Peppercorns add a distinctive, very fresh and spicy, not too hot, taste to this dish. You can use pork, as suggested, or thinly sliced chicken thighs. Cooked baby potatoes and bamboo shoots are a popular addition to this curry.
Ingredients
- 2 fl oz ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste or bought paste
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1½ tablespoons palm sugar (jaggery)
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) lean pork, thinly sliced
- 15 fl oz 1¾ cups (440 ml) coconut milk
- 10 oz (280 g) Thai eggplants (aubergines), cut in halves or quarters, or 1 eggplant (aubergine), cubed
- 3 oz (75 g) fresh green peppercorns, cleaned
- 7 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn in half
- 2 long red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced, for garnish
How to Make It
- Put the coconut cream in a wok or saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the cream separates and a layer of oil forms on the surface. Stir the cream if it starts to brown around the edges.
- Add the curry paste, stir well to combine and cook until fragrant. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar and cook for 2 minutes, or until the mixture begins to darken. Add the pork and stir for 5–7 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk to the saucepan or wok and simmer over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the eggplants and green peppercorns and cook for 5 minutes. Add the makrut lime leaves. Taste, then adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the sliced chillies.
