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Thai Red Curry

A 'go to' comfort food in our house. 
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4
Author: Shaun Myrick

Ingredients

Red Curry Paste

  • 16 dried Thai chillies soaked in hot water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white peppercorns
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 shallots
  • 3 tbsp cilantro stems chopped
  • 1 tbsp galangal grated (similar to ginger but citrusy)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 3-4 inch lemon grass
  • 2 lime leaves
  • 1/2 tsp shrimp paste I have used 1 tbsp Fish Sauce as subsitute

Thai Red Curry

  • 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp peanut oil
  • 2 cans coconut milk 1 full fat, 1 low fat
  • 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
  • 2 cups mushrooms mix of chopped cremini, shiitakes, beech
  • 1 can baby corn cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 2 small zucchini cut into 1/2 inch rounds
  • 1 bell pepper red, yellow, or orange
  • 1 block firm tofu drained, cut into 1 inch chunks and patted dry
  • Thai basil garnish
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

Red Curry Paste

  • Drain the chillies and gently remove as many seeds and stems as possible. 
    In a mortar and pestle grind the chillies until they are paste like and then add 1 ingredient at a time and keep grinding until all ingredients are combined into a rich nice paste. If you need to loosen it up, add a bit of the water from the chillies to get to the right consistency. 
    Store in an airtight container in fridge for upwards of a month, or freeze in tablespoon size amounts 

Thai Red Curry

  • Start by heating the oil in a pan, add in the red curry paste and sauté until fragrant.  Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they are golden and have released their juices. 
    Now add in the coconut milk and the tomato paste, stir to incorporate. 
    Add in the fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and add the vegetables and tofu lower to a simmer and simmer everything to your desired tenderness. I like my vegetables to still have a crunch so I only simmer until the tofu is heated thru. Taste for seasoning, you want balance, it may need more umami or more sweetness, so add fish sauce or brown sugar to desired level. 
    Serve over rice and garnish with basil (Thai basil if possible) and a squeeze of lime. 

Notes

The leftovers are great, this reheats marvelously and the spice will mellow.