Our 40 Best Southeast Asian Recipes to Spice Up Your Life
Recipes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Beyond
Southeast Asia is a vast tropical region comprising the nations of Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and many more. Surrounded by the sea and covered in dense jungles, the area is home to some of the world’s boldest, funkiest ingredients and spices such as lemongrass, kaffir limes, and Thai chili, which are found across Thai cooking, Filipino cooking, Vietnamese cooking, Malaysian cooking, and Indonesian cooking.
On the sweet side, pandan is used to lend a sweet perfume many traditional Southeast Asian desserts, much like vanilla, while fish sauce is splashed into seemingly every other savory dish for a big boost of umami. From pad Thai to pho, here are our 40 best Southeast Asian recipes to turn up the heat in your kitchen.
Springy Pad Thai with Green Garlic, Asparagus, and Peas
Spicy Thai-Style Zucchini Carrot Salad
Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Carrot Achaar (Malaysian-Style Pickle)
Thai Steamed Coconut-Pandan Cake (Khanom Chan)
Sautéed Squash and Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Chiles
Thai Charred Squid (Pla Muek Yang)
Padang-Style Mashed Potato Fritters (Perkedel Kenteng)
Curried Beef Stew with Fried Shallots and Peanuts
Malaysian Pan-Seared Snapper with Garlic and Chiles (Chuan-Chuan)
Filipino Roast Pork Belly with “Lechon” Sauce
Pork Noodle Soup with Shrimp Paste (La Paz Batchoy)
Deep-Fried Pork Spring Rolls (Lumpia)
Crispy Philippine Slow-Roasted Pork Belly (Bellychon)
Philippine Noodle Stir-Fry (Pancit Bihon)
Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin)
Grilled Chicken and Toasted Coconut Salad (Ayam Jeruk)