Getting Started Cooking Thai
To get started cooking Thai food at home you do not necessarily need any special cookware. With just a few basic tools and a pantry well-stocked with standard Thai ingredients, you can cook a quick Thai meal anytime. Learn what type of Asian cookware is necessary and what Thai ingredients to stock so you can cook Thai food any time.
Necessary Asian Cookware
Essential cookware for cooking Thai food includes: a properly sharpened cleaver or chef's knife; a medium-sized pot to cook jasmine rice; a wok or large saute or frying pan; and a small to medium-sized sauce pan or pot to make curries and soups.
In the countryside of Thailand, Thai people generally have very few utensils in the kitchen, but the diversity of the food produced is simply amazing. For authenticity and taste a mortar and pestle is irreplaceable, but if you are cooking Thai food for the first time a small blender or coffee grinder (used only for spices) will do. You may purchase various sizes of imported Thai granite stone mortar and pestles in our online Thai grocery.
Stock Thai Ingredients
Standard Thai ingredients are generally few: dried black peppercorns, sea salt, MSG (for those who like it), ka-pee (shrimp paste), palm oil (or other vegetable cooking oil), tamarind paste (or fresh lime) and fish sauce (and or soy sauce). For more information see about Thai ingredients.
With just the basics and the fundamental techniques, you will be able to cook delicious Thai food at home. See our basic Thai menu to get started.
See our home style Thai recipes
Shop for hard-to-find cooking ingredients in our Thai Food market!