Thai
Gaeng Daeng
A glossy Thai red curry with deep chile aroma, tender meat, bamboo shoot snap, and a fresh basil-lime finish.
4 servings · 50 minutes prep · 30 minutes cook
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 16 dried Thai chiles, stemmed; use about 10 mild long red chiles or guajillos for body plus 6 small hot Thai chiles for heat, stemmed; use mostly mild long red chiles or guajillos, plus 6 small hot Thai chiles for heat
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro roots
- 3 tbsp thinly sliced lemongrass
- 1 tbsp chopped galangal
- 1 tsp makrut lime zest
- 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup sliced Thai shallots
- 1/4 cup sliced garlic
- 1 tsp toasted shrimp paste
Curry
- 1 1/2 cups coconut cream
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1 lb chicken thigh or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
- 6 makrut lime leaves, torn
- 6 oz bamboo shoots, sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 1 red spur chile, sliced
Directions
Pound the Red Curry Paste
- Soak the dried Thai chiles in hot water until pliable, about 20 minutes, then drain well.
- Pound the drained chiles with the kosher salt until broken down. Add the cilantro roots, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime zest, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds until very fine.
- Pound in the Thai shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste until the paste is cohesive and no coarse lemongrass fibers remain.
Build and Simmer the Curry
- Simmer the coconut cream in a saucepan over medium heat until glossy and the fat begins to separate, 8-10 minutes.
- Fry the curry paste in the split coconut cream, stirring and scraping often, until darker red, aromatic, and no longer raw-smelling, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken thigh or pork shoulder and stir until coated in the paste. Add the coconut milk and makrut lime leaves and simmer gently for 8 minutes.
- Add the bamboo shoots, Thai fish sauce, and palm sugar. Simmer until chicken reaches {{temperature:165°F}} or pork reaches {{temperature:145°F}} and the sauce is rich but still spoonable, 4-6 minutes.
Finish with Herbs
- Turn off the heat and fold in the Thai basil and red spur chile. Serve hot with jasmine rice.
