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Kaeng pa (jungle curry)
แกงป่า · Coconut-free Central Thai curry with Thai aubergine, long beans, krachai and green peppercorns
Kaeng pa means 'forest curry', and around Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri and the rice-farming plains north of Bangkok it is the curry cooked when there is no coconut to hand: a thin, fiery, herb-scented broth packed with whatever vegetables grew nearby. It turns up at roadside curry-and-rice shops in the Central region, ladled over jasmine rice at lunchtime. Without coconut milk the flavour is sharp and clean, carried by wild ginger (krachai), fresh green peppercorns and holy basil. This version uses a home-pounded red paste with no shrimp paste and seasons with soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Chef's tip: fry the paste in a little oil until it smells toasty before any water goes in; raw paste makes a curry that tastes flat and grassy.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the paste
- 8 dried red chilliessoaked in hot water for 10 minutes, seeds shaken out
- 1 stalk lemongrasstender lower part, thinly sliced
- ⅓ oz galangalsliced
- 3 Thai shallotssliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp makrut lime zest
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp fermented soybean paste (tao jiao)stands in for shrimp paste
For the curry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cups water or vegetable stock
- 4 Thai round auberginesquartered
- 1 oz pea aubergines (optional)
- 3 ½ oz yardlong beanscut into 4 cm lengths
- 6 baby cornhalved on the diagonal
- 3 ½ oz bamboo shootssliced, rinsed
- 3 ½ oz oyster mushroomstorn
- 1 oz krachai (fingerroot)cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 sprigs fresh green peppercorns on the stem
- 4 makrut lime leavestorn
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 1 handful holy basil leaves
- 2 red bird's eye chillies (optional)bruised
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pound 8 dried red chillies, ½ tsp salt and 1 stalk lemongrass in a mortar until fibrous, then add ⅓ oz galangal, ½ tsp makrut lime zest, 3 Thai shallots and 4 cloves garlic and keep pounding for 8–10 minutes until you have a fairly smooth, brick-red paste. Work in 1 tsp fermented soybean paste (tao jiao) at the end.
12 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or pot over a medium heat. Fry the paste, stirring all the time, for 2–3 minutes until it darkens slightly, the oil turns red and the kitchen smells of toasted chilli and lemongrass. Don't let it catch, or it turns bitter.
3 minStep 3: Pour in 3 cups water or vegetable stock, bring to the boil and add 4 Thai round aubergines, 1 oz pea aubergines, 3 ½ oz yardlong beans, 6 baby corn and 3 ½ oz bamboo shoots. Simmer over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until the aubergine quarters turn from white to pale green-grey and the beans are just tender.
8 minStep 4: Add 3 ½ oz oyster mushrooms, 1 oz krachai (fingerroot), 3 sprigs fresh green peppercorns on the stem and 4 makrut lime leaves and simmer for 3 minutes more. Season with 2 tbsp gluten-free light soy sauce or tamari and 1 tsp palm sugar; it should taste hot, salty and herbal, with only a hint of sweetness.
3 minStep 5: Take the pot off the heat, stir in 1 handful holy basil leaves and 2 red bird's eye chillies and let the basil wilt for 30 seconds. Serve straight away with jasmine rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kaeng pa (jungle curry) take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of thai shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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