Thai Curry Recipe;
First rule; Don't even bother to try to convert this into a low calorie dish.
Basic ingredients for the sauce;
real coconut milk. Not the 'lite' junk.
heavy whipping cream. half & half will work, but the thicker, the better.
curry paste. for one can of coconut milk, and one small carton of heavy whipping cream, I would say anything from a couple of teaspoons to a couple of tablespoons, depending on how spicy you want it.
fish sauce; a tablespoon or two.
brown sugar; again, a tablespoon or two.
salt; I prefer to put a small amount in, and then add more at the end if necessary.
secret ingredient; PEANUT BUTTER! for a milder flavor, try cashew butter. Get the organic crap without hydrogenated oils. It tastes better, and it is healthy. (yes, I know, some will say that a high calorie food is unhealthy. Piss on that. Calories are just measurements of solar energy. It isn't the calories that are bad, it is what they come from!!)
okay, so now, I have my own way of doing this. I have tried all sorts of methods, and this is what seems to work best, I actually make the sauce last, but since it is the main feature, I will explain it first;
warm the coconut mild over low to medium heat, stirring it so it wont burn. in a small dish, mix a small amount of curry paste with a small amount of whipping cream until there are NO LITTLE TINY CLUMPS! little tiny clumps are BAD and this is why we NEVER try to put the paste straight into the pan with the whole can of coconut milk. Start with a small amount, as my grandma always said "You can always put more in but you can't take it out!"
Okay, so now, put the dissolved paste in with the coconut milk. Go ahead and save the whipping cream in case you need to add more paste later.
add the other ingredients. If you are a huge fan of Thai Peanut sauce, you can add as much as an eighth of a cup of peanut butter. More might be too much, but feel free to experiment. Sometimes it is a pain in the ass to get the clumps out, so you can employ the same method as with the curry paste, by starting with a couple of table spoons and like, half of the can of coconut milk before adding all of your other ingredients. Unlike the curry paste, the peanut butter kind of needs the heat for it mix well with the sauce.
when you think you are finished with the ingredients, taste a spoon full of the sauce. Chances are, the first taste will be way more bland than expected. Wait a few seconds, and taste it three or four times before doing anything rash and adding all sorts of unnecessary ingredients.
After a few tastes, it will probably still be missing something, oh, dont forget, that after you mix it with your prepared vegetables and meat or tofu, you will be adding fresh basil. If you add it too soon it will turn into a bunch of ugly little blobs of black stuff, and although it will likely still taste okay, basil is best when it is still green. However, if you have no fresh basil, and you are using dry, you should add it to the vegetables at the beginning when you are cooking the garlic onions and peppers.
So, it is missing something? Think before adding more curry paste. Does it need more salt? More sweet? It may seem thin, but it will thicken up a bit once it cools a little. After adding each additional ingredient, taste it a few times. If you add more curry powder, add no more than a teaspoon at a time, eventually you will get a knack for it, and the process wont be so tedious.
Now, if you are using tofu, I suggest cooking it in cubes entirely separate from everything. (Did I mention having a frying pan, a wok, and a sauce pan is Ideal for preparing this recipe?) The reason being is that everybody likes tofu that is well cooked, golden brown and still somewhat intact. Generally, people dont like tofu in crumbles with Thai dishes. Crumbled tofu can be fantastic in the right dish This is not one of them!
I like to warm olive oil in a pan, add a teaspoon of minced garlic, put the tofu in and let it cook over medium heat, turning it occasionally for at least 10 minutes. I add salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Here is a list of vegetables that I generally prefer in my curry. I dont always use them all, and I will try to list them in the same order that you would cook them in.
Garlic
Onion
Bell pepper (preferably red)
Bok choy
Carrots
Zucchini (preferably green, but yellow crook neck squash will work too.)
Mushrooms (I like Shitakes, but a lot of people prefer oyster or portabellas due to their milder flavor. If you are using dried mushrooms, you should place them in hot water to soak before you start anything else. I use my French press coffee maker to do this, and it works wonderfully!)
Tomatoes (add after the dish has been removed from heat)
Spinach (add after dish has been removed from heat, you just want it to wilt)
Fresh basil
Some people like to add water chestnuts, peas, fresh green beans can be good, I have used asparagus even. Green beans and asparagus should be added around the same time as the bok choy and carrots.
Common mistakes made;
A lot of people who are just learning wait too long to add each ingredient. By the time they add the last vegetables, their vegetables that should be crisp turn to mush. I guess I probably cook the garlic onions and peppers until I can really smell them. I dont really pay attention to time, I do a lot by vision and smell, so I could give an estimated time, but it would probably be wrong.
For beginners, I suggest using the garlic, onion, and peppers, which are essential to the dish, and then picking like, 3 other vegetables. Dont forget, the more veggies you make, the more sauce you will need. One can of coconut milk and one container of whipping cream will be enough for about three or four large servings. Make enough to have leftovers! It tastes better the next day. Try adding whole cashews. It is really good.
If you are using meat, I suggest cooking it separately and then adding it. Season the veggies and meat just enough so they arent bland.
You can serve this with rice or noodles, or by itself. If you are serving it by itself, you can add more veggies. If serving with rice or noodles, you want to have enough sauce to coat them as well.
Have fun! Let me know if there are any other recipes you want to learn. I make bad assed twice baked potatoes, white alfredo lasagne, all sorts of good stuff!
;-)
First rule; Don't even bother to try to convert this into a low calorie dish.
Basic ingredients for the sauce;
real coconut milk. Not the 'lite' junk.
heavy whipping cream. half & half will work, but the thicker, the better.
curry paste. for one can of coconut milk, and one small carton of heavy whipping cream, I would say anything from a couple of teaspoons to a couple of tablespoons, depending on how spicy you want it.
fish sauce; a tablespoon or two.
brown sugar; again, a tablespoon or two.
salt; I prefer to put a small amount in, and then add more at the end if necessary.
secret ingredient; PEANUT BUTTER! for a milder flavor, try cashew butter. Get the organic crap without hydrogenated oils. It tastes better, and it is healthy. (yes, I know, some will say that a high calorie food is unhealthy. Piss on that. Calories are just measurements of solar energy. It isn't the calories that are bad, it is what they come from!!)
okay, so now, I have my own way of doing this. I have tried all sorts of methods, and this is what seems to work best, I actually make the sauce last, but since it is the main feature, I will explain it first;
warm the coconut mild over low to medium heat, stirring it so it wont burn. in a small dish, mix a small amount of curry paste with a small amount of whipping cream until there are NO LITTLE TINY CLUMPS! little tiny clumps are BAD and this is why we NEVER try to put the paste straight into the pan with the whole can of coconut milk. Start with a small amount, as my grandma always said "You can always put more in but you can't take it out!"
Okay, so now, put the dissolved paste in with the coconut milk. Go ahead and save the whipping cream in case you need to add more paste later.
add the other ingredients. If you are a huge fan of Thai Peanut sauce, you can add as much as an eighth of a cup of peanut butter. More might be too much, but feel free to experiment. Sometimes it is a pain in the ass to get the clumps out, so you can employ the same method as with the curry paste, by starting with a couple of table spoons and like, half of the can of coconut milk before adding all of your other ingredients. Unlike the curry paste, the peanut butter kind of needs the heat for it mix well with the sauce.
when you think you are finished with the ingredients, taste a spoon full of the sauce. Chances are, the first taste will be way more bland than expected. Wait a few seconds, and taste it three or four times before doing anything rash and adding all sorts of unnecessary ingredients.
After a few tastes, it will probably still be missing something, oh, dont forget, that after you mix it with your prepared vegetables and meat or tofu, you will be adding fresh basil. If you add it too soon it will turn into a bunch of ugly little blobs of black stuff, and although it will likely still taste okay, basil is best when it is still green. However, if you have no fresh basil, and you are using dry, you should add it to the vegetables at the beginning when you are cooking the garlic onions and peppers.
So, it is missing something? Think before adding more curry paste. Does it need more salt? More sweet? It may seem thin, but it will thicken up a bit once it cools a little. After adding each additional ingredient, taste it a few times. If you add more curry powder, add no more than a teaspoon at a time, eventually you will get a knack for it, and the process wont be so tedious.
Now, if you are using tofu, I suggest cooking it in cubes entirely separate from everything. (Did I mention having a frying pan, a wok, and a sauce pan is Ideal for preparing this recipe?) The reason being is that everybody likes tofu that is well cooked, golden brown and still somewhat intact. Generally, people dont like tofu in crumbles with Thai dishes. Crumbled tofu can be fantastic in the right dish This is not one of them!
I like to warm olive oil in a pan, add a teaspoon of minced garlic, put the tofu in and let it cook over medium heat, turning it occasionally for at least 10 minutes. I add salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Here is a list of vegetables that I generally prefer in my curry. I dont always use them all, and I will try to list them in the same order that you would cook them in.
Garlic
Onion
Bell pepper (preferably red)
Bok choy
Carrots
Zucchini (preferably green, but yellow crook neck squash will work too.)
Mushrooms (I like Shitakes, but a lot of people prefer oyster or portabellas due to their milder flavor. If you are using dried mushrooms, you should place them in hot water to soak before you start anything else. I use my French press coffee maker to do this, and it works wonderfully!)
Tomatoes (add after the dish has been removed from heat)
Spinach (add after dish has been removed from heat, you just want it to wilt)
Fresh basil
Some people like to add water chestnuts, peas, fresh green beans can be good, I have used asparagus even. Green beans and asparagus should be added around the same time as the bok choy and carrots.
Common mistakes made;
A lot of people who are just learning wait too long to add each ingredient. By the time they add the last vegetables, their vegetables that should be crisp turn to mush. I guess I probably cook the garlic onions and peppers until I can really smell them. I dont really pay attention to time, I do a lot by vision and smell, so I could give an estimated time, but it would probably be wrong.
For beginners, I suggest using the garlic, onion, and peppers, which are essential to the dish, and then picking like, 3 other vegetables. Dont forget, the more veggies you make, the more sauce you will need. One can of coconut milk and one container of whipping cream will be enough for about three or four large servings. Make enough to have leftovers! It tastes better the next day. Try adding whole cashews. It is really good.
If you are using meat, I suggest cooking it separately and then adding it. Season the veggies and meat just enough so they arent bland.
You can serve this with rice or noodles, or by itself. If you are serving it by itself, you can add more veggies. If serving with rice or noodles, you want to have enough sauce to coat them as well.
Have fun! Let me know if there are any other recipes you want to learn. I make bad assed twice baked potatoes, white alfredo lasagne, all sorts of good stuff!
;-)
VIEW 7 of 7 COMMENTS
Add bell peppers last. You want them nearly raw.
Lumps in the curry paste can be resolved later in the cooking, but the method you list is superior.
Sometimes simple is good. In a salty curry, sans peanut, I'm fond of fresh spinach with, beef or tofu, all by themselves. Try it on a bed of rice.
I've never used the cream you list.
For coconut milk, brand is everything. I swear by Chaokoh, which is heavy and a little musky. Chef's Choice doesn't suck, in a pinch. For curry paste, I stick with Mae Ploy, but this is less important and subject to periodic experimentation.
As usual, a smaller dose of honey can be substituted for brown sugar.
Adding fish sauce will be overkill for some curry pastes, which often already contain it.
The same ingredients cooked into chicken broth makes an easy to remember if less authentic thom kha soup, if you take time out for one elaboration: In a food processor (which is a mortar and pestle if you're in my kitchen) blend together a few thumbs of garlic, ginger, shallots, and lemongrass. Mash this in with the curry paste and fry it all as a coating on the meat/tofu. I usually cut down on the amount of coconut milk in this recipe, as it tastes more rich than I like otherwise.
i asked if you were a burner, cause i have gone for many years. this year, my 8th, 9th, whatever, its all about the Miss Black Rock City pageant that i am hosting. if you go this year, please to let me know so i can give you the details!!!! you would make a mighty fine contestant!
i gave jung the fire photog your email. please let me know if he gave you his tips and tricks!
[Edited on May 13, 2004 11:05PM]