We did our best to present our list of must-try Halal Thai Dishes in Thailand amidst so many options. Known for its balance of sweet, sour, and spicy, as well as its crunchy and soft textures, Thai food deserves no introduction. There is something for everyone, whether it’s street food or fine dining. Since it is not a Muslim country, one must watch out for pork, especially in street food, but the advantage of a cuisine that excels in seafood dishes is that you will never go hungry there. Here are some meals that will tickle your taste buds:
1) Shrimp soup (Tom Yum Goong)
What person hasn’t heard of Tom Yum soup? The perfect Halal food found in Thailand is this soup. Spiced, tantalizing, and packed with flavour, prawns, herbs, and vegetables make the perfect appetiser or even a side dish to serve with rice. Thai people love their chilli!
2) Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)
Taking a regular dish and creating something extraordinary, this is taking salad to the next level. After pulverizing garlic, chillies, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and raw papaya in a pestle, the juices and vegetables are combined with peanuts, dry shrimp, or salted crab – probably one of the strangest Thai dishes. Rice and barbecued chicken go well together.
3) Laaps (meat salads)
Also known as larb, this side dish of minced meat is seasoned with roasted rice powder, lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh herbs. It is eaten with soft, sticky rice.
4) Tom Kha Kai (chicken soup with coconut milk)
In this dish, coconut milk takes the heat down a notch, similar to Tom Yum, but with chicken. The combination of chillies, baby galangal, lemongrass, crushed shallots, and strips of chicken creates a creamy delicious dish.
5) Green Chicken Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan Kai)
It’s not your typical chicken curry, but one that’s part of Thailand’s food culture. This flavoursome dish includes eggplant, coriander, basil, bamboo, and more. What makes it so green? Its distinctive flavor comes from the authentic Thai curry paste. It is available in most Halal restaurants in Thailand, and is best eaten with plain rice. I love it!
6) Chicken with cashew nuts (Kai Med Ma Muang)
Oh, what a mouthwatering delight it is to eat chicken with cashew nuts! The Thai food menu includes chicken sautéed with sweet soy sauce, mushrooms, onions, carrots, chillies, peppers, and more. Whoever discovered the combination of chicken and cashews has much to thank. Whether it is the balance of sweet, salty and spicy, or the crunch in this dish, this is definitely one to get nuts for.
7) Pad Thai (fried noodles in Thai style)
Stir-fried noodles are a very popular Halal street food in Thailand. They come in many different variations. In addition to tofu, bean sprouts, onions, egg and more, the interactive meal can be customized by playing with the condiments provided – sugar, chilli powder, fish sauce, and finely ground peanuts.
8) Fried rice (Kao Pad)
It is a Thai traditional food and Halal Thai Dishes that you should try even if you don’t like fried rice. Fried rice with a few hidden secrets, not like any other. Depending on your mood, you can dress it up with chilli, chicken, crab, and more. That’s what I call made-to-order!
9) Curry (Massaman)
The Thai word for ‘Muslim’, Massaman curry was named after its creators. A speciality of the Muslim community in Thailand is beef or chicken cooked with coconut milk, potatoes, roasted peanuts, bay leaves, sugar, cinnamon, and tamarind sauce. Due to its popularity, it was also adopted by the Buddhists, so there are also pork versions of this curry.
10) Chicken rice (Khao Man Gai)
In spite of its simple appearance Halal Thai Dishes, this dish is packed with flavour. In the same chicken stock, the chicken is boiled until tender, and the rice is cooked in the same water. When served with sweet and spicy sauces, this is a delicious midday snack that wastes nothing.
The process of compiling this list has made us very hungry for Thai food! Check into the Halal Food Spotter on the HalalTrip App and share your food love!