I’ve been looking forward to today’s conversation for actual years now—pretty much ever since all-star author Andrea Nguyen started posting about her collaboration with Pim Techamuanvivit, the chef behind Kin Khao and Nari in San Francisco (and Nahm in Bangkok.)
The book is even better than I imagined, and in this week’s episode of The Dinner Plan podcast, Pim shares a bit of the process behind it.
As a student in the US, long before she opened her restaurants, Pim found herself craving the food she’d grown up with, and started trying to learn recipes and techniques whenever she traveled back to Thailand.
An aunt would say, “I heard that you were interested in learning this dish, and so-and-so taught you how to do it,” Pim recalls.
There was always a followup: “You should come and learn mine, you know? My recipe is better.”
Pim developed a reputation for culinary curiosity, and soon, friends and relatives started giving her handwritten notebooks and old recipe collections. Soon she was traveling out of her way to bookstores that stocked old cookbooks.
Shadowing some elder experts helped her zero in on the details of dishes that didn’t come out quite right based on written recipes or over-the-phone descriptions. Pim says: “When you ask your mom, your aunt, your grandma, everybody cooks so intuitively, right?” Watching carefully, she’d find herself saying, “Wait, wait, wait. You didn’t say that! What did you just do? What was just that?”
All this learning comes together in Cooking Thai, and Pim even shares the secrets behind dishes like Kin Khao’s popular chicken wings.
Pim laughs: “I did kind of question myself, whether I wanted to put that recipe in the book or should I hoard it. But it’s such a fun recipe, and it’s really easy to do.”
In our conversation, Pim talks a bit about why it’s worth seeking out Thai ingredients; for example, the sriracha used in these spicy wings isn’t the Huy Fong you see everywhere.
The whole conversation is only on the podcast—please make sure you’re following the show on whatever listening app you use—but you can scroll down for the recipe.
If you have any interest in Thai cuisine, Cooking Thai is a new essential. Wanna win a copy?
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From today’s sponsor:
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Pim mentioned:
Thai soy sauce: look for Megachef GF or HealthyBoy
Thai sriracha: Sriraja Panich, or if that’s not available, Shark
Miang (IG)
Pork and tomato relish / namprik ong (IG) / recipe on Stylist
Nam tok beans (IG)
Nik Sharma’s Butter Chicken
Andrea Nguyen’s Grilled Lemongrass Pork
Madeline Kamman’s When French Women Cook (Bookshop / Thriftbooks)
Dorie Greenspan’s Baking With Julia (Bookshop / Thriftbooks)
Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle McNaughton’s Donabe (Bookshop / Thriftbooks)
From the ad break:
Thaan Charcoal: Get a free starter kit including Thai-style charcoal, fan, and fire starters with the Thaan Grill when you use code DINNERPLAN at thaancharcoal.com/dinnerplan
Listen to Food Friends on Apple podcasts or any podcast listening app.
Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Maggie mentioned:
Maangchi’s Bibim guksu
Heydoh rice vinegar and soy sauce
“In 2026, We Are Friction-Maxxing” (NY Magazine, paywalled)
ปีกไก่กิน้ำข้าว | Peek Gai Tod
Kin Khao Wings
Reprinted with permission from Cooking Thai by Pim Techamuanvivit with Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2026. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Serves 4
When I opened Kin Khao, I wanted a fun, standout Thai take on buffalo wings. I fried up crispy chicken wings seasoned with saam kleur, a garlic-cilantro-pepper paste that’s part of every decent Thai kitchen. The wings were glazed with a glossy concoction of tamarind, palm sugar, and the original Thai-style sriracha made by Sriraja Panich (you can swap in Shark brand, but Huy Fong’s aggressive Rooster sauce won’t work here). The tasty wings looked rather sexy, so I named them Pretty Hot Wings, though most people know them as Kin Khao Wings. They’ve never gone off our menu. You’ll know why once you make a batch.
NOTE: If you prefer to bake the wings, rub the marinated wings with 3 Tbsp neutral oil, such as rice bran, then coat in the rice-and-tapioca mixture. Let sit uncovered for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the middle spot. Line a sheet pan with parchment and lightly oil the paper. Tap excess coating from the wings, then put them on the pan, equally spaced apart. Bake until pale gold, about 20 minutes. Pull from the oven, briefly cool to coax easier release, and then flip each wing. Continue baking, turning once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Glaze and serve as usual.
For the Saam Kleur (Three Buddies Paste)
10g | 3 garlic cloves
5g | 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro root, or 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro stems
0.7g | 15 white peppercorns
0.7g | 12 black peppercorns
For the wings
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp fish sauce, divided
900g | 2 lb whole chicken wings or drumettes and flats
40g | 1⁄3 cup Thai rice flour
40g | 1⁄3 cup tapioca starch
25g | 4 tsp firmly packed Thai palm sugar
2 tsp water
120ml | ½ cup Nam Makam (Tamarind Liquid, see below)
120ml | ½ cup Sriraja Panich or Shark sriracha sauce
Neutral oil, such as rice bran, for deep-frying
2 fresh Thai chilies, thinly sliced (optional)
1 small lime
To make the saam kleur, use a mortar and pestle to aggressively pound the garlic and cilantro into a coarse paste. Make a well in the center of the paste, add the white and black peppercorns to the well, and pound the peppercorns to smithereens, gradually working the pounded aromatics into the pepper until you have a finely textured mixture, then scrape the paste into a large bowl.
Marinate the wings: Add 1 Tbsp of the fish sauce to the saam kleur and mix well. Then add the wings to the bowl and rub and massage them all over with the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.
Prep the wings and glaze: (If opting to bake, see the Note above.) About 1 hour before frying, in a large bowl, stir together the rice flour and tapioca starch. Add the wings and toss to coat each wing evenly, then transfer the wings in a single layer to a large sheet pan. Let sit, uncovered, to remove most of the chill and develop a coating that will later cook up extra crispy.
Meanwhile, to make the glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and heat over medium heat, whisking to melt the sugar. Whisk in the remaining 2 tsp fish sauce, the tamarind, and sriracha. Let come to a vigorous bubbly simmer to develop flavor, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool briefly, then scrape the glaze into a medium bowl.
Fry the wings: Pour oil to a depth of 1½ to 2 inches (3.75 to 5cm) into a large wok or medium-large pot, using the deeper oil if frying whole wings. Heat over medium- high heat to between 350° and 375°F (175° to 190°C). Set a large wire cooling rack on a sheet pan and place the pan near the stovetop.
When the oil is ready, fry the wings in three batches, lightly shaking the wings to release excess coating before dropping them into the hot oil. Cook, using a slotted spoon to stir and turn often, until golden brown and crisp, 8 to 12 minutes (whole wings take longest). Use the spoon to transfer the wings to the wire rack to drain. After each batch is cooked, use a fine-mesh skimmer to remove and discard any bits in the oil and return the oil to temperature before adding the next batch.
Glaze and serve: Have ready a serving platter. Working in batches, add the wings to the glaze, turning them in the glaze and spooning the glaze over them as needed to coat evenly, then transfer to the platter. Top the wings with the chilies, then finish by grating the zest from the lime over the glorious pile. Enjoy your Pretty Hot Wings with lots of napkins.
น้ำำามะขามเปียก | Nam Makam
Tamarind Liquid
Reprinted with permission from Cooking Thai by Pim Techamuanvivit with Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2026. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Makes 3½ to 4 cups (840ml to 1 L)
Tangy tamarind plays a key role in balancing flavors in many Thai foods. The pulp of the podlike fruit is easily transformed into a liquid for adding to condiments, salads, curries, and more. Asian markets sell premade tamarind liquid concentrate, but I find it to be inferior—texturally thin, too tart, and lacking in tamarind’s fruity charm.
Annoyingly, most brands even need to be strained to remove lingering seed bits before using! Your time and money are better spent on creating the thick liquid from a slab of seedless tamarind pulp. At an Asian market, press on the packages to make sure the tamarind is somewhat soft and fresh.
NOTES: Citric acid powder, sometimes labeled “sour salt,” is sold online and in the canning section of some supermarkets.
Freeze tamarind liquid in 2- to 4-Tbsp portions in an ice cube tray. Or pour the liquid into a large ziplock bag, secure closed, lay the bag on a quarter sheet pan or other flat pan, and freeze, then store the bag in the freezer. To use, gently tap the bag against a sink divider or similar edge to break off a chunk, thaw the chunk, and measure for recipes.
One 400 to 450g | 14- to 16-oz package seedless tamarind pulp
About 1L | 4 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp citric acid dissolved in 2 Tbsp warm water (optional)
Hydrate the tamarind: Unwrap the tamarind and use your hands to pull it apart into small pieces, dropping them into a medium bowl. Add 3 cups (720ml) of the water and then massage the tamarind. After a few minutes, the solids will loosen up and dissolve to turn the liquid sepia brown. The mixture will eventually thicken to the texture of chocolate cake batter. Once you feel mostly solid bits in the liquid, pause.
Strain twice: Set a coarse-mesh strainer over a large measuring cup (or a medium bowl), then strain the tamarind liquid, stirring and firmly pressing against the solids with a silicone spatula to expel as much liquid as possible. Return the solids to the first bowl and mix in ½ to 1 cup (120 to 240ml) of the water, using the larger amount if you began with the bigger tamarind package. Stir with the spatula (or your fingers) to release more flavor, then strain again to yield more liquid. It’s normal to see a few shiny bald seeds in the strainer at the end. If you prefer a sharper flavor, pour the diluted citric acid into the liquid. (See Notes)
Stir to combine well before using or storing. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Love the recipe for wings, will seek out the special ingredients, thank you!
My mouth was watering just reading these recipes!