Thai Red Curry

This Thai Red Curry brings the delightful flavors of South East Asian cooking into your own home.

What's the difference between the different Thai curries? A red curry paste is made with fresh or dried red chilies while a green curry paste is made with fresh green chilies - and yes, this makes a difference! Based on the other slight differences between the ingredients of these two curries, green tends slightly on the sweet side, while red leans more on the savory side.

Yes, I know I just said that a red curry uses red chilies, so what's the deal with the green chilies garnishing my bowl? Well.. it's simple. I just love the contrast in color! You'll also find red chilies garnishing my green curry for the same reason!

If you're into Thai food as much as we are, then check out my growing collection of Thai-inspired recipes here.

Thai Red Curry

Serves 4

Curry Paste

3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (good quality!)

1 Stalk lemon grass

4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 onion or 1 shallot, diced
2 Tbsp fresh coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1-2 large red chili, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp mild ground chili powder

2 tsp lime zest

Curry:

500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
300 mL chicken stock
425 mL can coconut cream
finely grated zest of 1 lime
Diced vegetables of choice: e.g. beans, bell pepper, onion, peas.... (I use red bell pepper, mushrooms, 1/2 onion. Try sugar snap peas and bamboo shoots if you're lucky enough to have access)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp fish sauce

1. Make the curry paste by combining all of the paste ingredients together in a mortar and pestle. Grind down to as much of a paste-like consistency as possible. Stir in about 1/4 cup of the coconut cream.

2. Heat a dash of oil in a large fry pan. Add the curry paste and fry for a couple of minutes, until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock and coconut cream and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the chicken and vegetables and simmer for a further 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick.

4. Stir in the sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Taste and adjust the flavors (with sugar, lime juice, salt) to suit your taste.

5. Serve immediately with basmati or jasmine rice.