If you read my drunken noodles post, then you know I can never get enough of Thai food. Curry has had a piece of my heart since I first tried it when I was a kid. The savory bold flavors had me hooked instantly. I first tried to recreate a red curry from my favorite restaurant when I was 17. Since then, there has been A LOT of improvement. This recipe has been a constant in my kitchen for years now. My husband and our friends seem to love it just as much as I do.
Although this is a soup, I eat it all year round…. mainly because it’s just so darn good! You can also get very personal with this curry and add any vegetable you favor. You can also play with the spice to make it as spicy, or mild, as you like. My husband I like to pack it full of crunchy vegetables and tons of spice, which gives it an extra little bite that we LOVE.
One thing I would recommend is using Chaokoh coconut milk. It’s a full body coconut milk that is super creamy in texture. Since the milk is the basis of the curry, it’s really important you pick the right one. Many of the low-fat versions will give you a much more watered down curry that won’t be the same texture. I’ve tried a lot of different coconut milk and Chaokoh is hands down my favorite.
SPICY RED CURRY
Prep: 15 min
Cooking time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. jar red curry paste
2 13.5 oz. cans coconut milk (like Chaokoh)
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2 chicken breasts thinly sliced
5 oz. can bamboo shoots
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp sombal oelek (can also use red pepper flakes, cayenne, or Sriracha for heat)
3 scallions for garnish
** Can also add green bean, baby corn, mushrooms, bell pepper, cabbage, broccoli, pineapple..or whatever vegetables you’d like.
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large wok or tall sided pan or pot to high heat.
Pour a small bit of the coconut milk in. Immediately add red curry paste and ginger. Let cook and stir constantly till you smell the aroma (about a couple minutes).
Add the rest of the coconut milk cans, soy sauce, sugar, chili paste, oyster sauce, and fish sauce.
Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat. Add in chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, till chicken is almost cooked through.
Add in bamboo shoots, and vegetables. Let cook till vegetables are tender .
Serve with white rice and top with scallions.