Fried wontons with curry sauce and wild pepper leaves

Fried wonton curry with wild pepper leaves

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.