Thai Red Curry

Active Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Servings:

4 servings

Known as one of the most popular curry styles in Thailand, red curry is made with red chiles that give it its iconic heat and bright scarlet color, blended with aromatic spices and ingredients including cilantro, lemongrass, (kapi) shrimp paste, and ginger. Though red curry sauce is famously spicy, you can easily customize the versatile curry paste to your heat preference.

For anyone even remotely familiar with Thai food, red curry is a culinary staple with a history almost as intriguing as it is delicious. Since Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that was not formally colonized during Western imperialism throughout Asia, much of its cuisine was able to remain relatively unchanged by influences brought by the European regime throughout the region. Cooking methods that have been used for centuries continued to be in use during the 19th and 20th centuries, with spice flavors remaining as potent and fragrant as ever.

However, that isn't to say that Thai cuisine has not been influenced by other nations. A lot of what is now known as Thai food is a combination of indigenous Thai cuisine and fusions of Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, and Malaysian culinary customs. Food historians say that Thai people learned to fry from Chinese chefs, were introduced to spices such as turmeric and cardamom by traders from India and Malaysia, and were given the chili peppers that give this curry its signature heat by Portuguese missionaries.

The base Thai red curry paste is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle that grinds dried red chile peppers, garlic, shallots, galangal, shrimp paste, salt, Makrut lime leaves, coriander, cumin, peppercorns and lemongrass. Aside from making the classic Thai coconut-milk based red curry, the paste can also be used to flavor thot man pla (fish cakes), hor mok pla (fish custard), and sai ua (grilled sausage) among other dishes. This versatility has been key to keeping red curry popular for years.

Use the recipe for this red curry paste or a store-bought version to make this curry, Thai Red-Curry Squash Soup recipe or Red Curry Chicken Kebabs with Minty Yogurt Sauce. – Alexandra Domrongchai

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Ingredients

Thai Red Curry Paste

2 cups water
6 (2- to 3-inch) dried red Thai chiles (about 1/8 ounce total), unseeded and stemmed (if you want a hotter paste, add more chiles)
2 (5-inch) New Mexico chiles (about 1/3 ounce total), stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 medium (2 3/4 ounces total) shallots, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 (2-inch) piece fresh galangal (about 1 ounce), peeled and chopped (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)
2 (16-inch) stalks fresh lemongrass (about 3 1/2 ounces total), tender white inner bulbs only, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
6 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 teaspoon grated lime zest (from 1 medium lime)
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (such as Pantai)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Curry

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, unopened and unshaken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4 breasts), cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-size (9-ounce) yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup Thai Red Curry Paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons palm sugar or granulated sugar, to taste
1 medium-size (6-ounce) Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (from 1 medium [about 7-ounce] bell pepper)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves, plus chopped basil for garnish

Additional ingredient

Cooked white jasmine rice

Directions

Prepare the Thai Red Curry Paste

Place water, Thai chiles, and New Mexico chiles in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high. Remove from heat, and let steep, uncovered, 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove chiles, and place in a food processor. Reserve soaking water.
Toast white peppercorns, cumin, and coriander in a small skillet over medium, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small heatproof bowl, and let cool completely, 5 to 10 minutes. Grind mixture into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Place shallots, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, lime zest, shrimp paste, salt, ground peppercorn mixture, and 1/4 cup reserved chile soaking water in a food processor. Process until mixture forms a just slightly chunky paste, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. (If the mixture is too thick to blend well, add more reserved soaking water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) You should have 1 cup curry paste; store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Prepare the Curry

Open coconut milk can without shaking or stirring. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream found at the top of the can into a small bowl; reserve scooped cream and remaining milk in can. Season chicken all over with salt, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large wok or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Thai Red Curry Paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, sugar, and remaining coconut milk from can; cook, stirring often, until bubbling and slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir chicken and eggplant into mixture in Dutch oven until combined. Reduce heat to medium; cook, covered, stirring once or twice, until chicken is cooked through (chicken will be firm in texture and no longer pink) and eggplant is tender, about 6 minutes. Uncover and add bell pepper; cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add basil leaves and reserved coconut cream; stir until well combined and basil is wilted. Garnish with chopped basil. Serve over rice.

To make ahead

Curry paste can be made ahead and stored in an airtight glass jar or container in refrigerator up to 14 days, or in freezer up to 4 months.

Note

To grind the spices by hand, you will need a solid stone mortar and pestle. Pounding is easier when you start with fibrous, sturdy herbs and then move on to softer ones. After stemming and seeding the dried chilis as needed, soak them in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Toast white peppercorns, cumin, and coriander seeds on medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Once lightly toasted, remove from heat and let cool in a small heatproof bowl. Drain, rinse and pat dry the chilies and place them in the mortar with the salt. Start pounding in an up and down motion with a pestle until smooth. Add the toasted spices, and pound until ground. Add lemongrass and galangal, and pound until smooth. Continue pounding cilantro, shallots, garlic, and Makrut lime zest. Finally, add the shrimp paste and pound well until a smooth paste is formed. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.