a good thai red curry

booboo88

anyone got any good tips or recipes? or even a good paste?
i love a good red thai but to get a take away is way too expensive

vicecreamsundae

I've never made my own paste, but I do think the big tubs of paste you can find in asian supermarkets are muchh better (and cheaper!) than the tiny little jars you can get in dunnes/tesco.

i make two kinds of red curry

-the first is to be served with rice. in a deep frying pan i add a splash of oil, dollop of paste, then strips of chicken until browned, then veg (mushrooms, green beans, peppers, maybe eggplant and a couple cherry tomatoes), then add a can of coconut milk and a fresh coriander last minute. serve with rice.

-the second (and my preferred one) is just served alone. starts of with oil and paste, but in a saucepan. add the coconut milk right away, then chopped potatoes, chopped apples, broccoli, maybe some mixed beans, add some cumin and tumeric if I have them, and lots of fresh coriander. it reaches much more of a stew consistency and definitely doesnt need rice.

i'll add fresh chillies to both too if I have them, but i usually don't.

booboo88

ooh vicecream sundae they sound gorge. yea i mistakenly got the aldi paste.
but nada. not just have to find an asian supermarket thank you

sponge_bob

red curry paste:

1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4-5 roughly chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
1 chopped medium onion
1/2" piece of chopped ginger
4-5 deseeded chopped red chillies
2 teaspoons paprika
1-2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste

put it all into a blender and grind to a smooth paste, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the paste for 1-2 minutes. put it in a jar and it should hold in the fridge for 2-3 weeks


green curry paste:

4-5 deseeded chopped green chillies
1 small chopped onion
4-5 chopped garlic
freshly chopped coriander (1-2 table spoons)
1" piece of roughly chopped ginger
lime zest from 1 lime
1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

put it all into a blender and grind to a smooth paste, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the paste for 1-2 minutes. put it in a jar and it should hold in the fridge for 2-3 weeks

YumCha

Mae Ploy brand curry paste is very good, you can find it in most Asian supermarkets - tastewise it's probably very close to making it yourself (without all the hassle!)

Try http://rasamalaysia.com/red-curry-recipe/ for a recipe - I tried their green curry recipe once and it turned out great, plus a lot of their other recipes are really authentic.

Pixie001

I agree with the recommendations for Mae Ploy. Really takes the hassle out of making your own paste. Also, the Mae Ploy pastes last for ages in the fridge.

booboo88

thanks guys for your replies, big love of thai food, but time managment isnt my forte.

thanks again, now need to find an asian market