Gaeng Lueang Pla

Gaeng lueang — "yellow curry" — is the fiery soul of Southern Thai cooking, distinct from the mild coconut yellow curry familiar abroad. Made without coconut milk, it is a thin, fiercely sour and hot broth built from turmeric, southern chillies, and shrimp paste, finished with fish and green papaya or bamboo shoots. Along the Thai-Malay coast this is everyday fisherman food: fast, bold, and bracing.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Curry paste (pound together):

• 8 dried southern Thai chillies (or bird's eye), soaked and drained
• 4 fresh turmeric slices (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 shallots
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi)
• ½ tsp salt

Curry:

• 500g (1 lb 2 oz) firm white fish fillets (sea bass, snapper, or mackerel), cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces
• 200g (7 oz) green papaya or bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks
• 700ml (3 cups) water or light fish stock
• 3 tbsp (45ml) fish sauce
• 3 tbsp (45ml) tamarind liquid
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Pound the curry paste ingredients in a mortar to a smooth paste, 5–8 minutes. Alternatively blend with a splash of water.
2. Bring water or stock to a boil in a wok or pot. Stir in the curry paste and whisk until fully dissolved.
3. Add green papaya or bamboo shoots. Simmer 8 minutes until just tender.
4. Add fish pieces and return to a simmer. Cook 4–6 minutes until fish is just cooked through and flakes easily.
5. Season with fish sauce, tamarind, and sugar. Taste: the broth should be assertively sour, salty, hot, and golden.
6. Serve immediately in deep bowls with steamed jasmine rice. The broth is meant to be drunk.

Cook's Notes: This curry has no coconut milk — resist the temptation to add any. Southern Thai food is meant to be sharper and thinner than central Thai curries. Frozen turmeric is an excellent substitute for fresh.