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Gaeng Ki Lek (Northern Thai Pork and Ki Lek Curry with Fingerroot)
Gaeng Ki Lek (Northern Thai Pork and Ki Lek Curry with Fingerroot) is a traditional Thai recipe for a classic curry of pork and ki lek leaves cooked in coconut milk, with an aromatic curry paste containing chillies, fingerroot, galangal and chillies. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Thai version of: Northern Thai Pork and Ki Lek Curry with Fingerroot (Gaeng Ki Lek).
prep time
15 minutes
cook time
30 minutes
Total Time:
45 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : CurryChilli RecipesSpice RecipesPork RecipesThailand Recipes
Ki Lek, sometimes known as 'caper leaves' are the leaves of a member of the cassia family,
Cassia fistula whose fruit resemble caperberries. The flavour profile is similar to Indian bay leaves (again a member of the Cassica famil) and you could substitute with Indian bay at a pinch.
Ingredients:
6 plump garlic cloves, chopped
5 shallots, chopped
10 dried long red Thai chillies, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then quartered
5 fresh
Thai birds' eye chillies, sliced into 1cm lengths
4 fingers of
krachai (fingerroot), scraped and chopped (if using pickled, soak in water for 30 minutes before use)
5cm length of
galangal, peeled and chopped
4
lemongrass stalks, peeled and finely chopped
600ml
coconut milk
Nam Pla (fish sauce)
1 large bunch of ki lek* leaves and flower buds, boiled for 15 minutes, rinsed throughly then boiled in fresh water for a further 15 minutes, to remove their bitterness (or, if using pickled leaves, rinse them well)
200g pork, thinly sliced into strips
Method:
In a heavy pestle and mortar, pound together the garlic, fingerroot, galangal, lemongrass and dried chillies to form a smooth paste. Add the fresh chillies and pound lightly (just to bruise).
Add the coconut milk to a wok over medium heat, bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking until the coconut milk thickens and separates to give up its oil (about 8 minutes). Stir in the curry paste at this point then simmer gently, stirring constantly. After about 6 minutes begin adding the fish sauce, a tbsp at a time, until the salt balance of the curry is to your taste. Continue cooking until the curry base is thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon.
Now add the pork and stir in the sauce until thoroughly cooked through (about 10 minutes). Finally, stir in the ki lek leaves and buds and cook until warmed through. Serve hot, accompanied by boiled jasmine rice.
* ki lek represents the leaves and flower buds of the kassod tree (Cassia siamea)
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