Thai Red Peanut Curry
Spicy and delicious, this Thai Red Peanut Curry is easy to make and bursting with flavor!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced (About 1.5 tbs)
- 1 inch of ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tbs)
- 1 fresh red chili, sliced See Note 1
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tbs peanut butter
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (16oz/400ml)
- 2 tbs red curry paste See Note 2
- 1 tbs soy sauce or tamari
- 9 oz baked tofu (250g) can sub canned chickpeas
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp maple syrup, coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 tbs corn starch or arrowroot starch + 2tbs water (cornstarch slurry)
- 1 tbs lime juice (juice from half of a lime)
Toppings (optional but recommended)
- fresh cilantro, chopped and stems removed
- green onion, chopped
- chopped peanuts or cashews
- additional lime juice if needed
For serving
- 1 1/2 cups white or brown rice
Instructions
- Begin cooking the rice according to package instructions. Don´t forget to salt the water.
- Heat two tablespoons of coconut or olive oil in a dutch oven or large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Then add the garlic, ginger, and fresh red chili pepper (if using). Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add in the red and yellow bell pepper ( or other vegetables, if using). Saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently
- Add the coconut milk, red curry paste, soy sauce, baked tofu, and water to the mixture. Cook on medium heat until simmering and reduce the heat to low in order to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the mixture is cooking, mix cornstarch slurry by mixing 1tbs cornstarch and 2tbs water together with a fork in a small cup.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and mix well, stirring on medium heat for about two minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Taste the curry and adjust seasonings as needed, add more maple/coconut sugar if it craves sweetness, soy sauce if it needs more salt, and lime juice if it needs more zing.
- Allow to cool for 5-7 minutes before serving. Serve in bowls on top of rice, and top with chopped cilantro, peanuts, chopped green onions, and additional lime juice, if desired.
- This curry will stay good for 4-5 days in the fridge. Freeze for longer storage. When reheating after freezing, you may need to add some water in order to thin out the sauce.
Notes
Note 1: Depending on the spiciness of your red curry paste, you can decide if you want to add the fresh red chili or not. Taste a small amount of the your curry paste beforehand. If it is not very spicy, add the fresh red chili, and if it is very spicy, omit. OR you can always omit if you don't like spice, and if you do like spicy, you can add it when you are using a spicy red curry paste.
Note 2: Red curry paste brands vary in spice level. See post for more details.
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