Red Thai Curry Low calorie and healthy

A recipe I have made from scratch. I love making the paste and using it in multiple recipes. you can of course use a store bought paste too 

For the Curry Paste

• 7–15 large, mild red chillies
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white peppercorns (if using black, use less)
• 3 Tbsp chopped lemongrass (if possible)
• 1 Tbsp chopped ginger or galangal
• 1 tsp chopped coriander root
• 1 tsp chopped lime zest (optional)
• Heaping 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 3 Tbsp chopped garlic

Other Ingredients

• 240 ml / 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• Handful of lime leaves (optional)
• Handful of basil leaves (if possible)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 cups cooked vegetables of choice
• 2 cups cooked protein of choice

THE CURRY PASTE

Use only the large red chillies to get all the color and very little spice. Pick the variety that is big, slit them open, and remove all the seeds and the stem (it's like a string). Soak the skins in hot water for at least an hour. Drain all the water and pat dry. Add all the paste ingredients and grind until you get a smooth paste. This makes 2 portions; you can freeze the remaining half and make the same recipe later or watch my stories for another recipe with the same paste.

Coriander Root

These are the little roots you usually throw away, but they have so much flavor. This curry needs to be bright red, so adding coriander leaves or powder will change the color. Here, the roots are perfect. Make sure you wash them really well and smell them—they smell amazing.

METHOD

1. Add 1/4 cup of the coconut milk to a pan.
2. Add half the Thai curry paste and mix well.
3. Cook on low flame for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fat in the coconut separates.
4. Add half of the remaining coconut milk with half the water, along with the sugar and lime leaves (if you have them).
5. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Taste and adjust by adding some more curry paste or more coconut milk or water until your desired consistency.
7. Add cooked vegetables and protein along with chopped or torn basil leaves.
8. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot with steamed rice.

Vegetables

• Chopped and stir-fried brinjal works really well.
• Mushrooms, broccoli, and baby corn are also a nice combination.

Protein

• Tofu/paneer: I like to pan-fry this to make it crispy. This step is optional and I have mentioned it below.
• Non-veg options: You can boil it beforehand and use the stock in the curry. Alternatively, you can stir-fry and add it at the end. Please check my stories for this.

COOKING IN COCONUT MILK

Thai people usually use coconut milk as their fat source. This way, you don't need any oil at all! Good quality coconut milk will split, and the fat will separate. If yours doesn't, don't worry about it.

Tofu / Paneer

I have used paneer here. I find old paneer works best as you want it to be as dry as possible. Ideally, press it down and remove all water. Then toss with rice flour and a little besan/maida/potato flour and salt. Spread a little oil on a pan and heat it. Add the paneer and once the bottom starts becoming golden brown, turn it over and grill the other side. Add this to the curry just before serving, so that it remains crispy. This is an optional step. You can just add the paneer as it is too.

RECIPE NOTES

1. I have replaced galangal with ginger as galangal is not readily available and is very expensive.
2. Lemongrass is a part of nearly all Thai recipes. I have included the quantity for fresh lemongrass. You can also use dried lemongrass for flavor. However, you will need to boil it with the curry. I didn't have either, so I used lime leaves.
3. Lime zest: When taking this out, ensure you do not use the white part but just the green part of the skin. Otherwise, the entire curry will become bitter! If you can, the Indian lime, the one with the sweet fragrant smell and hardly any juice, will also work.
4. The chillies: These are mostly for color. The big dry ones are not spicy if you remove all the seeds and the inside stem and soak them for long. If your curry seems too spicy, then use all the coconut milk and half the water. You can also use just coconut milk, but this makes the curry much heavier.