Thai recipes: What to keep in your pantry | Chilli, lime, basil, eggplant, soy sauce

Basil

Thai basil is distinctly different to European varieties. Thai food uses three types of basil:

Bai Horapha – anise taste and is an essential flavour in red and green curries.
Bai Manglaek – lemony flavour with tiny leaves that are used in salads and soups.
Bai Grapao – clove flavour and with purple and red tinged leaves. This is a hard to find variety that can be substituted with European basil if needed.

Chilli

Thai chillies are tiny, hot and fiery and can be bought either fresh or dried. They are used when they're red, orange or green, with all packing a serious punch. Use sparingly at first and add more to suit your taste.

Coconut milk and cream

Stock cans of creamy coconut milk and cream to use in soups, curries and desserts.

Coriander

Used from root to tip, coriander is an important ingredient in Thai food. Use the stalks and roots for an even stronger coriander hit.

Eggplant (Thai and pea)

Thai eggplant (also known as apple eggplant) is a round green or white variety that is about the size of a golf ball. The white variety is used in curries and the green for extra crunch in salads. Tiny pea eggplant are used whole in curries, soups and salads for a slight bitter hit.

Fish sauce

This essential Thai flavour is used to give a salty kick to many dishes. It is made from either fermented prawns or small fish and its distinct flavour cannot be substituted with anything else. A bottle of fish sauce should keep for a very long time if stored in a cool, dark place.

Galangal

Although it looks similar to ginger, this root adds another distinct flavour to Thai dishes. Also known as Laos ginger, it can be hard to find so use ginger in place if you can't track it down.

Kaffir lime leaves

These glossy green leaves have a strong fragrance and flavour that can't be beat. There's no substitute for the leaves, so try to buy fresh and freeze the excess in an airtight bag for future use.

Lemongrass

This aromatic herb is used in everything from curry pastes and stirfries to salads and soups. To use, choose unblemished stalks, remove the tough out layers and finely chop the white interior. Alternatively, throw a whole stem into a simmering soup of stock to gently infuse.

Lime

Adding its characteristic sour note to many dishes, lime is an essential ingredient in the Thai pantry.

Palm sugar

Making up the sweet element in many Thai dishes, palm sugar is an integral flavour. It is available in either blocks or in jars and needs to be gently melted before being added to dishes. If you can't find palm sugar, use brown sugar as a substitute.

Rice

Rice is the staple food of Thailand. In fact everything, from soups and stir-fries to curries and salads, are served as side dishes to the rice. The most common varieties are basmati and jasmine, however glutinous rice is favoured in the north of the country.

Rice stick noodles

Essential for pad Thai, make sure you stock your pantry with these noodles which have a long shelf life and are very easy to cook.

Shrimp paste

Made from dried, salted prawns and with a very strong smell, this paste should be handled with care! To store, wrap it up in cling wrap and store in a sealed container to prevent the smell permeating your kitchen.

Tamarind

This pleasantly sour pulp can be bought pre-packaged ready to be added to any variety of dishes. If you can't find any, try using lime juice as a substitute.