Kaeng Som (แกงส้ม (Kaeng som))
Overview
Kaeng som, sour curry, is a thin, tangy Thai curry soup without coconut milk. A paste of dried red chillies, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and a little cooked fish is pounded and dissolved in boiling water. The broth is soured with tamarind and seasoned with fish sauce and palm sugar so that it is sour, salty, spicy and slightly sweet. Vegetables such as green papaya, morning glory, cauliflower or daikon are cooked in it, along with pieces of fish or prawns. A favourite version adds squares of omelette made with cha-om, a feathery acacia leaf. It is eaten with rice.
History
Kaeng som is one of the oldest Thai curries and an everyday dish of central Thai homes, where it is valued as light and healthy. Its southern cousin, kaeng lueang, is made with fresh turmeric and is fiercely hot. The vegetables change with the seasons and with what the local market offers, and in the past it was a way to use the fish caught in rivers and canals.
Main ingredients
Fish, tamarind, dried chillies, shrimp paste, green papaya, cha-om omelette. The soup is built on sour chilli and tamarind broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Fish and seafood soups · More soups from Thailand
Recipe
Method
- 1
Pound the paste ingredients with a little poached fish until smooth.
- 25 min
Dissolve the paste in 1.2 l boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes.
- 3
Season with tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar.
- 48 min 4 min
Add the papaya and cook for 8 minutes, then add the fish and morning glory for 4 minutes.
- 5
Add the omelette squares and serve with rice.
- ✓
Serve. About 45 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
