# Thai Red Curry warning spicy!



## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

I follow Madhur Jaffreys her recipes come out great every time, I own the book" Madhur jaffreys Step by Step Cooking" and recommend to anyone who wants to learn a variety of Asian cooking. If you don't have time to make your own paste I use Mae-Ploy, a lot of times I will make the paste and use a combo of my own and the store bought (it really takes more paste then they say of your own to get the taste I want. The added Pineapple is my own that I have discovered is used in restaurants with Duck red curry. it really helps counter act the spice!
Ingredients
For the tamarind paste (for use in the curry)
30-55g/1-2oz dried tamarind pulp, from a block
hot water, to cover
For the red curry paste
10-12 dried, hot red chillies (of the long, cayenne variety)
140g/5oz shallots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 thin slices peeled fresh galangal, or fresh ginger
1 tbsp fresh lemongrass that has been thinly sliced, crossways
6-8 fresh coriander roots, washed well and coarsely chopped (use coriander leaves if unavailable)
1 thin slice of fresh ****** lime rind, about 4cm x 0.5cm/1½in x ¼in, or dried rind, soaked in water for 30 minutes (substitute ordinary lime rind, without the white pith, if unavailable)
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
¼ tsp shrimp paste, or 2 anchovies from a can, chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp bright red paprika
For the curry
1/2 can of pineapple in water chunks
450g/1lb boned and skinned chicken breasts
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
400ml/14fl oz can of coconut milk, left undisturbed for three hours or more
5 tbsp red curry paste
140g/5oz sliced bamboo shoots from a can, drained and rinsed
4 fresh ****** lime leaves or 1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste ( i use ONE Tbsp or it can be to strong if your not used to it)
1 tsp thick tamarind paste or lemon juice
1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
15-20 fresh Thai (holy) basil leaves or ordinary basil leaves I think the Thai Holy basil is stronger and really gives you the basil flavor that I love
Preparation method
If using tamarind paste, a couple of hours before you want to make the curry (or preferably the night before), place the tamarind pulp into a small bowl. Add hot or boiling water to cover (if the pulp is very dry, use boiling water). Soak the tamarind until it's very soft and pliable, for a few hours or preferably overnight.
To obtain the pulp, remove the tamarind seeds and any tough fibres with your fingers. Discard. Place the pulp into a sieve set over a bowl and press the pulp through the sieve.
For the curry paste, soak the chillies in five tablespoons of hot water for 1-2 hours. (You could also put them in a microwave oven for 2-3 minutes and then let them soak for about an hour.)
Put the soaked chillies, together with their soaking liquid, into the bowl of a food processor, along with all the remaining paste ingredients in the order listed. Blend until you have a smooth paste. You may need to add a bit more water. This recipe will make about ten tablespoons of paste, so freeze or refrigerate what you don't use.
For the curry, cut the chicken breasts crossways into 3mm/1/8in thick slices.
Heat the oil in a wide, preferably non-stick, pan set over a medium-high heat.
Carefully open the can of coconut milk without disturbing it too much. Remove four tablespoons of the thick coconut cream that will have settled at the top and place in a small bowl. Stir the remaining contents of the can well and set aside.
When the pan is hot, add the coconut cream and stir. Add the curry paste and stir again. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until the oil separates and the paste is lightly browned.
Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken, bamboo shoots, reserved coconut milk, lime leaves (or lemon zest), fish sauce, tamarind paste (or lemon juice) and the palm sugar (or brown sugar).
Technique: Zesting citrus fruit

Watch technique
1:02 mins
Stir together well and bring to a simmer. The chicken should turn white and cook through by the time the first bubbles begin to appear. Simmer on a low heat for a further minute or two. add pineapple
Just before serving, sprinkle the basil leaves over the curry, stir gently and remove from the heat. Serve with jasmine rice.


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## sudshunter (Jan 20, 2008)

yea this looks a little complicated,but sounds great. the wife and i are gonna give it a shot this weekend....


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## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

I roughly counted 26 ingredients in it. Short of owning a foreign store, I ain't got anywhere near all the mess you listed. Nor do I have the time to fix it. How about keeping it simple. Anything wrong with that. This might be a recipe board, but that one won't fly with me. Try tater soup next time.


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

wdbrand said:


> I roughly counted 26 ingredients in it. Short of owning a foreign store, I ain't got anywhere near all the mess you listed. Nor do I have the time to fix it. How about keeping it simple. Anything wrong with that. This might be a recipe board, but that one won't fly with me. Try tater soup next time.


yea thast why I said use Ma-ploy if you dont want to deal with making the paste
do this, skip the paste ingredients and go straight to the curry. Thai is way easier then Indian btw indian there are NO short cuts

If you don't have time to make your own paste I use Mae-Ploy, a lot of times I will make the paste and use a combo of my own and the store bought (it really takes more paste then they say of your own to get the For the curry
1/2 can of pineapple in water chunks
450g/1lb boned and skinned chicken breasts
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
400ml/14fl oz can of coconut milk, 
5 tbsp red curry paste
140g/5oz sliced bamboo shoots from a can, drained and rinsed
4 fresh ****** lime leaves or 1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste ( i use ONE Tbsp or it can be to strong if your not used to it)
1 tsp thick tamarind paste or lemon juice
1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
15-20 fresh Thai (holy) basil leaves or ordinary basil leaves I think the Thai Holy basil is stronger and really gives you the basil flavor that I love
Preparation method


For the curry, cut the chicken breasts crossways into 3mm/1/8in thick slices.
Heat the oil in a wide, preferably non-stick, pan set over a medium-high heat.
Carefully open the can of coconut milk without disturbing it too much. Remove four tablespoons of the thick coconut cream that will have settled at the top and place in a small bowl. Stir the remaining contents of the can well and set aside.
When the pan is hot, add the coconut cream and stir. Add the curry paste and stir again. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until the oil separates and the paste is lightly browned.
Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken, bamboo shoots, reserved coconut milk, lime leaves (or lemon zest), fish sauce, tamarind paste (or lemon juice) and the palm sugar (or brown sugar).
Technique: Zesting citrus fruit


Stir together well and bring to a simmer. The chicken should turn white and cook through by the time the first bubbles begin to appear. Simmer on a low heat for a further minute or two. add pineapple
Just before serving, sprinkle the basil leaves over the curry, stir gently and remove from the heat. Serve with jasmine rice.taste I want. The added Pineapple is my own that I have discovered is used in restaurants with Duck red curry. it really helps counter act the spi


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## Northwoods (Mar 4, 2011)

Thai Red curry paste
Coconut Milk
Mix to desired heat level, throw in some fresh chopped basil, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Sir fry some red and yellow bell peppers, onion, baby corn (or just corn), and mushrooms (straw mushrooms best)
Add veggies to curry mix, then throw in whatever raw seafood you have and let it cook in the curry for a few minutes till done.
Serve it over white rice. 
This is an easy way to make a good tasting curry, and you can get everything at your average grocery store.


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## sudshunter (Jan 20, 2008)

kudos go out to surfmom on this recipe ! the wife and i tackeled this one last night,simply awesome !!!! we've been wanting to try different recipes trying to get away from the same old stuff every week. it was spicy but not to where you couldnt enjoy it ,it was great.... thanks again surfmom !!!!!!


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

awesome so glad you liked it!

Actually I thought more about Indian food and we do a very simple "Butter Chicken" even people who dont like Indian food love it, never had anyone not like it, Ill post that too. Your in Norfolk so you can probbly get the tandoori powder at a Indian Market


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## sudshunter (Jan 20, 2008)

thanks again !!!! im interested in the indian butter chicken recipe also, so yea post it up....


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Thai food is ALWAYS good.


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