Thailand Recipes

Thai food hits all five taste senses at once — and that's not a figure of speech. A good pad Thai is sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami in every bite. Thai cooking is about balance, not heat alone, though the chilies certainly show up. The recipes here cover curries (green, red, massaman), stir-fries, salads with the sharp lime-chili-fish sauce dressing that defines Thai cuisine, and soups like tom yum that are therapeutic on a cold day. Fresh herbs do heavy lifting: Thai basil, cilantro, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves. If you can find these — and most Asian groceries stock them — the difference between an okay Thai dish and an outstanding one is dramatic. Coconut milk is the other essential: it cools the heat, adds richness, and makes everything feel more luxurious. These recipes aim for the flavors you'd find at a good Bangkok street stall, adapted for ingredients available outside Thailand.