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Thai Red Curry


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#1 positiveContact

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Posted 13 August 2013 - 03:19 PM

I've finally settled on something I'm happy with.  I've made about half a dozen red curries in the past year.  So the biggest thing - the right curry paste.  I've bought a few brands and even made it myself.  In the end I found a ready made paste that was better than the pastes I made from scratch.  Apparently my ingredients weren't as good or this paste has some secret ingredients I don't know about.  Either way making your own paste is kind of a pain and if I can buy the paste all ready to go and it's good I say why not.  So anyway - here we go:

 

Ingredients:

 

4 TBS Mai Ploy Red Curry Paste (this is the stuff, accept no substitutes https://www.amazon.c...e/dp/B000EI2LLO )

 

1 TBS neutral oil (canola is good)

 

14 oz can coconut milk

 

1-3 TBS fish sauce (I use 3 crabs, put in as much as you'd like, add in salt if you go with the lower end like I do)

 

1 1/2 tsp sugar

 

1 large chicken breast cut into small (1/2") chunks

 

1 small eggplant (could replace with a couple of zucchinis if you'd like) cut into bite size pieces

 

1 medium onion rough chopped

 

2 red bell peppers cut into bite sized pieces

 

~ 1 cup of thai basil (I might put more than this in b/c I love thai basil)

 

Cooking:

I like to use a dutch oven.  Heat the oil over medium-high and fry up the red curry paste for about 15 seconds.  Then add in about half of your coconut milk and get the red curry paste all incorporated.  Bring this to a boil.  Add in the onions and eggplant and cook for a few minutes.  Add the fish sauce and remaining coconut milk.  Cook until the eggplant is about half way done and add the chicken.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer.  When the eggplant seems cooked add in the red pepper and mix it all in.  Add in the sugar and mix.  At this point add in the thai basil and turn off the heat.

 

Serve over jasmine rice and enjoy.

 



#2 denny

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Posted 16 August 2013 - 11:23 AM

Good timing...I've been working on something similar.  Made the second version last night.  Have to look for the Mai Ploy red curry around here.



#3 positiveContact

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 02:54 PM

Good timing...I've been working on something similar.  Made the second version last night.  Have to look for the Mai Ploy red curry around here.

 

i misspelled - it's actually mae ploy.  i read a review on amazon that said it tastes like this is what they use at thai restaurants and i have to agree.  what i made tastes like the better red thai curries i've had when i've gone to thai places.  the key in my mind is coconut milk, fish sauce, this curry paste and thai basil.  put in any veggies and meat/shellfish you want and I think you'll end up with something good.



#4 positiveContact

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Posted 11 August 2014 - 04:56 PM

a minor update to this recipe.  I've never liked the texture of the chicken cooked with this method.  so this time around I cut the breast up into a few large chunks and marinated it in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, canola oil, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and a little cayenne pepper powder.  I then grilled this over medium/low and then let it cool off while I started cooking the recipe above.  I then chopped up the cooked chicken into the size pieces I wanted and just added them in at about the same time I put the red bell pepper in (towards the end).  the taste and texture of the chicken is superior.  I'd almost consider cooking the breast whole, cutting it into slices and just serving the veggie/red curry mixture on top of it and all on top of a bed of rice.  it would probably make a nice presentation.



#5 Dave

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Posted 11 August 2014 - 06:15 PM

Thai red curry is one of my favorites and I like your recipe.

When I make it I sautee the chunks of chicken briefly in the oil/curry before adding the coconut milk...that's how the lady did it on Koh Phi Phi. I also use green onions as a late addition.

 

If you want to make it Malay Penang style, depending one the amount of liquid, add rice to it, cover, reduce heat, and let it go for about 20 min or so..makes it kind of like a moist fried rice. 

Then serve with cucumber slices and a fried egg on top!



#6 positiveContact

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Posted 12 August 2014 - 10:08 AM

Thai red curry is one of my favorites and I like your recipe.

When I make it I sautee the chunks of chicken briefly in the oil/curry before adding the coconut milk...that's how the lady did it on Koh Phi Phi. I also use green onions as a late addition.

 

If you want to make it Malay Penang style, depending one the amount of liquid, add rice to it, cover, reduce heat, and let it go for about 20 min or so..makes it kind of like a moist fried rice. 

Then serve with cucumber slices and a fried egg on top!

 

that sounds like a good suggestion - do you remove the chicken and add it back in towards the end or just leave it in there?  one of the things I never liked about my original method was the chicken was a little tough and didn't have much flavor on it's own.  it was basically just boiled in the coconut milk/red curry paste mixture.

 

the green onions added in after the red bell peppers is a great idea.  it would brighten up the onion aspect nicely.

 

another note - I have replaced the small amount of salt I was using with a smaller amount of pure MSG.  I also add the fish sauce pretty early on in the cooking process now b/c I like to let it mellow out as much as possible.

 

eta: I could almost eat this with no meat in it at all and it would be good.  I really like red curry.


Edited by TheGuv, 12 August 2014 - 10:11 AM.


#7 Dave

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Posted 15 August 2014 - 06:44 PM

that sounds like a good suggestion - do you remove the chicken and add it back in towards the end or just leave it in there?  one of the things I never liked about my original method was the chicken was a little tough and didn't have much flavor on it's own.  it was basically just boiled in the coconut milk/red curry paste mixture.

 

the green onions added in after the red bell peppers is a great idea.  it would brighten up the onion aspect nicely.

 

another note - I have replaced the small amount of salt I was using with a smaller amount of pure MSG.  I also add the fish sauce pretty early on in the cooking process now b/c I like to let it mellow out as much as possible.

 

eta: I could almost eat this with no meat in it at all and it would be good.  I really like red curry.

I make it with green curry too...it's probably my favorite.

 

Yeah, the chicken can get tough if you cook it too long. I've tried taking it out until the end and that's worked pretty well.

I don't use salt though...

BTW when making it with rice I add a cup or so of chicken stock along with more coconut milk. It works well with the Japanese rice I use.

My variation is slightly different each time I make it..I've even thrown some BirdsEye California Mix frozen vegetables in there.

I'm always trying to get it like I've had it in Southeast Asia but it's an elusive task for sure.



#8 Jdtirado

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Posted 16 August 2014 - 09:44 AM

Studs (Guv) can you explain the fish sauce?  Did you make your own with the 3 crabs?



#9 positiveContact

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 08:57 AM

Studs (Guv) can you explain the fish sauce?  Did you make your own with the 3 crabs?

 

3 crabs (brand) is a fish sauce.



#10 Genesee Ted

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 08:58 AM

Fish sauce is a condiment commonly available in your Asian section/store JD



#11 Seagis

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 11:07 AM

The bottles may also be labeled as nÆ°á»›c mắm, nÆ°á»›c mắm pha or nÆ°á»›c chấm

 

This is the Three Crabs brand:

 

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#12 positiveContact

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 11:34 AM

Fish sauce is a condiment commonly available in your Asian section/store JD

 

I'll add that the 3 crabs is probably considered "okay" in the grand scheme of fish sauces.  it is however generally available at the regular grocery store.

 

don't be afraid that it smells like a bag of assholes.  that aspect mellows when you cook it.  I don't get how people consume it as a dipping sauce though.



#13 orudis

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Posted 26 August 2014 - 09:57 PM

There's definitely no shame in using a store-bought curry paste. Its not like thai grandmothers are each making their own curry paste every week, they all just buy it from the one local grandma who really knows how to do it well. At least, that is how I justify the infrequency of my curry paste concoctions.

#14 Darterboy

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Posted 11 September 2014 - 05:04 PM

Sitting here with a very-satisfied belly full of TheGuv's red curry. The Mae Ploy is the bomb-diggity.  Oh it burns!!! So good.



#15 positiveContact

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Posted 13 September 2014 - 01:23 PM

Sitting here with a very-satisfied belly full of TheGuv's red curry. The Mae Ploy is the bomb-diggity.  Oh it burns!!! So good.

 

that old asian lady knows how to make some curry paste I tell you!



#16 positiveContact

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Posted 23 February 2015 - 06:11 AM

Maybe not a big deal but instead of salt I use accent (MSG) now.  I know people worry about MSG but I do not since I don't eat much of it and I really think it takes this dish just a little more towards awesome.


Edited by Evil_Morty, 23 February 2015 - 06:12 AM.


#17 armagh

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Posted 24 February 2015 - 03:34 PM

Give some thought to making your own curry paste.  It isn't difficult or time consuming - assuming you use a blender instead of the traditional mortar and pestle - and the results are more satisfying because you can dial it in to your own taste.  That said, Mae Ploy is the best of the available commercial brands.  Fresh Kaffir Lime leaves will add another dimension to the final product.  Can be had from some west coast outlets or you could know some one (like me) who has a couple of Kaffir Lime trees that should be producing profusely in late summer early fall.



#18 positiveContact

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Posted 25 February 2015 - 06:30 AM

Give some thought to making your own curry paste.  It isn't difficult or time consuming - assuming you use a blender instead of the traditional mortar and pestle - and the results are more satisfying because you can dial it in to your own taste.  That said, Mae Ploy is the best of the available commercial brands.  Fresh Kaffir Lime leaves will add another dimension to the final product.  Can be had from some west coast outlets or you could know some one (like me) who has a couple of Kaffir Lime trees that should be producing profusely in late summer early fall.

 

you may have missed it in the first post but I actually have tried making my own a few times.  it's decent but the mae ploy is better than anything I've made.  I'm not sure if it's b/c I can't get galangal (used ginger instead) or some other ingredient was missing or what.  I do not have access to fresh kaffir lime leaves to the best of my knowledge.  the north east is not exactly citrus country ;)

 

as far as I can tell pretty much every thai place I've been to uses mae ploy or something that tastes extremely similar.  I hear it's commonly used in Thailand as well.


Edited by Evil_Morty, 25 February 2015 - 06:31 AM.


#19 armagh

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Posted 25 February 2015 - 07:31 AM

ImportFood.com has galangal root and kaffir lime leaves available.



#20 positiveContact

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Posted 25 February 2015 - 07:41 AM

ImportFood.com has galangal root and kaffir lime leaves available.

 

part of the problem though is I'm not even sure what I'm shooting for.  this is already the flavor of the red curries I've had and really enjoy.




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