Gaeng Liang — Herb-Forward Vegetable Curry / แกงเลียง

Ingredients

• For the paste
• 40 g dried shrimp, palest, most fragrant available — should smell of the sea, not of fermentation
• 1 tsp white peppercorns, whole, then ground
• 60 g shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp kapi (shrimp paste)
• For the broth and vegetables
• 1 litre water or light pork stock, not a rich or reduced stock
• 200 g young marrow (or zucchini), cut into 2 cm pieces
• 150 g baby corn, halved lengthways
• 100 g pea eggplant, stems removed
• 30 g fresh Thai basil or sweet basil, leaves only, added at the last moment
• To season
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste — season lightly

Method

1. 1
   Pound the dried shrimp, white peppercorns, shallots, and kapi together in a mortar until a coarse, cohesive paste forms, working them together thoroughly so the shrimp and shallots fully surrender their moisture and the paste binds rather than crumbles — a paste that holds together will dissolve evenly into the broth where a loose, uneven one will not. The dried shrimp should be fully broken down and the shallots should no longer be distinct. The paste should hold together and smell sharp, saline, and faintly aromatic.
2. 2
   Bring the water or light pork stock to a simmer in a medium pot over moderate heat, then add the paste and stir to dissolve it into the broth, cooking it just long enough to lose its raw, uncooked edge — this is where the dish lives or dies, because a paste pushed too long or over too fierce a heat will drive out the delicate herb character that defines gaeng liang, burying it beneath an aggressive, shrimpy base. The broth should smell clean and lightly saline. Pull back the moment it smells open and fragrant rather than sharp and raw.
3. 3
   Add the young marrow and baby corn, simmering over moderate heat so the vegetables cook gently and hold their shape rather than turning waterlogged and slack. Simmer until the marrow yields slightly at its edge when pressed with a spoon — dense enough to hold its shape, tender enough to offer no resistance at the core. This takes only a few minutes; do not allow the broth to boil hard.
4. 4
   Add the pea eggplant and continue to simmer until the skins have softened from taut to slightly yielding, keeping the heat moderate so the small, bitter spheres cook through without splitting and clouding the broth. Season with fish sauce at this point — the broth should taste lightly seasoned, present but not forward.
5. 5
   Remove from heat or reduce to the lowest possible flame, then add the basil leaves and allow them to wilt for 10 to 15 seconds — no longer — so the leaves release their fragrance into the hot broth without cooking past the point where their colour fades and their perfume turns flat. The leaves should have softened and retained their green colour and visible structure. Serve immediately.