatballs

spicy fish cakes with green beans and wild lime leaves

tode mun plah

This is a quintessentially Thai dish, traditionally consisting of very small, very chewy patties, deep-fried to a dark reddish brown. I like them that way but I also love them like this, plump and tender and easy to cook. You can make them without a food processor by simply cutting the fish into big chunks and then chopping these down to smaller pieces. You can prepare the seasoned fish mixture ahead of time and refrigerate, covered, for a day. Make it even without the lime leaves; it’s still lovely.

1 pound firm fish fillets, such as tilapia, catfish, rockfish, snapper, black bass, or salmon

1 egg

2 tablespoons red curry paste

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3 to 4 raw green beans, very thinly sliced crosswise (about ¼ cup), or 2 green onions, very thinly sliced crosswise

8 wild lime leaves, very thinly sliced crosswise or minced

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tangy Cucumber Pickles (page 128)

Cut the fish fillets into big chunks, and then pulse them to a coarse paste in a food processor, stopping often to scrape the bowl, grinding the fish coarsely but fairly evenly without reducing it to a smooth paste. To use a blender, pulse the fish to a coarse paste in 3 or 4 batches, stopping often to scrape down the sides. Transfer the fish to a medium bowl and add the egg, curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, salt, green beans, and lime leaves. Use your hands to combine everything well. Shape into plump cakes, 2 to 3 inches in diameter, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat until a bit of the fish mixture sizzles at once. Add half the cakes to the oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through, turning once. Drain well on paper towels, and then repeat with remaining cakes. Serve hot or warm with Tangy Cucumber Pickles.

Makes about 4 large or 8 small cakes

soft spring rolls with shrimp and fresh mint

miang yuan

I enjoyed these delicate and delightful snacks in Vietnamese cafes in the northeastern Thai metropolis of Ubon Rachatahnii, which, like most larger towns in the vicinity of the Mekong river, has a sizable Vietnamese community. Soft spring rolls are a pleasure to see and to eat, and simple to make if you set up a small assembly line with all the components ready to roll up. The secret Thai ingredient here is extra pairs of hands, to make the job sa-nuk: light-hearted, happy, interesting, and fun. Recruit some helpers and make a double or triple batch. You can hold them for several hours at room temperature, loosely covered with a damp kitchen towel or a sheet of plastic wrap. Serve with Sweet-Hot Garlic Sauce (page 129) or prik nahm plah, a small bowl of fish sauce topped with minced fresh hot green chilies.

8 ounces very thin dried rice noodles

12 round rice paper sheets, about 8 inches in diameter

10 leaves of bibb, Boston, or other tender lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips (about 2 cups loosely packed)

½ cup fresh mint leaves

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

5 green onions, cut in 3-inch lengths and chopped lengthwise into thin strips

12 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and halved lengthwise

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop in the rice noodles, and remove from the heat. Let stand 8 to 10 minutes, gently lifting and stirring the noodles now and then as they soften, to keep them separate and to cook evenly. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain well, and set aside. You should have about 2 cups of noodles.

Arrange all the ingredients separately around a large cutting board or tray set before you. Set out a platter to hold the finished rolls, as well as a large skillet or shallow bowl filled with very warm water.

To make each roll, slide 1 sheet of rice paper into the pan of water and press gently to submerge it for about 15 seconds. Remove it carefully, draining the water, and place it before you on the cutting board.

Line up a horizontal row of each of the following ingredients on the rice paper sheet, starting on the lowest third of the sheet and working away from you: a small tangle of noodles (about ¼ cup), a row of lettuce strips, a row of mint leaves, a row of cilantro leaves, and a row of green onion slivers on top.

Lift the wrapper edge nearest to you and roll it away from you, up and over the fillings, tucking it in under them about halfway along the wrapper and compressing everything gently into a cylinder shape. When you’ve completely enclosed the filling in one good turn, fold in the right and left sides tightly, as though making an envelope. Then place 2 shrimp halves, pink-side down, on the rice sheet just above the cylinder. Continue rolling up the wrapper and press the seam to close it, wetting it with a little splash of water if it has dried out too much to seal itself closed. Set the roll aside on the platter to dry, seam-side down. Continue to fill and roll up the rice paper sheets with the remaining ingredients until you have made 8 to 10 rolls. Set aside.

To serve, present the rolls whole, or halved crosswise, straight or on the diagonal, or trim away ends and cut into bite-sized lengths.

Makes 8 to 10 rolls

spicy cashew salad with chilies, cilantro, and lime

yum meht mahmuang himapahn

You may think that cashews are nearly perfect already, but try this simple preparation and you will agree with me that sometimes a good thing can get even better. Raw cashews are widely available in Asian markets at a reasonable price, and they keep a long time uncooked. You can add a big spoonful of dried shrimp, if you like them, and offer a plate of small lettuce cups so your guests can scoop up these delectable cashews bite by bite.

Vegetable oil for frying

1 cup fresh raw whole cashews (about ¼ pound)

½ teapoon salt

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels, and place it by the stove, along with a slotted spoon or an Asian-style wire-mesh strainer. Heat 2 or 3 inches of vegetable oil in a medium skillet or wok over medium heat until a raw cashew begins to sizzle a few seconds after you add it to the oil, 4 to 5 minutes. Keep one raw cashew handy by the stove to help you judge the changes in color as the nuts cook.

Gently add cashews and cook, stirring gently and often, until the nuts turn a soft, pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the cashews out onto the prepared plate, using a slotted spoon or a wire-mesh strainer. Let them drain and cool a little while you set out a medium bowl and a small serving platter.

Turn the still-warm cashews into the bowl and toss with the salt. Add the shallots, green onions, and chili flakes and toss well. Just before serving, add the lime juice, toss well, and mound on the serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, with small spoons for eating, or as finger food.

Serves 3 to 4

thai crab cakes

boo jah

Seaside cafes all along the Gulf of Siam make hearty, delicious crab cakes with pork, garlic, and pepper. Fresh crabmeat is spectacular in this dish, but canned also works fine. In the classic Thai presentation, the mixture is stuffed into crab shells, steamed, and then fried, filling-side down, until golden and crisp. This version is just as delicious, but much quicker to make. Serve with a simple spicy sauce, such as Sri Rachaa sauce, Sweet-Hot Garlic Sauce (page 129), or mayonnaise spiked with either roasted chili paste (nahm prik pao) or red curry paste and chopped green onions.

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro roots, or stems and leaves, plus a handful of fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt