Recipe: From salad to curry and dessert, here’s how you can prepare a four-course Thai meal

It was love that brought Chef Suriya Preechapiputpong, a Thailand born and brought up, to India about 14 years ago, and it was a dearth of authentic Thai food that made her start Thaiphoon with her husband Chef John Macedonius Fernandes. Launched in September this year, the cloud kitchen offers a variety of Thai food, made from secret heirloom recipes and cooking techniques that Chef Suriya has inherited from her family. 

“Being originally from Thailand, I was missing the authentic Thai flavours. The Thai food served here is tweaked to suit the Indian palate and thus loses on the authenticity. It is therefore that we decided to create a kitchen of our own that serves the real Thai food,” says Chef Suriya, adding, “Each dish is a nostalgic bite from my childhood kitchen. I have been eating these all these years as these were made in our family noodle shop back in Tubhluang, Thailand.” 

We took this opportunity to ask Chef Suriya if preparing Thai food at home is tricky business and her optimist response made us ask her for recipes to prepare a four-course authentic Thai meal for our family at home. But, before you try these out, there is a piece of advisory. “Whenever you cook a Thai dish, ensure to use fresh herbs and ingredients, and make sure you balance out all the flavours well - sweet, salty and sour should complement each other.”  

1. Pad Ka Prao Gai Tod 
(Spicy Thai Basil Crispy Chicken)

Ingredients: Chicken Thigh Boneless (cubes) - 150 g, Bird’s Eye Chilli - 5g, Garlic - 5 g, Onion (petals) - 30 g, Tulsi - 10 g, Oyster sauce - 40 g, Soya Sauce - 40 g, Bamboo Shoot - 30 g, Boullion - 5 g, Fresh Red Chilli - 3 g, Green Chilli (chopped) - 3 g, Rice flour - 80 g, water - 50 ml

Method:
• Clean the chicken and cut it into cube size. Marinate it and set aside for 30 minutes
• Make a batter with rice flour and coat the chicken. Deep fry till its golden brown and set aside
• Prepare the pad ka prao sauce starting with crushed garlic, and chillies. Saute them and add soya sauce and oyster sauce, sugar, bamboo shoot and cook till the sauce thickens. Add basil leaves in the end
• Once the sauce is ready, add the chicken and coat it with the sauce. Switch off the flame and mix well 
• Serve and garnish with basil leaves

2. Som Tam with Fish Sauce 
(Green Papaya Salad)

Ingredients: Raw Papaya (shredded) - 150 g, Carrot (shredded) - 20 g, Long Beans (small batons) - 20 g, Cherry Tomato (cut into half) - 20 g, Bird’s Eye Chilli (crushed) - 5 g, Garlic (chopped) - 5 g, Roasted Peanut - 20 g, Jaggery - 5 g, Fish Sauce - 5 g, Lime Juice - 5 g

Method:
• Blend the chilli, garlic, palm sugar and fish sauce together well to a taste of sweet, sour and salty flavour
• In a mixing bowl, add the shredded raw papaya, carrot, long beans, cherry tomato, crushed peanut and the sauce mix well 
• Serve the dish topping with roasted peanuts

3. Massaman Curry

Ingredients: Red Curry Paste - 40 g, Potato - 50 g, Peanut Butter - 25 g, Coconut Milk - 200 ml, Garam Masala for Massaman - 15 gm, Tamarind Pulp - 20 ml, Vegetable Oil - 5 ml, Boullion - 5 g, Steamed Rice - 200 g

Method: 
• Saute the massaman curry paste with oil till it gets nice aroma 
• Add 300 ml thick coconut milk and saute till the coconut leaves aroma
• Add potato followed with the seasoning and keep simmering till it is well cooked
• Adjust the seasoning as per your taste 
• Top it with onion cubes, and crushed roasted peanut and serve with steam rice

4. Khao Niew Naa Nual
(Steamed sweet glutinous rice topped with creamy coconut milk and garnished with black beans)

Ingredients (For the base): Sticky Rice - 500 g, Coconut Milk with thick cream - 400 ml, Sugar - 250 g, Salt - 5 g, Pandan Leaves - 5

For topping: Coconut Milk with thick cream - 800 ml, Sugar - 120 g, Rice Flour - 45 g, Salt - 7 g, Black Bean (for topping) - 3 g, White Sesame (roasted) - 3 g

Method:
• Soak the sticky rice for 6 hrs
• Cook the rice in a steamer for about 30 minutes in a muslin cloth
• While the rice is cooking, we can make the sauce by adding coconut milk, sugar, rice flour and salt and in a saucepan and cook till the coconut milk turns transparent. Cook on low heat till the mixture thickens and reaches a pouring consistency.
• Once the rice is cooked, remove it in a mixing bowl when it is hot enough
• Pour some of the sauce in the rice and mix it well for about 10 minutes. Cover it and set aside for a while. let it rest. 
• After some time give the rice a good mix.
• Boil the overnight soaked black beans and add some sugar and salt to it and set aside for topping. 

Assembling 
• Place the sticky rice mixture at the base
• Top it with sauce and steam for 10 minutes, till the sauce gets a little firm 
• Let it cool down and top it with black beans
• Serve it on room temperature