Kaeng Ped Cai

Kaeng Ped Cai is a Thai red curry-style chicken dish that builds its own spice paste right in the wok. Dried chilies, garlic, shrimp paste, coriander, caraway, paprika, and lemon zest all hit the screaming-hot oil together for a 60-second bloom that fills the kitchen with heat and fragrance.

Strips of chicken breast go in next, getting coated in that spice mixture before coconut milk pours in to create a quick, creamy curry sauce. The whole thing comes together in under 10 minutes of active cooking. Green onions, fresh coriander, and red bell pepper strips stir in at the very end, off the heat, so they keep their color and crunch.

The shrimp paste is a small amount but it adds a funky, savory depth that you can’t get from salt alone. It’s the backbone flavor of most Thai curries.

Pro Tips

• Get the oil nearly smoking before adding the spices. That blast of heat unlocks the essential oils in the dried chilies and spices without burning them.
• Cut the chicken strips thin and uniform so they cook evenly in the wok. Thick pieces will stew instead of stir-fry.
• Stir the coconut milk constantly as it comes to a boil to prevent it from separating. Once it boils, pull it off the heat quickly.
• Add the bell pepper and herbs off the heat. Residual warmth is enough to wilt them slightly without cooking out their freshness.

Variations

• Shrimp version: Swap chicken for large shrimp. They’ll cook even faster, about 1-2 minutes in the spice-coated oil.
• Vegetarian: Use firm tofu cubes and vegetable broth in place of chicken and shrimp paste.
• Extra heat: Add fresh Thai bird’s eye chilies with the dried chilies for a sharper, more immediate burn.