Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Vegetables

My Thai red curry paste can be used for different Thai dishes from curries, to stir fry or even for soups. I like to make the paste myself, as it will give you those fresh, authentic Thai flavours.

I have used my pestle and mortar to blend my paste but you could use your blender or food processor, it is entirely up to you.

Ingredients for the red curry paste

10 dry red chillies
10 small garlic cloves
5 small onions or shallots
1/2 fresh lemon juice substitute if you can’t find lemongrass
I tablespoon ginger substitute if you can’t find galangal
5 Kaffir lime leaves
1 teaspoon of shrimp paste
I teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce

Additional ingredients

1kg Chicken breast meat sliced
Vegetables of your choice
5 small onions sliced
5 cloves of garlic sliced
3 spring onions sliced
1 can of coconut milk (you can use any brand)
2 tablespoons oil Sunflower oil (do not use olive oil)
2 teaspoons Kashmiri Chilli powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Fresh Thai basil leaves

I haven’t added any salt to the red curry paste, as the soy sauce, fish sauce and the shrimp paste are salty. The sugar helps to balance the red curry sauce, just before you finish cooking.

Method

1. Take out a clean wok or a pan, and let it heat up.
2. Add the sunflower oil.
3. Add your chicken and cook. Once lightly brown added your Kashmiri chilli powder and fry.
4. Remove the cooked chicken from the wok and put into a clean bowl and set aside. This chicken will be added later on.
5. Wash out your wok or pan, and heat up the wok, then add about 1 tablespoon of sunflower cooking oil.
6. Fry your onions, spring onions, garlic and 2 fresh chillies.
7. Once the onions are slightly golden brown, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the Thai curry paste into the wok.
8. Stir fry for about 10 minutes.
9. Add 1 can of coconut milk and stir the wok or pan, cover with a lid and let it simmer.
10. Remover lid and add vegetables of your choice: peppers, courgette, mushrooms etc.
11. Mix the vegetables together with the curry, cover with a lid and allow to cook.
12. Once the vegetables have cooked, add your cooked chicken.
13. Stir together and let it simmer with the lid on for another 10 minutes.
14. Remove the lid and add the sugar, stir one more time.
15. Add your Thai basil leaves for garnish. If you can’t get fresh Thai basil leaves you can use your normal fresh basil leaves.

Your red Thai curry is ready to serve with basmati rice and fresh salad.

Enjoy!