Fried Shrimp with Chili Paste (Pad Prik Gaeng Goong)

mai kin sen – ‘not eating noodles’, when two people have had a tiff and aren’t speaking

This issue we will be making one of Thailand’s “dry” curry dishes. Although “dry it does have a bit of sauce but is not a liquid, soupy style sauce. The dish is Fried Shrimp with Chili Paste, it is made with a Thai Red Curry Paste but as you may not be able to find this in your local market I’m including the recipe for the Red Curry Paste as well.

Fried Shrimp with Chili Paste (Pad Prik Gaeng Goong)

Ingredients for minced pork:

200 grams prawns (or shrimp) peel but leave the tails on
3 tablespoons oil
1 ฝ tablespoons red curry paste (for medium spiciness, add more or less depending on how hot you
like you curry)
5 snake (long) beans sliced in 2 cm. pieces
1/3 cup fish or chicken stock
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 Kafir lime leaves (bai mankrut), torn
2 large chilies (prik chi fah) sliced lengthwise; remove the seed if you want it less spicy
1 handful Thai basil (bai krapao)

Preparation:

1 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat
2 Add the red curry paste and stir fry until the paste cooks a bit and the aroma comes out
3 Add the prawns and stir-fry quickly till the prawns just start to turn pink (do not cook too long
at this point or the prawns will be overcooked)
4 Add the stock
5 Add the fish sauce (nam pla), sugar, snake beans and Kafir lime leaves
6 Taste and adjust the seasoning
7 Toss in the handful of Thai basil leaves and the sliced chilies
and remove from the heat immediately
8. Server with steamed jasmine rice

Red Curry Paste

Ingredients:

13 large dried chilies soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.
(remove seeds if you want it less spicy)
3 teaspoons shallots, chopped
4 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon galangal (kha), chopped

2 teaspoons lemon grass, chopped
2 teaspoons Kafir lime zest (if not available use lime zest)
1 tablespoon coriander root, chopped
20 black pepper corns
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons grounded cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Place the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry wok and dry fry over a low heat for 5 minutes,
to bring out the full aroma and flavor of the spices
2. In a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, pound them to a powder
3. Place all remaining ingredients, except the shrimp paste, in a blender and process until well mixed
4. Add the coriander and cumin seed mixture, as well as, the shrimp
paste and blend to a fine textured paste, approximately พ cup
5. Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 months

Richard Burk is the owner and creative light behind Amor Restaurant, located on Pattayaland Soi 3 (Boyztown), which has been serving fine International and traditional Thai cuisine for over 13 years. Prior to opening Amor, Richard had a 25 year career in the hospitality industry, starting with Hilton in Canada for over 12 years, then going to Hong Kong to open The Regent, followed eight years later by his arrival in Thailand to open the Dusit Resort Pattaya as Resident Manager.
Amor’s full menu is available on their web site at www.amorrestaurant.com