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moo deng

/muː ˈdɛŋ/
phrase★Intermediate
informal

a Thai dish made with stir-fried beef, garlic, chili, and holy basil

The restaurant's moo deng is famous for its perfect balance of spicy and savory flavors.

The dish is well-known for its balanced taste.

She cooked moo deng at home using her grandmother's recipe.

She prepared the dish using a family recipe.

💡

The dish is often served with rice and is a popular street food in Thailand.

Collocations

moo deng ricestir-fried beef with basil served with ricespicy moo denga version of the dish with extra chili

Synonyms

Related Phrases

pad kra paophrase
stir-fried basil dish, often with meat
tom yumphrase
a spicy and sour Thai soup

💡Pro Tip

Cooking Tip

For authentic flavor, use holy basil (bai grapow) instead of regular basil.

⚡Gold Rule

Serving Suggestion

Moo deng is traditionally served with steamed jasmine rice to balance the spiciness.

📖Word Origin

From Thai 'หมูแดง' (moo dang), where 'moo' means pork (though beef is commonly used) and 'dang' means red, referring to the red color from chili.

📝Usage Notes

The dish is often called 'pad kra pao moo' in Thai, but 'moo deng' is a common English adaptation. It is a staple in Thai cuisine and is enjoyed worldwide.

Word Breakdown

moo
pork (though often beef in this dish)
root
+
deng
red
root
English Dictionary

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