PEANUT & RED THAI CURRY

Well, well, well. It´s here guys! My crazy affair with Thai food finally makes an appearance on my blog. And I couldn´t be more proud of this recipe. Believe me when I say every mouthful is like a trip to Thailand heaven.

I am a HUGE Thai Cuisine fan. Like seriously, I could eat Thai food every single day and I wouldn´t get tired of it. Well, maybe if I was in Thailand and I had to eat it every single day for 4 weeks straight…ohhh, sweet memories…nop, not even then I got tired of it 🙂

You might think the star in this dish is the peanut butter but no, it´s not. It is definitely a key ingredient in this recipe (obviously) but a Thai Peanut Curry is much more than just adding some peanut butter to the recipe. Friends, let me introduce you to this incredibly flavorful and aromatic Thai herbs:

Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are two of the most commonly used herbs in the Thai cuisine. Both infuse the food with a delicate but at the same time, intense lemony scent and flavor. Since finding them in a Thai shop in my area, my kitchen smells like pure heaven several times a week.

The third important ingredient is the Thai red curry paste which is a blend of chilies and different aromatic herbs. These 3 ingredients (lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and red Thai curry paste) are ESSENTIAL to this dish so don´t even think about skipping them! If you love Thai food as much as I do, make yourself a favor and find a Thai or Asian food store around your area. You can buy several packages and keep them in your freezer.

Once you have them, this dish couldn´t get any easier. Combine herbs, spices and some non-dairy milk in a bowl. Add it to the pan and bring to a boil. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. That´s pretty much it. Serve over some delicious jasmine rice and enjoy every mouthful of this super flavorful and satisfying dish. From now on, your trips to the Thai restaurant will be highly reduced.

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PEANUT & RED THAI CURRY

Prep 15 mins

Cook 30 mins

Total 45 mins

Author Sonia Raga

Yield 2-3 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 chopped leek
• 1 medium sweet potato, washed, peeled and chopped in small pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup + 1/2cup unsweetened soy milk (can be substituted for almond milk)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 heaping teaspoon red Thai curry paste
• 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped very tiny
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon coriander

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk ½ cup of non-dairy milk with the last 9 ingredients (from the garlic until the coriander)
2. In a non-stick pan, sautée the leeks and green onions until slightly brown.
3. Add the liquid mix to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat (it should actually boil for 2-3 minutes)
4. Add the chopped sweet potato, red bell pepper, carrot and zucchini and combine well with the sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes on medium heat.
5. Now add the vegetable broth, the rest of the almond milk and the kaffir lime leaves. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve over jasmine rice.
7. Optional: top with chopped peanuts and green onions.
8. Notes: The sauce will be quite liquid. If you want it to be thicker (like in the pictures), mix 2 teaspoons of arrowroot or cornstarch with 3 tablespoon of milk. Before serving the curry, bring it to a light boil and add the milk-arrowroot-mix while stiring for 1 minute. Then serve. I used soy milk because I wanted a low-fat version. I´ve tried it with almond milk and it works great too. If you are not concerned about the fat content, feel free to use coconut milk instead. This dish is quite spicy. If you want it less spicy reduce the Thai red curry paste to ½ teaspoon and if you like it very (VERY) spicy increase it to 1,5-2 teaspoons.

Courses Mains

Cuisine Low-Fat, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free