A vibrant and aromatic red curry made with coconut milk, red curry paste, tender chicken, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil. This versatile curry delivers a harmonious blend of creamy, spicy, and herbaceous flavors that epitomize Thai cuisine.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Scoop the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk can into a wok and heat over medium-high until it separates and begins to sizzle, releasing fragrant coconut oil on the surface.
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2
Add the red curry paste to the cracked coconut cream and fry for three minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and releases an intensely aromatic, spicy fragrance.
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3
Add the sliced chicken thighs to the paste and stir-fry for four minutes, coating each piece thoroughly with the curry paste so the flavors begin to penetrate the meat as it sears.
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4
Pour in the remaining coconut milk, add torn kaffir lime leaves and bamboo shoots, then simmer for fifteen minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
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5
Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, tasting and adjusting the balance between salty and sweet until the curry achieves the harmonious flavor profile that defines great Thai red curry.
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6
Add sliced bell pepper and Thai basil leaves in the final minute of cooking, then serve immediately in a deep bowl over steamed jasmine rice with sliced chilies on top.
Did You Know?
The red color in Thai red curry paste comes from dried red spur chilies, not from any artificial coloring. A traditional paste requires pounding up to twenty ingredients by hand in a granite mortar, a process that can take over an hour.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- wok or large saucepan
- mortar and pestle
The Story Behind Gaeng Daeng
Red curry is one of the foundational curries of Thai cuisine, with roots stretching back to the Ayutthaya kingdom where royal cooks refined the art of curry paste making. The introduction of chilies by Portuguese traders in the sixteenth century transformed Thai curry from a mild, herb-based preparation into the fiery dish known today. Red curry paste combines dried red chilies with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, shrimp paste, and numerous aromatics into a complex foundation. The addition of coconut milk, which became widely available through trade with southern Thailand and Malaysia, created the creamy, rich curries that define Thai cuisine internationally.
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