Rezept

Gaeng Phet: Red curry with beef and bamboo shoots

Gaeng Phet is considered the mother of all Thai curry pastes, delivering a deep, warm heat from dried chilis. Combined with beef, bamboo shoots, and coconut milk, it makes a classic red curry for four people.

3 Min. Lesezeit

Gaeng Phet: Rotes Curry mit Rindfleisch und Bambussprossen

Gaeng Phet is considered the mother of all Thai curry pastes, known in Thai as พริกแกงเผ็ด. Many other curries are variations of it, usually with fewer or different chillies. Dried red chillies give it a heat that sits deeper and warmer than the bright heat of fresh varieties.

Chilli is not actually the oldest ingredient in Thai cuisine. Portuguese traders did not bring the pepper to Southeast Asia until the 16th century; before that, heat was provided by pepper. Nevertheless, red is the curry by which all others are measured today, in terms of flavour as well.

Garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime zest are already in the paste, along with shrimp paste for depth and coriander seeds for a subtle background spice. What is missing for the recipe below is easy to pick up: beef, some vegetables, and coconut milk.

  • 4servings
  • 30 min.preparation
  • 4/5on the THAANI scale

Shopping list

What you still need

  • 1 jar THAANI Red Curry Paste (3 tbsp for this recipe)
  • 400 g beef (e.g. sirloin), thinly sliced
  • 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
  • 100 g bamboo shoots, drained
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • a few kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced (if available)
  • a handful of Thai basil
  • 300 g jasmine rice

Preparation

  1. Cook the rice. Prepare the jasmine rice according to the package instructions so that it is ready when the curry is done.
  2. Sauté the paste. Heat 1 tbsp of oil or the firm coconut cream from the top of the can in a wok, fry the curry paste for two to three minutes until it turns brick red and is very fragrant. This is the moment when the dried chillies open up.
  3. Sear the beef. Add the beef strips and sear briefly over high heat until the outside is no longer raw. Do not cook too long, or the meat will become tough.
  4. Add liquids. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, add the bamboo shoots, and simmer for 5 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
  5. Season. Stir in the fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime leaves, let sit briefly, then taste.
  6. Serve. Fold in the red pepper slices and basil just before serving, and serve with rice.
The longer the chillies are dried and the paste is fried, the rounder the heat becomes. It is not worth taking shortcuts here.

Variations and tips

  • Use chicken or prawns instead of beef; reduce the cooking time accordingly so the meat does not get tough.
  • Vegetarian version: use firm tofu, briefly pan-fried, and light soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
  • More vegetables: cook thin slices of aubergine or sugar snap peas along with the bamboo shoots.
  • If you prefer it milder, reduce the amount of paste to 2 tbsp and balance it out with a little more coconut milk.

Once opened, the paste will keep in the refrigerator at +2 to +6 °C; it is best covered with a thin layer of oil. Leftovers of the finished curry often taste even more intense the next day because the flavours settle overnight. One jar makes about 10 servings of curry, so about two and a half times this recipe.