| Cooking in Thailand |
At first it seemed foolish to cook our own
meals in Thailand. Even the food from
roadside vendors was tasty, fresh, clean
and cheap...so why cook?
Two reasons... White rice, a staple in
Thailand, is not terribly healthy,
especially when you need the continued
burn of carbohydrate throughout the day.
Brown rice is much healthier and a better
source of complex carbohydrates.
Second, most vendors and restaurants
use a lot of unhealthy hydrogenated oil.
meals in Thailand. Even the food from
roadside vendors was tasty, fresh, clean
and cheap...so why cook?
Two reasons... White rice, a staple in
Thailand, is not terribly healthy,
especially when you need the continued
burn of carbohydrate throughout the day.
Brown rice is much healthier and a better
source of complex carbohydrates.
Second, most vendors and restaurants
use a lot of unhealthy hydrogenated oil.
A Pot Full of Phak with Tofu
(Stir Fried Vegetables)
Most evenings we make a pot of
brown rice and store it overnight in a
sealable pot.
After a long day of riding we usually
stop at the open market and buy
whichever vegetables look good.
Some of our favorites:
-Thai Spinach
-Elephant Ear Mushrooms
-Soybean Sprouts
-Mild Red Chili Peppers
-Baby Bok Choy
Generally the vegetable sellers also
sell the tofu. Ask anyone for
"dow-who" and they will point to the
tofu vendor. It is sold in pressed
square blocks about the size of a
hamburger patty for 6 baht a piece
(about 15 cents)
Back at the hotel room we fire up the
campstove, add a dallop of olive oil
and start to mix in the ingredients.
Amanda washes the veggies in a
plastic bag in the sink.
Thais are famous for using fresh
spices rather than dried, so keep a
lookout at the market for small
bunches of coriander, mint, and
sweet basil to throw in the pot.
We always carry around a small bag
of miso paste (fermented soybean).
It keeps well at any temperature and
a teaspoonful adds a healthy salty
flavor to most any sauce.
(Stir Fried Vegetables)
Most evenings we make a pot of
brown rice and store it overnight in a
sealable pot.
After a long day of riding we usually
stop at the open market and buy
whichever vegetables look good.
Some of our favorites:
-Thai Spinach
-Elephant Ear Mushrooms
-Soybean Sprouts
-Mild Red Chili Peppers
-Baby Bok Choy
Generally the vegetable sellers also
sell the tofu. Ask anyone for
"dow-who" and they will point to the
tofu vendor. It is sold in pressed
square blocks about the size of a
hamburger patty for 6 baht a piece
(about 15 cents)
Back at the hotel room we fire up the
campstove, add a dallop of olive oil
and start to mix in the ingredients.
Amanda washes the veggies in a
plastic bag in the sink.
Thais are famous for using fresh
spices rather than dried, so keep a
lookout at the market for small
bunches of coriander, mint, and
sweet basil to throw in the pot.
We always carry around a small bag
of miso paste (fermented soybean).
It keeps well at any temperature and
a teaspoonful adds a healthy salty
flavor to most any sauce.
Cycling Cuisine > Thailand > Stir-Fried Vegetables
