Pad Prik Khing

(Thai Spicy Green Beans with Pork)

Serves 4 • Time 20 mins

This is another recipe I feel in love with at a local Thai café back in Washington, Rachawadee. The chef there whips this curry stir-fry up in giant wok, over an even bigger flame, in less than 2 minutes. While I cannot promise you that kind of speed at home, this delicious meal comes together in less than half an hour!

Pad Prik Khing gets its distinctive taste from Thai lime leaves, which have a unique floral and citrus aroma that is, in my opinion, to die for. If you cannot get your hands on lime leaves, using Prik Khing curry paste will ensure that flavor, as they’re included in the paste itself. If you can get the leaves, but not the paste, throw in a couple extra whole or add one sliced very thinly into the stir fry. If you really can’t find either, using the best red curry paste you can find, and topping your dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a pinch of zest will also do the job. Either way, serve with a squeeze of lime juice and jasmine rice to temper the spice and lift the dish up.

Ingredients

• 1-pound fresh green beans or haricots verts, cut in half/about 2-inch lengths

• 1-pound pork tenderloin thinly sliced *see notes

• ¼ cup neutral cooking oil such as sunflower, coconut, or light olive oil

• ¼ cup good quality red or Prik Khing curry paste **see notes

• ½ medium yellow onion sliced

• ½ red bell pepper, sliced

• 1 medium carrot, sliced *optional

• A large handful of mushrooms, sliced *optional

• 1/3 cup chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons + 1tsp fish sauce ***see notes

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon brown sugar or palm sugar

• 4 Thai lime leaves *optional, but highly recommended

• Lime wedges for serving

• Cilantro for serving *optional

• 1 cup jasmine rice *for serving

Equipment:

• Use your wok if you have one, otherwise a large deep pan will work just fine

• Pot with a tight fitting lid, for rice.

Notes, Tips, & Tricks

*If you don’t eat pork you can substitute chicken thighs and add just a little more cooking time for the meat. You can also replace the meat with some extra mushrooms and carrots if you want to go meat-less. Just remember, there are fish products in the curry paste and fish sauce!

**The quality of curry paste you use really does make a difference! Maesri makes Prik Khing curry paste which has the lime leaves inside the paste.

***The quality of your fish sauce also matters! I recommend Red Boat (sold at Trader Joes as well as many other retailers) or Three Crabs Viet Huong (sold at many Asian groceries).

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Let’s Do It

Step 1

Pour 1 cup of rice into a fine mesh strainer. Rinse jasmine rice under cool water several times. Add rice and 1 ½ cups cold water to a small/medium pot. Put pot over medium high heat on stove. Once rice mixture begins to boil, turn heat down to low, stir rice making sure to loosen any stuck rice from pan bottom, and put a lid on your pot. Set a timer and cook rice for 17 minutes. After 17 minutes, turn rice off. Let rice sit with the lid on your pot for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork, and replace lid until ready to serve.

Step 2

While the rice steams, prep your meat and vegetables. Once the vegetables and meat are prepped, bring a medium pot of water to boil on the stove. Cook green beans for 1 minute, until beans turn brighter green and are barely tender and still crisp. Drain green beans and rinse under very cold water until cooled. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium low heat. Add curry paste and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring paste around the bottom of the wok until the paste becomes fragrant. Turn heat up to medium high and add pork and sliced onion. Gently toss mixture until pork and onions are well coated in the curry paste, about 2 minutes.

Step 4

Add bell pepper, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, and lime leaves to pan.  Cook, stirring mixture now and then, for about 3 minutes, or until pork is barely cooked through and vegetables are tender. Add green beans and toss to cook until combined, about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Serve curry mixture with a side of jasmine rice, a squeeze of lime juice, and a bit of fresh cilantro if desired.