Sour curry with sesbania flowers, a delicate and aromatic dish from central Thailand

Sour Thai curry soup with sesbania flowers, a traditional dish from central Thailand

A sour Thai curry soup emblematic of central Thailand

Sour curry with sesbania flowers, kaeng som dok ke (แกงสมดอกแก), belongs to the family of Thai curry soups, a category widely found throughout Thailand but still little known outside the country. These curries are prepared without coconut milk and rely instead on water based broths to carry acidity, heat and aromatic depth.

This curry stands out for its use of sesbania flowers, an ingredient that brings a refined floral note to a dish whose execution remains otherwise very simple. The soup is sharpened with tamarind juice and lifted by a specific sour curry paste, forming the base of a precise balance of flavours, where acidity, heat and sweetness come together harmoniously. The prawns add a tender texture that complements the delicacy of the sesbania flowers.

As an emblematic dish of central Thailand, sour curry, and particularly this version with sesbania flowers, perfectly illustrates how this region approaches Thai curry soups, with a strong emphasis on clarity of flavours and finesse of execution.

Sour curry with sesbania flowers

Kaeng som dok ke – แกงสมดอกแก

Ingredients for two people

Sour curry paste

5 dried cayenne peppers, stems and seeds removed, rehydrated for five minutes in hot water and drained

5 dried bird’s eye chillies, rehydrated, optional if you prefer a milder curry

15 g garlic

20 g shallots

25 g prawn flesh, peeled, deveined and poached or steamed

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Curry broth

400 ml chicken stock

Sour curry paste, prepared above

2 handfuls of sesbania flowers (Sesbania grandiflora)

300 g prawns, peeled and deveined

Seasoning

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

4 tablespoons tamarind juice

Preparation

Prepare the curry paste

Pound the ingredients in the following order until a homogeneous paste is obtained. First group, the cayenne peppers and bird's eye chillies. Second group, the garlic and shallots. Finally, add the prawn flesh and the shrimp paste.

Prepare the curry broth

1. Bring the chicken stock to the boil, add the curry paste and simmer gently for five minutes.

2. Add the sesbania flowers, then once the broth returns to the boil, add the prawns and the seasoning. Cook for one to two minutes, depending on the size of the prawns, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

3. Transfer to serving bowls and enjoy with rice.

To go further

Learn more about the cuisine of central Thailand

To better understand the culinary foundations of central Thailand, its ingredients and techniques, read our dedicated article exploring this region, often described as the heart of Thai gastronomy, shaped by agricultural abundance, foreign influences and the development of royal cuisine.

Discover other rare Thai recipes

If you enjoy discovering lesser known Thai dishes, you may also like our recipe for sour pork curry with chamuang leaves, a regional speciality from Chanthaburi province, built on a similar balance of acidity and clear soup.

Recipe books and Thai cooking classes

This recipe is included in our book dedicated to the cuisine of central Thailand, which brings together authentic regional dishes, from curries and soups to salads and grilled preparations. These recipes are also taught during our private Thai cooking classes on Koh Samui, where curry soups provide an excellent introduction to regional flavour balance and technique.

Recipes from the Central Plains

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