This recipe is typical of southern Thai cuisine. It includes turmeric which is really the "signature" of southern curries. And we find the wild pepper leaves with strong flavours, a herb little used in the Kingdom's cuisine.
Serves 2.
Curry paste:
3 fresh red bird's eye chillies
½ teaspoon black peppercorn
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
10 g lemongrass, chopped
10 g galangal, chopped
5 g garlic
10 g shallot
5 g fresh turmeric
10 g fingerroot
1 teaspoon salted soybeans
Pound the ingredients by gradually introducing them into the mortar. The curry paste is ready when it is smooth: you should no longer be able to distinguish one ingredient from another.
Wontons:
100 g taro, cooked
2 wild pepper leaves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salted soybeans
8 wonton wrappers
Pound the taro, wild pepper leaves and soybeans until the mixture is homogeneous. Divide into 8 equal portions.
Arrange a wonton wrapper in front of you. Using a brush (or your fingers), moisten the edges with water. Place a portion of filling in the centre. Wrap the filling by pinching the edges (see illustrations below). Fry at 170°C for about 2 minutes.
Curry sauce:
Curry paste prepared according to the above recipe
200 ml coconut cream
100 ml vegetable stock
½ tablespoon light soy sauce
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
6 wild pepper leaves, thinly sliced
Bring the coconut cream to a boil and dissolve the curry paste in it. Add the remaining cream, stock, soy sauce, salt, sugar and half of the wild pepper leaves. Cook for 5 minutes then taste to adjust the seasoning.
Add the remaining wild pepper leaves. Mix and pour over the fried wontons. Serve immediately.
This recipe is relatively spicy. For a milder curry, reduce the number of chillies used.