Dry-Frying for Rustic Roasted Aroma and Taste

Thai cooks often toast whole spices and other ingredients in a dry wok or skillet, to deepen flavor, enhance texture, and release fragrance. Most common are dry-frying shrimp paste prior to using it in the fiery and pungent dipping sauces called nahm prik, and toasting whole coriander and cumin seeds before grinding them into curry pastes. Thai cooks also toast shreds of grated coconut for use in piquant salads and snacks, and peanuts and sesame seeds to enhance finished dishes. Dry-roasted ingredients abound in northeastern Thai cooking. Roasted dried red chilies stoke the fire in many classic Issahn dishes, and the rustic crunch and satisfying edgy flavor of roasted rice powder are hallmarks of a well-made yum neua, or grilled beef salad, and of lahp, or minced pork or beef with chilies and fresh mint. Use medium-high heat, and shake the pan often as you toast long-grain rice or a flurry of coconut shreds in a small skillet, using your eyes and nose to judge when you have the warm brown color and appealing aroma you seek. Turn dry-fried ingredients out onto a plate to cool before grinding.