Kin Thai Basics

prik bon

Toasted Chilli Powder

• Dried Long Red Chillies 200 g, seeded
• Dried Bird’s Eye Chillies 25 g

1. Dry-toast the dried long red chillies in a wok over a medium heat for 10 minutes, moving them around frequently so that the chillies colour evenly and darken. Some black blistering and charring is good for flavour, but too much will cause the final chilli powder to become dark and bitter. Remove from the wok and repeat the process for the bird’s eye chillies, this time cooking for 5 minutes.
2. Blitz the chillies in a hand-held blender or spice grinder to a powder of your chosen texture. I prefer my prik bon with a little more texture than shop-bought chilli powder, more like that of sand. Be careful not to blitz any of the chilli seeds that have fallen out of the chillies and become burnt and blackened while toasting, these will be bitter. Store in an airtight container away from direct sunlight for up to two months. Makes 200 g.

hom jiaw/nahm man hom

Fried Shallots/Fragrant Shallot Oil

• Shallots 200 g, peeled (small round or banana shallots work best, but they must be very fresh and firm)
• Vegetable Oil 500 ml

1. Halve the shallots lengthways, then slice them as thinly as you can with the grain of the shallot, aiming for slices 1 mm thick. Take your time, as you are looking for a uniform thickness so that the shallots fry evenly. Using a Japanese mandolin makes the job easier.
2. Line a large baking tray with paper towels. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok until it reaches 140°C on a cooking thermometer. If you don’t own one, add a slice of shallot to the hot oil; if it starts to bubble and fry without taking on colour immediately, the temperature is correct.
3. Add the remaining shallots to the hot oil and stir to prevent them clumping together. Maintain a steady oil temperature so that the shallots are kept at a gentle sizzle for about 12 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
4. Strain the shallots through a sieve over a heatproof dish so that the oil is collected. Shake the sieve, then transfer the shallots to the lined tray. Use two forks to gently tease the shallots apart into strands, separating them into a single layer on the paper. The shallots will darken and become crispier as they dry. You want them to dry and cool as quickly as possible to prevent them turning too dark and becoming bitter. This takes some practice, but you will quickly realise how dark you want the shallots to be before straining.
5. Leave the fried shallots to cool completely before storing in an airtight container lined with a sheet of paper towel. Store in a cool dry place for up to two weeks. Leave the fragrant shallot oil to cool completely before transferring to a separate airtight container. Keep in a cool, dry place for up to two months. Makes 100 g.

gratiam jiaw/nahm man gratiam

Fried Garlic/Fragrant Garlic Oil

• Garlic Cloves 160 g, peeled and chopped
• Vegetable Oil 500 ml

1. In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic into a uniform minced texture, resembling a somewhat coarse paste. Do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the mortar. Alternatively, if you own a mincer, then mince the garlic through the smallest hole.
2. Line a large baking tray with paper towels. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok until it reaches 140°C on a cooking thermometer. If you don’t own one, add a speck of very finely chopped garlic to the oil; if it starts to bubble and fry without taking on colour immediately, the temperature is correct.
3. Add the remaining garlic to the oil and stir to prevent it clumping together. Maintain a steady oil temperature so that the garlic is kept at a gentle sizzle for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Strain the fried garlic through a sieve (fine-mesh strainer) over a heatproof dish so that the oil is collected. Shake the sieve, then transfer the fried garlic to the lined tray and spread it out in a thin single layer on the paper. The garlic will darken and become crispier as it dries. You want it to dry and cool as quickly as possible to prevent it turning too dark and becoming bitter. This takes some practice, but you will quickly realise how dark you want the garlic to be before straining.
5. Leave the fried garlic to cool completely before storing in an airtight container lined with a sheet of paper towel. Store in a cool dry place for up to two weeks. Leave the fragrant garlic oil to cool completely before transferring to a separate airtight container. It will keep in a cool, dry place for up to two months. Once the fried garlic and fragrant garlic oil are completely cooled, you can make a condiment by adding one part crispy fried garlic flakes to two parts fragrant oil. This is great for adding seasoning at the table to noodle soups, fried rice and rice porridge. Makes 80 g.