Recipes
Thai
Kaeng Pa

Kaeng Pa

Name: Kaeng Pa
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 120 g pork loin or shoulder; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 4 dried red chillies; 1 shallot; 3 cloves garlic; 10 g galangal; 1 stalk lemongrass; 1 tsp kaffir lime peel; 0.25 tsp white peppercorns; 0.5 tsp shrimp paste (kapi); 0.25 tsp salt; 250 ml water or light pork stock; 1 tbsp fresh green peppercorns; 20 g krachai (fingerroot); 40 g pea aubergines; 1 Thai apple aubergine; 40 g snake beans or green beans; 3 kaffir lime leaves; 10 g holy basil leaves; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 0.25 tsp palm sugar; 1 red spur chilli

Thailand's fiery jungle curry from the forested inland north, no coconut milk, just a pounded chilli paste loosened with stock, packed with green peppercorns, fingerroot, pea aubergines and holy basil. Thin, hot and aromatic, eaten with plenty of rice.

Mains 25g+ protein 8g+ fibre

40 min25 prep · 15 cookMedium524 kcalper serving

Ingredients

1 serving

pork loin or shouldersliced thinly across the grain120 g
vegetable oil1 tsp
dried red chilliesstems and most seeds removed4
shallotsmall, peeled1
garlicpeeled3 cloves
galangalpeeled and finely chopped10 g
lemongrasstough outer layers removed, finely sliced1 stalk
kaffir lime peelfinely chopped, white pith removed1 tsp
white peppercorns0.25 tsp
shrimp paste (kapi)0.5 tsp
salt0.25 tsp
water or light pork stock250 ml
fresh green peppercornsstill on the stem if possible1 tbsp
krachai (fingerroot)peeled and cut into fine matchsticks20 g
pea auberginespicked from the stalk40 g
Thai apple auberginesmall, quartered1
snake beans or green beanscut into 2 cm lengths40 g
kaffir lime leavestorn, centre rib removed3
holy basil leaves10 g
fish sauce1 tbsp
palm sugar0.25 tsp
red spur chillisliced on the diagonal1

Contains crustaceans, fish

Instructions

Cover 4 dried red chillies with warm water and leave to soak for 15 minutes until pliable. Drain, squeeze dry and chop roughly.
In a granite mortar pound the soaked chillies with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp white peppercorns until broken down, then add, one at a time and pounding smooth before the next, 1 stalk finely sliced lemongrass, 10 g chopped galangal, 1 tsp chopped kaffir lime peel, 3 cloves garlic and 1 shallot. Finally work in 0.5 tsp shrimp paste. You want a fine, fragrant paste, about 10 minutes of steady pounding.
Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the paste for 2 minutes, pressing and turning it constantly, until the raw garlic smell has gone and the chilli aroma catches the back of your throat. Do not let it brown.