Gaeng Bumbai

"Gaeng Bumbai" ( แกงบุมใบ ) is a historical Thai curry, with the oldest records dating back to the reign of King Chulalongkorn, or Rama V (1868-1910). It resembles Indian curries in that, alongside a paste made from shallots, chilis, galangal, and turmeric, dried spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, and mace are also used in its preparation.

The curry is prepared with coconut milk, and tamarind gives it a pronounced sour note. It is typically cooked with beef or pork, which is braised in the curry over a longer period. Common additional ingredients are onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or a combination of these.

The name is often linked to a locally adapted term for the Indian city of “Bombay” (today’s Mumbai), and likely points to the influence of historical Indian spice traditions. There is also no single standardized spelling for this dish in Thai, and it can also be found as แกงบุ่มไบ่ , แกงมุมไบ , or แกงบ้มไบ่ .

Recipes

• www.gourmetandcuisine.com
• Bangkok P. 81

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