Fried Dishes

We do a tremendous amount of frying in Southeast Asia. There may be lots of reasons for this, to do with the fuels and cooking media traditionally used, but the fact certainly is that we like fried food. Frying – especially deep-frying – is quick, you can usually see at once when the food is cooked, and it produces the most delicious crunchy textures and flavours that you can really get your teeth into. Finally, done with skill and understanding, frying is healthier than it’s sometimes given credit for, as food fried properly – particularly in deep-frying – absorbs very little oil. If you want your meal to follow a traditional Southeast Asian pattern, then all the principal methods of cooking should be represented: one or more steamed dishes, dishes with sauce (that is, curries), fried or grilled dishes, and several dipping sauces and sambals. It’s important that everyone present, even the hardest to please, should find at least one dish to their liking.