February is Thai Food Month

Published Jan 31, 2022•Updated Nov 08, 2023

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February is here and that means it’s time for another Thai Food Month on Inquiring Chef!

If you are new around here, for most of the 12 years since this little food blog began, my husband Frank and I have deemed February our own sort of month-long holiday. It’s a month spent celebrating our favorite cuisine and the country that we were lucky enough to call home for five years.

For a little walk down Thai Food Month memory lane, see 2011 (when we were still living in Thailand), 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Each year we have a little more fun recreating our favorite recipes, eating sticky rice with the kids, and seeing what you all make and eat too!

That’s one of our favorite parts of the whole thing. Seeing what you eat and make along with us. So please join in! Make or eat Thai food anytime this month, share it on Instagram, and be sure to tag #thaifoodmonth so we see it.

Preview of New Thai Recipes

See below for a glimpse of a few of the new recipes I’ll be sharing throughout February. I revisited some favorites to make them weeknight friendly and a bit more accessible. I also added a few recipes that are not entirely traditional, but use Thai flavors for inspiration, like crispy tofu bowls and a Thai-inspired cocktail. It’s a really fun month – I hope you love these recipes as much as I did when I was working on them.

(Easy Chicken Satay…recipe coming later this month)

Our Love for Thailand

Frank and I lived in Thailand for five years. Our oldest daughters were born in Bangkok. We will always have a soft spot for Thailand and its beautiful cuisine. Thai Food Month is a great excuse to eat our favorite dishes, stock our Thai pantry, and order from our favorite Thai restaurants.

I start dreaming of warm, colorful, vibrant Bangkok when I cook all of these dishes, and nothing makes me happier than seeing them on my (and your) table this month.

(Thai Shrimp Salad…recipe coming later this month)

Getting Started

If you’re new to cooking Thai food at home, welcome! It’s easy to get started. Here are a few of my favorite posts with easy dishes and tips.

Guide to Essential Thai Ingredients – Everything you need to know about the common ingredients you’ll find in Thai recipes.
Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry – This subtly sweet and super creamy curry was the first Thai curry I tried, and it immediately had me hooked. My take is vegetarian (with sweet potatoes and chickpeas) and is made in just a few minutes in the Instant Pot.
Thai Cashew Chicken – Thailand took this delicious Chinese-food dish and gave it a unique twist. The secret is to brown the cashews in a bit of oil before you get started – it gives them so much flavor!
Thai-Style Meatballs with Pork and Rice – Cooked rice gets mixed in with the pork for these meatballs that crispy up nicely in a skillet. Serve them over rice or in lettuce cups with Peanut Sauce.
Pineapple Fried Rice – It’s hard not to love a dish made from crispy bacon, sweet pineapple, and fried rice. It’s an easy dish but for extra fun, you can serve it inside a pineapple.
Thai Iced Tea – This is an authentic version the sweet, bright orange Thai Iced Tea that is sold all over Thailand.
The Ultimate Guide to Thai Curries – Ever wonder what the difference is between each of the rainbow of Thai curries? Here’s the key.
More Thai Recipes – Check out all of our Thai recipes here.

Looking forward to seeing what you create this month!!

(Ginger Lime Hot Toddy…recipe coming later this month)

Favorite Tools for Cooking Thai Food

Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok – Almost any Thai recipe you can think of can be made in a wok. This inexpensive wok has been a staple in my kitchen for 5+ years. If you’re not ready for a wok to take up space in your kitchen, a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven will work great as well.
Wok Spatula – The rounded edge of this spatula helps to scrape the sides of a wok down as food cooks.
High Power Blender or Mortar and Pestle – I use my Vitamix to blend most curry paste and chili paste used for Thai recipes. This is, of course, not traditional but it is faster and results in an even texture. A mortar and pestle is a more traditional method and is a great investment if you make a lot of Thai food from scratch or like to grind your own spices.
Wooden Citrus Reamer – This inexpensive, simple tool is great for extracting all of the juice from citrus fruit.
Microplane – The best tool I’ve found for getting the zest from citrus fruit or grating ginger, galangal, or even hard cheeses.
Splatter Screen for Cooking – If cooking foods that will splatter, I love using this screen to cover the pan.