Leela Punyaratabandhu
Contributor
Leela Punyaratabandhu is the author of Flavors of the Southeast Asian Grill: Classic Recipes for Meats and Seafood Cooked over Charcoal, Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen, and Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand.
Leela’s writing has appeared in CNN, Wall Street Journal, Serious Eats, Food52, TASTE, and others. In 2017, she was named one of the 100 Greatest Home Cooks of All Time by Epicurious. In 2018, her book, Bangkok, won the prestigious Art of Eating Prize which is awarded to one single best food book of the year.
She divides her time between Chicago and Bangkok.
A Comfort Food Meal Plan That’s Just Right for Fall
Cookbook author and Epi contributor Leela Punyaratabandhu curates a week of comforting meals.
Khao Phat Kai (Fried Rice With Chicken)
This is the street food fried rice of my childhood.
Black Pepper Roasted Chicken
The is a copycat of the popular five-star grilled chicken found throughout Bangkok.
This Quick Vegetable Massaman Curry Breaks All the Rules
This shortcut curry gets its bite from red curry paste, a touch of sweetness from Granny Smith apple, and plenty of depth from cinnamon and star anise.
Quick Vegetable Massaman Curry
This vegetable Massaman curry gives you the best of both worlds: a full-flavored and ultra-comforting curry that’s also unfussy enough to whip up on any weeknight.
Mussel-Pineapple Curry
For the best version of this mussel curry, use fresh mussels, not frozen mussels on the half shell.
Smoked Coconut Cake
This fragrant coconut cake is dense and chewy inside and crisp on the top.
Smoked Shrimp With Chile-Lime Dipping Sauce
Set out these smoked shrimp on a paper-lined picnic table, set a bowl of sauce in the middle, and go to town.
Grilled Sweet Sticky Rice With Banana Filling
These delicious banana leaf packets conceal warm, slightly sweet sticky rice perfumed with the smokiness of the charred wrapper and with a piece of banana at the center.
Sweet Roti
Crispy, flaky, chewy, sweet, gooey—you get all of these sensations at once when you bite into freshly made roti.
Grilled Scallops With Peach Sweet Chili Sauce
A summer-inspired take on Thai sweet chili sauce with fresh peaches pairs perfectly with simply grilled scallops for an easy appetizer.
Lime-Lemongrass Slushies
You’ll want one of these delightfully frosty lime slushies, infused with lemongrass and sweetened with honey, in hand at every summer cookout.
Cantaloupe With Spicy Bacon-Cashew Crumble
Juicy summer melon with a salty-sweet crunchy bacon topping makes for a low-effort but universally crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Khao Niao
Delightfully soft yet chewy Thai sticky rice is traditionally prepared in a bamboo basket set over a metal pot of boiling water, but you can easily replicate the method at home with a saucepan and a fine-mesh sieve.
Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks With Green Pepper Relish
The marinade for these “simple but sublime” grilled pork steaks is packed with tons of Thai flavors anchored by garlic, cilantro, and white peppercorns.
Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad
If you love the sour-salty-sweet Thai green papaya salad, you’ll love this peak-summer version made with tomatoes and cucumbers.
This Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodle Salad Belongs at Your Next Barbecue
This easy dish from Epi contributor Leela Punyaratabandhu is also perfect for bringing to a picnic.
Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodle Salad With Grilled Chicken Thighs
This dish is inspired by a Thai-Chinese favorite, bami haeng, served from food carts and casual open-air eateries in Thailand.
Pad See Ew With Chicken
Developer Leela Punyaratabandhu breaks down the techniques to achieving the perfect plate of this iconic Thai stir-fried noodle dish.
How to Make Bangkok’s Best Thai Muslim-Style Grilled Chicken at Home
77-year old Bangkok restaurant Jeerapan is known for its deeply flavorful saffron-basted chicken with pineapple chile sauce. Here, contributor Leela Punyaratabandhu adapts the recipe for your home grill—or oven.