Recipes

Thai Coconut Curry

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 20 mins

| Cook Time: 20 mins

| Total Time: 40 mins

You may need: Thai Curry

Discover The Recipe

On a trip to Southern Thailand a number of years ago, our founder experienced a Thai coconut curry with seafood that would set a high bar for all Thai food he would have going forward. Packed with fresh shrimp, squid, fish, and herbs, it was aromatic, silky smooth, and spicy (great for eating in the 90 degree humid heat). 

While making Thai dishes at home can seem daunting, not least because of the lack of access to exotic ingredients, most supermarkets now carry enough of the essentials to cook tasty Thai dishes without too much hassle. This recipe delivers the right amount of heat, a beautiful coconut aroma, and a subtly delicious lemongrass flavor. Our Thai Curry spice blend incorporates exotic ingredients like galangal and lemongrass so you can quickly make a Thai green curry paste - the backbone of this Thai coconut curry. Add in your choice of fresh seafood and you have a quick, authentically delicious meal!

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 large (or 2 small) shallot, diced

  • handful of cilantro stems, chopped (~1 Tbsp after chopping)

  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (~1/2 lime)

  • 2 green jalapeño peppers, seeded & chopped

  • 2 serrano peppers, seeded & chopped (optional)

  • ½ cup of low-salt chicken broth

  • 2 Tbsp Piquant Post Thai Curry spice blend

  • 1 tsp Piquant Post Kaffir Lime powder

  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce

  • ¼ can coconut milk

  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

  • ½ lb of any flaky, white fish, cut into 1" cubes

  • ½ lb of tail-on, shell-off shrimp (thawed, if frozen)

  • ¾ can coconut milk

  • 2 cups of low-salt chicken broth 

  • Fresh lemongrass stalk (bottom half), cut into 1" pieces

  • ½ red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

  • ½ cup of small mushrooms (canned or fresh)

  • handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

  • handful of Thai basil (or regular basil)

  • fish sauce (1 tsp - optional)

  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Notes

This recipe starts by having you make a green curry paste using a processor or blender. If you don't have an appliance, you can finely chop all the fresh ingredients using a knife and mix in a bowl with the remaining paste ingredients.

Authentic green curry paste gets its color from the green chili peppers (not the herbs) and is the least spicy of the Thai curry pastes. Make sure you remove seeds from the chili peppers before making the paste, otherwise your dish will be twice as spicy.

You should end up with enough green curry paste to make at least 2 complete recipes. Freeze any leftover paste for up to 6 months.

Also, you can find fish sauce in most supermarket chains in the ethnic food aisle(s). Fish sauce is very salty so measure the amount you put in the dish.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

First, begin by thawing any frozen seafood. Using a food processor or blender, grind all curry paste ingredients into a paste. Next, add 1 tbsp of water at a time as needed to thin. Consistency should be a runny paste.

Heat a large pan on Med. Then, add coconut oil and melt. Add half (~1/4 cup) of the curry paste (freeze the remaining paste for future use!) and lemongrass to pan and stir-fry for 2 mins. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, sugar, coconut milk, broth and fish sauce.

Next, add in seafood. Simmer the sauce on Med-Low for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the mixture is fragrant and the shrimp are bright pink.

Finally, stir in basil leaves and garnish with coarsely chopped cilantro leaves. Remove saucepan from heat. Serve with (or over) steaming hot Thai jasmine rice.

Alternatives & Substitutions

  • If you're watching your calories, substitute a can of light coconut milk for the full fat can.

  • Feel free to add in any veggies you like to the curry. Sliced carrots, cauliflower florets and fresh fresh green peas would be lovely.

  • If you don't eat seafood, try our Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup) recipe with shredded cooked chicken breast in an aromatic coconut curry broth. 

  • Try our authentic Thai Green Curry recipe. Make it with chicken as our recipe suggests, or sub in your favorite ingredients (shrimp, beef, or veggies).

  • Vegetarians / Vegans can use tofu, vegan fish balls, vegan crab in place of seafood as well as vegetable broth for the chicken stock.

  • Or, make our vegan Creamy Thai Curried Cauliflower, or our Thai Curry Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe!

  • If you don't have coconut oil, feel free to use any vegetable oil.

  • Looking for a quick and easy Thai-inspired meal? Make our Thai Steak Salad recipe with Kaffir Lime dressing.

  • Don't forget to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.

  • Post pictures of your masterpiece meal on social media and tag us. We repost!

Thai Coconut Curry

Serves

4

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Piquant Post spice you'll need: Thai Curry

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 large (or 2 small) shallot, diced

  • handful of cilantro stems, chopped (~1 Tbsp after chopping)

  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (~1/2 lime)

  • 2 green jalapeño peppers, seeded & chopped

  • 2 serrano peppers, seeded & chopped (optional)

  • ½ cup of low-salt chicken broth

  • 2 Tbsp Piquant Post Thai Curry spice blend

  • 1 tsp Piquant Post Kaffir Lime powder

  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce

  • ¼ can coconut milk

  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

  • ½ lb of any flaky, white fish, cut into 1" cubes

  • ½ lb of tail-on, shell-off shrimp (thawed, if frozen)

  • ¾ can coconut milk

  • 2 cups of low-salt chicken broth 

  • Fresh lemongrass stalk (bottom half), cut into 1" pieces

  • ½ red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

  • ½ cup of small mushrooms (canned or fresh)

  • handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

  • handful of Thai basil (or regular basil)

  • fish sauce (1 tsp - optional)

  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. First, begin by thawing any frozen seafood. Using a food processor or blender, grind all curry paste ingredients into a paste. Next, add 1 tbsp of water at a time as needed to thin. Consistency should be a runny paste.

  2. Heat a large pan on Med. Then, add coconut oil and melt. Add half (~1/4 cup) of the curry paste (freeze the remaining paste for future use!) and lemongrass to pan and stir-fry for 2 mins. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, sugar, coconut milk, broth and fish sauce.

  3. Next, add in seafood. Simmer the sauce on Med-Low for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the mixture is fragrant and the shrimp are bright pink.

  4. Finally, stir in basil leaves and garnish with coarsely chopped cilantro leaves. Remove saucepan from heat. Serve with (or over) steaming hot Thai jasmine rice.

Notes

  • This recipe starts by having you make a green curry paste using a processor or blender. If you don't have an appliance, you can finely chop all the fresh ingredients using a knife and mix in a bowl with the remaining paste ingredients.

  • Authentic green curry paste gets its color from the green chili peppers (not the herbs) and is the least spicy of the Thai curry pastes. Make sure you remove seeds from the chili peppers before making the paste, otherwise your dish will be twice as spicy.

  • You should end up with enough green curry paste to make at least 2 complete recipes. Freeze any leftover paste for up to 6 months.

  • Also, you can find fish sauce in most supermarket chains in the ethnic food aisle(s). Fish sauce is very salty so measure the amount you put in the dish.

  • Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

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