Red Thai curry is a traditional Thai dish made with red curry paste, coconut milk and vegetables. It is fragrant, creamy and usually quite spicy, although the amount of curry paste can easily be adjusted to suit your taste.
I love Indian and South-East Asian cuisines for their wonderful flavours and for how easy it is to make simple vegan and gluten-free meals.
This recipe is a favourite in our family. It is flavourful, comforting and satisfying, while still being a healthy meal. We make it throughout the year, regardless of the season.
It is quite spicy, so I would not recommend it for young children. When we have red Thai curry for dinner, I usually make some pasta with vegetables separately for my little one.
Makes 5 portions
Ingredients
- 500 ml coconut milk
- 3–6 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, depending on how spicy you like it
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium coconut aminos
- 8 Thai lime leaves, fresh or dried
- 2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
- 750 g mushrooms — we usually use champignons, but you can also use a mixture of champignons and shiitake
- 4 red bell peppers, sliced
- 3–4 small heads of pak choi, or 2 large heads, with the base trimmed and the leaves separated
For serving:
- Jasmine rice
- 1 lime
Method
Pour 150 ml of the coconut milk into a large pan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until it starts to thicken. This takes around 5–7 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, maple syrup and coconut aminos. Reduce the heat to medium and let everything simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the Thai lime leaves and chopped lemongrass and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add the remaining coconut milk and stir well.
Now add the mushrooms and red peppers. Cover and cook for around 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or more, allowing some of the liquid released by the mushrooms to evaporate. The curry is usually a little saucy, with some liquid remaining, but it should not be as thin as a soup.
Add the pak choi, cover again and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Serve with jasmine rice and a little fresh lime.
The curry keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days.