Thai Hotpot (Lẩu Thái)
Thai hotpot (lẩu Thái) is among the most beloved hotpots for Vietnamese people, featuring a fragrant sweet and sour broth and a wide variety of fresh dipping ingredients. You can easily make this hotpot at home for family and friends gatherings. It is a great example of how much Vietnamese culture values communal dining, where sharing a meal around a bubbling pot creates not only delicious food but also lasting memories.
Vietnamese people love hotpots, enjoying them not only in cold weather but also during the sweltering summer months. Thai hotpot is one of the most popular hot pot choices throughout the country. To this day, I’m still unsure if this hotpot is a true Thai dish or a creation of Vietnamese restaurants inspired by signature Thai staples like tamarind paste, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. However, if you like tom yum soup, you are sure to enjoy this lẩu Thái as well.
- shrimp heads and shells from 1 lb raw shrimp
- cooking oil
- 8⅓ cups water
- 2½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1.5 oz galangal, slice into thick rounds
- 0.5 oz peeled garlic cloves
- 1 oz peeled shallots
- 4 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 mild red chilies, seeds removed and cut into shorter pieces
- 5 lemongrass stalks, white and light green parts, bruised
- 8-10 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (to taste)
- peeled and deveined shrimp from 1 lb raw shrimp
- 10.5 oz salmon fillets, thinly sliced
- 1 lb thinly sliced beef
- 12 oz tofu, cut into slices or cubes (either silken or firm will work)
- rice vermicelli noodles
- 1.5 lb mixed vegetables (such as napa cabbage, garland chrysanthemum, water spinach, beansprouts)
- 8 oz enoki mushrooms