Gaeng Hed

Name: Gaeng Hed
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 400g mixed mushrooms (oyster, straw, enoki or wild mushrooms), torn; 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised; 4–6 bird's eye chillies and 3 shallots, pounded; 1 tbsp soaked sticky rice, pounded (to thicken); 2 tbsp fish sauce or pla ra; A handful of lemon basil (maenglak) or holy basil; A few pieces of pumpkin or a handful of ivy gourd leaves (optional)

แกงเห็ด/gaeng HET/

Also known as: Kaeng Het, Gaeng Het, Thai Wild Mushroom Curry, Isan Mushroom Soup

About this dish

A light, herby northern and north-eastern Thai mushroom soup-curry made with wild mushrooms, lemongrass, chilli and fresh herbs.

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Ingredients

🍄400g mixed mushrooms (oyster, straw, enoki or wild mushrooms), torn

🌿2 stalks lemongrass, bruised

🌶️4–6 bird's eye chillies and 3 shallots, pounded

🍚1 tbsp soaked sticky rice, pounded (to thicken)

🐟2 tbsp fish sauce or pla ra

🌱A handful of lemon basil (maenglak) or holy basil

🎃A few pieces of pumpkin or a handful of ivy gourd leaves (optional)

Method

Serves 2

Pound the chillies and shallots into a rough paste.

Bring 800ml water to the boil with the lemongrass and the paste.

Add the pumpkin, if using, and simmer until nearly tender.

Add the mushrooms and pounded sticky rice and simmer for 5 minutes until the broth thickens slightly.

Season with fish sauce, stir in the basil and serve with sticky rice.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Gaeng hed is cooked in Isan and northern Thailand during the rainy season, when wild mushrooms are foraged from the forests; it has no coconut milk.

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