Perfumed Braised Beef and Potato Curry with Three Gingers, Thai Basil and Bitter Orange (แกงเนื้อใส่เปราะหอมสดและส้มซ่า; Gaaeng Neuua Sai Bpraw Haawm Soht Lae Sohm Saa)
Discovered in a memorial book for the funeral of SubLt. Soophoht Jeungpraphaa (ร.ต. สุพจน์ จึงประภา) (1925-1966), this beef and potato curry dish unites two distinct curry styles: Massaman curry, known for its sweet and warming complexity of dry spices, punctuated by the vibrancy of bitter orange juice; and gaaeng phet (แกงเผ็ด) spicy curry, dominated by a basil herbal identity. The recipe maintains a sense of traditional elegance despite the startlingly unusual culinary fusion; as these two cooking styles are woven together, their spiced comfort, earthy warmth, citrusy freshness, and cool herbaceous notes meld in a gentle refinement. Drawing upon familiar and novel elements, this curry is both comforting and stimulating.
Massaman curry typically presents as a deep, rich dish. Its unique flavor profile is derived predominantly from a range of dry spices that point to its Persian-inspired roots in Siamese cuisine, along with a curry paste that exudes a sense of freshness. The dried chilis are roasted to deepen their color; the rest of the ingredients, such as the shallots, garlic and dry spices, are roasted too, individually, before being pounded into the paste. Conversely, the gaaeng phet (แกงเผ็ด) curry integrates dry spices more sparingly and is known for flavor qualities that are based on a phrik khing (พริกขิง) paste made of fresh aromatics and a basil herbal identity.
To purists, the addition of herbs to massaman curry is a transgression that could almost be considered sacrilege. However, I believe that, in this context, the blend of intense dry spices and herbs works for a specific reason. While the earliest Siamese massaman curry recipes omit galangal and kaffir lime zest from the curry paste, this dish deploys a triad of rhizomes – galangal, ginger and sand ginger, each of which imparts its own astringent, somewhat medicinal, and faintly floral notes, altering the dynamics of the paste and potentially serving as a bridge between the warm dry spices and the cooling anise scent of Thai basil.
For the curry paste, I elected to use dried bang-chang long red chilies (พริกบางช้างแห้ง), which I roast to 40% and rehydrate, thus merging the roasted and fresh elements of the two curry styles represented by the dish. Intriguingly, the paste omits garlic and shallots. This omission is often seen in Thai-Chinese vegetarian style (Jay) (เจ) cooking, in which the acrid and strong-smelling characteristics of garlic and shallots are avoided, but since this beef curry is by no means a vegetarian recipe, I believe it might reflect the author’s dietary choices. This Chinese orientation is also implied in the writer’s recommendation to thinly slice the beef and cook it in a small amount of liquids ruaan (รวน), before simmering it tender. Regardless, the dish can also work with larger pieces of beef, as favored by Muslim cooking style. After all, this beef and potato curry features deep-fried potatoes, another technique borrowed from Muslim culinary traditions and one that is commonly employed in massaman curry. The deep-fried potatoes add a pleasing textural contrast of firmly crisped exteriors and creamy interiors. The potatoes are peeled, sliced and soaked in Thai red pickling (limestone) solution (น้ำปูนแดง) for 15 minutes before they are deep-fried in oil, which helps them to retain texture throughout the cooking process.
The curry is seasoned to a clear three flavors profile, using fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste. I find that seasoning to salty leading sour-sweet to follow gives a good starting point to the invigorating freshness of freshly squeezed bitter orange juice and the cool, anise-like presence of Thai basil. But you are invited to increase its sweetness to a salty, sweet and sour flavor profile.
To prepare the beef, either stew it or slice it thinly and cook with a small amount of liquids until soft, then simmer the beef in coconut middle cream until it reaches a tender consistency.
To make the curry paste, dried red long chilies are washed and roasted before being dehydrated to full color. The chilies are pounded in a mortar and pestle with sea salt, thinly sliced lemongrass, galangal, ginger, sand ginger, and kaffir lime zest. The paste is further enriched with roasted and ground white peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Siam Cardamom pods, nutmeg seed, mace, cinnamon stick and grilled fermented shrimp paste.
1 part fish sauce1 part palm sugar1/4 part tamarind paste
For seasoning, a mixture of fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste is used. Bitter orange juice (som.saa) can be added for additional flavor, if desired. To finish the dish, if desired, unsalted roasted shelled peanuts are crushed and added along with thinly sliced fresh red long chilies and Thai basil. The composition is then topped with hair-thin juliennes of kaffir lime leaves, salted thick coconut cream, and thinly sliced bitter orange peel for an extra burst of flavor.
Add
Omit
Ginger
Root
Sand ginger
Garlic (optional)
White peppercorns (S1)
Shallots (optional)
Coriander seeds (S2)
Cumin seeds (S3)
Siam cardamom (S4)
Nutmeg (S5)
Mace (S6)
Cinnamon (S6)
Summary of the curry paste differences from a regular gaaeng khuaa paste
Tasty Beef – Perfumed Braised Beef and Potato Curry with Three Gingers, Thai Basil and Bitter Orange (แกงเนื้อใส่เปราะหอมสดและส้มซ่า; Gaaeng Neuua Sai Bpraw Haawm Soht Lae Sohm Saa)
In this 1966 beef and potato curry, the combination of dry spices, citrus elements, and herbs results in a distinctive flavor profile.
Peel the potatoes. Cube or slice them and soak the potato pieces for 10 minutes in a Thai red pickling (limestone) solution (น้ำปูนแดง).
Wash well, pat dry, and fry in cooking oil or pork lard until the potatoes crisp up and are lightly golden in color. Set aside.
Prepare the beef:
Slice the beef into relatively large and equal size pieces.
Fill a large pot with coconut milk. Braise the beef starting from cold coconut milk, over low heat, until the meat is tender; add water if needed. The cooking time will vary depending on the size, cut and quality of the beef.
Prepare the curry paste:
An overview of the curry paste ingredients.
An overview of the dry spices.
Roast the dried bang-chang long red chilies (พริกบางช้างแห้ง) to no more than 40% char, then deseed and rehydrate the dried chilies in hot water.
Roast and grind the spices, starting with the white peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Siam cardamom, nutmeg, mace and cinnamon. All the spices, except the cinnamon, are ground separately and kept separate until they are used in the dish. The cinnamon will be used whole.
Pound the curry paste, starting with the chilies and salt, and gradually add the other ingredients, from the driest to the wet. Pound the paste until it is smooth with a rounded aroma.
Remove the curry paste and set it aside.
Wash the mortar and pestle with about one cup of plain water and reserve the liquids.
Cook the curry:
In a brass wok, heat the coconut cream until it thickens and oil appears.
Add the roasted cinnamon stick.
Add the curry paste.
Fry the paste until it loses its rawness.
Sprinkle more dry spices. Use your sense of smell to determine the amount.
Stop the frying with plain water. This is important, in order to separate the oil particles created during the paste-frying process from the rest of the broth. At this stage, mix gently to avoid re-emulsification of the oil.
Dilute the curry:
Dilute the curry with coconut milk, stock or the chicken cooking liquids, to your liking.
Add the meat and the potatoes:
Add the sliced meat and the potatoes and mix gently.
Seasoning:
Taste before seasoning.
Start by seasoning the salty element using fish sauce.
When you are satisfied with the saltiness, add palm sugar and tamarind paste at the ratio indicated.
Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Adding the herbs:
Turn off the heat before adding the Thai basil. Spread the Thai basil evenly on top of the curry and gently push it into the broth, allowing it to wilt down. Do not stir vigorously!
Finish the dish with a fresh squeeze of bitter orange juice.
Plate and serve:
Put the curry into a serving bowl; garnish with a drizzle of thick coconut cream, kaffir lime leaves sliced into hair-thin juliennes, and thin slices of bitter orange peel.
Keyword spicy curry (แกงเผ็ด)
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Salty leading and sour-sweet to follow, this coconut-based gaaeng phet spicy curry might be made of chilies, but it is fruitier than it is spicy, and lighter than it is dense. Originally cooked with the meat of game birds, it retains a surprisingly light body that opens space for the birds to fly. The curry is tinted golden orange from a paste imbued with fresh yellow chilies and turmeric; it is perfumed with lemongrass and lemon basil leaves.
Grapes have long been associated with prosperity, fertility and abundance across various cultures and historical periods due to the fruit’s large clusters and bountiful growth. In ancient China, grapes were considered a symbol of wealth and nobility, and often deployed as a status symbol among the elite. In Greek mythology, Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, was often depicted holding a bunch of grapes, further emphasizing the connection between grapes and abundance. This association is also likely rooted in the fact that grapes were a valuable crop in antiquity – used to produce wine and other fermented products, and an important source of food and nutrition. In Indian Ayurvedic texts, grapes are referred to as vineaksha and utilized in treating a variety of ailments, including fever and indigestion.
From the Siamese perspective, the incorporation of fruits in culinary preparations was viewed as a luxurious indulgence, as many fruits commonly available today were once difficult to obtain. Thus the pairing of an extravagant ingredient – such as fruit – with an equally opulent and exclusive delicacy like roasted duck resulted in a dish fit for royalty.
In Anglo-Indian cuisine, potatoes were used liberally in the curries; alongside the favorite sour chutneys, curries were also accompanied by fried, baked, boiled or mashed potatoes. Although the potato gradually found its way into many iconic Indian dishes, and even into Siamese cuisine, the tuber never replaced the rice of South Asia, despite the intentions of both the British and East Indian company officials.
In the 1935 book Sai Yaowapa (ตำรับสายเยาวภา), Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) reflects the Anglo-Indian style gaaeng garee in her composition of bitter orange-fragrant beef gaaeng garee, which she serves in individual bowls made of fried potatoes, per a recipe recorded by M.L. Terb Gamphu (ม.ล. เติบ กำภู) and M.R. Tuang Sanitwong (ม.ร.ว.เตื้อง สนิทวงศ์).
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