Warm and spicy, a bowl of creamy Thai curry is a simple, comforting meal in a bowl, and a easy way to eat your veggies too. Keep a container of red curry paste in your fridge – it lasts forever – and this will become a favorite go-to meal. Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s red prawn curry.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/2 cup sliced onion or green onions
- 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (Mae Ploy is a good one with no MSG), or to taste
- 1 can coconut milk (14-ounce/400 ml)
- 2 cups (475 ml) chicken broth (skip this if you want a thicker curry)
- 4 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed (or zucchini, red pepper, or other veg)
- 1 pound firm white fish, rinsed and cubed, or shrimp (uncooked fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Preparation
- Heat cooking oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet. Add onion and cook for a minute, then add curry paste and stir to let it heat in the oil.
- Add coconut milk, chicken broth (if using) and fish sauce. Bring to a boil.
- Add vegetables and simmer on low, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Add fish (or shrimp) to the pot and heat again to a boil. Cook for a minute or so until seafood is cooked through. Add lime juice and sugar (optional).
- Serve in bowls over rice or wide rice noodles, garnished with chopped cilantro.
Serves 4-6.
Notes
- Fish sauce often has sugar added; if yours does not (eg Red Boat), a little sugar in the sauce is nice for balance.
- Nigella adds fresh mango cubes (or canned pineapple) at the end.
- Using chicken instead of seafood: add diced chicken in the beginning with the onion.
- This recipe makes a big pot; if you make a half-recipe you can freeze the remaining coconut milk for future use. Just remember to shake/stir the can well before using to incorporate the thick cream at the top.
- Leftovers are just as good, and unlike sauces with regular dairy, you can freeze this without any reheating issues.
Here’s a link back to the post and pictures.
