Pad Prik Khing Gai
ผัดพริกขิงไก่·(pùt prík kǐng gài)
Weeknight Kab Khao (The Thai Family Table)
This isn't a four-hour shift over a heavy granite mortar. It's a dry curry meant for the sweaty heat of a Bangkok afternoon or a Tuesday night in Ohio, built on a fiery red curry paste fortified with dried shrimp, pounded into dust, absorbing the oils and thickening the sauce so it fiercely grips the chicken and blistered green beans. Throw it all into a screaming wok, watch the clock for twenty minutes, and deliver a salty-sweet smack of umami that makes a bowl of jasmine rice absolutely mandatory—no coconut milk, no compromises.
Before you start
Pound the soaked dried shrimp into a fluffy powder.
Use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to process the drained shrimp until it becomes highly fibrous.
Vigorously mix the shrimp powder directly into the curry paste.
This is the grandmother's secret that thickens the paste and builds an intense, savory depth right out of the gate.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 lb
- yardlong beans or green beans3 cup
- Maesri Prik Khing or Red Curry Paste3 tbsp
- dried shrimp2 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- palm sugar or light brown sugar2 tsp
- Thai fish sauce1 tsp
- Makrut lime leaves4 large
- red spur chili or red jalapeño1 med
Method
- 01
Blanch and shock the beans to lock in their crunch and vibrant color.
Drop the beans into a pot of rapidly boiling salted water for 60 to 90 seconds, then immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water and drain well.
- 02
Bloom the fortified curry paste in hot oil.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat, add the neutral oil, and fry the curry paste mixture for 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens and the red oil begins to separate from the solids.
- 03
Stir-fry the chicken until cooked through.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the sliced chicken, and toss thoroughly to coat it in the paste, cooking for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- 04
Balance the sharp heat with sweet and salty notes.
Lower the heat slightly, add the palm sugar and one teaspoon of fish sauce, tossing until the sugar melts, then taste and add more fish sauce if needed.
- 05
Toss in the blanched beans and aromatics.
Add the drained beans and half of the julienned Makrut lime leaves, tossing rapidly for 30 to 45 seconds just to heat the beans and bloom the essential oils.
- 06
Garnish and serve immediately with jasmine rice.
Transfer to a serving plate where the dry, fiery paste tightly clings to the meat and vegetables, topping with the remaining lime leaves and sliced chilies.
Notes
You can easily adapt this dish for vegetarians.
Omit the dried shrimp, swap the chicken for firm deep-fried tofu, and replace the fish sauce with a high-quality Thai thin soy sauce or vegetarian mushroom sauce.
Do not try to substitute standard limes for Makrut lime leaves.
The leaves provide a sharp, distinctive citrus-floral top note that cuts through the heavy paste, which regular lime zest completely lacks. They freeze beautifully, so stock up at your local Asian market.
From Cook Thai in America.