Thai Red Curry

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: people

Author: Nico Pallotta

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1 can (15-oz) (400 grams) coconut milk full-fat
2 to 6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 cup (250 grams) vegetable broth
9 ounces (250 grams) firm tofu
1 teaspoon salt or 1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons (15 grams) soy sauce
1 cup (160 grams) frozen peas
1 medium red bell pepper (6 ounces or 170 grams)
1 medium eggplant (10 ounces or 280 grams)
15 leaves Thai basil or regular basil

Garnish and Serving (Optional)

Jasmine rice boiled or steamed
Thai Basil leaves or fresh coriander
Lime wedges

Cut 9 ounces firm tofu 1 medium red bell pepper, and 1 medium eggplant into smallish bite-size pieces.
Finely chop 1 small onion, grate 3 cloves garlic and 1 inch ginger.
To a large pan, warm up 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, then add the chopped onion and fry for 3 minutes.
Next, add grated garlic and ginger and fry for one more minute.
Add half of the 1 can (15-oz) coconut milk and the 2 to 6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, stir continuously, and simmer on medium-high heat until the curry paste is completely melted in the coconut milk.
The red oil from the curry paste should come to the surface.
Tip: Thai red curry paste is spicy, so add 2 tablespoons for a little spicy, 3 to 4 tablespoons for medium spicy, and 5 to 6 tablespoons for very spicy.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and the diced tofu and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Tip: if you add chicken, make sure to cook it through at this stage.
Add the remaining coconut milk, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 cup frozen peas, eggplant and bell pepper you prepped before, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender-crisp and you reach your desired consistency.
Taste and adjust for salt, then stir in 15 leaves Thai basil.
Serve on a plate with Jasmine rice, Thai Basil leaves, and Lime wedges.

Nutritional information is for 1 serving of Thai red curry out of 4 servings, without rice.

SPICY OR NOT?

Thai red paste is SPICY! Add 2 tablespoons for little spicy, 3-4 tablespoons for medium spicy, 5-6 tablespoons for very spicy.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Vegetable oil: sub olive oil or coconut oil.

Tofu: sub chicken tights or breast cut into small bite-size pieces.

Vegetable broth: sub with one more can of coconut milk for a richer curry.

Onion: sub shallot.

Ginger: sub galangal.

Soy sauce: sub tamari, coconut aminos, fish sauce, or shrimp paste.

Brown sugar: sub palm sugar or coconut sugar.

Vegetables: other vegetables you can use are kabocha squash, pumpkin, or butternut squash, snap peas, carrots, Thai eggplant, Japanese eggplant, sweet potato, kale, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, and bamboo shoots.

Basil: use thai basil or regular basil.

Jasmine rice: sub basmati rice, or long-grain white or brown rice.

Optional ingredients: 4 kaffir lime leaves (cut them in half and add them in the curry with the tofu).

MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE

Make Ahead: Thai red curry is a good recipe to make ahead as you can keep in the fridge for several days and reheat it in the microwave. Also, the flavor melds as they sit together in the refrigerator, but the veggies will get a little softer and lose their crunch.

Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer: let the curry cool down completely, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave or the refrigerator over several hours.

Reheat: reheat your Thai curry in a pan on the stovetop or in a bowl in the microwave. The coconut milk will thicken as the curry sits in the fridge; you might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to reach your desired consistency.