Gaeng Som — South (peninsula), Thailand

The southern sour curry skips coconut milk: chile paste with tamarind, fish and vegetables like pak sated (winged beans), carrot and cabbage. The southern version hits harder than the central one —hotter and more sour— a palate-cleansing edge exactly where the south's heat and humidity call for it.

Ingredients

gaeng som curry paste (dried chilies, galangal, kaffir lime), 4 tbsp
tamarind pulp, 4 tbsp
firm fish (mackerel or sea bass), in chunks, 400 g
winged beans (pak sated), 100 g
carrot, sliced, 1
cabbage, in chunks, 150 g
fish sauce, 2 tbsp
water or light stock, 3 cups

180–280 kcal per typical serving. per serving without rice; with no coconut milk it is the lightest Thai curry (estimated from the typical recipe)

Where to try it

Hat Yai
Phuket

More history on Wikipedia: Kaeng som

How it is made

Boil the water with the loosened curry paste 5 min until the oil rises to the surface.
Stir in the tamarind and balance: it should read distinctly sour, salty and hot before the fish goes in.
Add the hard vegetables first (carrot, cabbage) and the winged beans at the end so they stay green and crunchy.
Slide in the fish chunks and cook just 5-7 min, stirring little so they hold together.
Re-check the sourness at the end with tamarind or lime; serve with jasmine rice on the side: with no coconut milk, the broth stays light and red.