I always say Thai curry is my love language. It honestly is probably one of my favorite foods on this planet. Red coconut curry also happens to be one of my favorites out of the Thai curries. So I have been really passionate about creating a delicious recipe that anyone can make at home that stays true to the authentic red curry taste.
It’s slightly sweet, creamy from the coconut, slightly spicy and has a kick that hits the back of the throat from the Thai chilies at just the right time. All of the base flavors, like lemon grass, curry spice and faint hints of fish sauce along with the aromatic vegetables all help ground this dish, then you have that splash of acid from the lime juice that cuts through it all and makes the dish sing! It is complex, yet simple and really just a beautifully balanced and a delicious dish!
curry pastes
Lets talk about red curry pastes. You can find red curry pastes at pretty much any grocery store in the Asian food’s isle. I like mine to be as preservative free as possible. meaning I don’t like mono-sodium glutamate or MSG in it, It’s a flavor enhancer and it typically bothers my stomach so that is a deal breaker for me. If it doesn’t bother you and you don’t mind it then go ahead and use that curry paste. I also like to understand most of the ingredients, so the less dyes and preservatives the better for me.
coconut milk
Same goes for coconut milk, I like the least amount of extra stuff in the can of coconut milk as possible. Trader Joes, Thai kitchen and a few other brands sells ones that are straight coconut milk and nothing else, that is my standard for them. The ones that are cheaper, typically have preservatives and/or gelling agents in them but they don’t typically tastes as good as the other ones.
Making Thai curries requires tasting and adjusting. I have to do this every single time, no matter how many times I make it, this is because we are working with alot of natural ingredients and they will have varying flavor strengths and things like salt, sugar, spice and acid will need to be tasted so you get the perfect balance and that may be slightly different every time. However, I have included amounts or ball park amounts for you below so don’t stress about it, you will just have to taste and adjust to your liking.
Here are a few other Thai recipes I have on my website:
Instant Pot Thai Chicken Coconut Curry RECIPE HERE
Thai Coconut Curry Soup RECIPE HERE
Thai Chicken Tacos RECIPE HERE
Thai Salad RECIPE HERE
Thai Peanut Sauce RECIPE HERE
So how do I make this red coconut curry? Recipe is below!
What you need to make red coconut curry:
Serves 5-6
For lemongrass stock:
Optional – 1 stock lemon grass – Outside leaves removed and stocks diced, this will not go into our curry because lemon grass is woody. However, we will boil it and extract it’s flavor. If you don’t have lemon grass you can simmer the rinds of 1 lemon in 2 cups water for 3 minutes, remove rinds then boil until liquid is reduced by half.
2 cups water
For red coconut curry:
- 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper – diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic – minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger – minced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion – diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 – 15 ounce cans coconut milk – full fat will make a creamier curry.
- 1 cup lemon grass stock (see instructions for that above) OR water
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste – this is for medium heat, reduced to 1 tablespoon 1 and 1/2 tablespoons for mild heat.
- 3 tablespoons sugar – this makes a sweet curry, so add less if you want it less sweet or add half then taste and adjust.
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce or 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 4 tablespoon Thai basil or regular basil – diced or roughly torn.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/2-1 whole lime juiced or 1-2 tablespoons lime juice – again this depends how much acidity you would like in your curry, so add 1/2 of the amount then taste and add more if you want it.
- Optional – dash of red curry powder – this add a little more curry flavor and spice, again this is optional
- 2 cups bamboo shoots – If using canned, drain and rinse.
- Optional – 1 cup cooked chicken OR Beef – roughly shredded or sliced
Instructions for Lemon grass stock:
- Remove outer leaves of lemon grass and diced centers into large chunks.
- Add the water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 8 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half.
- Set aside to add into your curry.
- If you don’t have lemon grass, use the lemon rinds from 1 lemon and simmer in 2 cups water for 3 minutes.
- Remove lemon rinds and boil until liquid is reduced by half.
Instructions for Red Coconut Curry:
- Add red bell peppers, garlic, ginger, yellow onion, olive oil and salt into a large stock pot.
- Saute over medium high heat until vegetables start to sweat and soften.
- Add coconut milk, lemon grass stock or water, red curry paste, sugar, fish sauce, Thai basil, soy sauce, lime juice, optional dash of red curry powder, stir and taste to adjust the spice level and sweetness, remember the sauce will reduce and flavors will intensify.
- Add bamboo shoots and bring mixture to a boil.
- reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until mixture is reduced by 1/4, meaning you have 3/4ths the amount you started with. The sauce will look thicker and you can taste to check the constancy and see if it’s where you would like it, some people like it thinner, some like it thicker.
- Do a final taste test to check for balance, add ingredients as needed.
- Garnish with more basil.
- Add cooked chicken or beef and cook for 1-2 minutes then serve with rice.
Red Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- cups Optional - 1 stock lemon grass - Outside leaves removed and stocks diced this will not go into our curry because lemon grass is woody. However, we will boil it and extract it's flavor. If you don't have lemon grass you can simmer the rinds of 1 lemon in 2water for 3 minutes, remove rinds then boil until liquid is reduced by half.
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper - diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger - minced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion - diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon tablespoons red curry paste - this is for medium heat reduced to 1ro 1 1/2 tablespoons for mild heat.
- 2 cups bamboo shoots - If using canned drain and rinse.
- 3 - 15 ounce cans coconut milk
- 1 cup lemon grass stock OR water see instructions for that above
- 3 tablespoons sugar - this makes a sweet curry so add less if you want it less sweet or add half then taste and adjust.
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce or 1/2oyster sauce
- 4 tablespoon Thai basil or regular basil - diced or roughly torn.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/2-1 tablespoons whole lime juiced or 1-2lime juice - again this depends how much acidity you would like in your curry so add 1/2 of the amount then taste and add more if you want it.
- Optional - dash of red curry powder - this add a little more curry flavor and spice again this is optional
- cup Optional - 1cooked chicken OR Beef - roughly shredded or sliced
Instructions
- Instructions for lemon grass stock:
- Remove outer leaves of lemon grass and diced centers into large chunks.
- Add the water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 8 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half.
- Set aside to add into your curry.
- If you don't have lemon grass, use the lemon rinds from 1 lemon and simmer in 2 cups water for 3 minutes.
- Remove lemon rinds and boil until liquid is reduced by half.
- Instructions for red coconut curry:
- Add red bell peppers, garlic, ginger, yellow onion, olive oil and salt into a large stock pot.
- Saute over medium high heat until vegetables start to sweat and soften.
- Add coconut milk, lemon grass stock or water, red curry paste, sugar, fish sauce, Thai basil, soy sauce, lime juice, optional dash of red curry powder, stir and taste to adjust the spice level and sweetness, remember the sauce will reduce and flavors will intensify.
- Add bamboo shoots and bring mixture to a boil.
- reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until mixture is reduced by 1/4, meaning you have 3/4ths the amount you started with. The sauce will look thicker and you can taste to check the constancy and see if it's where you would like it, some people like it thinner, some like it thicker.
- Do a final taste test to check for balance, add ingredients as needed.
- Garnish with more basil.
- Add cooked chicken or beef and cook for 1-2 minutes then serve with rice.