Khao chae
Cool rice dish with flower-scented water and savory sides.
Khao chae is a Thai dish of rice soaked in cool water, adapted from a Mon recipe during the reign of King Rama II. It was traditionally prepared and consumed during the hot season, from mid-March to the end of April, before ice was available in Thailand. The dish is considered a form of royal cuisine.
Quick Facts
- Country
- Central Thailand (adapted from the original Mon recipe)
- Similar dish
- Thingyan rice
Facts from the source article.
History
The Mon people originally made this dish, which in Burmese is called Thingyan rice, for the Songkran, or Thingyan, festival marking the Thai New Year. When it arrived in Thailand under King Rama II, it was classified as royal cuisine and kept from the general public. Chef McDang, a Thai celebrity raised in a Bangkok palace, calls it the one Thai dish that genuinely deserves the label “royal Thai cuisine.” Today, it can be found in Bangkok’s Banglampoo and along Dinso Road near the Democracy Monument, including at Baan Varnakovida—both areas lie within Phra Nakhon.
Ingredients
Khao chae is a dish that demands patience and care. The rice itself cannot be the usual soft jasmine variety; instead, a firmer type called khao taa haeng is chosen. It is cooked normally, then placed in a colander and rinsed repeatedly under cold water to wash away extra starch. The real work comes with the scented water. A large pot is filled halfway with water, and a handful or two of fresh jasmine blossoms are added. A small flower-scented candle is floated on the surface, lit, and the pot is covered loosely for fifteen minutes. Then more blossoms and a different-scented candle go in for another fifteen minutes, and the process is repeated a third time. The idea is for the candle smoke and the natural oils from the jasmine to infuse the water completely. The cooked rice is sprinkled generously with this scented water, then wrapped tightly in cheesecloth—twisting the ends to form a firm bundle that prevents the rice from swelling—and tied with a knot. It is steamed over boiling water. To serve, some rice is placed in a bowl, covered with more of the fragrant water, and topped with a few small ice cubes and some of the flowers. The side dishes are what truly shine. At one well-known Bangkok restaurant, the meal includes kapi balls: shrimp paste seasoned with wild ginger, shallots, garlic, and palm sugar, pounded into a thick soupy mix, then heated in a wok until it reduces to a highly scented paste, cooled, and rolled into small balls. Stuffed shallots are filled with ground fish, herbs, spices, fish sauce, and palm sugar, then battered and fried. Stuffed sweet peppers are packed with herbs, spices, and ground pork, steamed, cooled, deep fried, and finally wrapped in a delicate lacy egg net. Shredded sweetened beef or pork is torn into strands, seasoned with palm sugar and fish sauce, dried, and deep fried. There is also stir-fried sweet pickled Chinese turnips with eggs. To balance all the sweetness and aid digestion, raw mango, fresh cucumber, fresh wild ginger, fresh chilies, and fresh spring onions are served alongside.
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