Kaeng Pa Gai (Thai Jungle Curry with Chicken)
Local name: แกงป่าไก่
In short: A fiery, thin curry with chicken, pea eggplants, long beans and baby corn, made without coconut milk and finished with holy basil. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Kaeng pa, or jungle curry, is a thin, fiery curry made without coconut milk, cooked in the north and the forested west of Thailand. A paste heavy on fresh and dried chilies is fried in oil, then stretched with stock and loaded with vegetables, plus holy basil and sometimes fingerroot. It is lighter than coconut curries but hotter, and it is best spooned over plain rice.
Instructions
- Drain the soaked chilies. Pound or blend them with the bird's-eye chilies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, lime zest, shrimp paste and salt into a coarse paste.
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Fry the paste for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it smells fragrant.
- Add the chicken and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, then add the fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the eggplants, baby corn and long beans and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through (74°C/165°F) and the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
- Stir in the basil and chili, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Tips
- Use any firm vegetables you have, such as bamboo shoots, green peppercorns on the stem, or small round eggplants. Add the harder ones first.
- Replace the chicken with fish fillets, pork or wild game. Add fish in the last 3 minutes so it does not break up.
Questions and answers
Why is it called jungle curry?
The name reflects its rustic style: no coconut milk, which was not always available in forest areas, and lots of fresh vegetables and herbs.
How spicy is kaeng pa?
Very. It is one of the hottest Thai curries. Halve the dried chilies and leave out the bird's-eye chilies for a medium version.
Can I add coconut milk?
It is not traditional, but a splash of coconut milk will mellow the heat. The result is closer to a red curry.
How long does it take to make Kaeng Pa Gai (Thai Jungle Curry with Chicken)?
About 50 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Kaeng Pa Gai (Thai Jungle Curry with Chicken)?
About 285 kcal per serving, with 28 g of protein, 12 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 285 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 28 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 1100 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
