A variety of culinary tools and kitchen gadgets are used to create classic Thai food such as Pad Thai, Tom Kha Kai, Chicken Satay, and Larb Gai. And who isn’t a fan of one or more Thai curry recipes – green curry, Panang curry, masaman curry, yellow curry, and more.
Check the ethnic food sections of local grocery stores to see if they keep any items in stock that can be used in Thai-style cooking. Online specialty stores, such as Import Food and Temple of Thai, offer a complete line of Asian culinary utensils, along with canned, bottled, and other prepackaged Thai food ingredients.
Favorite Thai Style Cuisine Utensils
Here’s a quick rundown of my favorite top Thai cooking essentials:
- Bamboo steamer set
- Mortar and pestle sets
- Cheesecloth
- Clay pot
- Coconut grater
- Fish grill
- Kanom Krok pan
- Bamboo or metal skewers
- Sticky rice cookware set
- Thai hot pot
- Wok
Bamboo Steamer
Bamboo steamer sets are used along with a wok, to steam a variety of items such as Thai sticky rice, dim sum, vegetables, or even fish. A small plate, piece of parchment paper, or a cloth, such as a bundle of dampened cheesecloth, is usually added to the bottom of the bamboo steamer, to prevent the food from falling through the slats and into the water during the steaming process.
Clay Mortar and Pestle Set
Large clay mortars with a wooden pestle are used to make salads, sauces, and other Thai culinary dishes using softer ingredients. The interior of the mortar is unglazed, so a wooden pestle must be used, as harder items could possibly damage the clay.
Som Tam, a green papaya salad, is a classic Thai dish made in a ceramic mortar and pestle set. I also use my mortar and pestle set to make fresh guacamole using avocados, tomatoes, garlic, red onion, lime juice, fresh cilantro leaves, and salt.
Granite Mortar and Pestle Set
Large and heavy stone mortar and pestle sets are usually made out of granite. This heavy mortar and pestle set is used to pound and grind hard items such as peppercorns and other dried spices. The spices are often dry toasted in a frying pan before being added to the mortar.
I am a bit of a culinary gadget geek and currently own around 10 mortar and pestle sets made from clay, glass, wood, unglazed ceramic, granite, brass, and cast iron. Small mortar and pestle sets can weigh 1 or 2 pounds, while very large sets weigh up to 25 pounds or more.
Cheesecloth
To make sticky rice, a staple part of almost every Thai meal, damp cheesecloth is wrapped around a portion of glutinous rice, which has been soaked in water. The rice is then steamed, using either a bamboo steamer placed over a wok or in a sticky rice cooker. A clean, damp dishtowel can be used in place of the cheesecloth.
Clay Pot
Oven safe clay cookers, with matching lids, are used to make a variety of soups and curries. The clay pot comes with a clay base, in which a can of Sterno or a tea candle can be placed, in order to keep the soup or curry warm. In the western kitchen, the clay pot can also be used to make casseroles, such as baked macaroni with cheese, or even French onion soup.
Coconut Grater
Used to grate fresh coconut meat and to prepare fresh coconut milk. Processing whole coconuts can be a bit time-consuming, cans of unsweetened coconut milk and coconut cream are available from online Thai specialty stores. Sweetened and unsweetened canned coconut milk can often be found in the Latin American food section of most grocery stores. Unless I’m making a dessert, I always use unsweetened coconut milk in my Thai-inspired culinary creations.
Fish Grill
A fish-shaped serving container, made from aluminum. A tea light, or can of Sterno placed in the base of the fish grill, in order to keep the food warm. A fish grill is traditionally used to serve a whole fish, with the head and tail still attached.
Kanom Krok Pan
Specialty Thai cooking tool used to make a classic Thai dessert. Kanom krok are small pancake-like desserts made from rice flour and coconut milk and cooked in a heavy cast iron pan. Large pans can make up to 28 individual kanom kroks at a time.
Skewers
Skewers are usually made from either metal or bamboo and are used to hold chunks of vegetables and pieces of meat, such as beef or chicken, which are then grilled. One end of the skewer is pointed, to allow the meat to easily be placed on the skewer. If you are using bamboo skewers, you must first soak them in water before adding your meats and vegetables to prevent them from catching fire during the grilling process. Chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce is a traditional Thai dish cooked on skewers.
Sticky Rice Cookware Set
Sticky rice steamer basket and stainless steel base. The stainless steel base is filled with water and placed over a heat source, such as a gas or electric stove. The steamer basket is filled with glutinous rice, which has been soaked in water. A bundle of damp cheesecloth is placed over the rice, then a lid is placed over the cloth covered bundle of rice. The steamer basket is then placed over the stainless steel base and steamed for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender and translucent.
A portion of sticky rice is served with almost every Thai meal. A bamboo steamer set, placed over a wok filled with water, may also be used to steam sticky rice.
Thai Hot Pot
The Thai hot pot is a large aluminum pot used to serve family-sized portions of soup such as Tom Kha or Tom Yum. The hot pot comes with a lid and a base. The base can be filled with a tea light, or a can of Sterno, in order to keep the soup warm.
Wok
Woks, made out of steel, carbon steel, or even brass, are a staple utensil of the Thai kitchen. Woks can be used to steam, stir fry and fry many Thai-style dishes. The round shape of the wok creates a more even heat distribution than a conventional frying pan.
Back in my college dorm room days, I used to have an electric wok which I used to make almost everything including spaghetti. We weren’t officially allowed to cook in our dorm room, but almost every student snuck in a mini-fridge, coffee pot, and toaster oven – those were the good old days!
Additional Thai Cooking Items
I live in SE Florida and currently have a Kaffir lime tree in my backyard and papaya, lemongrass, Thai basil, and other yummy herbs, spices, and vegetables growing in my raised beds, but I used to source my Asian culinary ingredients online. If you are having difficulty locating certain Thai cooking essentials, a few of my favorite online sources for Asian cooking utensils, Thai cookware, and specialty ingredients include ImportFood and Temple of Thai.
Favorite Thai Style Cuisine
Once you’ve stocked up on Thai cooking essentials, here are links to a few of my favorite Asian-inspired dishes:
- Delicious Pad Thai Recipe
- Preparing the Ingredients for Homemade Pad Thai
- How to Make Steamed Chinese Dumplings at Home
- Asian-Style Vegan Vegetable Wraps
Let’s Keep in Touch
Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net and I just might feature your story in a future blog post.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
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