What are the Essential Herbs & Spices for Thai Cuisines?

Thai cuisine exhibits one of the most, strong and tempting flavors in a plate. The taste is as strong and appealing as the aroma. Have you ever wondered why so? What is the mystery behind this aromatic Thai dish? Why each time you cook a Thai dish your kitchen is filled with refreshing aroma? Well, the answer lies in its ingredients, specifically, its herbs. The very essence of the Thai cuisine lies in its ingredients which are exclusive to this cuisine.

Thai food is complex and known for its balance of flavors of sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and salty. Cooking up a dish that has all these flavors requires art and precision. As Thai cuisine is not easy to achieve, only a few of the 10 best restaurants in Jaipur are able to achieve it. To create a careful blend of these tantalizing flavor is a mastery in itself. However, if you stock up these ingredients, then half your job is done.

Let’s map out the ingredients that can create a beautiful Thai dish easily at home:

1.    Galangal
A relative of ginger, galangal is popularly used in many Thai soups, curries, salads etc. Popularly known as fresh turmeric, galangal imparts an exclusive and earthy flavor to the dish.

2.    Kaffir Lime

These are used for their skin and have a strong aroma and flavor. They are widely used in spicy Thai soups and sauces for their refreshing taste and feel. In fact, many romantic restaurants in Jaipur serve kaffir lime infused orange mocktails that are worth drooling over. One such place which serves amazing kaffir lime infused dishes is Meraaki Kitchen. Kaffir lime can either be infused while cooking or can be shredded as a garnish before serving.

3.    Thai Basil
Also known as Holy Basil, they are different from sweet basil. They are popularly used in stir-fries to impart herbal and refreshing notes to the dish. Similar to star anise in flavor and aroma, can be used in soups to lend a sharper flavor.

4.    Palm Sugar

Thai cuisine is incomplete without a dash of palm sugar in most of its salads and dishes. Palm sugar has a caramelized taste with an earthy aroma, imparting a unique taste to the dish altogether.

5.    Lemongrass

Lemongrass is probably one of the earth’s greatest discoveries. This herb lends a beautiful flavor to any dish. It can be chopped and pounded or can be simply cut into long pieces that are bruised to lend a sharp scent and flavor to curries, sauces, soups etc.

6.    Thai Bird Chile
Also known as Birdseye Chile, this chilly is extremely hot and ubiquitous. They are very sharp and preferably used fresh.   This chilly is used to impart a lasting spicy flavor to any Thai dish.

Now that you are aware of the basic and main Thai exclusive ingredients, you can very well stock up your pantry to cook up a Thai storm in your kitchen. Use these ingredients to leave a lasting impression on your friends and family’s taste buds. While I am going to cook Thai green curry, what’s your dinner plan for tonight?