Recipe for cooking gaeng phed kai

Recipes from Thailand :: Thai Main Dish Poultry

Posted by WingsFan91 at recipegoldmine.com 11/14/2001 6:23 pm

The Thai name of this dish literally means "hot chicken curry." There is a very similar recipe for a green curry (Gaeng Khiao Wan Kai) which I shall also post.

As always, the quantities are up to you.

Curry Paste
5 to 10 dried red chiles
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. chopped galangal
1 Tbsp. thinly sliced lemon grass
1/2 tsp. zest of "kaffir" lime (ordinary lime will do)
1 tsp. chopped coriander (cilantro) root
5 black peppercorns
1 Tbsp. roasted coriander seeds
1 tsp. roasted cumin seeds
Dash of fish sauce
1 to 2 tsp. fermented shrimp paste (kapi)

Mix in a moratar and pestle or food processor. Will keep about a month in a fridge. You can buy commercial red curry paste (Mae Ploy brand is quite good), but as far as I am aware all commercial pastes contain MSG and preservatives.

The curry
6 oz. chicken (in smallish bite-size pieces)
1/2 c. coconut milk
4 oz. Thai eggplant (these are small round eggplants)
2 kaffir lime leaves (or a little lime zest)
1 Tbsp. sweet basil
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. palm sugar

Oil for cooking
1 to 3 Tbsp. red curry paste

Cut the chicken up, then briefly fry the curry paste until fragrant, reduce the heat, add the coconut milk slowly, and continue to stir whilst cooking until a thin film of oil appears on the surface.

Add the chicken and other ingredients except the eggplant. Let it come to a boil and cook until the chicken begins to change color. Adjust the flavors to suit yourself. When it is at a boil again add the eggplant and continue till the chicken is cooked through.

Serve over rice, or in a serving bowl with other Thai dishes.

Special thanks to Muoi Khuntilanont.