Pla thot, meaning deep-fried fish or pan-fried fish in Thai, is a fish specialty that is made by frying fish to crispy perfection, both inside and out. The fish is often fried in its entirety with head, fins, bones, skin, and tail intact, but it can also be cut into chunks before the frying process.
Common fish used in this type of preparation include catfish, mackerel, snapper, white perch, rock cod, and grouper, and some smaller fish such as anchovies, smelts, and sand dabs. Although the frying typically takes some time in order to achieve the desired crispiness, the fish comes out devoid of the assumed greasiness and with a nice crunchiness to it.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Poo cha (a.k.a. poo ja) is a Thai dish consisting of stuffed, deep-fried crabs. The dish is best prepared with fresh crabs that are steamed, and the meat is then removed and flaked before it is combined with pork, shrimps, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, and various other spices and seasonings.
The mixture is then stuffed inside crab shells, which are occasionally steamed before they are deep-fried. The crabs are usually served with a dipping sauce on the side.
Pla sam rot is a traditional fish dish originating from Thailand. The dish is usually made with fish such as sea bass, tilapia, or snapper. The three-part sauce is made with a mixture of tamarind (sour), palm sugar (sweet), fish sauce (salty), and additional ingredients such as garlic, coriander, hot peppers, shallots, Thai basil, and oil.
The fish is fried in oil and the sauce is then spooned over the fish. Pla sam rot is traditionally served on a platter as a shared meal, with steamed jasmine rice on the side.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This fiery Thai fish curry is usually associated with Central Thailand, although similar varieties can be found throughout the country. The most popular version consists of fresh rice noodles (khanom chin) that are served with a thick and spicy curry which is based on coconut milk, white fish, and a thick curry paste that usually combines freshly ground chilis, lemongrass, shrimp paste, turmeric, and garlic.
The dish is traditionally accompanied by fresh vegetables, lemon basil, and fried chilis. Traditionally, it comes topped with hard-boiled eggs.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Pla neung manao is a traditional fish dish originating from Central Thailand. The dish is usually made with a combination of fish (typically barramundi), lemongrass, lime juice, garlic, fish stock, palm sugar, fish sauce, hot peppers, and coriander.
The fish is scored, stuffed with lemongrass, and steamed until fully cooked. Other ingredients are cooked into a sauce, and the sauce is then simply poured over the steamed fish while being careful that most of the hot peppers and garlic remain on top of the fish.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Kai jeow pu is a traditional crab omelet originating from Thailand. It's usually made with a combination of crabmeat, eggs, a bit of flour, fish sauce, and oil. About half of the eggs are fried in hot oil, topped with crab meat, and then the combination is topped with another layer of eggs.
The eggs and the crab meat can also be mixed together, then simply fried in lots of hot oil. Once the omelet has been shaped and fully cooked, it is served immediately. Kai jeow pu has recently been popularized by Bangkok's famous chef Jay Fai, whose street food stall was awarded a Michelin Star.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Pla muek yang is a Thai-style chargrilled squid dish typically coated in a spicy, sweet-and-sour sauce consisting of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chilis, coriander roots, and sugar. The dish is often served with peanuts and coriander leaves on top and is commonly sold at roadside eateries and street stalls across Thailand.
It can be consumed on its own as an appetizer or a main course, or it can be mixed with salads.
Kaeng som is a sour, water-based Thai curry that is typically prepared with fish or shrimps and a thick paste that usually incorporates shallots, chilis, and shrimps. The dish comes in numerous varieties, and it can greatly differ depending on the region.
In southern Thailand, it often incorporates turmeric and is occasionally listed on the menus as orange or yellow curry, but it should not be confused with the classic, coconut-based yellow curry known as kaeng kari. The varieties found in central regions are usually enriched with tamarind pulp that gives the dish its typical sour flavor.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This simple Thai stir-fry combines glass noodles and whole shrimps. The dish is usually prepared in clay pots with larger tiger prawns or freshwater shrimps and comes topped with soy sauce, peppercorns, coriander, and ginger, while variations may include bacon slices, oyster sauce, garlic, shallots, or different herbs and spices.
Although it is believed that the dish was created under Chinese culinary influence, it is now a staple in numerous seafood restaurants in Thailand.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Hoy tod is a traditional dish that's commonly sold at street food stands. This crispy omelet is prepared with plump oysters or mussels (or both) and bean sprouts that are fried after being coated in savory egg batter. Once fried, the omelet is typically garnished with spring onions and served with assorted condiments such as green chili sauce, fish sauce with chili peppers, or tomato sauce.
There's also the spongy and gooey version called or suan, and it's said that men usually prefer or suan, while women opt for the crispy hoy tod.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.