Pad Prik King

Method

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1. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and dry them thoroughly.

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2. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-high heat.

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3. Add the curry paste and fry 2 minutes, pressing it against the wok, until it darkens and smells cooked.

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4. Add the garlic and cook 20 seconds.

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5. Add the pork and stir-fry 3 minutes, until cooked through and coated in paste.

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6. Add the beans and toss for 3 minutes over a high heat.

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7. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and just the 2 tbsp of water — no more.

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8. Toss for 2 minutes, until the liquid has gone and the paste clings as a dry coating.

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9. Stir in most of the shredded lime leaves and the chillies.

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10. Scatter the remaining lime leaf over and serve with rice.

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Chef’s Tips

• No coconut milk and no stock. It is a dry curry.
• Dry the blanched beans or the paste slides off.
• Fry the paste until it darkens before anything else goes in.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Jasmine rice
• Fried egg
• Nam pla prik

Storage & Reheating

Keeps 2 days refrigerated and is good cold.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.