Celebrating the Art of Siamese Culinary Wisdom and Thai Cuisine
Saen Tung-Style Jungle Curry with Beef and Bamboo Shoots (แกงป่าเนื้อใส่หน่อไม้ แบบแสนตุ้ง; gaaeng bpaa neuua sai naaw mai baaep saaen dtoong)
This is my take on the famous jungle curry from the Saen Tung district in Trat province. In Trat it is usually cooked with game meat and thinly sliced pineapple shoots (แขนงสับปะรด).
Thai Curries: The Professional Chef's Guide - แกงไทย
The Secret Healing Powers of Siamese Curries – A Closer Look at Gaaeng Yaa (แกงยา)
Gaeng Som Recipe, Thai Sour Curry Recipe of Shrimp, Okra and Roselle Leaves
(gaeng som maawn gra jiiap goong)
สูตรทำแกงส้มมอญกระเจี๊ยบกุ้ง Gaeng som recipe: Sour curries are without doubt one of Thai cuisine all-time favorites, free from foreign influence and with many regional variations they present a complex balance of four flavors while using only few ingredients, all find a pleasing harmony in one dish. There are the sourness of the tamarind paste, the saltiness of the fermented shrimp paste and fish sauce, the natural sweetness of the prawns and the vegetables and of course the peppery heat from the chilies. This easy curry paste is as rich as it is simple; the flavor offers a world of depth in a truly innovative combination of flavors.
(gaeng som maawn gra jiiap goong)
สูตรทำแกงส้มมอญกระเจี๊ยบกุ้ง Gaeng som recipe: Sour curries are without doubt one of Thai cuisine all-time favorites, free from foreign influence and with many regional variations they present a complex balance of four flavors while using only few ingredients, all find a pleasing harmony in one dish. There are the sourness of the tamarind paste, the saltiness of the fermented shrimp paste and fish sauce, the natural sweetness of the prawns and the vegetables and of course the peppery heat from the chilies. This easy curry paste is as rich as it is simple; the flavor offers a world of depth in a truly innovative combination of flavors.
Kanchanaburi-Style Snakehead Fish Jungle Curry with Bitter Yellow Eggplants (แกงป่าปลา ; gaaeng bpaa bplaa)
This recipe is adapted from a recipe I obtained from a jungle food restaurant in Kanchanaburi province. The paste is a downgrade of a phrik khing paste – it omits the coriander roots and shallots. In addition, the recipe substitutes the fermented shrimp paste (kapi) with maawn fermented fish paste (กะปิมอญ; gabpi maawn), which is a popular ingredient among the Mon-Burmese population of the western province. The lack of shallots eliminates any sweetness that might impair the sharpness and heat of the dish. Furthermore, a double hit of citrus notes from holy basil are infused into the dish: from the holy basil flowers added to the paste and the holy basil leaves added to the curry.
The Story of Gaaeng Buaan (แกงบวน) – The Oldest Siamese Dish?
Crab and Spring Onion Coconut-Based Curry (แกงคั่วปูกับต้นหอม; Gaaeng Khuaa Bpuu Gap Dtohn Haawm)
Preparing a crab curry is an exercise in culinary diplomacy, wherein the challenge lies in negotiating the distinct flavors of land and sea into a cohesive understanding and capturing the perfect balance. This golden gastronomic horizon is where the delicate whispers of the ocean meet earth’s bold declarations – and at its core is a straightforward question: How do we craft a curry that testifies, via crab, to the ocean’s bounty, yet remains grounded in the earth’s aromatic flora, with roots like galangal and turmeric?
In addition, it is challenging to create a curry that is luxuriously creamy, yet light and not too greasy; where the crab’s delicate natural sweetness surfaces as a pleasant sea breeze, levitating above the pitfalls of being too fishy or overly sweetened. Another hurdle is achieving the precise color – produced by red chilies, golden turmeric and peppercorns – that reflects the culinary traditions of southern seashore fishing communities. I like mine set to about a 70:30 ratio of yellow to red and, if using black peppercorns, with a deep brown undertone.
c1933 Water-based spicy curry of fatty chicken and seven spices (แกงเผ็ดไก่น้ำมัน พ.ศ. 2476; gaaeng phet gai naam man)
This water-based, spicy chicken curry is made with corn-yellow rendered chicken fat instead of coconut cream. Dark reddish-brown in color, this full-bodied and fatty beak-to-tail curry presents the chicken identity and personality in both a corporeal and tasty manner. Spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, mace and clove are added into the curry paste to temper the gamey-irony flavor of the offal and deodorize the meat, resulting in a luscious dish that is beautifully layered with textures and flavors.
Coconut-Braised Sun-Dried Salted Beef with Bamboo Shoots (แกงต้มกะทิเนื้อโคเค็ม ; gaaeng dtohm gathi neuua khoh khem)
แกงต้มกะทิเนื้อโคเค็ม - In this dish, umami-charged, salted sun-dried beef is gently grilled over charcoal, adding smoke and caramelized elements that emerge in the core of the flavor profile, alongside the umami and the savor of fat. The meat is then cut into bite-size pieces, and slowly braised in thick coconut milk. The coconut fits perfectly onto the triangle of umami, fat and smoke. It brings its own umami and fatty shades, and introduces a rich sweetness that pairs seamlessly with the caramelized character of the grilled beef. The braising also rehydrates the beef and softens it. Bamboo shoots, shallots, galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are added, perfecting the dish with a complementary sweetness, echoing the umami hues, and cutting citrusy notes while creating hidden astringent layers. The dish is finished with fresh chili peppers and hair-thin julienned kaffir lime for a fresh aroma and piquant bite.
Rustic Grilled Thai Fish Curry in Banana Leaves (Snakehead Fish)
(ngohp bplaa chaawn ; งบปลาช่อน) I love this straightforward grilled Thai fish curry in banana leaves because it packs a punch with its aromatic curry mixture that embrace the white and tender fish meat with great flavors. It is a great addition for any Thai meal and very easy to prepare. Snakehead fish, traditionally caught from irrigation ditches or flooded rice fields, benefits from the aromatic curry paste because it helps to eliminate unpleasant odors which wild caught fishes might acquire from their muddy habitat. Nowadays though, it is commercially farmed and one can safely cook it in various ways with no risk of those undesirable odors.
(ngohp bplaa chaawn ; งบปลาช่อน) I love this straightforward grilled Thai fish curry in banana leaves because it packs a punch with its aromatic curry mixture that embrace the white and tender fish meat with great flavors. It is a great addition for any Thai meal and very easy to prepare. Snakehead fish, traditionally caught from irrigation ditches or flooded rice fields, benefits from the aromatic curry paste because it helps to eliminate unpleasant odors which wild caught fishes might acquire from their muddy habitat. Nowadays though, it is commercially farmed and one can safely cook it in various ways with no risk of those undesirable odors.
The Contrasting Histories of Gaaeng Rawaaeng (แกงระแวง) - Turmeric-Infused Coconut-Based Thick Curry of Braised Duck and Lemongrass
Gaeng rawang (แกงระแวง) is a curry bearing an unusual name and contradictory accounts regarding its appearance, lineage and origins. When I cook this dish, it is a rich and thick coconut-based curry made with a paste of fresh chilies, aromatics, spices and generous amounts of fresh turmeric, which adds warmth and gives the green chili color a slightly earthier, muted tone that resonates beautifully with the duck meat.
The duck meat is prepared separately and slow-braised in coconut cream before being cooked in the curry. This slow-braising process allows the coconut cream and duck’s fattiness to melt together, resulting in moist and flavorful meat with a hint of sweetness. The curry itself is seasoned to a salty and slightly sweet flavor profile.
Into The Woods – The Story of Jungle Curry (แกงป่า; gaaeng bpaa)
c1935 Stuffed Potatoes with Bitter Orange Fragrant Beef Gaaeng Garee (แกงกะหรี่บรรจุมัน ม.ล. เติบ กำภู ; gaaeng garee ban joo man)
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).
Northern Style Hang Lay Curry (gaaeng hang laeh muu ; แกงฮังเลหมู)
This recipe comes all the way from India through the northern Burmese border. The masala spice mix is still sold in small packages with retro looking prints that seem to forever exist.
There is no way in a recipe to communicate what's going on in here; a thick red chili paste marinate, that bursts in orange turmeric color, provides the perfect seen to the tender, almost falling apart, pork meat.
Duck Curry with Prunes and Apples (แกงเป็ดกับพรูนและแอปเปิ้ล อย่าง ม.ล. เติบ ชุมสาย; gaaeng bpet gap phruun lae aaep bpeern)
When it comes to pairing fruits with meats in savory dishes, it’s hard to match the bold tangy-luscious combination of apples and prunes in this old-fashioned coconut-based spicy curry with braised duck. The dish is seasoned to a spicy, salty, and sour-sweet flavor profile, which is further intensified by the prunes’ subtle nectareous, savory-sweetness and the apples’ fruity, sweet-tartness. This curry is a perfect example of how fruits can complement the already complex and profound aromatic relationships between meaty-savory flavors, the curry paste’s aromatic identity, and the dish’s herbal character of Thai basil and fresh peppercorns – creating a most memorable flavor impression.
Curry Paste Permeability
Swamp Eel Triple-Layered Red Curry with Fingerroot, Bitter Ginger, Sand Ginger and Thai Basil Flowers (แกงเผ็ดปลาไหลทรงเครื่อง ; Gaaeng Phet Bplaa Lai Sohng Khreuuang)
This eel curry includes a greater-than-usual quantity of aromatics used over three stages. First, the eel is cleaned and sliced into segments; then it is fried with a generous amount of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and shallots. These help to counter its muddy and somewhat iron-like odor, which disappears along with the liquids and the aromatics.
This eel curry recipe is adapted from the vintage book: “Gap Khaao O:H Chaa Roht” by Ging Ga Nohk) (กับข้าวโอชารส โดย กิ่งกนก – กาญจนาภา พ.ศ. 2485). This rare book was written in 1942 during WWII, a period of global turmoil in which Thailand was invaded by the Japanese. That same year marked a decade from the ending of absolute monarchy rule in 1932, and one generation away from the peak of the Siamese culinary renaissance that flourished in the court of King Rama V (1868-1910): a nostalgic era for its children who are still with us to remember and reflect on those times.
Thai Coconut Curry of Steamed Mackerels and Lotus Stems
(gaaeng gathi saai buaa bplaa thuu neung ;
แกงกะทิสายบัวปลาทูนึ่ง) This old-fashioned Thai coconut curry dish is a simple expression made with ingredients commonly available to Thais, it features steamed mackerels - the fish that Thai people probably love the best and the stems of the lotus flowers - one of Buddhism's most recognized motifs. The fish together with peeled lotus stems are boiled in coconut milk, to which a simple yet very aromatic curry paste, made only of white pepper corns, shallots and fermented shrimp paste is added.
(gaaeng gathi saai buaa bplaa thuu neung ;
แกงกะทิสายบัวปลาทูนึ่ง) This old-fashioned Thai coconut curry dish is a simple expression made with ingredients commonly available to Thais, it features steamed mackerels - the fish that Thai people probably love the best and the stems of the lotus flowers - one of Buddhism's most recognized motifs. The fish together with peeled lotus stems are boiled in coconut milk, to which a simple yet very aromatic curry paste, made only of white pepper corns, shallots and fermented shrimp paste is added.
c1889 Garee Curry with Shrimp and Cucumber (แกงกะหรี่กุ้งกับแตงกวา; gaaeng garee goong gap dtaaeng gwaa)
In this old-fashioned coconut-based curry, orangey shrimp and bright green cucumber shine in a golden haze of curry powder, caressed by the light breeze of Indian flare. Cucumbers are used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a coolant, to offset internal heat and to resolve fevers. Thus, like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a shimmering desert, the cucumber counterbalances the chili’s internal heat energy and mellows the fragrant, earthy undertones of the spice blend in the dish.
Pan Roasted Duck Breast and Hairy-Fruited Eggplant Curry (แกงเป็ดคั่วมะอึก; gaaeng bpet khuaa maeuk)
The hairy-fruited eggplant, known as ‘maeuk’ in Thai, is similar to the tomato in its unique confluence of sweetness, fruitiness, and savoriness. This ingredient is used in a wide range of Siamese dishes, including curries, salads, relishes, and seasoned rice dishes. This recipe, from the central region of Thailand, is a traditional duck khuaa sohm curry (แกงคั่วส้มเป็ด) that commonly uses garden ingredients to achieve sourness, including the madan (garcinia schomburgkiana) (มะดัน), the sour bilimbi fruit (averrhoa bilimbi) (ตะลิงปลิง), and the hairy-fruited eggplant.
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.
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