I love Thai curry, how do I make it?!
I love Thai curry, how do I make it?
Every recipe I've tried turns out badly. I would like to know how to make the Red curry with the coconut milk, but not too spicy. Any recipes, tips or suggestions?
Answers:
Goodness! I love Thai curry, too! Absolutely the best dish ever.
This is a recipe I've been using for quite a while now. I'm pretty sure you will love it because it's out of this world!
http://www.recipezaar.com/63209...
Just take a look, please!!!
idk
Tyler Florence of food network usally has some easy to follow recipes these are from food 911
Coconut Shrimp with Red Curry Sauce Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911
Episode: Thai One on
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
Green Curry Chicken Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911
Episode: Tyler Thai'd Up
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
INGREDIENTS:
CURRY SAUCE: (SERVES 4)
1 can good-quality coconut milk
3 shallots OR 1/2 cooking onion
5 cloves garlic
1-3 fresh red chillies, depending on how hot you want it (deseed the chillies for less heat), OR 1-3 tsp. chili sauce
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. finely sliced and pounded lemongrass (for more instructions, see below)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce (+ more to taste)
1 thumb-size piece of galangal (or ginger), sliced
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian/Chinese stores)
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ground cardemom
1 tsp. tamarind paste (available by the jar at Indian stores) - OR substitute 1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar (or more to taste)
OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1/2 medium chicken, chopped into pieces
3 potatoes, cut into wedges of chunky cubes
1 English cucumber (or 2 smaller field cucumbers), peeled if non-organic, and sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts (or other nuts, such as cashews), roughly chopped or ground
1/2 cup fresh coriander
PREPARATION:
For more on how to prepare lemongrass, see my: All About Lemongrass Guide.
To make the curry sauce, simply place all curry sauce ingredients in a food processor (or blender).
Process well to form a smooth sauce.
Place chicken pieces in a fairly large cassarole dish, and pour the curry sauce over. Stir well.
Add chopped potatoes, plus 2 (whole) cinnamon sticks. Stir again.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until chicken is well cooked (depending on your oven and the thickness of the chicken pieces, you may need to let the curry bake another 10 minutes to 1/2 hour).
Remove the curry from the oven. If you find the curry sauce too thin, (the thickness of the sauce will depend on how thick your coconut milk was), you can easily thicken it: Just dissolve 2 heaping tsp. cornstarch in 3 Tbsp. cold water. Pour this mixture into the curry and stir. The sauce will still be hot enough to absorb the cornstarch and will instantly thicken.
Now add the cucumber rounds, stirring to incorporate.
Taste-test the curry for salt, sweetness, and spice level. If not salty enough, you may need to add up to 2 more Tbsp. fish sauce (instead of salt), plus 1 more Tbsp. brown sugar if the curry is too sour for your taste. Add more fresh chili or chili sauce if not spicy enough. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk.
To Serve: Scoop some of the curry chicken onto a serving platter, being sure to include potatoes and cucumber as well as chicken. Sprinkle with chopped or ground nuts, plus fresh coriander. Serve with Thai jasmine-scented rice, white or whole grain. ENJOY! 45 min 15 min prep
Change to: servings US Metric
2 (16 ounce) cans coconut milk
3 tablespoons thai green curry paste
3 fresh lime leaves
3 sprigs Thai basil
4 fresh green chilies
1 lb chickens
1 cup eggplants
1 cup mushrooms
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
salt, to taste
< 60 mins Curries
Thai Curries
Chicken Breasts Curries
Spicy Curries
Scoop the rich cream that has risen to the top of the coconut milk into a bowl.
Cook and stir four spoons of coconut cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the coconut oil begins to separate (some browning is okay).
Add lime leaves, fresh chilies (cut in half lengthways) and green curry paste to the coconut cream and cook until fragrant and well mixed (about one to two minutes).
Add chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the paste.
Continue to cook to allow the flavors to penetrate the chicken but do not allow the paste to scorch.
Add coconut milk, the rest of the coconut cream, the fish sauce, the sugar and a pinch of salt.
Stir and bring the curry to a boil before reducing heat to a simmer and cooking uncovered for 15 minutes.
Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces and start adding the ones which require the longest cooking, so that when you finish cooking the dish all the vegetables will be evenly cooked and look their best.
Correct the seasoning: Taste the sauce and add sugar, fish sauce, chilies or salt to suit your taste.
Stir in the whole basil leaves, garnish and serve.
Thai Shrimp Curry
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 large shallots, chopped
3 Tbs chopped lemongrass (from bottom 3 inches of about 5 peeled stalks)
3 Tbs chopped cilantro stems
3 Tbs chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbs turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp grated lime peel
2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 8-ounce bottles clam juice
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 head bok choy (about 1 and 1/2 pounds), white part cut crosswise into
1/4-inch thick slices, dark green part cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide slices
1 pound snow peas, stringed
2 3.5-ounce packages enoki mushrooms, trimmed
Sliced fresh basil
Cooked rice
Puree first 9 ingredients in processor until paste forms, occasionally
scraping sides of bowl. Transfer curry paste to bowl.
Boil coconut milk and clam juice in heavy large saucepan until
reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add 6 tablespoons
curry paste, stir 1 minute. Add shrimp and saute until beginning
to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp
to plate. Add reduced coconut milk mixture to same skillet, boil
until mixture coats spoon thickly, stirring occasionally, about 7
minutes. Add white part of bok choy, boil until beginning to
soften, about 2 minutes. Add snow peas, stir until crisp-tender,
about 1 minutes. Return shrimp to sauce. Add green part of bok
choy and mushrooms, toss until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with basil. Serve over rice.
Thai Curry and Shrimp Soup Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1999.
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Indian Curries
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1/2 fresh lemon
1 bay leaf
5 cups water
Salt
2 to 3 tablespoons Masamam Curry Paste, recipe follows
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup minced onions
1 roasted red pepper, small diced
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh Thai basil leaves
Peel the shrimp, reserving the heads and shells. Refrigerate the shrimp until ready to use. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the reserved heads and shells, onions, lemons, bay leaf and water. Season with salt. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside. Season the shrimp with salt. Toss the shrimp with the curry paste. In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, garlic and seasoned shrimp. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the reserved shrimp stock. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk. Adjust the seasonings. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Ladle into serving bowls and serve.
MASAMAM CURRY
Recipe adapted from Adriana's Spice Caravan: Storey Communications, Inc. 1997
2 fresh lemon grass stalks
12 small dried red chili peppers, seeded
1 (1-inch) piece fresh galangal, chopped or 4 slices dried
2 red onions, chopped
12 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
4 bay leaves
Remove and discard the outer leaves and upper half of the lemon grass stalks, and chop the bottom half into 1-inch pieces. Soak all the dried ingredients for 30 minutes, or until softened. Place all the ingredients in a food processor, and blend to a smooth paste. Add a little water if necessary to thin.
Yield: about 1 cup
Cooking is the art of blending flavors. It is much more than just combining ingredients. Timing and method control flavor too.
The ingredients in the Thai red curry are released while simmering, not boiling. The full flavor of chilis can become weak and bland if overcooked. This is true for both prepared curry paste or fresh ingredients.
Add the flavorful ingredients near the end of the cooking process and simmer to release the flavors. Do not allow a rolling boil and do not overcook.
Don't forget your Thai fish sauce and Kaffir leaves.
The curry paste should contain fresh red chilis, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, fresh galangal and/or fresh ginger, white or black peppercorn (white is much hotter), onions and shallots.
While it is convenient to use the curry paste bought in stores, preparing your own is more rewarding and yields tastier results. There are several recipes online that ask for fresh ingredients. I will not waste space by copying and pasting them here.
Good luck and La gorn ka!
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Thai Red Curry Paste
INGREDIENTS:
3 shallots, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass - see instructions below
1-3 red chillies (depending on desired spiciness) or 1-3 teaspoons Thai red chilli sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal, peeled and sliced (may be substituted with ginger)
? tsp. white pepper (may be substituted with black pepper)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground with pestle & mortar (or a coffee grinder)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce (available at Asian grocers), or vegetarian 'fish' sauce (or soy sauce if unavailable)
1 kaffir lime leaf (available in the freezer of your local Asian grocery store)
1 tsp. shrimp paste (optional if vegetarian)
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. regular chilli powder
1/3 cup coconut milk (or more - enough to keep the blades turning)
PREPARATION:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process well.
To use immediately, fry the paste in some oil to release flavors before adding meat, tofu or wheat gluten, or vegetables.
Add more coconut milk, as desired. Include the leftover pieces of lemongrass in your cooking pot - this will add more flavor to the curry.
Before serving, always do a taste test. If not salty enough, add more fish sauce (or vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce). If too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice. If too sour, add a little more sugar. If too spicy, add more coconut milk or a little plain yogurt.
When serving, sprinkle fresh coriander and/or ground nuts over the curry.
Store paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (or longer - the spices will help to preserve it).
I would stop following the recipes and just experiment until it's how you like it. Here's how I make curry chicken. I take whole chicken thighs (with bones) and dip each side in curry powder (Jamaican works fine, experiment to see what you like best) to coat. Then brown them on all sides in a cast iron Dutch oven with about 3/4 cup of oil. This is basically the Cajun "blackened" approach, but I'm careful not to burn them. Remove the browned chicken thighs and set aside on a dish. Pour off excess oil from pot, leaving just enough in the pot in order to saute onions. Slice an onion into thin wedges (not rings) and stir fry the onion in the oil. You can add red belle pepper slices too, and 2 cloves crushed and diced garlic. While the onion is saute-ing, add some curry powder and continue to stir fry till onions are nice and translucent. Then add 1 can of chicken broth and 1 can of cocanut milk to pot and bring to a boil. Add more curry powder to taste. You can optionally add 2 tsp flour mixed in water to help thicken. With or without works fine. Put chicken and accumulated juices back into pot, reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes. Remove chicken to serving plate. Raise heat to high, and stirring continuously, boil the sauce until it reduces to desired thickness. Serve chicken with sauce and rice.
Note: If you don't have a Dutch oven you can use a large pot. Or brown the chicken and saute the onions in a skillet then trasnfer to a pot for the 40 minutes of simmering.
Two tricks to good curry........
Cook the coconut milk before you add the curry paste. When it simmers and smells sweet, it's time to add the paste.
Use a prepared paste, making your own can be fickle and it's hard to find all the ingredients fresh. For red curry I use one that comes in a tub from Maesri, you can find it at most asian groceries.
PS - If you use a recipe, you're making it the way someone else likes it. Your best bet to perfect curry is to keep adjusting it until you figure out your favorite proportion.
Thai Seafood Curry
* An Assortment of FISH and SEAFOOD, for example (to serve 4 people):
* 1 large fresh (or frozen) fillet salmon
* 1 large fresh (or frozen) fillet red snapper (or other "white" fish such as halibut)
* 6-8 large sea scallops
* 8-10 fresh large tiger prawns
* several handfuls of mussels or clams
* VEGETABLES:
* 1 small Japanese eggplant, or 1/2 Chinese eggplant, cut into bite-size chunks (be sure to leave nutritious skin on)
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, OR 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
* approx. 1 cup fresh basil
* CURRY SAUCE:
* 1 can good-quality coconut milk
* 1 tsp. tamarind paste (OR substitute juice of 1 lime)
* 2 shallots, sliced OR 1/2 cooking onion, sliced
* 3-4 cloves garlic
* 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
* 2 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (available at Asian grocers), OR 1 stalk fresh lemongrass (instructions below)
* 2 kaffir lime leaves (available in the freezer at Asian grocers)
* 1-3 red chillies (depending on how spicy you want it (mild = 0-1 chilli, medium= 2 chillies, hot= 3 chillies)
* 1/2 tsp. fenugreek (seeds)
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. turmeric
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* 2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
* 2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
* 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
* OTHER:
* 1 can pineapple chunks, drained (OR 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into cubes)
PREPARATION:
1. For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass: Your Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with Lemongrass.# First, prepare all the vegetables and set next to the stove within easy reach.
# Rinse and cut the fish into smaller segments (e.g. 2-3 inches long). Rinse the shellfish in cold water, and remove shells from prawns. Place the seafood next to the stove alongside the vegetables.
# Make the curry sauce by placing 1/2 can coconut milk plus all other curry sauce ingredients in your food processor. Process well to form a thick paste-like sauce.
# Add the rest of the coconut milk and continue processing a few seconds to blend.
# Taste test the sauce, adding more fish sauce (1 Tbsp. at a time) until desired salt-level has been reached (you may require anywhere from 1 to 3 more tablespoons).
# Pour sauce into a wok or deep frying pan. Place wok/pan over medium-high heat until sauce begins to bubble. Add all the vegetables except the basil, and stir well.
# Reduce heat to a comfortable simmer (medium to medium-high heat). Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the eggplant has softened. Stir occasionally.
# Next, add the segments of salmon and snapper (or other fish), stirring well to incorporate into the sauce. Cook approximately 2 minutes.
# Finally, add the rest of the seafood plus the pineapple, stirring well to incorporate.
# Continue stirring ocassionally while the seafood finishes cooking (about 2 more minutes, or until prawns have turned bright pink).
# Do a final taste test, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough. Cooking Tip: Curries usually require a generous amount of salt to arrive at their peak of flavor. With Thai curries, this adjustment is usually made with fish sauce instead of salt. If you happen to pour too much fish sauce into the dish, or if you find the curry too salty, a tablespoon or two of lime juice will solve the problem.
# To serve, ladle the curry into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the fresh basil leaves over the curry, and serve with plenty of jasmine rice (white or brown). Enjoy!
Thai Red Chicken Curry Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
PASTE:
3 shallots OR 1 small cooking onion, diced
1 stalk lemongrass (see instructions below)
1-2 red chillies (depending on desired spiciness) OR substitute 1-2 tsp. dried chilli flakes (omit for mild curry)
5 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal, sliced (may be substituted with ginger)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground with pestle & mortar (or a coffee grinder)
1 1/2 Tbsp. chilli powder
1 kaffir lime leaf
2 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian grocery stores)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves and stems
OTHER:
1 small chicken chopped into pieces (or ? large chicken)
1 1/2 cans coconut milk
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
1 cup fresh Thai holy basil leaves (if unavailable, substitute sweet basil)
10 - 15 cherry tomatoes (or substitute 3 regular tomatoes, sliced)
1 large sweet red pepper (OR 1 red bell pepper) chopped into bite-size pieces
1 yellow pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
PREPARATION:
For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass: Your Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with Lemongrass.
To make the paste, place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender).
Add ? can of the coconut milk and process into a paste.
Pour paste into a large casserole dish. Add the other 1/2 can of coconut milk plus the chicken pieces and kaffir lime leaves. Also add the leftover upper stalks of lemongrass (cut these into 3-4 inch "sticks"), as they will add additional lemongrass flavor to the dish.
Stir well, until paste is thoroughly mixed with the coconut milk and chicken.
Tip: If more sauce is needed, or if you prefer a milder sauce, add 1/2 can more coconut milk.
Bake at 375 degrees. After 40 minutes, remove from oven, stir, and add the vegetables except basil leaves.
After another 20- 30 minutes, remove from oven. Stir well, checking to make sure chicken to cooked (if not, return to oven for 10 more minutes).
Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add up to 2 Tbsp. more fish sauce. If not spicy enough, add another red chilli, sliced finely, or 1 tsp. chilli flakes, or 1-2 tsp. Thai chilli sauce. If too salty, add up to 2 Tbsp. lime juice. If too spicy, add an additional 1/2 can of coconut milk (yoghurt will work too) and stir well.
Place in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves (these can be roughly chopped if very large). Serve with plenty of Thai fragrant rice, and enjoy! (Note: the lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves can be removed. If left in the dish, let your guests know they are inedible.)
The best thing to do is to go to an asian supermarket and buy the thai curry paste. The instructions are easy to follow and it is cheap. You would use less paste if you don't want it too spicy.