Kaeng Pa (Thai Jungle Curry) With Fish Recipe

Experience bold Thai cooking with this Kaeng Pa (jungle curry), a flavorful saucy dish that features fish in a spicy, broth-based curry. In this fragrant curry, vegetables and fish are transformed through the use of fresh herbs and aromatics.

Kaeng Pa (แกงป่า) literally translates to "jungle curry" or "forest curry" in Thai, where 'kaeng' means curry and 'pa' means jungle or forest. This curry originated in the northern regions of Thailand, particularly in Chiang Mai, where it's also known as Burmese curry. Unlike the more familiar traditional Thai curries from the south, which use coconut milk as a base, jungle curry was created by Northern Thai jungle forest-dwelling people using ingredients they could forage or find locally. As coconut palms don't naturally grow in the region, this curry gets its flavor from the local herbs and roots.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, this curry's foundation comes from a homemade spice paste and toasted rice powder, which give body and depth to the broth. Toasted rice powder, known as "khao khua," is a common ingredient in northeastern Thai cuisine, and is one of the key components in this curry. So next time you crave a bowl of aromatic comfort, grab a large pan and get started on homemade Thai jungle curry with tilapia.

This Thai kaeng pa requires several distinct sets of ingredients. For the curry paste, you'll need dried red chiles, fresh galangal root, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, and black peppercorns. The curry itself combines fish or vegetable broth, Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, green beans, and miniature corn, brought together with fish sauce and light brown sugar. For a more layered flavor, use palm sugar if you can find it. The dish features tilapia fillets and finishes with fresh Thai basil and cilantro. You'll also need uncooked jasmine rice for making toasted rice powder, and either grapeseed or neutral vegetable oil for cooking.

Preheat a dry skillet to medium heat.

Add uncooked jasmine rice to the skillet.

Toast the rice, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool, then grind to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Add all the curry paste ingredients to a high-powered blender or food processor.

Blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally and adding a bit of water if necessary to achieve a paste consistency.

In a large pan or wok, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat.

Add the curry paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Pour in fish or vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil.

Add Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, long beans, and miniature corn.

Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, and toasted rice powder, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Gently add the tilapia chunks to the pot and cook until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in fresh Thai basil just before serving.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or sugar if needed, or lime juice if desired.

Garnish with additional fresh Thai basil, cilantro, and lime, if desired. Serve hot.

There are some easy changes you can make to customize this jungle curry. To adapt it to local flavors, we chose tilapia as the base fish. If you want to give it a different flavor, you can use any firm white fish like cod, halibut, or sea bass in place of tilapia. You can also use diced-up chicken thighs, shrimp, or even tofu for a vegetarian version. Just adjust cooking times accordingly — chicken needs longer, while shrimp cooks more quickly than fish.

For vegetables, the curry accepts many substitutions based on seasonal availability. Bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, and pea eggplants are all good options. If Thai eggplant isn't available, small Italian eggplants work fine when cut into chunks. If you can find them, fresh green peppercorns on the stem will also make a great addition. If you can't find galangal, ginger can substitute, though the flavor will be different.

But the main thing you can change up in this curry is the heat level. Use fewer dried chiles for a milder version, or add fresh bird's eye chiles for extra heat. Jungle curry can be exceptionally spicy because of the lack of coconut milk to temper the heat, so be careful when you start playing with the Scoville scale.

We love to serve this Thai curry as part of a layered, multi-course Thai meal. You can make more or less, depending on how many people you're going to feed — or how many leftovers you want for the week.

For starters, serve fresh and fragrant Thai basil beef rolls. They are packed with avocado, cilantro, and mounds of delicious shaved beef, with homemade Sriracha sauce as a condiment. Goi Ga Vietnamese chicken salad makes for a beautiful fresh accompaniment, as do Thai-inspired chicken and Thai Larb-style turkey lettuce wraps.

For mains, prepare a selection of curries, including fresh and vibrant coconut fish curry, chicken Massaman curry, and beef Panang curry. Don't forget the bamboo steamer-cooked sticky rice on the side. For dessert and to drink, nothing helps temper the heat of these well-balanced curries like a classic Thai mango sticky rice and some Thai sweet tea. Both are flavorful, cool, and full of layered herbs and refreshing sweetness.