Thai cuisine is a celebration of the fresh and fragrant. The traditional taste of Thai food is a combination of four key tastes; sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. These flavours balance each other well to give you that distinctive taste of Thailand. Thai food originated with the people who emigrated from the southern Chinese provinces into modern-day Thailand many centuries ago and Thai food also combines the flavours from several different Asian influences such as Burma, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Thai food is one of the 5 most popular cuisines eaten around the world with the others being Indian, Chinese, French, and Italian.
Thai cooking traditionally combines aromatic spices which gives the food it a distinctive taste. Thai food traditional includes Thai basil, ginger, chilli, mint and lemongrass along with pastes such as nam pla (fish paste) and Kapi (shrimp paste). Rice and noodles make up the staple Thai diet with fragrant jasmine rice usually being the key accompaniment to any Thai meal.
Vegetables and fruits also form a large part of any Thai meal and will include vegetables such as beansprouts, broccoli, tomato, sweet potato and squash. Fruits such as pineapple, mango, papaya and lime juice are distinctively Thai tastes and work as a fresh, cool and clean ending to a Thai meal.
Herbs and Spices are also an essential part of Thai cooking which are used to achieve a balance of the four essential Thai tastes: salty, sour, spicy, and sweet.
Thai cuisine is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is known that many of the fresh herbs and spices used in Thai cooking, such as turmeric, coriander, lemongrass, and fresh chilies have immune-boosting and disease-fighting power.
I love the warming kick of a little chilli and really love how a Thai meal can tick all the boxes without being overly hot. Personally, I’m not a fan of overly spiced food but the with the right amount of chilli and I’m in heaven.
I am also a huge fan of simple meals especially for a mid-week supper after a busy day and bonus points if it is ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Thai Chilli Beef Noodles
Ingredients
- 700 g Sirloin Steak Or Rib Beef
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 10 Shallots
- 1 tbsp Chilli Paste
- 1 tbsp Chopped Ginger
- 4 Cloves Of Garlic (chopped)
- 2 tbsp Thai Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Red Chilli (Chopped)
- Juice Of Half A Lime
- Handful Of Chopped Basil
- 200 g Medium Egg Noodles
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
- Slice the beef in to 1cm slices
- In a frying pan add the vegetable oil and cook soften the sliced shallots
- Add the ginger, chilli paste and garlic and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the sliced beef, fish, oyster and soy sauce.
- Simmer for 10 minutes
- While the beef is cooking bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the egg noodles. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Drain the noodles and place in a bowl
- Top with the beef and sprinkle with the mint and chopped chilli finishing with a squeeze of lime.
Are you a fan of Thai food? What are your favourite dishes?
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