Thai Red Chicken Curry

You will need:

- 1 can (4 oz.) Red Curry paste
- 1 can (14 0z.) coconut milk
- 2 cups bite-size piece chicken thigh, or breast
- 2 cups bamboo shoot strips, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and strained a few times, or until the water is no longer yellow.
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. palm sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno pepper, julienned
- 1 cup loosely-packed fresh Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. Pour 1/3 can of coconut milk in cooking pot over medium-high heat. Once heated, add Red Curry paste. Stir to mix together, then simmer until fragrant and oil breaking from the mixture, about 3 minutes.

2. Add chicken to the pot and stir to mix well with the curry sauce. When chicken is cooked, add bamboo shoot strips.

3. Then, add the rest of coconut milk (2/3 can), and add 1 cup of water to the pot as well. Bring it to a boil, and simmer for about 5 minute over medium-high heat.

4. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Taste and adjust the flavor if needed. The curry sauce shouldn't be runny, nor too thick. Add a little more water if too thick.

5. Add red bell pepper and jalapeno pepper. Stir to mix into the curry. I like my pepper al dente, so I would turn off the heat at this point. If you like them cooked, leave the heat on for a couple more minutes.

6. Finally, add Thai basil leaves to the pot, after you turn off the heat. Mix well.


You can serve this curry with steamed rice, over rice noodle, or even over spaghetti noodle.

Thai cooking made easy! Enjoy :)

Roti & Curry Sauce

One of the dishes I had for this past weekend's eats was this roti paratha, with curry sauce.

I actually made extra sauce when cooking Thai chicken curry for dinner the night before. The layered Indian flat bread comes handily from Oriental Market's freezer. I just had to cook each round piece of the dough in hot pan until flaky and brown, and warm up the sauce to serve with.

Serve this as either appetizer, snack, or main dish -- it's all good!

Fish Ball Green Curry

Thai green curry has a unique character for its heat. Compared with other types of Thai curry dish, green curry is quite spicy, and also has great flavor and aroma of all fresh herbs and ingredients used to make green curry paste. Today, I used pre-made fish balls found in Oriental Market frozen food section, and bamboo shoots - as main ingredients.

This dish is another variation of green curry, besides ones with chicken, beef, or pork. Other ingredients, and method of cooking are pretty much the same as some of the green curry dishes I blogged earlier - like Tofu & Enoki Mushroom Green Curry. It goes well with bamboo shoot, however you can add Thai eggplant as well. It is as popular and delicious served with rice vermicelli noodle, as with steamed rice.

Pumpkin Curry with Beef & Thai Basil

I am still in the mood of loving Fall. Keep seeing the charm of Kabocha Squash, or Japanese Pumpkin, at the Oriental Market... Finally, I decided to cook with it again, though I just made Thai Pumpkin Custard last week.

This dish is basically a Thai red curry dish that I use Japanese pumpkin as the main ingredient. Beef is my choice of meat in the dish for I grew up always having beef in this pumpkin red curry - cooked either by my mom's or restaurant's'. However, I can see tofu, fried or soft, would work out great as well.

You will need:

1 can (4 oz.) Red Curry paste (I prefer Mae Sri brand)
1 can (14 oz.) Coconut milk (Chao Kao or Aroy-D brand)
1-1 1/2 lbs. Chuck Eye steaks, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 Medium-size Japanese Pumpkin (also called Kabocha Squash), cut into chunks
1 TBSP palm sugar
1 TBSP Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
1 cup water
1 cup loosely packed FRESH Thai basil leaves
1 Jalapeno pepper, cut into thin strips (optional - to add heat)

Directions:

1. Fry Red Curry paste in 1/2 can of coconut milk, in a pot until fragrant, using medium-high heat. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn - until it is fragrant and becomes oily, about 3 minutes.
2. Add beef slices. Stir until mixed well with curry sauce and beef is almost cooked through.
3. Add the rest of coconut milk and pumpkin chunks. Then, add water then bring it to a boil.
4. Lower the heat to medium low, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the beef is tender, and pumkin is soft but not mushy.
5. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir well. Adjust the flavor to your taste. The sauce shouldn't be runny, nor too thick. You can add some water if it gets too thick.
6. Finally, add Thai basil leaves (and Jalapeno pepper strips), and turn the heat off right away. That way the leaves still maintain their bright green color. Serve with steamed rice, or whatever you like :)

It's such a gorgeous dish. The color is so beautiful, it will brighten up your meal. The creamy texture of cooked pumpkin goes wonderfully with the rich, complex, and spicy red curry sauce. The aroma of fresh Thai basil is just the perfect element to bring everything together.

Chicken Massaman Curry

Considering a wide variety of curries in Thailand, Massaman is more influenced by Muslim food. This is a curry dish that develops its complexity very well, and tastes even better if you let it sit overnight. Usually, Thai Muslims make this dish with beef, but since I had chicken handy in my refrigerator, it's going to be Chicken Massaman today.

The ingredients that give Massaman curry paste a distinctive taste include: dried red chilies, roasted shallots, roasted garlic, lemongrass, galanga, shrimp paste, roasted coriander seeds, roasted cloves, roasted cumin, roasted cadamom pods, and salt, which are all pounded together to make the paste. I am taking advantage of canned paste from Asian grocery store, and find Mae Sri brand deliver pretty satisfied outcome.

You will need:

• 2 lbs. chicken (5 drumsticks in this recipe)
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 can (4 oz.) Massaman curry paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Idaho potato, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into big pieces
• 1/4 cup roasted (whole) peanut
• 2 dried Bay leaves
• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP fish sauce
• 2 TBSP tamarind concentrate

Directions:

1. Fry Massaman curry paste in 1/2 cup coconut milk in a pot until fragrant, using medium heat and keep stirring until you see the red oil bubbling up.
2. Add chicken pieces and fry until outside is sealed.
3. Add the rest of coconut milk and water, then bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Add potato, onion, peanut, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer under medium heat for another 10-15 minutes, or until potato is soft.
5. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate. Simmer for another 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend. You can adjust the seasonings to your taste before turning the heat off.

Note: This is an updated version of my old post, which got buried under more and more of the new ones. Massaman Curry is such a staple dish that you could always find it in menus of most Thai restaurants. Many of Thai food fans I know often ask me for the recipe, so I thought I re-post it :)

Red Curry with Beef & Bamboo Shoots

In Thailand, Curry is a staple dish and it is eaten on a daily basis in many families. A typical meal in my family would have at least rice and curry dish, then a vegetable stir-fry and other dishes would be included. Here, another curry dish among dozens of different types of curries (Gaeng) in Thailand I love to make is Red Curry (Gaeng Phed). Its flavor is in between Green Curry (which is pretty spicy), and Yellow Curry (which is quite mild).

The most favorite ingredients that go in the Red Curry are bamboo shoots and Thai eggplants. And then, Thai basil and Kaffir lime leaves are the types of fresh fragrant herbs that are used in the recipe. Don't you just love the smell of fresh Thai basil leaves? I would have a hard time living where they are not available!

This Red Curry recipe features beef but you could also prepared the dish with pork, chicken, shrimp, fish, or tofu. Red bell pepper strips would be a nice color to add in. It is so good with steamed jasmine rice, ... or with pasta for a fusion version!

You will need:

• 1 can (4 oz.) Red Curry paste (I prefer Mae Sri brand)
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (Chao Kao or Aroy-D brand)
• 1-1 1/2 lbs. Chuck Eye steaks, cut into 1/3"-thick slices
• 3-4 Kaffir Lime leaves, torn in half
• 1 can bamboo shoot strips
• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup loosely packed FRESH Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. Fry Red Curry paste in 1/2 can of coconut milk, in a pot until fragrant, using medium-high heat. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn - until it is fragrant and becomes oily, about 3 minutes.
2. Add beef slices and Kaffir Lime leave pieces. Stir until mixed well with curry sauce and beef is cooked.
3. Add the rest of coconut milk and bamboo shoots. Then, add water then bring it to a boil.
4. Lower the heat to medium low, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the beef is tender.
5. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir well. Adjust the flavor to your taste. The sauce shouldn't be runny, nor too thick.
6. Finally, add Thai basil leaves, and turn the heat off right away. That way the leaves still maintain their bright green color. I also like to top it with some chiffonaded Kaffir Lime leaves. Serve with steamed rice.

Green Curry: Tofu & Enoki Mushroom

Green curry is a very popular Thai curry dish you can find at almost every Thai restaurant. This one is a vegetarian version, with fried tofu and Enoki mushroom as main ingredients. The rest is pretty much the basic ingredients for Thai Green Curry. You can find my quick post of its different version - Pork Green Curry with Thai Eggplant - here.

This dish is usually served with rice. Some other varieties are to serve with rice vermicelli (Bun), or with Indian flat bread (Roti). Regular (soft or firm) tofu, or fried tofu can be used in this curry, or any curry, actually. It's all about your preference!

Enoki mushrooms -- also called Enokitake, Winter Mushroom, Snow Puff Mushroom, Velvet Stem Mushroom, or Golden Needle Mushroom -- have a mild but delightful flavor and a pleasantly crunchy texture. To use, you need to cut off and discard the bottom of the cluster of mushrooms (up to the point where individual mushroom stems can be separated). Traditionally, Enoki is lightly cooked, and served in soups or in stir-fries with vegetables and meat. Too much cooking can make the stems tough and stringy.


You will need:

• 1 can (4 oz.) Green Curry paste (I prefer Mae Sri brand)
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (Chao Kao or Aroy-D brand)
• 16 oz. fried tofu, cut in triangles or cubes
• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
• 1-2 cups water, or vegetable stock
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut in strips
• 1 package Enoki mushroom, trim & discard the bottom cluster. Rinsed clean.
• 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. Fry Green curry paste in 1/2 cup coconut milk in a pot until fragrant, using medium-high heat. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn - until it is fragrant and becomes oily, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add tofu chunks and fry until mixed well with curry sauce.
3. Add the rest of coconut milk. Then, add 1 cup (or more) of water (or stock) then bring it to a boil. The sauce shouldn't be runny, nor too thick.
4. Then, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir well. Adjust the flavor to your taste.
6. Add bell pepper and Enoki mushroom. Stir to mix all ingredients in curry sauce. The mushroom shouldn't be cooked long at all.
7. Finally, add Thai basil leaves, and turn the heat off right away. That way the leaves still maintain their bright green color. Serve with rice, noodle, or flat bread - your choice..

Beef Panang Curry

I made Beef Panang curry for dinner tonight. The dish went so great with steamed rice. As I mentioned in previous post of this Panang Curry, here, you can use just any kind of meat you prefer. Fried tofu makes a wonderful vegetarian version of this curry! And for seafood lover, you will find shrimp in the panang curry sauce is just so divine.. Try making with different variety of meat if you like - to find your favorite, or simply just to be adventurous.

Salmon Choo Chee Curry: Thai Fish Curry

You will need:

• 1 can (4 oz.) Choo Chee Curry paste (or Red Curry Paste), preferably Mae Sri brand
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (Chao Kao or Aroy-D brand)
• about 2 lb Salmon fish fillet, cut in large pieces
• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
• 2-3 Kaffir Lime leaves, finely shredded
• 2-3 red chili pepper for garnish, shredded

Directions:

1. Fry Choo Chee curry paste in 1/2 cup coconut milk in a pot until fragrant, using medium heat and keep stirring until you see the red oil bubbling up.
2. Add the rest of coconut milk. Stir to blend and let mixture boil up.
3. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir and let the sauce boil up. If it's too thick, add a little water to adjust consistency.
4. Add Salmon fish pieces. DO NOT STIR, otherwise the dish will be very fishy. Cover and let the fish cooked on medium high heat until back to boiling. Then, lower heat to medium low, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Add some shredded Lime leaves, gently stir to mix and try not to break fish pieces.
6. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with shredded Lime leaves and red chili pepper. Serve with rice.

Panang Curry

Panang is another one of my favorite Thai curry dishes, that is simple to make using prepared curry paste. It is rather a thick curry, than a soupy one like Red, Yellow, or Green curries. You can use beef, pork, chicken, or tofu, as the main ingredient. I personally prefer beef..

You will need:

• 1 can (4 oz.) Panang Curry paste, preferably Mae Sri brand
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (Chao Kao or Aroy-D brand)
• 2 lb Chuck Eye steak or roast, thinly sliced
• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
• 2-3 Kaffir Lime leaves, chiffonade

Directions:

1. Fry Panang curry paste in 1/2 cup coconut milk in a pot until fragrant, using medium heat and keep stirring until you see the red oil bubbling up.
2. Add beef slices and fry until beef are mostly cooked.
3. Add the rest of coconut milk, then bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add Lime leave shreds, stir to mix.
5. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend. You can adjust the seasonings to your taste before turning the heat off. Served over rice.

Thai Green Curry

Green curry is one of the most poppular Thai dishes. You can make it with pork, chicken, beef, tofu, or even seafood. In Thailand, green curry is served with rice, rice noodle, or flat bread (Roti). It's a spicy and delicious dish you can easily make even for a week night meal.