Thai curries (แกงไทย) Archives

gaaeng muu yaang gap gluay dip ; แกงหมูย่างกับกล้วยดิบ

Old-Fashioned Thai Red Curry of Grilled & Smoked Pork Neck and Unripe Green Bananas (แกงหมูย่างกับกล้วยดิบ ; gaaeng muu yaang gap gluay dip)

Thai red curry is a broad term describing any curry that is red in color, although variations exist among the dish’s ingredients or their ratios. Today’s menu features a Thai red curry paste to which we add higher quantities of coriander root and kaffir lime zest; this creates a more aromatic character that will enhance the smokiness of the grilled pork meat and the mild sweetness of the unripe green bananas.

The Art of Siamese Duck Curries - Theory and Practice (แกงเป็ด - ศิลปะ ทฤษฎี และ การปฏิบัติ)

Khao Soi Recipe, Northern Style Curried Noodle Soup with Chicken
(khaao saawy gai ; สูตรทำข้าวซอยไก่)

This dish (Khao Soi Recipe) takes us back in time to the mid-19th century. The trade caravans were trailing the jungles of northern Thailand along the ancient routes between India and China. Those long caravans were carrying wealth of exotic goods, leaving rich aroma of spices and the sweet scent of opium as they passed. The men on this long line of between fifty and one hundred mules would be Yunnanese Muslim Chinese, who dominated the trade routes and began to settle in Chiang Mai and the main towns of north Thailand at that time.

Beef Curry Seasoned with Fermented Shrimp Paste Chili Relish (แกงรัญจวน ; gaaeng ranjuaan)

Gaaeng Ranjuaan is spicy, sour, sweet and salty beef curry seasoned with no more than fermented shrimp paste chili sauce. It should be served steaming hot, and must possess three distinct flavors, similar to fish Tom Yam soup. These modest ingredients and an intensely-flavored curry emerge from a story about love, things lost in translation and…leftovers.

c1933 Manifold flavors curry – a chicken and pineapple spicy curry (แกงเผ็ดหลากหลายรส; gaaeng phet laak laai roht)

At first glance, this chicken and pineapple curry might seem ordinary or plain. After all, even though spicy curries with sour notes have been relished for ages, they feature repetitive patterns that could be viewed as common and perhaps uninteresting. However, with a calculated yet simple approach, this curry turns corners – quite literally – into a dish with a new flavor melody. It is thus referred to by its author, Mrs. Samaknantapol (Jeep Bunnag) (นางสมรรคนันทพล, จีบ บุนนาค), as laak laai roht, a “curry with manifold flavors (หลากหลายรส)”.

Into The Woods – The Story of Jungle Curry (แกงป่า; gaaeng bpaa)

c1941 Old-Fashioned spicy curry of chicken with young chilies (แกงเผ็ดแบบโบราณอย่างคุณถนอม ปาลบุตร พ.ศ. 2484 ; gaaeng phet baaep bo:h raan)

This is a classical Siamese spicy curry that displays a spicy, salty and sweet flavor profile, and uses common curry ingredients such as pea eggplants and young green chilies with an interesting dry spice profile.

Thai Salad of Chicken and Seven Vegetables Blanched in Coconut Milk and Served With Sour-Salty and Sweet Coconut Curry Dressing, Crispy Fried Shallots and Roasted Sesame Seeds
(yam thawaai ; ยำทวาย)

This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens. This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing. These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.

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.

The Story of Gaaeng Buaan (แกงบวน) – The Oldest Siamese Dish?

The complete story of turtle curries in Siamese cuisine (เจาะลึกประวัติศาสตร์เรื่องแกงตะพาบน้ำ)

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.

แกงเขียวหวานเป็ดย่าง - Thai Green Curry with Roasted Duck and Young Chilies

Thai Green Curry with Roasted Duck and Young Chilies (แกงเขียวหวานเป็ดย่าง ; gaaeng khiaao waan bpet yang)

Green curry, with its mellow, creamy green color and rich coconut base, has both fresh and mature flavors. Like new growth on plants, it brings brightness, youthfulness, spring and rebirth to the meltdown of flavors created in the curry paste. The green curry paste uses mainly the same standard ingredients as Thai spicy-red curry paste: lemongrass, coriander roots, kaffir lime zest, galangal, garlic, shallots, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, salt and kapi.

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.

Southern Thai Ancient Fermented Fish Innards Curry with Grilled Catfish (แกงไตปลาปลาดุกย่างโบราณ ; gaaeng dtai bplaa bplaa dook yaang)

แกงไตปลาปลาดุกย่างโบราณ - Fermented fish innards curry is a dense curry made of fermented fish innards is dark coffee-brown in color – a salty, fiery hot dish, it grips the palate in an intense umami embrace. As the flagship dish in the repertoire of spicy southern Thai cuisine, it comes in different versions: some are water based; some have a base of coconut cream. But whatever the style, it is a fiercely hot dish that features both dried and fresh chilies.

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.

Patterns – Decoding the Complexity of Siamese Curry Paste: A Multidimensional Exploration

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).

Aromatic Alchemy - The Art and Science of Pounded Curry Pastes

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.

Curry Paste Permeability

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