Recent Posts
- Caramelised Banana-Peanut Butter Ice Cream (Vegan)
- A no-machine Coffee Ice Cream and Ice Cream Basics
- Life’s about to get dangerous.
- Trashy Tuesdays
- Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Salad
- The proof is in the licking … and H2Ope for Haiti.
- Frozen Yumminess
- 100% Whole Wheat No-Knead Sandwich Loaf
- Workplace Harassment
- Chana Masala / Chole (Chickpea Curry)
-
Admin
Nov
21
Thai Yellow Curry (Gaeng Garee Puk)
November 21, 2007 |
“This curry … is a direct descendant of Indian curry, with the small modification of added lemongrass and kaffir lime for the Thai palate”, says Chat Mingkwan, in his book Buddha’s Table: Thai Feasting Vegetarian Style.
This recipe has been adapted from that book, with the seasonings adjusted to suit our tastes.
Yellow curry has ‘curry powder’ and is usually richer and creamier than other Thai curries, since coconut cream is used in addition to coconut milk. (Coconut cream is available in canned form) This is done to tone down the spiciness. We used light coconut milk.
We’ve often wondered what ‘curry powder’ is ‘cos we’ve never had such an ingredient in our pantry. When people ask us which “curry powder” to buy, we usually point them to Badshah Kitchen King Masala, ‘cos it approximates the ‘curry flavour’ one finds in British curry houses. (More about that genre HERE) The main ingredients in this spice mix are turmeric (a lot of it) and coriander.
‘Curry powder’ is an English creation, and some ‘English memsahib curry powder’ recipes can be found here. As the article explains,
“Curry is not a thing, it is a state of being”. In particular, it is not a powder. A curry does not necessarily contain curry powder. Curry powder is in fact a blend of spices, varying according to regional preferences or traditions. As a result, there are literally thousands of “curry powders”, each of which was uniquely suited for the produce and tastes of the region it developed in.
Traditionally, Thai yellow ‘garee’ is made with root veggies like potato, colocasia/taro (arvi), and with yellow pumpkin (3 cups total)
We used Lajwanti’s hat sweet potatoes.
THAI YELLOW CURRY PASTE (Namprik Gaeng Garee)
Makes 2/3 cup
6 large red dried chillies
**we used New Mexico chillies
2 tsps whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass (fleshy midsection)
2 tablespoons curry powder (we used Badshah Kitchen King Masala)
** or a combo of 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin powder and 1 tbsp coriander powder, plus a pinch of grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped galangal
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped kaffir lime leaves (or kaffir lime zest)
1. Stem and seed the chillies. Chop them with kitchen scissors and soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Discard the bitter water, and squeeze the chillies dry.
2. Roast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste, using a little water if necessary.
We usually make a double batch of this paste and freeze it.
THAI YELLOW CURRY (Gaeng Garee Puk) with black rice and baked lotus root
1/2 cup namprik gaeng garee (yellow curry paste)
**less if using storebought
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
3 cups coconut milk (we used lowfat)
**or a combo of coconut milk and coconut cream
3 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes
1 cup julienned red bell peppers
1/2 cup julienned onions
1 tablespoon curry powder (we used Badshah Kitchen King Masala)
** or a combo of 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin powder and 1 tbsp coriander powder, plus a pinch of grated nutmeg
meg
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar or jaggery
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt to taste
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves (bai horapha) for garnish
1. Heat the oil and fry the shallots on medium flame until light brown and cisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2. In the same oil, fry the curry paste for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, sweet potatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are three-quarters done (about 10 minutes).
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the basil and the shallots. Cook until the sweet potatoes are done and the red peppers and onions are tender.
4. Adjust the seasonings. Stir in the fried shallots and the Thai basil, cut into chiffonades.
This curry is traditionally served with jasmine rice and ajad (cucumbers pickled in vinegar)
Our PICTORIAL GLOSSARY of common Thai ingredients.
bell-peppers/capsicum, Chillies/Peppers, Gaeng-Garee-Puk, Galangal, Ginger, Kaffir lime leaf, Lemongrass, namprik-gaeng-garee, Onion/Shallot, Sweet Potato, Thai-yellow-curry, Thailand, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, yellow-curry-paste
baked lotus root?? wow! thats exotic. havent tasted it before!
This is truly exotic. Garam masala in yellow curry is a neat trick. I likey :).
Rgding buying fresh lotus roots, I found them in the store this time, but they were light brown and not-so good looking. Is this how fresh lotus roots generally are?
Thank you for this beautiful entry.
these were frozen. fresh should have smooth skin and not too much fiber. like this:
http://jugalbandi.info/2007/06/baked-lotus-root-chips/
- bee
I’ve been having such a terrible day today.
:cry:
Came here and saw Lajwanti & Camilla. Realised Camilla’s problems are much bigger than mine :laugh: :rofl:
Loved Lajwanti’s hat. :yes: :bow:
hi ur lotus roots look so cute….the curry is too mouth watering..want to taste it right away…i always visit ur blog to see ur perfect and neat pictures…i like ur photography
hi bee u asked me a question abt slicing potatoes for baked potato chips.i just sliced them using knife.i dint use a mandoline.
black rice and baked lotus root wowww i have’nt seen them till now nice post
:bow: Delicious!
I love thai curries! Can you post about Panang curry also pleaasseeeee!
Hey that combi looks great!…
That looks like a gorgeous spread. the black rice looks so exotic. Tell me how they taste, never had black rice!! are they a Thai speciality
it is nutty and sticky - perfect for creamy desserts like this one:
http://jugalbandi.info/2007/08/thai-black-rice-pudding/
we still have to prepare yellow curry and were planning to make it this weekend. I will post the recipe from thai cook book i recently bought.
by the way, does black rice has nutty flavour? is it anything close to rosematta rice?
it has a deeper, richer flavour that rosematta. it is also stickier.
Wow, this is totally new to me ;;)Love the color :dance:
-Siri
Oh i am just laughing here. When my hubby comes home i am going to show that pice from Lajwanti and camila.
I normally buy the curry paste in the bos from thethai shop, i should start making my own mixes like you guys.
I just cam from Sandeepas blog and in the comment you had written about goopi gayin bagha bayin tune; my husband had been toKolkatta last december and he bought the whole series of the movie.
Love the Thai curry pastes. Thx for sharing
Looks amamzing and must be delicious with the black rice - first time Im seeing it. I love thai cuisine, thanks for posting this!
Glad to see your version of sweet potato curry, which i’ll definitely try soon. and you are right, this goes so well with sticky rice. Lajwanti’s hat is a beautiful choice
am also eyeing the baked nadur 
This sounds so creamy and good. I had no idea that yellow curry has curry powder in it. Have only tried making red and green curries so far.
Hi Bee,
Looks nice and everything is new to me.
The Thai curries are lining up and with this recipe I will have a god use for the ‘authentic’ curry powder my brother-in-law gave me - an American brand! I have never used it - didn’t know what to do with it!
Bee we use a curry powder here in the Caribbean also. Since the beginning of this year however, I not been using it much opting to grind the turmeric also with the garam masala.
This is a fun article. The statue and Camilla jokes were silly and made me laugh. I love the quote, “Curry is not a thing, it is a state of being”. I always get the feeling when I use curry powder that I’m not getting the whole picture. It’s never like the top restaurants, even when it’s tasty. Maybe this Thai recipe will help. I know it’s no real replacement for apprenticing with a real Indian or Thai cook who was talk by their mother or grandmother. Thanks for the thought provoking post.
You guys rock! I love home-made curry pastes. i am still shocked by Nam Prik Pao you sent me the other day…. Keep posting, please ;;)
There are two things in that picture which I haven’t tasted before…lotus root and black rice…the whole meal looks very appetizing though
This looks delicious. So, the curry powder is used twice, then? - in the paste and again in the curry/garee?
Love your site and your rants!
[...] taste – sweet, sour and mellow all at once. The gravy itself is like silk. And Bee has posted another dish with some of the same ingredients [...]
Hi Jai and Bee, may be you can help me with my questions
I get confused with the term of garam masala and curry paste/powder. Are they the same thing? From what I know, the term curry comes from the British. Also, with the Indian curries, the recipe mentions garam masala but still has another long list of spices which sometimes has spices that are already in garam masala, so what still need to use garam masala?
Thanks
garam masala is a powder from north india. curry paste and curry powder are british creations. if you don’t have garam masala, use equal parts of cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and black peppercorns.
different curries have different combos of spices. but if a recipe calls for ‘curry powder’, use a combo of turmeric, cayenne (chilli powder), cumin powder and coriander powder.
[...] unable to find prepared yellow curry paste anywhere. So last summer I found a wonderful recipe from Jugalbandi, bit the bullet, and made my own yellow curry paste (more complicated in the ingredient-gathering [...]
[...] a richer, heartier version of Thai Yellow Curry and usually features beef and [...]