The Big Book of Curry Recipes (69 page)

1 tbsp Kaffir lime leaves, shredded

1/2 tsp palm sugar

500g (1 lb) sliced beef or pork

2 tbsp Nam Pla (Fish Sauce)

1 batch
Panang curry paste

Method:

Cut the meat across the grain into slices about 4cm x 12mm x 25mm thick (1 1/2 x 1/2 x 1 in). Heat your wok or pan on medium-high heat then add 1/4 of the coconut cream. Add all the Panang curry paste and mix thoroughly. Fry the paste until aromatic (during this time you want to keep the paste dry, but not too dry so that it burns; keep adding a little more coconut milk when the mixture becomes too dry). Keep stirring as the paste cooks.

Oil should start to split out of the curry and after about 5 minutes the mixture should be very aromatic. Add your meat at this point and stir-fry until cooked (about 6 minutes). Now add the lime leaves and the palm sugar. Keep cooking for a further 4 minutes, or until the meat is soft. The final consistency of the curry should be a thick paste.

Serve on a bed of Thai jasmine rice garnished with shredded lime leaves and a sprig of basil (Thai holy basil, for preference).

Gaeng Karee Gai (Yellow Curry With Chicken)

Gaeng Karee Gai (Yellow Curry With Chicken) is a traditional Thai recipe for a classic curry of chicken and tomatoes with onions and carrots cooked in a coconut milk base flavoured with turmeric-based yellow curry paste.

Ingredients:

250g (9 oz) chicken, cubed

600ml (2 1/2 cups) water

4 tbsp
yellow curry paste

6 whole star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

400ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk

4 tbsp palm sugar (or golden caster sugar)

6 tbsp Thai fish sauce

20 small tomatoes, cut into 2cm cubes

2 white onions, cut into 2cm cubes

30 slices of carrot

3 tbsp groundnut oil

Method:

Place a pan over low heat. Add the groundnut oil and use to gently fry the star anise and cinnamon for 1 minute then add the onion, tomato and yellow curry paste. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break down. At this point add the chicken and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, or until half done.

Now add the coconut milk along with the fish sauce and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then add the carrot and water. Stir well to combine, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes more, or until the carrot is tender.

Serve hot, accompanied by jasmine rice and cucumber salad.

Cambodia

The Khmer cuisine of Cambodia is one of the world’s oldest living cuisines. Today, Khmer cuisine shares much in common with the food of neighbouring Thailand, although it is not as overly reliant on chilli, sugar or coconut cream for flavour; and Vietnam, with whom it shares and adopts many common dishes and a colonial history, both being part of the French colonial empire in Southeast Asia. Curry dishes, known as
kari
show a trace of cultural influence from India (mostly due to the influences of coastal trade).

As a result, what we would think of as ‘curries’ are a mix of native, Indian-influenced, Thai-influenced and Vietnamese-influenced dishes. A number of these are captured in the recipes given below.

Somlar Mochu Sachko (Sour Beef Stew)

Somlar Mochu Sachko (Sour Beef Stew) is a traditional Cambodian recipe for a classic beef stew flavoured with tamarind, chillies, lemongrass and lime leaves.

Ingredients:

1kg (2 lb, 2 oz) stewing beef, cut into 3cm (1 in) cubes

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced

5 Kaffir lime leaves, shredded

4 tbsp
tamarind paste

1 tbsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp dried galangal (soaked in hot water for 1 hour)

2 hot red chillies

2 tbsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

120ml (1/2 cup) water

2 tbsp spring onions (green part only), to garnish

Method:

Combine all the ingredients (except for the beef, fish sauce, tamarind paste, vegetable oil and spring onions) in a food processor or pestle and mortar and render to a smooth paste. With the back of a spoon work the tamarind paste through a fine sieve (discards any remaining solids).

Heat the oil in a wok or pan. Add the tamarind paste and stir-fry for a few seconds then add the puréed ingredients. Now add the fish sauce then stir-in the meat. Fry for a few minutes before adding the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Add more water to ensure that the meat is completely covered with a layer of water then cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the meat is tender (add more water as needed).

When ready, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the onion greens. Serve with rice.

Curry Mouan (Cambodian Chicken Curry)

Curry Mouan (Cambodian Chicken Curry) is a traditional Cambodian recipe for a classic curry of chicken meat cooked in a coconut milk base flavoured with an aromatic spice blend.

Ingredients:

180ml (3/4 lb) groundnut oil, divided

For the Spice Paste:

1 tsp lemongrass, minced

3 large green chillies, shredded

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 piece of galangal, peeled and chopped

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole star anise

9 cardamom pods

1 small nutmeg

16 black peppercorns

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

4 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

250ml (1 cup) water

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp shrimp paste

For the Curry:

750ml (3 cups) coconut milk

1kg (2 lb, 3 oz) chicken meat, chopped

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fish sauce

4 tsp palm sugar (or golden caster sugar)

1 tsp salt

1kg (2 lb, 3 oz) potatoes, peeled and sliced

Method:

Begin with the spice paste. Heat 60ml of the groundnut oil in a wok and when hot add the lemongrass, chillies, garlic, shallot, galangal, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, nutmeg, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Stir fry for 5 minutes then take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Turn the contents of the wok into a blender or food processor and add the water, coriander, turmeric and shrimp paste. Process until smooth, turn into a bowl and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok, add the chicken and fry for 2 minutes then add the onion and potato slices. Stir-fry briskly for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown (you will probably need to do this in batches). Stir in the spice paste, along with all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve hot on a bed of rice.

Lemongrass Curry

Lemongrass Curry is a traditional Cambodian recipe for a classic basic curry sauce of coconut milk flavoured with lemongrass and spices that is often used as the base for other curries.

Ingredients:

40g (1 1/2 oz) finely-minced lemongrass

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp ground galangal (sometimes known as Laos powder)

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 large green chilli, minced

3 shallots, peeled

1l (4 cups) coconut milk

3 kaffir lime leaves

1 tsp shrimp paste (or a pinch of salt)

Method:

Combine the lemongrass, garlic, galangal, turmeric, chilli and shallots in a food processor. Chop finely then add a little coconut milk and render to a smooth paste.

Pour the coconut milk into a wok and bring into a boil. Add the puréed ingredients along with the kaffir lime leaves and the shrimp paste and stir to combine. Bring back to a boil and cook, stirring gently, for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes, or until the lime leaves are tender and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Remove the leaves and serve accompanied by rice.

Red Curry Cambogee with Meat

Red Curry Cambogee with Meat is a traditional Cambodian recipe for a classic curry of a lemongrass curry base coloured with a chilli paste that’s used as a base for a beef and potato curry served garnished with beansprouts and peanuts.

Ingredients:

For the Red Curry Cambogee:

4 dried Thai bird’s-eye chillies, broken into pieces

200ml (4/5 cup) boiling water

4 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1l (4 cups) Lemongrass Curry (see above)

For the Curry:

350g (12 oz) beef, diced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

75g (3 oz) peanuts, chopped

100g (3 1/2 oz) beansprouts

Method:

Place the chillies in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside to steep for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Tip the chillies (and their soaking liquid) into a blender and add the paprika. Process to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a wok and when hot stir in the chilli paste. Sir-fry the mixture until it begins to darken. Take off the heat then stir in enough of this paste into the lemongrass curry base to give it a deep red colour. Pour this mixture into a pan, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the flavours to blend.

Add the meat and potatoes to the hot curry sauce. Bring back to a simmer, cover the pan and cook gently for about 30 minutes, or until the meat and potatoes are tender.

To serve, place a mound of beansprouts in a bowl, ladle over the curry, garnish with the chopped peanuts and serve.

Curry Trey Ruah (Curried Snapper)

Curry Trey Ruah (Curried Snapper) is a traditional Cambodian recipe for a classic coconut milk fish curry with green chillies that’s soured with tamarind.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp groundnut oil

3 large, dried, green chillies, soaked to soften

1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg

2 whole star anise

5 cardamom pods

1 stalk of lemongrass

2 tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic (Elephant garlic is traditional)

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely-grated galangal

1 tbsp finely-grated ginger

250ml (1 cup) water

2 tsp shrimp paste

1 tsp ground turmeric

360ml (1 1/2 cups) coconut milk

60ml (1/4 cup)
tamarind paste

2 tbsp palm sugar (or golden caster sugar)

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp salt

1kg (2 lb, 3 oz) red snapper fillets, chopped

1 small aubergine (eggplant), cubed

115g (1/4 lb) green beans, julienned

6 red birds’ eye chillies, sliced into thin rounds

Method:

In a blender, combine 1 tbsp groundnut oil along with the green chillies, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, lemongrass, coriander, garlic, shallot, galangal, ginger, water, shrimp paste and turmeric. Process until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok and when hot stir in the spice paste. Stir-fry for 2 minutes then add the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes then add the tamarind paste, sugar, fish sauce and salt. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes more.

Now add the fish, aubergine pieces and green beans. Bring back to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 8 minutes, or until the fish is tender.

Serve hot, on a bed of rice. Garnish with the sliced birds’ eye chillies.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, curries are known as
cà ri
. Typically, they are made from a coconut milk base with chicken and a carbohydrate staple (potato, sweet potato or taro root). They are soupier than Indian curries and typically are served accompanied by a baguette, or on a bed of noodles.

Chicken curry is by far the most common, and the one most typically cooked at home and it’s often prepared on the Death anniversary of a family member.

Cà Ri Gá (Chicken Curry)

Cà Ri Gá (Chicken Curry) is a traditional Vietnamese recipe for a classic curry of chicken pieces and vegetables in a coconut milk base with chillies and curry powder that’s typically served with French bread.

Ingredients:

2 stalks of lemongrass, hard ends and outer layers removed

1kg (2 lb, 3 oz) bone-in chicken thighs (leave the skin on)

1 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

440ml (14.5 oz) tin of coconut milk

500ml (2 cups) chicken stock

2 carrots, scraped and cubed

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1 1/2 tbsp curry powder (
cari
or
Malaysian kurma powder
or
Thai-style curry powder
would be good)

2 tsp dried chilli flakes, or dried Birds’ eye chillies, pounded in a mortar

1 kaffir lime leaf

coriander leaves (or Thai basil leaves), to garnish

Method:

Bruise the thick white end of the lemongrass then slice as thinly as you can before mincing.

Place a wok over high heat, when hot, add the oil and heat until smoking. Now add the chicken pieces, skin side down and fry for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown then turn over and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and fry for 1 minute then add the garlic and fry for 1 minute more, or until the onions are translucent. Return the chicken to the pan then pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock. Add the lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, curry powder, chillies and the kaffir lime leaf. Stir to combine then bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, add the carrots and potatoes and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the volume of liquid has reduced by half.

Turn the curry into a warmed serving dish, garnish with the coriander leaves or Thai basil leaves and serve with a warm baguette (French bread) [which is the traditional Vietnamese home method] or with steamed rice.