Thai food is well-known all over the world, which us Thai people are very proud of. I do think we have some of the best dishes in the world and yes, I know I’m being biased! Thai dishes like Pad Thai and Chicken Fried rice are very popular but did you know, Thailand has tons of other dishes that are just as delicious.
I decided to ask our small team here at Thai Food Halal what everyone’s favorite Halal Thai dishes were, and boy, do we have a great list for you! Our list consists of what local Thai people consider are the best dishes that you just have to try. Recipes included so you can make them at home as well! The top 5 Halal Thai dishes listed below.
1. Thai Omelet (Kai Jiew)
We’re starting of very simple, yet incredibly tasty – Thai omelet. It’s crispy. It’s fragrant. It melts in your mouth. It’s what Thai people call “Kai Jiew” which literally translates to “egg that has been fried in oil”. If you walk up to any Thai person and ask them if they know how to make a Thai omelet, 99 percent of them would say “of course!”. Most of us Thai people have been cooking omelet since our teenage years or young adult lives, living in the dorm.
Thai Omelet Recipe
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2-3 tbsp cooking oil
How to:
Crack the eggs into a bowl and add fish sauce and oyster sauce. Whisk it all together. Heat some oil in a pan and pour the mixture. Make sure the oil is very hot! Fry it until it’s crispy and light brown. The Thai omelet should be eaten together with freshly cooked rice for the ultimate taste!
If you want to be a bit fancy, you can add minced chicken or vegetables like tomatoes or onion to make it more filling.
2. Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapaow Gai)
A favorite among the locals is “Pad Krapaow” which translates to Stir Fry Thai Basil. Most restaurants and stalls around Thailand will have this dish on the menu because Thai people love eating it. The dish itself is garlicy, spicy and the taste of the Thai basil is what ties this dish together. I’m not sure Thai Basil Chicken is the national dish of Thailand and if it’s not, it definitely should be! Every Thai person I know loves it and basically it the dish multiple times a the week. It’s addicting for sure.
This dish consists of minced chicken or beef, Thai basil leaves, garlic, red chilies, fish sauce, yellow soy sauce, oyster sauce, black sweet soy sauce and some sugar.
Pad Krapaow Gai Recipe
- 400 g minced chicken or beef
- 50 g Thai basil
- 10 Thai chilies (or less for less spicy)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp yellow soy sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp black sweet soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
How to:
Finely chop chilies and garlic then put them together in a bowl. Heat up the frying pan and add a few table spoons of cooking oil. Add the chili and garlic to the pan and stir until the spicy aroma fills the room. (if you have a kitchen fan, turn it on the highest setting and open the window). Then add the meat and cook it until mostly done. Add all seasoning ingredients. Give it a taste to see if you want to add more fish sauce or sugar. Lastly, stir in the Thai basil leaves and mix everything together. Turn of the heat and serve it together with a fried egg on top and white rice. It’s amazing!
3. Massaman Curry
This curry is filling and very rich and flavorful. You can taste the aromas of various types of spices. Typically, it has peanuts added into it as well as potatoes which makes this Thai dish quite unique, comparing to other Thai curries.
Massaman Curry is very well-known in Thailand and eaten by many. However, if you plan to simply visit a general Thai restaurant, you might be in bad luck since there’s a chance they do not offer this curry dish. You see, Massaman curry can be mostly be found at a “Khao Gaeng” stall or restaurant, or what some call “Curry and Rice” restaurants. “Khao Gaeng” restaurants have curries and an array of different dishes already cooked and ready to be served or eaten on the spot – no need for waiting and very convenient if you’re in a rush!
Thai Massaman Curry Recipe
- 80 g roasted peanuts
- 2 chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 1 large potato
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1-2 onions
- 100 g massaman curry paste
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 pieces of star anise
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or granulated sugar)
How to:
If you have roasted peanuts, skip this step: Using a frying pan, on low heat, add the peanuts to the pan. Always stirring to avoid burning them. Stir until the peanuts turn a light to medium brown color. Put the peanuts aside. If your peanuts have their skin on, wait until they cool down and remove the skin.
Cut unions and potatoes in quarters, roughly the same size.
If your chicken thighs or drumsticks are on the larger side, cut them in half to prevent them being undercooked or raw.
Using a medium sauce pan on medium heat, add a little less than half of the coconut milk along with the massaman curry paste. Stir until the coconut milk starts to separate and you can see oil forming on the top.
Add the chicken, onions and potatoes to the pan. Mix everything together and then add the remaining coconut milk. Let it get to a simmer. When it’s simmering, lower the heat and add the star anise, cinnamon and roasted peanuts. Allow it to cook for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked. After 30 min, add the fish sauce, sugar and tamarind paste. Mix it until it’s dissolved. Taste the curry and add more fish sauce or sugar to your liking.
Best served along with freshly cooked rice!
4. Chicken Fried Garlic and Black Pepper (Tod Gratiem Prik Thai)
Chicken Fried Garlic and Black Pepper is another beloved Thai dish that most people enjoy. In Thai, the dish is called Gai Tod Gratiem Prik Thai. Most Thai restuarrants throughout the country have it on their menu. Smilair to the Thai omelet we listed previously, this this is simple to make and very yummy! If you love garlic, you’ll love this Thai dish.
Tod Gratiem Prik Thai Recipe
- 250 g chicken or beef
- 40 g chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp white soy sauce
- 1tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
How to:
Heat up the oil in a frying pan. Wait until hot and add the chopped garlic. When the garlic starts to turn light brown, add the meat and stir it until fully cooked. When the meat is ready, add the seasoning sauces along with the sugar and black pepper.
Best served with rice along with freshly cut cucumbers!
5. Chicken Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Soy Sauce (Pad See Ew Gai)
If you love Pad Thai, then you should try this Thai noodle dish. Even though they’re really not that similar, they do have two things in common. Both dishes have noodles in them and both are delicious! The noodles in this dish is what we Thai people call “Sen Yai” which directly translates to “large stripes”. However, “Sen Yai” are actually large or wide rice noodles that are typically used in the Pad See Ew dish. You can also substitute the wide rice noodles with either “normal” thin rice noodles or even glass noodles. Whatever you prefer works just as good!
Pad See Ew Gai Recipe
- 100 g large rice noodles (sen yai)
- 1/3 cup of chicken (already cut)
- 3 Thai broccoli
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp garlic (already chopped)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp sweet black soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp white soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 pinches of ground black pepper
How to:
In a bowl, mix the cut chicken with white soy sauce and ground black pepper. Set aside to marinade a little bit.
Cut the Thai broccoli into 2-3 cm wide pieces.
Using a frying pan or wok pan, on medium high heat, add cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add in the chopped garlic and stir until the garlic turns slightly yellow. Increase the heat even more and add the chicken, stir until the meat is fully cooked.
Add sweet black soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and white soy sauce. Stir until everything is mixed in well, then add the large rice noodles to the pan. Continue to carefully stir it.
Make some room in the middle and crack the egg. Carefully break up the egg as it slowly firms. When the egg is about to be ready, mix everything together without being too rough. Lastly add the Thai broccoli and stir until its cooked.
Now it’s ready to be served!