Nyob Zoo All!
This is a special recipe for you all. Buffalo skin soup! Only in Thailand. This is a soup I learned in Thailand from my uncle & grandma when we went to visit. It can only be done if you can find the ingredients. Though it may be hard to make since getting these ingredients can be hard, I’d thought I’d share with you a glimpse of the Hmong food culture in Thailand.
Main Ingredient
Buffalo Skin
Dried and charred
Char the dried buffalo skin to remove the hair and to puff up the skin for better texture and easier cooking
Removing the burnt spots
Soaking the skin in salted water overnight 
It will bloom and double is size the next day 
Ready to use 
Vegetables & Herbs
There’s a wide range of vegetables and herbs my uncle & grandma uses in this soup. If you can’t find these, the basics includes eggplants, cilantro and green onions. But if you have or can find the herbs/vegetables listed below, by all means, go ahead and use it 🙂
Garlic cloves
Lemongrass stalks
Elephant ear stalks
Chili pepper or young chili pepper leaves/shoots
Betel Leaf
Long beans
Green tiger eggplants
Hyacinth beans or snow peas
Pea eggplant
Vegetable hummingbird
Culantro
Boil, season and enjoy with fresh steamed rice and other dishes! 🙂
This soup taste very simple and clean. It’s slightly aromatic with all the herbs/vegetables added. The buffalo skin is tender, slightly chewy, and a little gelatinous.
Enjoy!
-Cindy Her (C.HerCreations)
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 lbs buffalo skin (cleaned, soaked)
- 1.5 liters of water (~6.5 cups water)
- 1 tbsp salt (or more after tasting)
- 2 Tbsp Padaek (more or less depends on you)
- 8 garlic cloves (smashed)
- 2 lemongrass stalks (smashed)
- 3-4 cups elephant ear stalks (peeled, cut)
- 2 chili pepper or young chili pepper leaves/shoots (more or less)
- 8 Betel Leaf
- 3-4 long beans (cut to bite size)
- 4 green tiger eggplants (cut in half)
- ¼ cup hyacinth beans or snow peas
- ½ cup Pea eggplant (more or less)
- ½ cup Vegetable hummingbird (dok kae)
- ½ cups culantro (rough chopped)
- To make thick (1/2 cup short grain sticky rice soaked in 1 1/3 cups of water)
- *1-2 tsp chicken bouillon seasoning or mushroom seasoning (Po Lo Ku Mushroom Seasoning brand) (OPTIONAL ONLY IF NOT USING PADAEK)
Instructions
- Dry the buffalo skin completely. Completely char the skin in a wood fire to remove excess hair. Use a knife to smack the burnt spots away. You will then have the remainder of the edible skin to use. (*After removing the hair, you can also fry or crisp it in oil or in an oven until it gets puffy (kinda like making chicharrones). Then cut into bite size pieces and soak in salted cold water overnight. The next day you will notice the skin double in size. Drain the soaking water and gently rinse before use. Drain well and set aside.
- In a pot, add in the water along with the buffalo skin. Add in the lemongrass stalks and bring it to a boil until the skin becomes tender (around 30 minutes or so). Once tender, add in the minced garlic. Boil for another 5 minutes. Then add in salt, padaek, and all the vegetables/herbs. Boil until all the vegetables/herbs are tender. Taste for seasonings and adjust. Enjoy while hot with fresh steamed rice.
NOTES:
If you don't want to use padaek, you can sub it out with mushroom seasonings or chicken bouillon.
If you don't have buffalo skin, you can either use chicharrones or beef tendon.
If you want to make this soup thick, you can presoak sticky rice, blend with water and pour it into the soup when you add in the garlic. Let it cook until soup is thick and rice is almost cook. Then add in the vegetables and herbs.
