I do love a spicy curry on a cold night and this one couldn’t be easier. I decided to go vegetarian as I served this with grilled steaks (marinated in soy, pineapple juice & garlic). You can use any combination of vegetables and throw in some chicken if you want a one-pot meal.
This was inspired by a red curry I recently had in Montreal at ChuChai that was so aromatic with kaffir lime leaves. What a pity that “no one has them” in Dallas. I will order them online so this tragedy doesn’t replay. If you are lucky enough to have a stash of these lime leaves – omit the lime juice and use a lime leaf when simmering.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 14oz. can of coconut milk
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste (I like Mae Ploy Thai Red Curry Paste)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 3 potatoes
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded & cut into wedges
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 4 ounces crimini mushrooms
- 2 cups fresh green beans
- 3/4 cup bamboo shoots, drained
- 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
- Juice of one lime
- Handful of Thai basil leaves
DIRECTIONS
Do not shake the can of coconut milk. Open the can and skim off the “cream” on top (roughly the top 1/3 of the can) and add it to a Dutch oven or large pan.
The first step is to “fry” the curry paste in the coconut cream. Add the paste to the coconut cream in the pan, stir and cook this over medium heat until the oils separate from the paste (about 5 minutes). Slowly, it will begin to cook down into a thick paste, then finally the aromatic oils will begin to separate from the paste. After you see the oil, add the chopped onion and cook the onion for about 1 minute.
Add the remainder of the can of coconut milk. Bring this to a boil then lower to a simmer. Add fish sauce and palm sugar and stir to combine. Add vegetables (except tomatoes) and cover the pot and simmer gently for about 20 – 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. I the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, add tomato wedges. When finished cooking, stir in the lime juice. Stir in a big handful of Thai basil leaves that are torn in half.
Serve with rice.