Whole Foods Thai Curry

When my husband and I first started dating, he took me out for Thai food. I’ve been in love ever since – with both of them! ;)

In all seriousness, you’ve probably noticed my preference for Asian-inspired foods if you’ve been paying attention to my menus and recipe choices over the last 6 months. When we were first married, and I was still a novice cook, Asian food was always a treat when we ate out or ordered take out. Church friends who had lived in Thailand for several years pointed us to the most authentic restaurant in town, and it obviously became a favorite. My husband – ever the gregarious Southern gentleman – befriended the owner over time. One day when he showed up on his lunch break, she graciously bestowed upon him the staple ingredients for their red curry recipe (right from their kitchen!) and gave him instructions. I had successfully made curry before, but it never quite tasted as good as the restaurant…until that day.

We have since discovered that we can purchase the same curry paste from our local Asian market (look

The curry paste we buy from our local Asian grocery.

for one in your town as they are a great resource). We hardly ever order curry at the restaurant any more because we make it so often at home! It is one of our favorite recipes to make for company. Even my children (3 and 1) eat this dish, despite the heat.

A few notes about preparation. First, you do not have to own a wok to make this. A large skillet or stir-fry pan will work, but the wok does help as it is designed to cook food hot and fast without sticking. Additionally, I have had good success in adapting this recipe for the slow cooker. Simply follow the directions below for sauteing ingredients (you don’t have to worry about completely cooking ingredients as they will finish in the slow cooker), add the liquid ingredients and heat just until it starts to boil. Then put it in the slow cooker and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

When it comes to ingredients, you can feel free to get creative. Typically at a restaurant you can pick your meat (chicken, pork, beef, or seafood) or even opt for tofu or veggies only. You can play around with seasonal produce or you can do some research to find authentic variations (Asian dishes tend to be regionally distinct.)

Finally, I will warn you: this is a spicy dish! On a scale of one to five (one being just a hint of spicy and five being on fire), this curry is about a 3.5, possibly a 4 if you’re sensitive. But the good thing about making it at home is that you can adjust it to your own taste. Simply use more or less curry paste depending on the level of spice you desire. You can also play around with other colors/types of curry paste. We are also fans of green (definitely a 5, but delicious if you pace yourself) and Panang (similar to red, but slightly less spicy and a little bit nutty). One more tip about controlling the spice: more rice = less spicy, more liquid = more spicy.

Authentic Thai Curry

Author/Source:

Kim @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced green pepper
• 1 cup sliced red pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 ounces Thai red curry paste (adjust color and amount for taste; green is more spicy)
• 28 ounces canned coconut milk
• 8 ounces bamboo shoots (canned)
• 1 medium stalk fresh lemongrass, crushed under the flat edge of a sharp knife
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil (or sweet basil)
• 2 cups Jasmine rice (uncooked)

Directions:

In an extra large stir fry pan or wok {work in batches if needed}, heat half of coconut oil over medium high heat. Add onions and peppers and sprinkle with half of garlic powder. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove to a large bowl. Heat remaining oil and add chicken, and sprinkle with remaining garlic powder. Cook about 5 minutes or until outside is no longer pink. Place with onions and peppers in a bowl. Lower heat to medium low. Add curry paste to the pan and saute 2-3 minutes until it becomes fragrant. Slowly add coconut milk, stirring constantly. Return chicken and vegetables to the pan/wok. Also add bamboo shoots, lemongrass, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer covered 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook Jasmine rice over stovetop or in a rice cooker. Remove lemongrass. Serve curry over cooked rice and garnish with basil.

Freezing Directions:

Allow curry to cool and divide among gallon freezer bags. Divide Jasmine rice into quart freezer bags. Divide rice bag and curry bag into gallon freezer bags and freeze together until ready to serve. To serve: Thaw and reheat. Cook Jasmine rice according to package instructions on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Pour curry over Jasmine rice and sprinkle with Thai basil leaves.

Servings: 4

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 28th, 2012 at 10:00 am and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.