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).
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Khing haeng (ขิงแห้ง) | Coriander root |
Zingiber cassumunar (ไพล) | |
Etlingera pavieana (raayo haawm) (เร่วหอม) | |
Holy basil flowers (ดอกกะเพรา) | |
Thai basil flowers (ดอกโหระพา) | |
Optional: Uncooked rice soaked in water overnight (khaao beuua) (ข้าวเบือ) |
The curry paste is based on the standard phrik khing paste into which three medicinal roots and the flowers of two basils are generously added, resulting in a hot, pungent, astringent and slightly bitter dish.
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Ingredients
To braise the beef:
- 600 g beef (เนื้อวัว) cut into into relatively large and equal-sized pieces.
- 4 cups water (น้ำเปล่า)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (ตะไคร้)
- 5 slices galangal (ข่า)
- 5 pieces shallots (หอมแดง)
For the curry:
- 3 cups chicken stock (น้ำสต๊อกไก่)
- 1/2 cup pea eggplants (มะเขือพวง)
- 1 tablespoon fresh peppercorns (พริกไทยอ่อน)
- 2 cups bamboo shoots (หน่อไม้) shredded and cooked
- 1 fresh red long chili (phrik chee fa) (พริกชี้ฟ้าแดง)
- 8 kaffir lime leaves (ใบมะกรูด)
For the paste:
- 2 tablespoons dried boat bow shaped chilies (hua rua) (พริกหัวเรือแห้ง)
- 2 tablespoons fresh bird’s eye chili (kee noo suan) (พริกขี้หนูสวนสด)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (เกลือทะเล)
- 1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest (ผิวมะกรูด)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemongrass (ตะไคร้)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons galangal (ข่า)
- 1 tablespoon fresh sand ginger (เปราะหอมสด)
- 1 tablespoon Etlingera pavieana (raayo haawm) (เร่วหอม)
- 1 tablespoon fresh khing haaeng ginger (ขิงแห้ง) (Zingiber mekongense Gagnep.)
- 2 tablespoon Thai garlic (กระเทียมไทย)
- 3 tablespoons shallots (หอมแดง)
- holy basil flowers (ดอกกะเพรา)
- Thai basil flowers (ดอกโหระพา)
- 3/4 tablespoon fermented shrimp paste (kapi)(กะปิย่างไฟ)
Instructions
Braise the beef:
- Slice the beef into relatively large and equal-sized pieces.
- Fill a pot with water.
- Add the aromatics – the lemongrass, galangal and shallots.
- Braise the beef over low heat, starting from cold. Keep braising until the beef is tender; add water if needed. The cooking time will vary depending on the age, quality and cut of the beef.
Pre-cook the bamboo shoots:
- In a pot with water and salt, bring the bamboo shoots to a boil. When the water turns yellowish, strain and change the water. Repeat two or three times until the bitterness of the bamboo shoots has mellowed down.
Prepare the curry paste:
- An overview of the curry paste ingredients.
- In a pestle and mortar, pound the curry paste; start with the chilies and gradually add the other ingredients, from the driest to the wet. Pound the paste to a semi- fine consistency. Set aside.
Cook the curry:
- In a pot, dilute the paste with chicken stock to the desired consistency.
- Bring the stock to a boil and cook it until the paste loses its rawness.
- Add the braised beef and continue to cook on medium heat.
- Add the bamboo shoots and cook them thoroughly.
- Add all the other ingredients and cook until the eggplants are fully cooked.
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.
Naaw go:h, a Shan-style seasonal salad, is a dish commonly made by the Shan people during the rainy season, using freshly foraged ingredients. Consisting of shredded, cooked bamboo shoots and herbs with a glossy, earthy-like dressing, the salad reflects the moist soil from which the bamboo sprouts after the rains. The use of whole, elongated Vietnamese coriander leaves and sliced, angular young ginger leaves visually mirrors the structure of the bamboo plant.
The dressing for this salad is prepared by frying a paste in pork lard or cooking oil; the paste includes roasted dried bird’s eye chilis, roasted garlic, powdered soybean cake and salt and, occasionally, roasted shallots or a small piece of fresh turmeric are incorporated. This mixture bestows a harmonious blend of salty-spicy, rich, and nutty undertones upon the salad, complemented by a subtle yeasty essence.
Rice Seasoned with Young Tamarind Relish, Sweetened Fish and Pickled Morning Glory (ข้าวคลุกน้ำพริกมะขามอ่อน ผักบุ้งดอง ปลาแห้งผัดหวาน และ ปลาดุกย่าง; Khaao Khlook Naam Phrik Makhaam Aawn Phakboong Daawng Bplaa Haaeng Phat Waan Lae Bplaa Dook Yaang)
Seasoned rice dishes have been a staple of rice-consuming societies almost since the first grains were cultivated. Adapted according to local resources, traditions and individual preferences, seasoned rice dishes are relished and savored across all walks of life. Within Siamese society, these dishes offer insight into the flavor instincts and eating habits across all demographics, revealing which food items were locally available and valued.
In this delicious seasoned rice recipe from the kitchens of the daughter of King Chulalongkorn, Princess Yaovabha Bongsanid (พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าเยาวภาพงศ์สนิท) (1884-1934), the Princess uses a variety of common preserved and inexpensive ingredients, clearly drawing inspiration from the cuisine of the Central Plains with nods to the rural and coastal living atmosphere.
Perfumed Muslim-style Curry of Fresh Chilies with Beef (แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อทรงเครื่อง; Gaaeng Khiaao Waan Neuua Sohng Khreuuang)
The Indian and Muslim cuisines present distinct approaches to using dried spices in curries, both of which influence Siamese cuisine in different ways. Indian-inspired Siamese curries spotlight chilies for their vibrant color, fragrance, flavor and heat, while spices like cumin and coriander play a supporting role. The spices complement and temper the chilies’ intensity, creating a rounded, multi-layered flavor profile; nonetheless, the chilies remain the star ingredient, gently complemented by the spices.
Conversely, Muslim-influenced curries, such as massaman curry, prioritize spices over chilies. Spices like cardamom, nutmeg and mace take center stage, while the chilies provide subtle background heat rather than being the primary flavor. In these curries, the focus is on the rich, warm and complex aromas created by the blend of spices, which is a defining characteristic of many Muslim dishes.
Moreover, Siamese cuisine favors using rehydrated dried chilies in curries for their depth; this depth is highly appreciated, along with the complexity, and comparatively milder heat of the rehydrated dried chilies. As well, the harsh grassy notes of fresh chilies are not favored; they’re referred to in Thai as “green rank” or “men khiaao (เหม็นเขียว)”. Muslim curries often use fresh green chilies, tempering their vibrant, grassy taste with dry spices and thus shifting the flavor from bright and fresh to more subdued and earthy tones, resulting in a dish that is perceived to be layered, despite the burst of fresh chilies.
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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