When you think about having a delicious Thai meal do you rush out and buy all the ingredients to cook up a storm in your kitchen, or do you go straight to your favourite Thai takeaway in Highgate and order your favourite dishes from their menu?
If it’s the latter then you’re certainly not alone, with the Independent recently highlighting a survey conducted by Tilda Rice about our eating and cooking habits.
The company found that while 40 per cent of Brits have indulged in Thai food when eating out, only 20 per cent have then felt confident enough to freestyle and cook their own Thai meal at home.
However, as a nation it seems that we’re happy to experiment with food from around the world. Four in five of those questioned are adding their own twist to dishes from all over the globe, with our favourite meals to experiment with including curries, spaghetti bolognese and stir frys.
Where Asian cuisine was concerned, it seems we’re more comfortable to experiment with Chinese dishes than with those from Thailand or elsewhere. One-quarter of respondents said they’d added their own blend of spices to a typical Chinese dish.
Mexican food was another one that we’re happy to play around with, the survey found.
Rice is one of the staples in many dishes you find on restaurant and takeaway menus, whether you’re looking at Thai, Chinese or Mexican food. Tilda’s Anna Beheshti told the news provider that this is a great ingredient to play around with.
“Rice is the ultimate freestyle ingredient. It is the most widely consumed food in the world and unites almost every cuisine from Thai and Middle Eastern, to Mexican and Japanese,” she stated.
Some of the most popular Thai dishes that are typically accompanied by rice include Thai red or green curry, and these are a great place to start if you’re new to Thai flavours.
However, Bon Appetit spoke to a number of chefs in the US about Thai dishes that you ought to look out for and order the next time you’re getting a Thai takeaway.
Among them were pad kee mao – a delicious rice noodle dish that includes broccoli, egg, onion, meat, chilis, garlic, soy and fish sauce – and kai jeow, which is a light and flavoursome egg omelette that’s served with rice, a protein and sriracha sauce.
If you’re desperate for a curry, you could try a massaman curry instead of your usual green or red variety. This particular dish is from the south of Thailand and is known for its deep roasted flavour.
Nam tok was another dish that was singled out – but only if you like your meals to be spicy. This is typically made with pork or beef, and the meat is cooked with a blend of lime juice, fish sauce, chilis, and fresh herbs. The meat should also be garnished with toasted rice powder known as khao khua.
Hopefully that’s given you some inspiration and even if you’re not up for cooking a Thai feast in your own kitchen, it might just encourage you to look beyond your favourite dishes and try something new the next time you order a takeaway.
