Jungle Curry with Duck, Long Beans, Oyster Mushrooms and Holy Basil

Name: Jungle Curry with Duck, Long Beans, Oyster Mushrooms and Holy Basil
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings as part of a multi-dish meal
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: ½ cup Pea eggplants or 4 medium round Green Thai eggplants, stem removed, cut in ¼s, or ½ cup or 1 cup of Chinese eggplant in bite size pieces; 8 cups Water (enough to barely cover duck); 8 medium Kaffir lime leaves, torn into a few pieces each; ¼ lb. Oyster mushrooms, torn into bite size pieces; 2 Tbsp. Krachai, cut into thin threads, about ⅛ inch (0.3 cm.) thick (can be bought in jar); ¼ cup Bamboo shoots, bite size slices, about ⅛ inch (0.3 cm.) thick; 1 Tbsp. Fresh or brined Green peppercorns (drain and rinse briefly if brined); 1 Whole Duck (3 to 4 pounds or 1.4 to 1.8 kg); 3 Tbsp. Jungle curry paste (add 1 more tablespoon if paste was made in blender) or store-bought; 2 Tbsp Fish sauce (nahm pla); 8 strands Long beans or green beans, cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces; ½ cup Holy basil leaves or other Asian basil; 1 medium Long red chili or other hot red chili, cut into rings on angle, about ⅛ inch (0.3 cm.) thick; 1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil or rendered pork fat (lard); 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic; 1 tsp. Light brown palm sugar

Kaeng Bpa Bpet

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings as part of a multi-dish meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Southeast Asian Flavors

By Robert Danhi

Published 2008

About

Northern Thailand doesn’t have coconut trees like the south does, so northern curries don’t feature coconut milk, much to the surprise of many Westerners. Free of the unctuous milk, these spicy curries exhibit a brilliant clarity of flavor. Thais sop up the delicious sauce with clumps of steamed sticky rice.

Krachai, an aromatic rhizome with finger-like appendages, gives this dish a unique taste. It is both pounded into the curry paste, and cut int