There was this unassuming place close to where I lived two years ago in Paris, near Gare du Nord ; we went there because it was litterally 10 meters away from home, without expecting much.
We both ordered curries, the red kind for me, and the green one for my companion. What a surprise it was ! The usual timid flavour was replaced by a true festival of tastes. I often found my Thaï curries too sweet and too mild ; this one was neither. The sugar perfectly balanced the heat (for once, there was some !), and the fragrant lemongrass and kombava could actually be distinguished.
Thaï curries are complex, thanks to the red curry paste, with flavourful red peppers, sweet shallots, lots of garlic and lemony flavours ; the fish sauce adds a depth of flavour, and the sugar is essential to round out the flavours along with the coconut milk.
If you’re a curry lover, don’t miss out on this ! I’d say this version is fresher and more aromatic than your Indian or Japanese curries, as it relies on fresh ingredients rather than spices to build its flavor profile.
Beware ; this dish can be quite spicy, depending on your curry paste and how much you’re using. If you want it less spicy, do adapt your curry paste if homemade by using less small, spicy chilies, and more large, non spicy chilies. If using store-bought red curry paste, make it milder by adding less curry paste.
Authentic Thai Red Curry (with chicken) – Recipe
Ingredients – Advice & key points
- Red curry paste :
- I recommend making your own curry paste if possible. If so, I don’t recommend making it on a weeknight ; make your curry paste over the week-end, for example, then you’ll have plenty to store in your freezer for anytime you feel like curry-ing.
- If using store-bought, it’s perfectly good too ! My two top picks would be the Maeploy and Namjai curry pastes. The Aroy-D brand is also great, plus it is vegan !
- You can find red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves (frozen), bamboo shoots (canned), fish sauce and fresh Thai basil at most Asian stores.
- Don’t let the curry boil once you’ve added all the coconut milk, or it might split ! It should only simmer.
- Adaptability: This recipe is fully adaptable.
- You can use a different veggies, different proteins or no protein at all ; simply adapt the cooking times, especially for veggies, and taste regularly to make sure they don’t get mushy or tough veggies. So if you cannot find Thai eggplants, it doesn’t matter ! Skip it or replace it with Japanese/Chinese eggplant, or courgette, for example.
- In autumn/winter, a great vegetable option would be to use diced squash ; you can use this veggie only for a low-effort dish, with around 200-250grams for a 4-servings amount.
Let’s get curried away!
Authentic Thai Red Curry (with chicken)
Description
A fragrant, spicy and balanced Thaï red curry, with lots of veggies and moist chicken.
Ingredients
Instructions
Chop chop
Cut your chicken in bite-sized pieces.
Quarter your eggplants, halve your green beans. Cut your red bell pepper in thin slices.
Start cooking
Start by heating your coconut milk in a wok or large pan. When it boils, add your curry paste.
Stir and cook a few minutes, until very thick and cocunut oil starts separating from the curry paste.
Add your chicken ; mix. Add coconut milk, palm sugar & fish sauce.
Add your eggplants.
3 minutes later, add green beans.
3 minutes later, add bamboo shoots.
2 minutes later, add red bell pepper & kaffir lime leaves.
4 minutes later, sample eggplants & green beans. If not cooked to your liking, simmer longer. When they are, turn off the heat.
Add Thai basil. Adjust for fish sauce if needed.
Serve with wite rice.
Et voilà !! You're done !