Thai Heat

[Golddustpeak]

My wife and I enjoy Thai food very much, but we have a problem.
She likes NO heat and I'm close to Thai Hot in my liking.
This works in a restaurant but how do I approach it with home cooking?

I realize that I can make a recipe using minimum spices that she will eat then add Sriracha sauce to mine as needed but then everything will taste like Sriracha.
I'd really like to be able to retain the taste and heat of the original recipe.

Any thoughts?
TNX

 

[pepperhead212]

There are many different condiments besides sriracha, and vinegar based hot sauces (neither of which I am crazy about dousing foods with, despite loving peppers and heat). There are a few things I keep in my fridge at all times, to add some heat to various things. One of my favorites is this simplified version of nam prik pao, I posted my method for a few years ago. I have made similar versions for some women I've known, that couldn't take much heat - just used garlic, shallots, or both, without the peppers! The Thai names for those is Crispy Garlic, and Crispy Shallots, and they are also very good together. Just cook them in the oil, like the nam prik pao, but w/o peppers.

Making Nam Prik Pao, a simplified version

This is an ingredient that I'm never without in my kitchen. The classic nam prick pao also has sugar, as well as some dried shrimp in it, which is good, but only something that can really be used with Thai, or other SE Asian foods. This one is much simpler, and with just these ingredients, it...

www.discusscooking.com

And two other condiments, that I always have, are hot oil, a Chinese method for adding some heat, while cooking, or at the table, and Nam Pla Prik, which is hot fish sauce. Here's a thread where I posted my recipes for these:

Heat(chilis) at the table?

There has been some disscussion of Hot spices in food lately. I like spicy, dear spose does not.. So I usualy make our foods realativly mild (heat), though spicy (strong), but not Hot spicy. Then I add Heat at the table for me... I like whole canned jalapenos on the side, srirachi sauce, but...

www.discusscooking.com

 

[pepperhead212]

There are many different condiments besides sriracha, and vinegar based hot sauces (neither of which I am crazy about dousing foods with, despite loving peppers and heat). There are a few things I keep in my fridge at all times, to add some heat to various things. One of my favorites is this simplified version of nam prik pao, I posted my method for a few years ago. I have made similar versions for some women I've known, that couldn't take much heat - just used garlic, shallots, or both, without the peppers! The Thai names for those is Crispy Garlic, and Crispy Shallots, and they are also very good together. Just cook them in the oil, like the nam prik pao, but w/o peppers.

Making Nam Prik Pao, a simplified version

This is an ingredient that I'm never without in my kitchen. The classic nam prick pao also has sugar, as well as some dried shrimp in it, which is good, but only something that can really be used with Thai, or other SE Asian foods. This one is much simpler, and with just these ingredients, it...

www.discusscooking.com

And two other condiments, that I always have, are hot oil, a Chinese method for adding some heat, while cooking, or at the table, and Nam Pla Prik, which is hot fish sauce. Here's a thread where I posted my recipes for these

Heat(chilis) at the table?

There has been some disscussion of Hot spices in food lately. I like spicy, dear spose does not.. So I usualy make our foods realativly mild (heat), though spicy (strong), but not Hot spicy. Then I add Heat at the table for me... I like whole canned jalapenos on the side, srirachi sauce, but...

www.discusscooking.com

As for things like Thai curries, there are some very mild versions of curry pastes out there, and if you are a gardener, there are some no heat peppers that can be used. Only did this once, but there are many out there.

 

[Golddustpeak]

THANK YOU pepperhead212 just what I was looking for

 

[taxlady]

Those look good. I'll be revisiting this page to find them again. I'm about to make supper, so I don't have time to save the recipes to CMT right now.

 

[taxlady]

I have saved the recipes for the chilis in fish sauce and for the simplified nam prik pao. Can those also be used in stir fries?

 

[pepperhead212]

I have saved the recipes for the chilis in fish sauce and for the simplified nam prik pao. Can those also be used in stir fries?

Definitely, and the good thing about that simplified version is that it is compatible with many types of food, not just Thai. I have used it in many types of foods, stir frying/sautéeing the veggies, starting maybe with some raw garlic, as well, and adding a tb or two of this to toss the last minute or so, and coat the food. I have also cooked some veggies like this, then put about half into a serving dish, for those who don't want heat, then add the NPP to the other half, for those who want heat. I have one friend who got hooked on this, and makes it all the time, but he doesn't even make Thai food!

 

[dragnlaw]

Sambal Olek and Harrisa are two of my favourite premade mixes. I find that because they are a paste you can add just a little while cooking and then at the table if you want more it is easy to blend in more to find your own level.

I also find that Harrisa is very flavourful. You can actually taste other ingredients in there - not just heat. (of course, this just proves how unsophisticated my palate is.. )

Those look good. I'll be revisiting this page to find them again. I'm about to make supper, so I don't have time to save the recipes to CMT right now.

Ditto.

 

[Golddustpeak]

Definitely, and the good thing about that simplified version is that it is compatible with many types of food, not just Thai. I have used it in many types of foods, stir frying/sautéeing the veggies, starting maybe with some raw garlic, as well, and adding a tb or two of this to toss the last minute or so, and coat the food. I have also cooked some veggies like this, then put about half into a serving dish, for those who don't want heat, then add the NPP to the other half, for those who want heat. I have one friend who got hooked on this, and makes it all the time, but he doesn't even make Thai food!

How would you go about adding it (or NPP) to individual cooked dishes at the table, or would you just cook two different batches?

 

[pepperhead212]

@Golddustpeak I've made many things, such as Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup, or Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup, when there was someone that didn't want heat, and I just put a small container of the NPP on the table, for myself, and whoever else likes heat, and maybe some crispy garlic or shallots, for whoever didn't want heat, but to give a similar flavor. The NPP can be added as much or as little as desired, this way, and the good thing about it is that it doesn't have anything in it that needs "cooked off", like vinegar and other flavors/aromas, that many of those things in jars have - not a bad thing, but not something I like just added to food already cooked. And some stir-fry dishes I just dish out half (or however much) of it to a serving platter (or just a plate, if it's just two), then stir in some NPP, and have a separate hot helping.

 

[Golddustpeak]

I've finally got everything together and made my first Nam Prik Pao and Nam Pla Prik now it is only a short wait to see what I've done
I will be doing the Hot Oil if and when the snow melts around here.

 

[Jade Emperor]

You can always use gochujang or similar. Heat up a small amount just for yourself and stir through the finished dish in your own bowl.