12 Gluten Free Thai-Inspired Recipes, to make at home
It’s difficult to narrow it down, but if I had to choose just two cuisines to eat for the rest of my life, I think they’d be Thai and Mexican. I have a dream of traveling through Thailand one day, learning to cook authentic dishes alongside Thai grandmothers. And while we’re dreaming, I’d head to Italy next to learn pasta making from the nonnas.
I’ve been creating Thai-inspired dishes since I first started blogging. My dad traveled overseas a lot when I was growing up, and we also grew up in the Bay Area, surrounded by an incredible mix of cultures and cuisines. Between the two, we were introduced to all kinds of food from a young age. I still remember some of his Chinese colleagues coming to our house and cooking us a meal. It tasted nothing like the American Chinese takeout I’d known my whole life. It was probably one of my first realizations that there was an entire world of food beyond the versions we were used to eating here.
I think my dad first took me to a Thai restaurant when I was in high school, and I fell for it immediately.
I’m certain that if I ever make it to Thailand, I’ll have a completely different experience and discover dishes I’ve never even heard of. But for now, some of the classics that show up on American Thai restaurant menus remain my favorites.
Pad Pak Ruam Mit (Thai Vegetable Stir Fry) is almost always on our table for its vibrant mix of vegetables and that simple savory sauce that just barely coats the crisp-tender veggies. My kids can crush six orders of Chicken Satay when we go out, while I steal all of the sweet vinegar cucumbers and red onions from the side. I love the cinnamon and cloves tucked into a silky, rich Massaman curry. Green Papaya Salad with long beans and plenty of lime. Laap, or Larb, salads with all of their salty, sour, herby goodness. And Barb and Ry’s favorite: Pad See Ew. Before paleo, I loved a Thai iced tea, too.
I even love Thai food cold from the fridge the next day. Takeout box in one hand, fork in the other, hovering over the kitchen counter without bothering to get a plate. Somehow all of those sweet, salty, sour, savory flavors, the fish sauce, ginger, garlic, chiles, lime and spices, taste just as good cold. Maybe even better.
P.S. I’m sitting across from Ryan, working at a coffee shop, and I just asked him which two cuisines he thought I’d pick if I had to narrow it down. His first answer? “Dessert.” HA. Fair. But then he immediately nailed it: “Thai and Mexican.” If he knows my answer without me telling him, I feel pretty confident in my declaration.
xo Danielle
Thai Vegetable Stir-fry (Pad Pak Ruam Mit)
I mentioned in my email a few weeks ago, but I’ve been making my Chicken Satay Bowls on repeat. With school back in session and a 16-year-old son who is constantly protein loading, I’ve been making a huge batch of chicken and keeping it in the fridge so he can build a bowl whenever he wants. Pre-dinner at 4 p.m., post-dinner at 11 p.m., for breakfast? Nothing surprises me anymore.
With everything we’ve been going through, and my propensity lately to drop a few balls, I accidentally left the chicken marinating for three days one week. It ended up being so flavorful that I did it on purpose the next time. I even started making freezer kits with the raw chicken and marinade frozen together, ready to thaw and cook later. Lately I’ve been using chicken thighs and throwing them on the grill, which is easy and adds such great flavor. And I grabbed four bottles of the Trader Joe’s Peanut Satay Sauce to make the whole thing even faster.
We needed a vegetable side that I could make in a big batch and keep in the fridge to eat throughout the week, so I recreated one of my favorites to order when we go out for Thai: Pad Pak Ruam Mit, which essentially means “stir-fried mixed vegetables.”
And that’s really what it is: a big, beautiful pile of colorful vegetables, quickly stir-fried so they stay crisp-tender, with a delicate savory sauce that lightly blankets everything. It’s simple, but so good. You can also add a protein and turn it into a full meal, which I’ve included instructions for below.
Enjoy!
More Thai-inspired Recipes
From The Blog Archives
Pssst. Did you know I have a FREE app that helps you navigate my cookbooks, make meal plans, and makes your grocery lists for you? Just type “Thai” and you can see all of my Thai-inspired recipes across my books, which book they’re in, and what page number!
Thai Vegetable Stir Fry
Serves 4 to 6 (as a side dish)
Recipe Author: Danielle Walker
TOOLS
Large saute pan
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons avocado or neutral oil
100 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
170 g snow peas (about 2 cups), trimmed and strings removed
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
1 bunch baby bok choy, trimmed and halved lengthwise (quartered if large)
285 g broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
Sauce
½ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons clam juice (optional, especially nice if serving with shrimp)
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons arrowroot starch whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water
salt, to taste
METHOD
Heat a large wok or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and garlic. Stir-fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the snow peas and bok choy. Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, just until the bok choy begins to wilt. Don’t overcook the vegetables. Thai stir-fried vegetables are usually still crisp and vibrant, which is what makes them so good.
While the vegetables cook, whisk together the broth, coconut aminos, fish sauce, coconut sugar, clam juice (if using), and white pepper in a measuring cup. Pour it into the vegetables and simmer for about 1 minute.
Stir in the arrowroot slurry and cook 30–60 seconds until the sauce lightly coats the vegetables. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot.
To add protein:
1½ pounds peeled and deveined shrimp, or 1¼–1½ pounds chicken thighs, thinly sliced.
Cook the protein first in the skillet (2 to 3 minutes for shrimp, 6 to 8 for chicken), remove it and any juices, then add it back just before thickening the sauce.
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