Gang Som with Fingerroot and Tamarind

Immune Booster

Gang Som with Fingerroot and Tamarind

Story

“Gang Som” is a central Thai dish. The name literally translates as ‘Orange Curry’ and the distinctive flavor and sour tang are created by the addition of tamarind paste. The dish contains an array of meat vegetables and it’s quite acceptable to use whatever types are currently in season. This super-nutritious soup is full of vitamins and fiber and its popularity has refused to decline, even decades after it first appeared.

The different regions of Thailand all have their own variation on the dish, with it being known as “Gang Som Mueang” in the north and made with the juice from kaffir limes and “Gang Lueang” or yellow curry in the south. It has a strong spicy flavor due to the addition of southern herbs and spices. The highlight of the yellow curry is the addition of both lime and tamarind along with turmeric.

Health Benefits

‘Gang Som with Fingerroot and Tamarind’, a hot bowl of Thai food that everyone can enjoy. There are so many flavors contained in this dish, including spicy, salty, sour and sweet. The tamarind adds a distinctive sour tang and excellent source of vitamin C. The dish is low in fat and high in fibre thanks to the vegetables and It is also rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins from various vegetables and herbs. Each region’s Gang Som is cooked slightly differently depending on the local ingredients at hand.

‘Fingerroot’ relieves cough and cold symptoms.*
‘Tamarind’ contains vitamin C and antioxidants that help strengthen the immune system.**
‘Carrots’ are rich in beta-carotene which has immune modulating and antioxidant effects.***
‘Shallots’ help prevent Covid-19.
‘Dried chili’ contains antioxidants that help strengthen the immune system in the body.
‘Cabbage’ makes hair roots strong and reduces premature breakage.

Ingredients

sea bass or any white fish meat 80 gr
shallot 50 gr
fingerroot 65 gr
fish stock or chicken stock 4 l
gang som curry paste 180 gr
- dried chili
- garlic
- shallot
- galangal
- shrimp paste
- salt
fish sauce 400 gr
palm sugar 125 gr
tamarind juice 350 gr
seasonal vegetables 50 gr
- cabbage
- baby corn
- carrot
- yardlong beans
- chinese cabbage
- gourd

Directions

Pound the Gang Som curry paste and around 10 grams of the fish meat together, keeping the remainder of the fish meat aside to be used in the soup. Boil the chicken stock and add the curry paste to the boiling stock to dissolve it.

Season with fish sauce, tamarind juice and palm sugar.

Add the vegetables, fish and boil until cooked through.

Boil until all ingredients are cooked through and serve.

Reference
*Chong TE, et al. Boesenbergia rotunda: From Ethnomedicine to Drug Discovery. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012; Article ID 473637
**Anitra C. Carr and Silvia Maggini. Vitamin C and Immune Function. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/
***Kawata A, et al. Anti-inflammatory Activity of β-Carotene, Lycopene and Tri-n-butylborane, a Scavenger of Reactive Oxygen Species. In Vivo. 2018; 32(2): 255–64