Jungle Curry (Kaeng Paa Moo)

If your idea of Thai curry is creamy and coconut-rich, jungle curry will surprise you. This northern-style curry skips the coconut milk entirely, leaving a thin, brothy, fiercely aromatic bowl that’s all about heat and herbs.

It moves fast. Garlic browns in the wok, then the curry paste gets pressed against the hot pan for 30 seconds to bloom its flavor before sliced pork tenderloin sears.

Chicken stock turns it into a brothy base, and in go eggplant, crisp long beans, fish sauce, fragrant kaffir lime leaves, and krachai (fingerroot) if you can find it.

A quick five-minute simmer keeps the vegetables tender-crisp and the pork juicy.

Off the heat, a big handful of basil stirs in, perfuming the whole pot. Ladle it over sticky rice, which soaks up that fiery, savory broth.

Chef Tips

• Bloom the curry paste by pressing it into the hot pan before adding liquid; this wakes up the spices and gives the curry its depth.
• Keep the simmer short so the long beans and eggplant stay tender-crisp, not mushy.
• Stir the basil in off the heat so it stays fresh and fragrant rather than wilting away.

Variations

• Swap the pork for chicken, beef, or firm tofu.
• Use any quick-cooking vegetables: bamboo shoots, baby corn, snake beans, or Thai eggplant.
• Crank the heat with extra curry paste or fresh chiles for an authentically fiery jungle curry.