Culinary explorers whose thoughts turn to certain India when the word "curry" is mentioned will be surprised at the Thai approach to these dishes. The Thai word gaeng, usually translated as "curry," embraces a huge variety of recipes that range from variants on familiar Indian favorites to clear, bland soups and even semi-dry stir-fried dishes. There is a basic distinction between curries that include coconut cream and those that do not.
Probably the most popular Thai curry of all, gaeng khio waan, or
"sweet green
curry," is a spicy marvel of the former type that stews one or more of the
small types of
eggplant grown in Thailand with sliced chillies and some form of meat or
fish in a rich,
potently seasoned coconut cream sauce.
The fiery wallop packed by gaeng khio waan contrasts strongly with the
fragrant
blandness of the generally Chinese-influenced gaeng jued dishes. These
are clear soups
that typically combine clear glass noodles, various types of mushrooms,
minced pork
seasoned with garlic, and various vegetables in a light broth.
Thailand's regional cuisines include many local curry types that cover a broad spectrum of flavors and textures from the nuclear heat of the (coconut cream-less) gaeng lueang and gaeng tai plaa of the South to the curries of the North, with their heavy use of fermented bamboo shoots.
Most of the standard Thai curries are based on a combination of herbs and
other
seasonings that are pounded together in a mortar and pestle to form a
specific nam phrik, or curry paste.
Thai cooks often prefer to pound their own, but most
are available in
pre-blended, ready-to-use form in local markets and supermarkets. Very
acceptable
prepared versions of the most common types are widely exported now.
