Thai Curry

Amy’s Thai Red Curry

Amy’s Thai Red Curry is a flavorful meal with aromatic jasmine rice, and a delicious curry sauce made with coconut milk (a major difference between Thai and Indian curry dishes). There are a lot of vegetables including tofu, broccoli and butternut squash. The side of jasmine rice is enough without being stingy and the sauce has a mildly spicy taste that is not overpowering. It is gluten free, vegan, plant based, and dairy free, but does contain soy and tree nuts (coconuts).

Amy’s Thai Green Curry

The difference between green and red curry is red curry uses red chilies as a base for its paste, whereas green curry uses green chilies and is spicier. The green curry has chunks of sweet potato and jalapeno, but it is not too spicy since jalapeno is listed as a last ingredient. This dish perfectly balances sweetness with spiciness. The aromatic jasmine rice complements the curried vegetables well. It is gluten free, vegan, plant based, and dairy free, but does contain soy and tree nuts (coconuts).

Rice and Rice Noodles

Amy’s Thai Vegetables and Rice Bowl

This bowl contains vegetables, rice, and almonds, blended in a coconut cashew and tofu marinade. The sweet potatoes go well with the jasmine rice and sauce. It is a hearty and filling meal. It is gluten free, vegan, plant based, dairy free, corn free, but does contain soy, tree nuts (cashews, almonds and coconut) and sesame seeds.

Amy’s Pad Thai

The noodles are made with rice and contains tofu, broccoli, carrots, and green onions. It also contains cashews, instead of the typical peanuts. I was surprised at the vinaigrette taste from the rice vinegar. This does not taste like the Pad Thai served at restaurants, which is not sour. I prefer the curries and peanut noodles reviewed instead. The Pad Thai is gluten and dairy free but does contain soy and tree nuts (cashews).

A Taste of Thai Peanut Noodles

This is a tasty, complete meal in a box, containing everything you need – noodles, peanut powder, coconut powder, and even the box to be microwaved in after adding water. Ready in 4 minutes, it has a savory peanut and coconut sauce. And it comes with crushed peanuts to sprinkle on the noodles for a nice crunch. This is a tasty, ready to eat meal that can be quickly prepared at work or in a college dorm. The noodles are gluten free and the allergens listed on the box are peanuts, soybeans and coconuts.

Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Rice Noodles

I love that the noodles are made with only two ingredients, rice flour and water. It is sticky but very tender. I made it two ways. First, I mixed it with Earth Balance vegan butter and added Go Veggie Vegan Parmesan Grated Topping for a nice linguine type meal. Secondly, I had a packet of A Taste of Thai Peanut Sauce Mix. So, I mixed it with Thai Kitchen Unsweetened Coconut Milk (owned by McCormick and containing coconut, water, and guar gum). It tasted just like the A Taste of Thai Peanut Noodles. Both are delicious, but Annie Chun’s noodles are more tender because they are boiled as opposed to microwaved. However, if you make it this way, you need to buy coconut milk. The noodles are vegan and gluten free and cook in 5 minutes. If you go to anniechun.com, there are recipes for crunchy Thai noodle slaw, and chicken pad Thai, both of which can be made with the noodles.

Thai Soup

Amy’s Thai Coconut Soup, Tom Kha Phak

Tom Kha Phak is a spicy and sour soup made with coconut milk. The traditional version is made with chicken. This is the vegetarian version and at first taste I thought there was chicken, but it was the tofu and mushrooms, which have the consistency of meat. It contains galangal, which is a root similar to ginger, along with sweet potatoes, carrots and green beans. It’s a mix of tart, sweet and spicy flavors and Amy’s website says it can be poured on rice. It is gluten free, dairy free, vegan, kosher, plant based, but does contain soy and tree nuts (coconuts).

Pacific Thai Sweet Potato Soup 

This soup combines sweet potatoes, winter squash, coconut, lemongrass, lime, red chili pepper and ginger. Compared to Amy’s, this soup is thicker and has more of a sweet potato flavor whereas Amy’s has a strong coconut milk flavor. This version has the consistency of thick, butter squash soup. It is really a delicious soup without being heavy and would be perfect in the winter. It is vegan, gluten free, soy free, vegetarian, yeast free and organic. It does contain tree nuts (coconuts and almonds).

Dr. McDougall’s Gluten Free Asian Noodles

Dr. McDougall is a real doctor and not a fictional “Betty Crocker” type character used in marketing a product. His website says he is a physician and nutrition expert who teaches better health through vegetarian cuisine. This soup comes in a carton with dried vegetables, noodles and spices to be mixed with water and microwaved. The rice noodles are tender, and the soup has a nice lime flavor which is perfectly spiced with chili peppers and herbs. Instructions on the carton say that the cooked noodles can be added to sauteed vegetables for a stir fry and the website contains many recipes using the soup. It is gluten free, vegan and non-GMO project verified. It does contain soy and peanuts.

Tuna

StarKist Tuna Creations

You may be surprised to find tuna being reviewed, but in last week’s post, I wrote about how even meat like salami and imitation crab meat can contain added milk or gluten.

Red Curry with Coconut

The tuna is a delicious blend of the sweetness of coconut milk with just enough red chili pepper to give it a kick. The allergens listed are fish (tuna) and tree nuts (coconuts).

Thai Chili Style

This tuna does not contain coconut milk and is spicier than the red curry. It is a great flavor, with red chili peppers and spices. The allergens listed are fish (tuna) and soy. Both are great on their own or mixed with a little mayo. They are perfect for lunch or a snack.

Conclusion

I will end this post with a quote from Michelin-starred chef David Thompson, which perfectly sums up Thai food, “Thai food ain’t about simplicity. “It’s about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord, it’s got to have a smooth surface but it doesn’t matter what’s happening underneath. Simplicity isn’t the dictum here, at all. Some Westerners think it’s a jumble of flavors, but to a Thai that’s important, it’s the complexity they delight in.”

Reminder

The Nourished Festival will be online for free on September 24-26. It is the gluten free, allergy & specialty diet festival. There will be a class on making gluten and dairy free Pad Thai on 9/25 from 4:00-5:00 pm CST. 

Fun Food Facts

Interesting facts about Thai Food:

• Almost nothing is baked since most homes do not have an oven
• Pad Thai became the national dish to alleviate a rice shortage
• Chopsticks are only used for noodles
• Beer is served “on ice”
• The food is served and enjoyed communally
• Thai desserts are made of coconut and rice flour rather than cream or wheat flour

Did You Know?

You might be surprised to find out that curry is not one spice, but rather a blend of spices and herbs.

Indian curry typically contains turmeric, chilies, coriander, cumin, ginger and pepper. Thai curry, on the other hand, is made with lemongrass, ginger, galangal, chilies, and herbs mixed with coconut milk.

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