Isaan•gourmet
Thai Jungle Curry (Gaeng Pa)
Bold, fiery, and unapologetically herbal. Jungle curry, known in Thai as Gaeng Pa, is one of the most traditional curries in Thailand and one you’re far more likely to eat at home than in restaurants.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 5 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
5
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup Thai Jungle curry paste. I highly recommend making your Thai Jungle curry paste using my recipe. For a store-bought paste, I recommend this Lobo brand.
- 4 cup broth, use low or no salt. Chicken or vegetable broth is best.
- 4 Thai eggplants, green round ones, quartered. They are sometimes labeled Thai aubergines in the Asian market. Chinese eggplants, purple or green varieties, can be used if Thai eggplants are unavailable.
- 1 cup baby corn. Leave whole or cut in half. Up to you!
- 1 cup zucchini, winter melon, Asian gourd, or Kabocha squash. Slice into bite-size pieces.
- 1/2 cup red pepper. Slice into small pieces, round or long, whichever you prefer. I used a long red Marconi. You can use sweet bell peppers. If feeling adventurous, use red serranos or Long Thai chilies for added heat.
- 1 lb swordfish. I used the frozen swordfish fillet from Trader Joe's for mine. Any firm white fish will work.
- 1/3 cup Krachai. Sliced long and thin. Also called finger roots Chinese keys, or lesser ginger. See the image in the blog post above.
- 1/4 cup Thai green peppercorns. About 3-4 long stems. See the image in the blog post above.
- 2 kaffir lime leaves. Julienned into long, thin slices.
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1+1/2 cup holy basil leaves. Substitute Thai basil or regular basil if holy basil is not available.
Instructions
- 1
Start by heating a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, stir in the Jungle curry paste, giving it a quick sauté to release its flavors.
- 2
Add the vegetables and allow it to cook for 4-5 minutes until tender.
- 3
Add kaffir lime leaves, Krachai, and green peppercorns.
- 4
Add the fish and cook for 4-5 more minutes.
- 5
Turn the heat off, and add holy basil to enhance the aroma.