Thai cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Gaeng Liang

Peppery herb curry without coconut milk, with pumpkin, luffa and baby corn, seasoned only with pepper and basil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g hokkaido pumpkin
• 1 zucchini (or luffa as a substitute)
• 100 g baby corn
• 100 g snow peas
• 5 shallots
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste (or 1 tbsp fish sauce as a substitute)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 handfuls Thai basil
• 1.2 l water
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut with the skin on into 3 cm pieces, peel the zucchini and cut into thick half-moons, halve the baby corn diagonally and trim the snow peas.
2. Peel the shallots and pound in a mortar with the peppercorns, dried shrimp and shrimp paste for 4–5 min. into a coarse, moist paste.
3. Bring the water to a boil in a wide pot, stir in the paste and boil uncovered for 5 min. until the broth smells strongly of pepper.
4. Add the pumpkin and cook over medium heat for 8 min. until soft on the outside but still holding its shape.
5. Add the zucchini, baby corn and snow peas, season with fish sauce and sugar, and let simmer gently for another 4–5 min. until everything is tender-crisp.
6. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the Thai basil until it wilts, and serve the soup immediately with jasmine rice.