Thai Green Papaya Sour Curry | Kaeng Som Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 dried chilies (5 large and 10 small, or 10 large)
• 3 shallots (peeled)
• 3 fingers fingerroot (grachai, chopped)
• 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (gapi)
• 1 shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1.25 liter water
• 4-5 dried tamarind pods or 6 tablespoons tamarind juice
• 1 green papaya (about 0.4-0.5 kg, peeled and sliced)
• 5 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 shrimp (peeled and deveined)

Steps

1. 1

   Add 11⁄4 liter of water to a pot and bring to a simmer.

2. 2

   Cook 1 shimp in the water. Remove the shrimp from the pot with a slotted spoon and turn off the heat for now.

3. 3

   To the blender, add dried chillies, shallots, fingerroot, fermented shrim paste, cooked shrimp, about 1⁄4 cup of water and blend until a little coarse. Set aside.

4. 4

   Make tamarind juice by placing dried tamarind pods in a bowl and adding about ½ cup of water to it. Massage the tamarind pods in the water until you get tamarind juice. Note that the tamarind juice shouldn't be runny.

5. 5

   Turn the heat back on and bring the pot to a boil.

6. 6

   To the pot, add the curry paste, 6 tablespoons of tamarind juice, fish sauce, sugar, and stir to dissolve.

7. 7

   Add the green papaya and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

8. 8

   Add the shrimp and cook until done. Taste the curry and adjust seasoning as needed.

9. 9

   Remove from heat and serve with rice.