Recipe - Kaeng Paa Kai (Jungle Curry With Chicken

CURRY PASTE
2 tablespoon Takrai (lemon grass);
bruised, and thinly cut or sliced up
3 tablespoon Shallots; coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon Kratiem (garlic); chopped
One fourth cup Kachai (lesser ginger);
peeled and chopped
8 Prik chee fa daegn haeng
(dried red Thai jalapenas);
crushed
1 teaspoon Green peppercorns
1 teaspoon Kapi (fermented shrimp
paste)
1 ds Fish sauce

CURRY
4 cup (uncooked) chicken; skinned,
and cut into bite sized
pieces
One fourth cup Nam pla (fish sauce)
3 cup Chicken stock (or water)
One half cup Makhua pro (Thai Eggplant);
quartered
One half cup Prik che fa (green Thai
jalapenas); julienned
One half cup Bai maenglak
10 Bai makrut (kaffir lime
leaves); shredded, or
1 teaspoon Lime zest

ALSO
4 Coconuts

From: "Colonel I.F.K. Philpott" colonel@korat1.vukorat.ac.th

Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 11:38:46 0700
A recent trip to Bangkok resulted in our eating at a nice little restaurant
in a back alley near the airport. This dish is quite common, but both my
wife and I were taken by the presentation described hear (the rest of the
recipe is however my wife's).

Of course before you rush out to try this, I have to say that you need a
heavy, and very sharp knife a machete or a survivalist's Bowie might be
suitable and a degree of skill in its use if you are not to have a messy
accident spilling the contents of the coconuts all over the kitchen may
well be the least of your problems. So of course I point out that you can
open the coconuts some other way, and serve the dish in more conventional
tableware!

kachai is a relative of ginger, known as Lesser Ginger in some parts of the
world (though I am reminded that in other places this appelation is used
for galangal). For those of a botanical bent its latin name is Kaempferia
Panduratum.

The prik chee fa are a mild chili, about 6 centimetres long and 1 cm thick.
They are known as Thai jalapenas, and if unavailable the Mexican variety
could be substituted. If dried red jalapenas are not available, deseed, and
devein fresh jalapenas, and use them instead.

Makheua pro are a Thai variety of eggplant, about the size and shape of a
green golfball. If unavailable you can use normal aubergine, but will need
to adjust the cooking time.

bai maenglak is a sweet Thai basil. If unavailable normal european basil
may be used.

METHOD: First prepare the curry paste by grinding the ingredients to a fine
paste in a mortar and pestle or food processor.

Pierce the coconuts and drain the juice into a picher. Then using a machete
chop off the top of each coconut, just above the midpoint, to leave four
serving bowls.

Using a spoon scoop out the coconut 'meat' in leaf shaped pieces with a
spoon (or use a melon baller). Add about half a cup of coconut to the juice
for every two cups of juice, and refrigerate.

Reserve half a cup of coconut meat, and reserve the rest to make coconut
milk for other recipes.

Heat a wok or large sautee pan over medium high heat, and then add a little
oil and stir fry the curry paste until aromatic.

add the chicken, and stir fry briefly and then add the remaining
ingredients, except the lime leaves and the chicken stock, and stir fry
until the chicken begins to change colour. Add the stock, and cover,
simmering until the chicken and the eggplant is cooked through.

Now serve the curry in the four large coconut shell bowls, garnished with
the lime leaves, and accompanied by rice in the tops of the coconut shells,
bring the chilled coconut nectar to the table as a refreshing cool drink,
and don't forget the usual condiments (nam pla prik (chilis in fish sauce),
dried ground chilis, and sugar).

CHILEHEADS DIGEST V3 #077

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