A central Thai curry of fresh pineapple and prawns in a gaeng kua paste — a red curry variant without the aromatic herbs (no lemongrass, limited galangal), relying instead on dried chillies and shrimp paste for its base flavour. The pineapple's natural acidity replaces the tamarind of other sweet-sour preparations, and its sweetness integrates with the coconut milk in a way that makes this curry simultaneously sweet, sour, hot, and salty without any additional souring or sweetening beyond the pineapple itself. It is a demonstration of how a single fruit can function as multiple seasoning components simultaneously.
**The gaeng kua paste:** - More dried chilli-forward than red curry paste. - No lemongrass or galangal — or very little. - Shrimp paste dominant. - Garlic and shallots. The result is a paste of direct, earthy, chilli-shrimp heat without the aromatic complexity of the full red curry paste. **The pineapple:** Fresh only — canned pineapple's syrup and processing destroy the volatile aromatic esters (ethyl hexanoate and butyl acetate — the primary fresh pineapple aromatics) that make the curry work. The pineapple should be ripe but firm — the pieces hold their shape through the brief coconut milk simmer. **Preparation:** 1. Crack coconut cream. Fry gaeng kua paste. 2. Add thin coconut milk. 3. Add pineapple pieces. Simmer 5 minutes. 4. Add prawns. 3 minutes. 5. Adjust: the pineapple provides the sourness — less or no tamarind is required. Palm sugar may not be needed at all if the pineapple is ripe. Fish sauce for salt. Fresh chilli for heat. Decisive moment: The pineapple's ripeness assessment before it enters the curry — the curry's sweet-sour balance is entirely determined by the pineapple's sugar and acid content. Underripe pineapple: the curry will be too sharp with no sweetness. Overripe pineapple: too sweet with no acid sharpness. Correct ripeness: a pineapple that smells of fresh pineapple aroma at the base.
David Thompson, *Thai Food* (2002); *Thai Street Food* (2010)