Kæng nò mai tua – Green almond curry with sugar snaps and bamboo shoots

Name: Kæng nò mai tua – Green almond curry with sugar snaps and bamboo shoots
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 50 g (small handful) green almonds; 2 tbsps oil; 1 large garlic clove, finely sliced; 1 tbsp red curry paste (see recipe Kæng Kị̀); 165 ml (small tin) coconut milk; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 125 ml vegetable stock; 75 g bamboo shoots, sliced; 3 kaffir lime leaves, stalk removed and thinly sliced; 2 fresh chillies (heat to suit), sliced lengthways; 75 g (small handful) sugar snaps; 3 spring onions, sliced; 10 holy basil leaves

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

Kæng nò mai gai (chicken curry with bamboo shoots) is a favourite of mine but the sun is out and spring vege are in the market. I find some furry green almonds and crunchy sugar snap peas so I’m going to make a meatless ‘green’ Thai red curry.

Whilst Thailand has a thriving nuts market including cashews and peanuts, almonds are not a native crop and are not commonly grown. An almond isn’t actually a nut but a stone fruit and the almond we eat is the seed within the stone.

A young almond in Thailand usually refers to the fruit of the Krabok tree (Irvingia malayana), known as a wild almond, but the seed is not the same as an almond grown in the Med and the US (Prunus dulcis). Both trees produce edible fruit but they are distinct species with different origins and characteristics.

The green almond appears but for a short time. It is a fuzzy, green delight with a crunchy exterior surrounding a soft, jelly-like almond inside and if eaten whole, tastes like an unripe peach. Leave a green almond however on the tree and it loses its fuzz, hardens, and turns brown. Crack the hard outer shell and you’ll find a conventional, crunchy almond one is familiar with.

The word ‘tua’ in Thai seems to translate to nut but it also encompasses most types of legumes like peas and beans such as tua fuk yao (pea pod long) so I’m going to call this dish kæng (curry) nò mai (sprout bamboo) tua (nuts/legumes). It’s probably misnamed but if anyone can correct me, I’d love to hear from you. #CA2025

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

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Ingredients

20 minutes

2 servings

50 g(small handful) green almonds
2 tbspsoil
1large garlic clove, finely sliced
1 tbspred curry paste (see recipe Kæng Kị̀)
Kæng Kị̀
165 ml(small tin) coconut milk
1 tbspfish sauce
125 mlvegetable stock
75 gbamboo shoots, sliced
3kaffir lime leaves, stalk removed and thinly sliced
2fresh chillies (heat to suit), sliced lengthways
75 g(small handful) sugar snaps
3spring onions, sliced
10holy basil leaves

Saved

Steps

20 minutes

1

Remove any stalks and slice the almonds in two lengthways and remove the centre (the almond). Boil the outer part of the almonds in salted water for 10 minutes then drain and set aside. In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil gently and add the slivers of garlic. Fry until light golden brown. Add the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring well.
2

Stir in half of the coconut milk and the fish sauce. Add the cooked almonds, stir, then add the stock, bamboo shoots and all but a spoonful of the spring onions. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
3

Add the remaining coconut milk, lime leaves and chilli then the sugar snap peas and the inner part of the almonds and cook for 2 minutes.
4

Add the basil leaves and turn into a serving dish. Decorate with the remaining spring onions. Serve with a bowl of sticky rice.