Thai Peppery Shrimp and Veggie Soup - Gaeng Liang

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken stock or shrimp stock, unsalted, preferably homemade
• 1 recipe gaeng liang curry paste (recipe follows)
• 2-3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 cups kabocha squash, unpeeled, bite-sized pieces
• Half an angled luffa (sing gua) or half a large zucchini
• Half a chayote squash, peeled and cut into sticks (or sub more angled luffa or zucchini)
• 150g oyster mushrooms, or another Asian mushroom, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 6 ears baby corn, quartered (optional)
• 150g shrimp or chicken (if using chicken, cut into cubes and marinate in a bit of fish sauce)
• 1 cup Thai lemon basil or Thai basil (see note 1)
• Jasmine rice for serving
• 1½ Tbsp dried shrimp
• ½ - ¾ tsp white peppercorns (see note 2)
• Heaping ¼ cup shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp grachai (fingerroot), finely chopped (see note 3)
• 1-2 Thai chilies (optional, to taste)
• ½ tsp fermented shrimp paste (gapi)

Directions