These are rough approximations for the Thai red and green curries I’ve been making for many years now. These are not super authentic, but are based in reality from some recon a friend did at a local Thai restaurant back in the 90s.
The most important part of these recipes is the curry paste. While you can make curry paste yourself, there are many store brands that are fantastic. Most stores have a few great choices including these pastes.
Also note that the only difference between red and green curry with this method is (a) the paste (and chilies used), and (b) veg that tends towards sweet/reds and more savoury/greens, so both colour and flavour pairings.
Mechanic
Cracking the coconut cream (cooking the thick top of the tin until its fat separates) gives you oil to fry the curry paste in, which is what makes the curry taste like a restaurant’s rather than a soup. The paste provides almost all the seasoning; the rest is sugar, salt, and lime to balance it.
Ingredients
Green curry
- 4 tbsp green curry paste
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- 2–3 cups green vegetables (broccoli stalks, peas)
- Fresh or dried basil
- 1 lime, juiced
Red curry
- 4 tbsp red curry paste
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2–3 cups colourful vegetables (red or yellow peppers)
- 1 can good whole tomatoes, broken up by hand, or crushed tomatoes
Both curries
- 1–2 cans (400 ml each) coconut milk, unshaken
- 2 cups mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot), diced
- 2 tbsp Ginger/garlic paste
- 2–3 potatoes or sweet potatoes, roasted and diced
- 1 can bamboo shoots, drained
- 1 can baby corn, drained
- 1–2 cups protein (tofu, shrimp, or chicken)
- 1–2 cups stock
- A handful of makrut lime leaves, pulled off their stems
- About 1 tbsp salt
Method
Brown the protein separately first. Fried medium tofu (with salt and garlic) works for a vegetarian curry; shrimp or chicken, marinated and browned, for the rest. Set aside.
Spoon the thick coconut cream off the top of the cans, keeping the thin milk underneath.
Sweat the mirepoix in a little oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut cream and cook on high, stirring, until the fat splits out and pools on top.
Add the curry paste and fry in the coconut fat until fragrant and darker, 1–2 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry 1 minute more.
Add the thin coconut milk, the stock, and (for red curry) the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
Add the vegetables, potatoes, bamboo shoots, and baby corn. Simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 5–10 minutes.
Return the protein to the pot with the lime leaves, sugar, and salt. Simmer until the protein is hot through, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust.
Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and basil (for green curry).
Variations
Extras
You can include any of the following if you want:
- Roasted squash
- Roasted potatoes
- Fried broccoli stalks (green curry)
- Frozen peas (green curry)
- Frozen or canned corn (green curry)
Extra seasoning
- 1-2 tbsp fish sauce (or vegetarian equivalent)
Fish sauce is traditional and adds a bunch of depth, but you can simulate it with any standard vegetarian fish sauce recipe.
Vegetarian fish sauce
The goal is a dense, savoury sauce. Soy + mushrooms can be enough, but the following is a bit closer:
- Wakame
- Dark soy
- Garlic
- Miso
- Water
Even miso on its own is a good savoury base.
Vegetarian depth
- add mushrooms to the mirepoix and brown a bit
- add dried mushrooms soaked in water (and diced)
Notes
Thai curries build their base by sweating down the curry paste rather than a mirepoix. The two do a similar job, so the mirepoix here is optional.