How To Eat Phat Phrik?
Phat Phrik is usually a pork based dish. Slices of pork are stirred fried with lot of chillies in them and served hot. The most common form of Phat Phrik is “Nuea pad prik” – a delicious dish that can be commonly referred to as the Thai pepper steak. Served with lots of chillies and herbs, this dish brings an unforgettable experience along with it. In modern days, the authentic Thai dish has evolved with some variations as well. Today, you can quite commonly find “Gai Pad Phrik” – the popular variant of Phat Phrik made out of chicken. Therefore, people who do not love pork, worry not. At the same time, lots of Thai vegetables, like bamboo shoots, green onions, etc are added to the dish to give it more variety in terms of tastes and flavors.
While the dish mainly uses chillies, there are other ingredients in it that bring in the spiciness as well. Nam Phrik, a typical Thai chilly paste is also used in the dish to spice it up. However, people who love a low-spice version can make use of more bell peppers.
While eating Phat Phrik, it is important that you use the correct choice of Thai sauces in the recipe. Sauces like the fish sauce (Pla Ra and Nam Pla) add that typical Thai aroma to the dish. Other sauces like the soy and oyster sauces also go very well.
While eating or serving Phat Phrik, ensure that you keep a few things in mind. Herbs play a very important role in Thai cuisine. However, each Thai dish has a unique herb that goes with it. For example, using coriander for Phat Phrik will simply spoil the whole taste. Thus, before the dish is served on the table, sprinkle some chopped cilantro or mint or a few basil leaves on the dish. The combined aroma drastically enhances the whole experience of eating Phat Phrik.
Phat Phrik is typically served with hot, steamed Jasmine rice. The idea is, when you take a spoon of the spicy sauce and combine it with the rice, the spiciness is automatically reduced. At the same time, rice makes the dish more wholesome and filling. Palm sugar is also used frequently in the dish to reduce the spiciness. When served, it is garnished with chopped fried garlic and shallots which not only makes it look beautiful, but also adds more flavor to it.
Thai cuisine essentially believes in lightly-fried food with rich aromas in it. Phat Phrik, in this sense, is a typical representation of Thai cuisine. It is one of the shared dishes that come from the Central parts of Thailand. If knowing the real flavors of Thailand is what you are aiming for, then eating Phat Phrik is a must for you.
Photo Courtesy: http://poojies.com
