The Minimalist Thai Kitchen
One of the many things I love about Thai cuisine is the simplicity of the equipment you need to prepare it. I've seen this confirmed in street stalls all throughout Thailand and in Pim's mom's home kitchen in Chiang Mai -- a simple, semi-outdoor affair with a wok on a single gas burner, a few knives, cutting boards, and stirring spoons.
You don't need much in the way of equipment to cook Thai. And, in fact, Mark Bittman, the New York Times minimalist chef, argues persuasively in this piece, that you don't need much in the way of equipment to prepare any cuisine -- less that $200 worth!
Your kitchen's probably already pretty well outfitted. I'll just list out here a few essentials.
Rice Cooker
This we use daily. Buy the cheapest one at Target, sized according to your family's needs.
Frying pan/wok
You don't really need a $500 copper clad frying pan from Williams-Sonoma. I love using an over sized, stainless steel one I found at Target. A wok would work just as well, but Pim also seems to prefer the frying pan, one that's Teflon coated -- a substance lately I'm fearful of -- if eggs are involved.
Sauce pan
So many Thai dishes are accompanied by soup and sauces, so buy a few of different sizes
Knives
Thai food is seemingly 80% chopping, so buy knives you like the heft and sharpness of. We suffered along with some cheap Ikea ones, then bought the inexpensive, white-handled Dexter-Russell ones Bittman recommends at Costco. A pleasure to use.
Cutting board
Plastic will suffice and they seem to clean up more nicely than the wood. I like one for meat and one for veggies. Pim's content with one for everything.
Mortar and pestle
This was the one thing that I didn't have when Pim moved in. We found ours at the supermarket in Thai Town, Los Angeles, but I'm sure you can find them everywhere. Ours is solid stone, and I feel like a caveman -- in a good way -- every time I use it to make a pungent, cough inducing mash of Thai chillies and garlic. (Forget peeling garlic with this thing: just pound on the unpeeled cloves, then pick out the feathery husks.)
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