Hello, everyone!
Today, I’d like to introduce a spicy curry from Southern Thailand. It’s a dish I’ve been familiar with since I was a child, that is Spicy Naeng Moo Curry. Today, I made it with coconut milk, and the flavor turned out bold and well balancee.sour, salty, and sweet all at once. This dish is also very easy to make.
First, let me introduce the main ingredient: Naeng Moo..... "Naeng" is a method of preserving meat through fermentation, widely popular in Southern Thailand. The process involves marinating the meat to develop a sour flavor, allowing it to be stored for a long time. The meats commonly used are pork or beef. For today’s dish, I used pork. Fresh pork is cut into pieces, washed thoroughly, and mixed with salt, sugar, and finely ground toasted rice. It’s then placed in an airtight container and stored in a shaded area for about three days. The result is fermented pork with a fragrant aroma and sour taste, ready to be used in various dishes such as frying, steaming, boiling, stir-frying with curry paste, or making the spicy curry I prepared today.
Ingredients
- 300g Naeng Moo (fermented pork)
- 1 tbsp spicy curry paste
- 1/2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 500g coconut milk
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- I start by cutting the Naeng Moo into smaller pieces and rinsing them several times to reduce the sourness. Then, I let them drain.
- Next, I prepare a pan over medium heat and add a small amount of coconut milk. Then, I add the spicy curry paste and shrimp paste, stirring until fragrant and well combined with the coconut milk.
- I add the prepared Naeng Moo and stir-fry until cooked and the coconut milk has dried up.
- Then, I pour in the remaining coconut milk, stir everything together, cover the pan, and let it simmer for another five minutes.
- Before seasoning, I always taste the curry first. The Naeng Moo already brings a sour flavor, while the curry paste and shrimp paste contribute saltiness, and the coconut milk adds a slight sweetness. I only adjust the seasoning with a bit of fish sauce and sugar.
- Once the flavors of the coconut milk and Naeng Moo are well balanced...sour, salty, and slightly sweet. I add torn kaffir lime leaves, mixing them into the hot curry to release their fragrance.
- Then, it’s ready to serve!
This is a Southern Thai coconut curry with a bold and intense flavor profile.
It features a deep, distinctive sourness from Naeng Moo (fermented pork), which is the main highlight that sets this curry apart from others. A rich Southern curry paste provides a spicy heat, while the creaminess of the coconut milk and its natural sweetness perfectly balance the spiciness and sourness.
The kaffir lime leaves, warmed by the hot curry, release a fresh, aromatic fragrance that cuts through the richness and adds another layer of complexity to the overall aroma.
Thanks for stopping by, and see you in the next post! 🤗