Gaeng Rawang Gai isn’t a well-known dish; the recipe is found only in some historical Thai cookbooks, according to Chef Pim Techamuanvivit, the chef behind Michelin-starred Thai restaurants Kin Khao and Nari in San Francisco.
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But it ought to be better-known, Techamuanvivit writes in her new cookbook, “” (Ten Speed Press, $40). The recipe tweaks traditional Thai green curry paste with fresh turmeric. Pair it with rice, flaky roti flatbread or a pre-purchased frozen paratha.
The recipe was previously included in a on life-changing dishes, she says. “Add it to your repertoire.”
Life-Changing Chicken Curry
Yield: Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
For the green curry paste:
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 small whole star anise
- 1/4-inch wide blade mace or 1 pinch ground mace (omit if unavailable)
- 2.5 ounces shallots, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces seeded fresh green Thai chiles
- 2 ounces seeded fresh green jalapeño or serrano chiles, chopped
- 1.7 ounces garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup lemongrass, finely chopped, from 1 or 2 thick stalks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons makrut or regular lime rind, chopped
- 1 Tbsp | 10g peeled galangal, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grachai, chopped, unpeeled (fingerroot)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons gapi (Thai shrimp paste)
- Cracked Coconut Milk or virgin coconut oil if needed to ease grinding
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped, peeled fresh turmeric (or scant 1 tablespoon ground turmeric)
For the chicken curry:
- 1/4 cup kee lo (cracked coconut milk), or 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 1 batch (1 1⁄3 cups) Prik Gaeng Rawang (curry paste, see above)
- 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 cups coconut milk (1 big box or 2 to 2 1/2 cans)
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, thighs, or a combo
- 2 large lemongrass stalks, trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths, and smashed to release scent
- 1/4 cup fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 4 to 6 mini sweet peppers, quartered lengthwise and seeded
- 1 to 3 teaspoons firmly packed Thai palm sugar
- 2 handfuls fresh Thai or lemon basil leaves (optional)
- 5 to 10 fresh red Thai chiles, lightly smashed or kept whole (optional)
DIRECTIONS
For the Green curry paste:
Toast and grind the spices: In a small saucepan, combine the coriander, cumin and star anise, breaking the star anise into individual petals. Toast over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mace blades, crumbling them (or the ground mace). Stir to combine and activate the aroma. Remove from the heat, let cool briefly, and then use a mortar and pestle (or an electric grinder) to render the spices to a powder.
Make the paste: In a food processor or blender, combine the shallots, all of the chiles, garlic, lemongrass, lime rind, galangal, grachai (if using), cilantro root, gapi and spice blend, and process to a fine texture, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl or jar as needed. If moisture is needed to get things moving in the machine, add the kee lo by the 1 tablespoon, using up to ¼ cup total for a single batch.
Use the curry paste right away, or transfer to a jar, cap tightly, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Prepare to cook with the paste: To prepare curry paste for the chicken curry, make the green curry paste as directed. For each batch, add 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped, peeled fresh turmeric (or scant 1 tablespoon ground turmeric) when processing the paste. Use the chartreuse-yellow paste right away, or refrigerate or freeze as directed in the green curry paste recipe Notes. Each batch yields about 1 1⁄3 cups.
For the chicken curry:
Bloom the paste and build the sauce: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the kee lo. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring actively, until the paste becomes pleasingly aromatic and no longer smells raw, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the coconut milk in four or five batches, stirring and letting things bubble vigorously for 3 to 8 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly before adding the next batch. Stir and scrape the pan bottom frequently to prevent scorching. Adjust the heat to maintain the bubbly cooking action and/or to prevent the sauce from spitting. As the coconut milk breaks and separates (cracks), look for traces of yellow-green oil bubbling at the edge or a slightly dark yellow-green oily film on top.
If after adding all of the coconut milk you want to force further cracking for deeper flavor, splash in some water and cook at a hard boil, stirring occasionally. If oil appears in 2 to 3 minutes, success! If cracked coconut milk eludes you today, move on.
Braise the chicken and lemongrass: Add the chicken, lemongrass and fish sauce. If needed, add water just to cover the chicken. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, turning the chicken occasionally, until it is tender, 35 to 55 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. To test, poke a chicken piece with a knife, and if the juices run clear, the chicken is ready. Add the sweet peppers and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes.
Fine-tune and serve: Turn off the heat, then taste the sauce. It should be spicy, fresh (you can detect the lemongrass and turmeric), salty and barely sweet. For extra savory oomph, stir in fish sauce by the 1 teaspoon. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar, taste and cautiously add more by the 1/2 teaspoon if needed to round out the flavors. (Don’t add more than 3 teaspoons of sugar total, or the curry will be candy sweet.) To mellow the sauce, splash in some water. The finished sauce should be medium thick and velvety. To test, coat the back of a spoon with the sauce and run a finger through it. If the line holds firmly for a few seconds, the sauce is ready.
Stir in the basil, if using, submerging the leaves to prevent browning, then drop in the Thai chiles (if using). Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and serve. Remind guests that the lemongrass is inedible. Remind them, too, that they can avoid the chiles or eat them at their own peril.
Notes: When using frozen or mild-tasting lemongrass, add 1 or 2 extra stalks to pump up flavor.
To serve fewer people, halve the recipe (and use a smaller pan). The cook time should be the same.
Reprinted with permission from by Pim Techamuanvivit with Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2026. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Photographs copyright © 2026 by Ed Anderson.
