Thai Red Curry

To quote: Chat Mingkwan, in Buddha’s Table: Thai Feasting Vegetarian Style-

“This dish is the most often cooked curry in the Thai household. If a home chef can’t decide which curry to prepare that would please all family members, he or she will end up making red curry. Its paste can be easily made with staple ingredients in the Thai pantry, such as dried chilies, garlic, shallots, and dried herbs and spices. The paste also pairs well with nearly all ingredients, especially any vegetables that grow near the house or those that have been left in the refrigerator.”

Thai is definitely my favorite after Italian (and of course Indian) cuisine. I still remember the first time I gave Thai cuisine a thought was when I was watching Priyanka Chopra's interview after she was was crowned Miss World and the whole Indian media went crazy after her... all TV channels were filled with her biography, interviews, childhood pictures, repeat telecasts of her crowning moment (which was actually 10,000 times lol) and then during one such interview someone asked her about her favorite food and she answered "Thai". I only tasted it after coming to the US and I am totally with Priyanka, at least on her  choice of food... love it! Among the different Thai dishes, the vegetable red curry definitely tops the charts. The unique burst of flavors and the gorgeous color is so appealing that I order it over and over again whenever I am at any thai restaurant.

There was this Thai restaurant about a couple of miles from my place. They were famous for this curry. You would pick your own veggies from a buffet line and the chefs would make it right in front of you in large woks over ceiling high flames. As my luck would have it, they went out of business :( We were craving this curry for sometime now... my hubby challenged me if I could make my own version... I of course accepted it. With a little assistance from my friend and guide *google* and my own memory of the taste of that curry, I tried making it with whatever ingredients I had that time and made it the same night for dinner. Hubby dear was bowled over. We enjoyed it with some Thai sticky rice and had Thai sticky rice with mango for dessert!!  Now, I can  proudly add the world famous Thai red curry to my resume :) Thai cooking is fast, super easy and absolutely heavenly... if you have the paste ready. As I said before, in this version, I used the ingredients that were handy so I have substituted some of the classic thai ingredients (see notes for details).

So, here it is, my version of the classic-

Ingredients:

For the Red curry paste :

Shallot  ....................................... 1 chopped

Dry whole red chilli ........................ 6-7 de-seeded used the small ones (adjust to your taste)

Garlic ......................................... 4 fat cloves

Lemon or lime peel/rinds ................. 1/2 tsp or 1 - 2 lime leaves

Galangal or ginger .........................  1" chopped

Coriander powder ......................... 1 1/2 tsp

Roasted cumin powder .................... 1/2 tsp

Black Pepper powder ...................... 1/4 tsp

Cilantro stem ................................ 1 tbsp

Paprika ....................................... to taste optional

Method:

1. Soak de-seeded dried red chilies in 1/4 cup hot water for 15-20 minutes.

2. Drain chilies and blend along with all of the remaining ingredients in a blender, use little water if needed, into a smooth paste. If not using right away store in fridge, but use within 24 hours.

Ingredients:
For the curry-

Coconut milk ........................................ 2 1/2 cups

Oil .................................................... 1 tbsp

Snow peas  .......................................... a handful

Asparagus ............................................ 6-7 chopped

Eggplant .............................................. 1/4 small chopped

Mushroom ............................................ 8-10 chopped

Extra firm Tofu ..................................... 4-5  big cubes

Basil leaves .......................................... 5-6 
Baby corn ............................................ 4-5 chopped
Red or Green bell pepper ......................... 1/2 medium chopped lengthwise

Sugar ................................................  1 -2 tsp
Soy sauce ............................................ 2 tbsp
Salt ................................................... to taste

Green beans ......................................... 5-6 cut lengthwise

Avocado ............................................. 1 small cubed

Shallot ............................................... 1 chopped

Method:
1. In a pan, heat the oil.
2. Once hot, add in the Red Curry Paste and mix well. Cook on medium heat till oil starts to separate and the mixture appears blended together. Be careful not to burn the masalas.
3. Add in the Coconut Milk and mix again, while continuously stirring.
4. Add in the the  Soy Sauce and sugar
5. Add the vegetables – snow peas, asparagus, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms, eggplant, shallot, baby corn and cook till they get little tender but still crispy, for 3-4 minutes.
6. Add in Tofu and avocado and mix gently.
7. Add in some torn basil leaves and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Cook till the tofu is heated all the way.
8. Garnish with a few more basil leaves and serve ith thai sticky rice.Enjoy.

Notes:
1. In order to store the curry paste for longer, saute the spices in a pan till oil starts to separate and refrigerate in an airtight container.use within 4-5 days.
2. You can use your choice of vegetables. Also, if you want to use original thai ingredients, replace the lemon peel and basil with lime leaves and Thai basil leaves.
 

---

Pin It