[Updated 10 June 2021]
With lockdowns in place, people are finding themselves stumped on what to do at home to pass the time. If you need a creative outlet for your access energy, one good (and popular!) example is cooking. ? But not all of us are gifted in the kitchen especially when it comes to Thai food! To introduce some variety into your daily menu, we’ve rounded up some easy Thai recipes that you can try making at home! From Thai green curry to fried sweet potato balls, these recipes are just what you need to feel like you're in the streets of Bangkok ?
1. Sweet Potato Balls
Now we all know that anything that has been deep-fried tends to tastes absolutely amazing. This goes doubly so for these delicious Thai sweet potato balls. For those of you who are unfamiliar, sweet potato balls are these popular, bite-sized sweet snacks which are gloriously crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
Utilising sweet potatoes, tapioca starch and coconut milk, they also have a sort of 'bouncy' texture when you bite into them - almost reminiscent of the tapioca pearls you would find in bubble tea. Highly addictive and super easy to make, you can easily find all the ingredients you would need to make this snack at your local grocer. ?️
2. Pineapple Fried Rice
Almost everyone has experienced eating fried rice (also known as Nasi Goreng) at least once in their lifetime. From Nasi Goreng Kampung (Kampung Fried Rice) to Nasi Goreng USA (Surf and Turf fried rice), fried rice has a ton of variants and is a fun and quick dish to make. Plus, it has the added benefit of being incredibly satisfying to eat. ?
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice is a more refreshing variant of this popular and quick to make dish; utilising the combination of spices and the slightly tangy and sweet taste of fresh pineapples to create an explosion of flavours in your mouth. If you need to pick up some ingredients, you might want to consider these supermarkets & online stores in Klang Valley for some super-convenient shopping!
3. Mango salad
If you’re ever wondering about the best kind of dish to serve as an appetizer on a hot, tropical evening, the answer is hands down, a freshly prepared Thai mango salad. Zesty and with a bit of crunch from the toasted peanuts, this dish offers you the perfect balance of sweetness from the mango, acidity from the lime juice and heat from the red chilies.
Serve it up alongside with some Pad Thai and you’ll be sure to garner some very impressed (and satisfied) looks from your meal companions. ?️ With a pleasing range of colour, flavour and texture, a fresh mango salad takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and best of all, it can be saved and refrigerated for up to 2 days without spoiling. ?
4. Vegetarian Pad Thai
For those of you who would like to introduce more vegetables into your diets, you might want to consider giving the vegetarian Pad Thai dish a try. A popular dish that is commonly served as street food, you can get Pad Thai at almost any restaurant in Thailand. What’s even better is that this dish is also super easy to prepare and takes a little over half an hour to make. ⌛
Consisting of rice noodles, eggs and a host of other vegetables and nuts, this vegetarian version of classic Pad Thai offers a fresh, zesty and clean twist to this highly nutritious dish. Plus, it’s vegan friendly! ?
5. Tom Yum Soup
Made with shrimp stock, lime juice, fish sauce and Thai chilli peppers, Tom Yum Soup is a spicy and sour Thai soup that will leave you feeling well warm and well sated. Loaded with plenty of shrimp and mushrooms, this flavourful soup pairs up excellently with other Thai entrees such as Pad Thai or Mango Salad and is often eaten with rice. ?
For those of you who are a die-hard fan of spicy foods, you can increase the spiciness to your tom yum soup by adding in chilli oil, fresh chilli, or chilli flakes into the mix. Alternatively, if your tom yum is a bit too strong in terms of spice, you can add in coconut milk to decrease the spiciness - though it will leave you with a much creamier/richer soup instead. ?
6. Thai Green Curry
Known as Gang Kiew Wan in the Thai language, the Thai Green Curry is an aromatic dish that possesses a unique spicy, savoury and sweet flavour that is prominent in a majority of Thai dishes. Utilising chicken, fresh green chillies, cilantro and a host of other herbs and spices to form the green curry paste, this delectable dish tastes absolutely amazing - especially when served on a bed of fragrant jasmine rice. ?
When it comes to making the curry, using store-bought green curry paste is fine - but if you’d like to have a stronger, more authentic taste, you can opt to make the green curry paste from scratch.
7. Thai Basil Chicken
If there was ever a contest for best Thai street food, Thai Basil Chicken would definitely rank somewhere up in the top five! A balanced mix of spicy, sweet and savoury, this mouthwatering dish utilises a handful of Thai holy basil, chicken (breasts or thighs, whichever you prefer), sugar, a slew of spices and soy sauce. Easy enough to make, this must-try stir-fry dish takes just 10 minutes to prepare from start to finish and really packs a punch! ?
8. Thai Red Curry Chicken & Vegetables
Warm, comforting and perfect for rainy days, Thai red curry makes for a fantastic meal for both dinner and breakfast. Rich, aromatic and loaded with your choice of fresh or frozen vegetables, this dish is simple to make and doesn't feel too indulgent. This version uses chicken meat for some extra protein! ?
It does use quite a bit of chicken breast though, and if you need to stock up on some other ingredients (like red curry paste, for example), here's an article on 8 halal supermarkets and meat shops in Singapore with delivery services that might be of some help. ?
9. Khao Soi (Northern Style Curried Noodle Soup with Chicken)
Made with tender shredded chicken in a fragrant coconut-curry broth, Khao Soi is a delectable noodle dish with a rich history (and richer flavour) that can be made, eaten and savoured at any time of the day. Rich, creamy, and packed with uncompromising flavour from a slew of aromatics and shrimp paste, the deep-fried egg noodles which top off the dish adds a crunch that makes the Khao Soi such an addictive dish to partake in.
While the ingredients lists might seem a little daunting and the cooking time lasts for a little over an hour, this surprisingly straight forward dish is absolutely worth the time and effort to make ?
10. Thai Iced Milk Tea
There’s just something about Thai iced milk tea that hits different. Also known as Cha Yen, Thai Iced Milk Tea (or Thai Tea for short) is a deliciously creamy, mildly spiced, slightly-caffeinated and refreshingly sweet drink that is made with a strong black tea base, mixed with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. ?
For a truly authentic experience, try to get your hands on a brand of tea called Cha Tra Muer (a Thai tea mix that incorporates black tea leaves and spices - also known for giving Thai tea that signature orange colour). If you can’t seem to get your hands on it, no worries; any other type of strong black tea will do. ☕
11. Sticky Mango Rice
When you think of dessert, your mind automatically seems to gravitate towards things like cakes, cookies and ice cream. While normally you wouldn’t be wrong with any of those assumptions, but when it comes to Thai desserts, that’s not always the case. Sticky mango rice, for example, is a traditional Thai dessert that is made with glutinous rice, ripe yellow mangoes and coconut milk. ?
To give it that little something ‘extra’, you can also opt to top it off with some more coconut cream and sprinkle a handful of crispy yellow mung beans on top. Utterly delectable, this fruity and refreshing take on dessert will be sure to delight your tastebuds! ❤️
From appetizers and snacks to main courses and desserts, we hope you enjoyed this list of amazing and easy Thai recipes that you can try making from the comforts of your home. ?