Gaeng Pa Look Chin – Jungle Curry with Beef Balls
Gaeng Pa, the Jungle Curry, comes from the forested regions of northern and northeastern Thailand. No coconut palms grow there, so this curry is made without any coconut milk: it is a clear, spicy broth with plenty of herbal aroma and a real kick.
Our Look Chin Nguea are firmer and heartier than beef meatballs and retain their bite in the broth. With our Jungle Curry Paste, the curry will be on the table in 20 minutes.
Ingredients for 2 servings of Gaeng Pa Look Chin
Preparation time: approx. 20 minutes
| Look Chin Nguea | 250 g (½ pack) |
| Jungle Curry Paste – Gaeng Pa | 1–2 tbsp |
| Neutral oil | 1 tbsp |
| Water or chicken broth | 600 ml |
| Thai eggplants (or 1 small eggplant, diced) | 6–8 |
| Mini corn cobs, cut into pieces | 1 handful |
| Thai pea eggplants (optional) | 1 handful |
| Kaffir lime leaves, torn | 3 |
| Long red chili, sliced | 1 |
| Fish sauce | 1 tbsp |
| Sugar | ½ tsp |
| Thai basil | 1 handful |
| Jasmine rice | 2 servings |
How to prepare Gaeng Pa Look Chin
- Heat the oil in a pot. Add the curry paste and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
- Pour in the water or broth, add the kaffir lime leaves, and bring to a boil.
- Add the eggplants, corn, and Thai pea eggplants, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the Look Chin and let it simmer in the broth for 5 minutes.
- Season with fish sauce and sugar. Fold in the chili and basil, then turn off the heat.
Tip: Jungle Curry is really spicy. Our paste is significantly more intense than supermarket paste: start with 1 tbsp and add more to taste.
How to serve
Pour the curry into bowls and serve with jasmine rice. In Thailand, you take a spoonful of rice and dip it into the spicy broth. The beef meatballs go on the spoon along with the vegetables.
Enjoy your meal, from your Yak Thai team.
