Top 5 Thai Side Dishes

Fried pork rinds are a popular Thai snack that is prepared with cured or dried pork skin. Some fat is usually left on the skin, and the curing process helps the rind attain its typical puffed and crispy texture. Khaep mu is enjoyed as a snack when it is usually accompanied by chili-based nam phrik sauces. It can also be served as a side dish, and when crumbled, it is often added to various dishes as an ingredient or a garnish. This filling snack is traditionally associated with northern Thailand, and it is commonly sold by street vendors.Expand

Chai tow kway is a savory dish originating in the Teochew Chinese community and widely popular in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand, where it is often called carrot cake despite containing no carrot. The name comes from the Teochew words for radish and cake, referring to the main ingredient: steamed rice flour and white radish batter that is set into a firm cake. This cake is cut into cubes and then stir-fried with preserved radish, eggs, garlic, and seasonings. The preparation results in a dish that is both crisp and tender, with a balance of savory and lightly sweet flavors. The batter for chai tow kway begins with grated white radish, which is mixed with water and rice flour to form a thick slurry. This mixture is poured into a tray and steamed until it solidifies into a smooth, cohesive block. After cooling, the cake is diced into bite-sized pieces. In hawker stalls and home kitchens alike, the cubes are then fried in hot oil with chopped preserved radish for a salty undertone, garlic for aroma, and beaten eggs to bind everything together. Depending on preference, the dish can be prepared in a white style without sweet soy sauce, or in a black style where dark sweet soy sauce is added for a richer taste and caramelized edges. Chai tow kway is typically garnished with chopped scallions and sometimes a sprinkle of white pepper. It is eaten hot, often as a breakfast or supper dish, and is a staple offering at many hawker centers. Vendors usually prepare it fresh to order, letting customers choose how much egg or chili to include. The dish is commonly enjoyed with pickled chilies on the side, adding a sour and spicy contrast.Expand

This simple Thai salad consists of fried eggs and sliced vegetables such as onions and carrots, as well as a generous amount of freshly chopped cilantro and various greens. The salad is drizzled with a dressing that usually combines lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh chili peppers. Yam khai dao can be prepared with duck or chicken eggs, and although it can be served with rice and enjoyed as a light main course, it can also accompany various meat-based Thai dishes.Expand

Hailing from Thailand, kai ho bai toei is a chicken delicacy made with marinated pieces of chicken - usually chicken thighs or chicken breasts - that are enclosed within aromatic pandan leaves and deep-fried. A variety of ingredients can be used in the marinade - coriander, fish sauce, oyster sauce or soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, white peppercorns, curry powder, turmeric, lemongrass, coconut cream, palm sugar, sesame oil, flour, vinegar, shallots, and dried chilis. The chicken is usually steamed before it is deep-fried in order to seal its juices. A dipping sauce such as sweet chili sauce or sesame sauce traditionally accompanies this pandan-leaf chicken. In Thailand, kai ho bai toei is usually consumed as an appetizer, a side dish, or a main dish, and it can be found on the menus of numerous Thai restaurants.Expand

Tam makhuea is a traditional dish originating from the northern parts of the country. The dish, which can be served as an appetizer or a side dish, is usually made with a combination of eggplants, hot chili peppers, garlic, shrimp paste, and vegetable oil. The eggplants are first boiled in a small amount of water until it evaporates, and then fried in oil. The garlic, shrimp paste, and chili peppers are pounded, then mixed with the fried eggplant and pounded some more. Tam makhuea is simply seasoned with salt and the dish is ready to be enjoyed.Expand