Thai Red Curry

When we visited Thailand for the first time on our honeymoon, I remember falling in love again, this time with the food there. Beautiful, flavourful food- from street food to fresh fruits. Pungent food that hits your nostrils to food that sizzles and makes your tongue salivate even if you have just had a full meal. The markets are filled with colorful shops selling colorful and trendy items at throwaway prices. Massage parlors and restaurants line the market areas, and amidst this one is exposed to the aroma of varieties of different food- pancakes with chocolate and caramel drippings filled with fresh fruits, ice creams, fruits, quail eggs, sausages, stinky tofu, satay chicken and of course the coconut curries. Thailand is all about the juxtaposition of cheap and luxury. It is also about experiencing all the luxuries at a thrift. 

But the one thing that one lingers long after you have left the island is its food. Simple, fresh and so much of variety to choose from. This one is a foodies paradise.

And there is something so typically Thailand about a curry that is beautifully red and smells of coconut and lemongrass. Also, this is a versatile recipe that can easily be adapted to both the vegetarian version as well as non-vegetarian version.

Get the recipe for RED CURRY PASTE

Ingredients:

250 gms of the base ingredient (tofu/vegetable-carrots, potato, brinjal, green, beans, bell pepper, mushrooms/chicken/prawn) or a mix

4 tbsp red curry paste

1 small onion, sliced

2 garlic, crushed

1 small piece of ginger, diced

1 tomato, made to a paste

200 ml coconut milk

2 tbsp Oil

Thai Basil Leaves- few leaves

Green spinach- a handful

Salt, to taste

Sugar, optional

Lemon Juice, optional

Method:

Clean/Cut the base ingredient, keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the sliced onion, garlic, and ginger. Fry for a minute and then add the red curry paste. Give it a good stir.

Add the base ingredient (except prawn) that you are using. Cook it along with the curry paste in medium flame. 

Add salt. Add the tomato and cook, till done.

If the paste sticks to the bottom, splash a little water and keep cooking till almost done. 

Now add the Basil leaves. Stir it well.

Add the coconut milk and bring it to a boil, let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. 

Add the Spinach leaves.

Check the taste once and add sugar and lemon juice if desired.

(If using prawn, fry the curry paste and the rest of the ingredient, till the oil separates. Add the prawn at the last after adding coconut milk, since overcooking the prawn will make it rubbery. The prawn will get cooked in 5-7 minutes.)