Full of bright, bold flavors, these Thai and Vietnamese dishes put takeout to shame
Written bySunsetJanuary 13, 2014
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Photo by Annabelle Breakey; written by Elaine Johnson and Amy Machnak
1 of 20Photo by Annabelle Breakey; written by Elaine Johnson and Amy Machnak
Thai Chicken and Noodle Curry
The secret ingredient is the curry paste, a complex, medium-hot blend made with lemongrass and chiles. Originally from Malaysia, it’s now popular all over northern Thailand.
Red curry paste—a flavorful mix of chiles, lemongrass, ground shrimp, and more—is one of the great creations of the Thai kitchen. And it’s available in jars, making it possible to cook this complex-tasting dish in just a half-hour.
This dish requires some multitasking, but the benefits of creating something this delicious in only 30 minutes are well worth the hustle. If you're entertaining friends, take a more leisurely approach and make the dressing, cook the noodles, and clean the herbs ahead; then at serving time, just cook the steak and combine the ingredients.
Crunchy green papaya is usually the main ingredient in this type of Thai salad, but it can be hard to find.
Surprisingly, jicama—a crisp, beige-skinned root—makes a great stand-in. Find it at well-stocked grocery stores and Latino markets. To serve as a main course, increase shrimp to 1 lb.
It's a snap to put together this fresh, flavorful stew with made with light coconut milk, halibut, Thai red curry paste (found in most supermarkets), and aromatic basil and mint.
Mussels' rich taste of the sea goes beautifully with spicy-sweet curries like this one. You can also make the dish with littleneck clams—or both mussels and clams. You'll want a loaf of crusty bread or a pot of jasmine rice on hand to sop up the sauce.
Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs with Spicy Broccoli Slaw
If you can’t find packaged broccoli slaw, whirl broccoli stems in a food processor, using the grater attachment. Throw in a carrot and some red cabbage if you like.
Fried until crunchy, these shrimp look a little like firecrackers, with the tails being the fuses. The accompanying Ginger Fish Sauce(pictured) makes for the perfect tangy dip.
In Vietnam, snakehead fish is used for this dish, but food bloggers Hong Pham and Kim Dao, a.k.a. The Ravenous Couple, love to make it with West Coast Copper River salmon. Serve with Pineapple Shrimp Sauce, the typical Vietnamese accompaniment to Hanoi-style salmon.
The standard batter for these sweet fritters uses rice flour; this one has coconut flour instead, which creates an extra-crunchy crust with a warm coconut flavor.