Kaeng tai pla

Method

1. 1 Grind dried chilies soaked in water with lemongrass, garlic, black pepper, Thai lime zest, and turmeric powder to make a rich, Southern Thai-style curry.
2. 2 Boil the fish gut paste with water for 10 minutes, then strain to remove any small bones, keeping only the flavorful liquid.
3. 3 Mix the curry powder with the tai pla sauce, bring to a boil, then add the chopped sea fish and cook for 8 minutes.
4. 4 Add bamboo shoots, eggplant, small eggplant, long beans, and pumpkin, reduce the heat and cook for another 15 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the flavors.
5. 5 Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, add crushed Thai lime leaves, then turn off the heat. Serve with plenty of spicy white rice.

With an appliance

• Microwave 58 min

  Replace step 2: Stir the fish gut paste with water in a loosely covered deep bowl at 700W for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, then strain thoroughly. Keep steps 3 to 5 as the fish and vegetables need to be cooked separately in the pot to prevent them from falling apart.