Thai Red Curry is a rich, creamy and aromatic dish that has the perfect balance of taste and flavours. This Thai Red Curry Recipe is simple to make either with store bought paste or with homemade red curry paste. Usually served with plain rice this is un beatable combo.
This curry has a perfect balance of spicy, savoury and mildly sweet flavours. When you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner or an impressive meal for guests, this homemade Thai Red Curry comes together in 30 minutes and pairs beautifully with steamed rice.
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About Thai Red Curry
Thai Red Curry is made with red curry paste, fresh vegetables and creamy coconut milk. This authentic Thai-inspired recipe is both comforting and easy to prepare. If you have coconut milk and red curry paste, you can throw in any vegetable of your choice and make this curry in no time.
You can either use fresh thick coconut milk or store bought coconut milk. You can replace vegetables with chicken too. Vegetables is purely of your choice you can add a mix of them to enjoy a tasty curry.
It is most commonly prepared using chicken but I have shared the vegetarian version here. I have made a completely vegetarian version, replaced shrimp paste with naturally fermented soya sauce.
Thai Red Curry Video
While I love cooking Indian traditional food slowly I have started to enjoy cooking global food as well. Traditional thai curry often includes ingredients like fish sauce or oyster sauce or shrimp paste, I have made with without any of these ingredients still tastes delicious.
My family has started to enjoy global dishes that I have been trying in my kitchen so more recipes coming your way once I text, experiment and then finally share here. My family who have not even tasted thai curry in restaurants have been loving this ever since I started making at home. My kids are fond of this curry with rice and even roti.
Balance the Thai Flavours
A great Thai red curry is a mix of all these 4 flavours:
- Spicy - Red curry paste
- Sweet - Palm sugar or brown sugar
- Salty - Fish sauce or soy sauce
- Tangy - Fresh lime juice (added at the end)
Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste
If you love Thai red curry and want to try your hands as a first timer then this recipe is just for you. Making your homemade red curry paste from scratch is very easy and quick to make.
If you love Thai cuisine, this authentic Thai Red Curry is a must-try. It is rich, creamy, flavourful and with steamed rice it is a great combo. Follow this step-by-step recipe to make a delicious homemade Thai Red Curry that tastes just like your favourite Thai restaurant.
I always make red curry paste from scratch as it connects me to the cuisine in a more deeper way. But if the ingredients are not available at your place then buy the readymade red curry paste that is easily available in stores.
Thai Red Curry Ingredients
- Red Curry Paste - I would recommend making red curry paste from scratch but you can use store bought too but make sure to choose an authentic reliable brand. Making homemade red curry paste has its own benefit of controlling the spice level.
- Vegetables - I have used carrot, zucchini, beans, baby corn, mushroom, thai pea eggplant (turkey berry) red and green bell pepper etc. You can add a mix of your preferred vegetables too.
- Coconut milk - You can use homemade or store bought coconut milk but make sure the coconut milk is thick and creamy not too watery.
- Sesame oil - Toasted sesame oil is best for this thai curry. However you can use coconut oil too.
- Lime leaves - Kaffir lime leaves is used for this curry to add flavour.
- Palm sugar - is added to make a perfect balance of spice level.
- Salt - is added to balance everything.
How to make Thai Red Curry Step by Step
Making thai red curry paste
1.Take 4 spicy red chillies, 4 kashmiri red chillies. Break and remove the seeds. This step is to reduce spice level. Few seeds in the chillies is ok. You can skip this step too.
2.Soak it in warm water for 15 minutes.
2.To a mixer jar add soaked red chillies with water(very little) along with
- 2 tablespoon lemon grass
- 1 tablespoon galangal
- ¼ teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ heaped cup shallots
- 2 tablespoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon rock salt
- 4 two inches coriander stem
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper corns
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Avoid adding too much water.
3.Grind it to a slightly coarse paste. Paste should be thick not runny so add soaked water only if needed. Store in a clean jar. Thai red curry paste is ready!
Making Thai Red Curry
4.To a pot add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil add prepared red curry paste.
5. Saute for few minutes until raw smell leaves.
6.Add ½ cup coconut milk.
7.Mix well and cook for few minutes.
8.Now add vegetables along with salt to taste
- ½ cup baby corn
- ½ cup mushroom
- ¼ cup turkey berry
- ½ cup carrot
- ¼ cup beans
9.Mix it well and saute for 2 minutes.
10.Add around 1 ½ cups water and let it boil.
11.Once it starts to boil cook covered until veggies are done.
12.Check if the veggies are cooked. It should be cooked but have a bite to it not too soft or mushy.
13.Add ½ cup zucchini, ¼ cup red bell pepper, ¼ cup green bell pepper, ½ teaspoon palm sugar and 2-3 kaffir lime leaves. Add few basil leaves if you prefer at this stage.
14.Give a quick mix and cook for 2-3 minutes.
15.Add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
16.Give a quick mix and let for a gente simmer and switch off.
Delicious thai red curry is ready!
Expert Tips
- Variations - You can replace coriander seeds with 1 teaspoon coriander powder and cumin seeds with 1 teaspoon cumin powder. Replace palm sugar with cane or brown sugar. You can replace coconut milk with coconut cream but adjust water accordingly.
- Red curry paste - If using store bought paste add ½ cup.
- Frying the paste - Fry the paste until raw smell leaves then saute with coconut milk for the best flavour.
- Coconut milk - Use thick coconut milk the first extract milk is perfect for this curry.
- Protein add on - Chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, tofu, chickpeas, or mixed vegetables all work well in this curry.
- Do not over cook vegetables - Thai red curry should have vegetables that are tender but still slightly has a bite. Add tough vegetables first then other vegetables at the final stage.
Serving and Storage
Thai red curry is best enjoyed hot, served with steamed jasmine rice or any steamed rice, which absorbs the curry well. It keeps well in fridge for 2 days. Reheat by adding little water if it is thick before serving.
FAQS
1.Is this thai red curry spicy?
Thai red curry has a mild to medium level of heat. You can adjust the spiciness by using more or less red curry paste.
2.What vegetables work best in Thai red curry?
Bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, baby corn, bamboo shoots, green beans, mushrooms, and snap peas are all excellent choices.
3. Why did my coconut milk separate?
This usually happens when the curry is boiled too vigorously. Simmer gently over low to medium heat after adding coconut milk at the final stage.
4.What should I serve with Thai red curry?
Steamed jasmine rice is the classic choice. It also pairs well with brown rice, basmati rice, rice noodles, or Thai-inspired side dishes like spring rolls or cucumber salad.
5.How can I make this curry with meat?
Yes, simply replace vegetables with chicken or shrimp replacing soy sauce with shrimp paste or fish sauce.
If you have any more questions about this Thai Red Curry do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this Thai Red Curry? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Thai Red Curry Recipe
Ingredients
To make Thai red curry paste
- 4 spicy red chillies
- 4 kashmiri red chillies
- 2 tablespoon lemon grass
- 1 tablespoon galangal
- ¼ teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ heaped cup shallots
- 2 tablespoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon rock salt
- 4 two inches coriander stem
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper corns
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
To make Thai Red Curry
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- red curry paste
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup baby corn
- ½ cup mushroom
- ¼ cup turkey berry
- ½ cup carrot
- ¼ cup beans
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup zucchini
- ¼ cup red bell pepper
- ¼ cup green bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon palm sugar
- 2-3 kaffir lime leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
Preparing Thai red curry paste
- Take 4 spicy red chillies, 4 kashmiri red chillies. Break and remove the seeds. This step is to reduce spice level. You can skip this step completely if you like your paste to be more spicy.
- Soak it in warm water for 15 minutes.
- To a mixer jar add soaked red chillies with little water along with 2 tablespoon lemon grass, 1 tablespoon galangal, ¼ teaspoon lime zest, ¼ heaped cup shallots, 2 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon rock salt, 4 two inches coriander stem, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon white pepper corns and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Avoid adding too much water. Grind it to a slightly coarse paste. Paste should be thick not runny so add soaked water only if needed. Store in a clean jar.
- Thai red curry paste is ready!
Preparing Thai red curry
- To a pot add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil add prepared red curry paste.
- Saute for few minutes until raw smell leaves.
- Add ½ cup coconut milk.
- Mix well and cook for few minutes.
- Now add vegetables along with salt to taste ½ cup baby corn, ½ cup mushroom, ¼ cup turkey berry, ½ cup carrot, ¼ cup beans
- Mix it well and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add around 1 ½ cups water and let it boil.
- Once it starts to boil cook covered until veggies are done.
- Check if the veggies are cooked. It should be cooked but have a bite to it not too soft or mushy.
- Add ½ cup zucchini, ¼ cup red bell pepper, ¼ cup green bell pepper, ½ teaspoon palm sugar and 2-3 kaffir lime leaves. Add few basil leaves if you prefer at this stage.
- Give a quick mix and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
- Give a quick mix and let for a gentle simmer and switch off.
- Delicious thai red curry is ready!
Video
Notes
- Variations - You can replace coriander seeds with 1 teaspoon coriander powder and cumin seeds with 1 teaspoon cumin powder. Replace palm sugar with cane or brown sugar. You can replace coconut milk with coconut cream but adjust water accordingly.
- Red curry paste - If using store bought paste add ½ cup.
Frying the paste - Fry the paste until raw smell leaves then saute with coconut milk for the best flavour. - Coconut milk - Use thick coconut milk the first extract milk is perfect for this curry.
- Protein add on - Chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, tofu, chickpeas, or mixed vegetables all work well in this curry.
- Do not over cook vegetables - Thai red curry should have vegetables that are tender but still slightly has a bite. Add tough vegetables first then other vegetables at the final stage.
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