This profoundly spicy, chestnut-colored pork curry radiates a pungent slow-burning heat from generous amounts of roasted black pepper, along with long peppers and naughty charred dry chili peppers. The curry’s aroma is concentrated even further by roasting the ingredients prior to pounding them – a process that shaves the high notes of the curry and provides a low-pitched intensity that lasts far beyond each bite.
An unusually high quantity of julienned young galangal adorns the dish like the spikes of a hedgehog, piercing the smoky, earthy fragrance of the peppercorns with higher citrus notes; fresh green peppercorns reinforce its peppery core with a discreet herbal freshness.
Dee bplee (ดีปลี) – Javanese long pepper or Long Indian Pepper Javanese long pepper (Piper retrofractum) and Indian long pepper (Piper longum) both produce a small, elongated fruit that resembles a closed pine cone. Long pepper has a rich history in early Indian and Indonesian-style cooking that dates back thousands of years; it is often intermingled and confused with black pepper. The Romans were familiar with both, and used the peppers interchangeably.
The south of Thailand is close to Indonesia’s peppercorn production centers, overlooking the very same oceans crossed by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in his pursuit of spice trade riches. In the late 15th century, black peppercorns made up more than 90% of the entire spice trade: The discovery of the Americas, the introduction of chili peppers and the advent of commercial transportation all contributed to a decline in the use of long pepper.
However, Javanese long pepper (Piper retrofractum) is still widely used in southern and northern Thai cuisines. Its flavor resembles that of ordinary black pepper but it has a hotter taste with sweet, somewhat earthy undertones; the Indian variety is slightly bitter compared to the Thai long pepper.
Cooking tips:
This style of curry is ideal for wild boar meat and any other game meat, as well as beef, pork and chicken.
Use palm sugar only in very small quantities, with the desired amount should only paint a vaguely felt sweet base.
Do not use any green herbs to touch up the curry. The desired flavor lift is produced by using green peppercorns, which play off the black and long peppers, and julienned kaffir lime leaves add sparks of citrusy freshness.
Serve alongside hot white rice and a crispy Thai omelette.
Roasted Southern Thai Curry of Pork, Three Peppers and Young Galangal
Hanuman and Chef Thapakorn Lertviriyavit (Gorn)
This profoundly spicy, chestnut-colored pork curry radiates a pungent slow-burning heat from generous amounts of roasted black pepper, along with long peppers and naughty charred dry chili peppers. The curry’s aroma is concentrated even further by roasting the ingredients prior to pounding them – a process that shaves the high notes of the curry and provides a low-pitched intensity that lasts far beyond each bite.
Breaking news: The oldest Thai cookbook, as well as history’s first-ever recorded recipe for Phanaeng curry, are revealed for the first time on Thaifoodmaster.com – A 126-year-old cookbook written by one of Siam’s most revered singers, Maawm Sohm Jeen (Raa Chaa Noopraphan) (หม่อมซ่มจีน, ราชานุประพันธุ์), has been rediscovered, offering a unique glimpse into the culinary repertoire of 19th-century Siam. In this chapter we examine the different forms of phanaeng curry from the 1800s to the present day, as we reconstruct the 19th-century version and craft step-by-step a traditional beef phanaeng curry.
Also known as: gaaeng jeen juaan (แกงจีนจ๊วน), or gaaeng juaan (แกงจ๋วน).
Gaaeng jeen juaan is a coconut-based red curry. With primary ingredients of chicken, light green banana chili peppers and peanuts, it is similar to Massaman curry (matsaman); and scented with the sweet aroma of dry Indian spices such as cumin, mace, nutmeg, clove, star anise and cinnamon. Pineapple adds sweetness and a thin layer of tartness. The sweet and sour flavors are echoed by the addition of fresh sugarcane juice and a squeeze of bitter orange juice (sohm saa). To enhance the aroma and texture of the curry, roasted grated coconut is added to the curry paste.
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.
Yellow sour curry (gaaeng leuuang, แกงเหลือง) is considered a comfort food for the people of Thailand’s southern region. Lavish amounts of fresh turmeric give this spicy, sour and salty curry its rich yellow tint, as well as its earthy aroma and a pleasantly bitter taste. The curry also contains generous portions of the southern dark fermented shrimp paste, resulting in a cloudy, ochre-colored dish.
Southern yellow sour curry is primarily made with saltwater fish, and with either water spinach (phak boong ผักบุ้ง), bamboo shoots (fresh or pickled), green papaya, the stems of the giant elephant ear plant (Colocasia gigantea) (aaw dip อ้อดิบ or thuun ทูน), winter melon (fak khiaao ฟักเขียว) or lotus stems. But versions of the curry that include freshwater fish, shrimp, salted threadfin fish (bplaa goo lao khem ปลากุเลาเค็ม), or even beef or pork belly, are not rare.
This is an aromatic stew that leans into the sweet spectrum of the palate. An all-time Thai favorite, moo palo was introduced locally by the Chinese-Cantonese and Tae Chiew immigrants who flocked to the Kingdom in the early nineteenth century.
The name of this dish originates from two Chinese words: pah ziah and lou.
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Access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional classes, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.
Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
You will get everything you need to:
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
Finally !
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.