Lawrence Wheeler's
Favorite Thai Curry Recipes


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Chicken Curry
(Gaeng Gari Gai)

Technique

Start heating a sauteed pan over medium heat. Open the can of coconut milk, being carefull not to shake it. Scoop some of the cream off the top and heat with curry paste until you see the oil starting to separate from the coconut milk. Add the sugar, Chicken, water or stock, and the rest of the coconut milk and mix together. When the Chicken is almost finished, add the Fish Sauce, Peanuts, Basil, Red Chili and Bell Peppers. Let simmer for 10 minutes and serve.

note: You may substitute with Coconut Milk Concentrate for the canned Coconut Milk and the Dry Chili with Fresh Chilies. The Dry Chili seems to add more of a roasted nutty flavor.

To make your own coconut milk, grate the white meat from a fresh coconut, making sure the gratings are very small. The fine side of a cheese grater works fine. Take the gratings and put in a piece of muslim or cheese cloth. add some very warm water and make into a ball for squeezing. Squeeze like hell, getting all the liquid you can out of the gratings. This first squeeze is the most highly concentrated. One more time is possible, but it will be more diluted than the first squeeze.

Cook with Thailand curry paste being sold in the market, or make your own


Green Thai Curry
(Gaeng Keow Waan)

to make the Green Curry Paste
2 T red or green curry paste (use a little more for hotter curry; Mae Ploy brand is excellent
3 T vegetable oil
3/4 lb boneless chicken meat, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 cans (unsweetened) coconut milk (approx. 3 cups in all)
1 c water or chicken broth
1/2 c baby corns
1/2 c straw mushrooms (or substitute other mushroom of your choice)
1/2 c sliced bamboo shoots
5 kaffir lime leaves (dried are fine; these are available in packages
on the bottom -- usually dusty -- shelf of the Asian market; they look like dried, curled-up leaves)
1/2 t salt (more or less to taste) or Fish sauce
if green curry, 10 fresh basil leaves
if red curry, 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips

Fry curry paste with the cream off the top of the coconut milk in oil in saucepan until oil separates. Add chicken (if using) and saute for about 1 minute over medium high heat. Add remaining ingredients except basil leaves or red bell pepper. Bring just barely to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in basil leaves or red bell pepper. Serve with cooked Thai Jasmine rice.


Green Bean Curry

1 lb fresh green beans [if necessary, you may substitute whole frozen ones]
2 T Thai Curry Paste (I like to use the "Key" brand packets of either "Country Curry" or "Red Curry"; but they are all flavorful. Mae Ploy and Tommy Tang are other good brands.
2 T vegetable oil
2 cups coconut milk
Bamboo shoots (optional; I like to use a large can of bamboo tips because they are tender and I can cut them into 1/4 inch thick round slices.
You can also use a couple of the small cans of sliced bamboo shoots, but they will not absorb the flavor as well. I think carrots cut into coins would also be good, if you like those. I tried potatoes once, but they just disintegrated.)
6 c chicken broth

Clean and pick green bean tips. In a dutch oven (or equivalent size vessel), heat oil. Add curry paste and the cream off the top of the coconut milk, and "fry" until you see the oil start to separate. Add broth, green beans, bamboo shoots (or other vegetable). Bring to a slow boil and cook like that for about 15-20 minutes (watching that liquid doesn't reduce too much; add water as necessary). Reduce heat to a hard simmer and continue cooking until green beans are VERY done and have absorbed the flavor of the curry broth. Serve in bowls over rice.


Green Curry with Pork
(Gaeng Keow Waan Muu)

Ingredients
Peanut oil
1/4 cup Shallots chopped fine
1 tbsp Garlic chopped fine
1 tbsp Galangal chopped fine
1 tbsp Lemon Grass chopped fine
1/4 cup Coriander leaves chop fine 1-1/2 lb Pork cut into 1" cubes
1-1/2 cup Coconut milk

2 tbsp Curry paste (Thai Green)
1 tbsp Lime zest
1 tbsp Lime leaves shredded
2 tbsp Thai basil shredded
Fish sauce to taste
1 tsp Chili paste (green)
2 cups Peas

Directions

First, prepare the curry paste and coconut milk seperately. Add the paste with some of the 'cream' form the coconut milk and heat until the oil starts to separate. Then, in a separate pan, heat peanut oil, shallots, garlic, galangal and lemon grass. Stir fry 1 minute until oil is aromatic.

Add pork, stir fry 3 minutes until browned and add the curry paste/coconut milk mixture.

Add the rest of the coconut milk, coriander leaves, lime zest, lime leaves, basil, fish sauce and chili paste, bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes until pork is tender.

Add peas, simmer 5 minutes until tender.

Yield - 4 cups


Masaman Curry with Beef
(Gaeng Masaman Nua)

Ingredients

Peanut oil
1 tbsp Garlic chopped fine
1 tbsp Galangal chopped fine
1 tbsp Lemon grass chopped fine
1 tbsp Thai basil chopped

1-1/2 lb Stewing beef 1" cubes

1-1/2 cup Coconut milk
2 tbsp Curry paste (Thai Musaman)
1 tbsp Lime zest shredded
1 tbsp Lime leaves shredded
Fish sauce to taste
1-4 tsp Chili paste
2 cups Potatoes cut into 1" cubes
1 cup Pearl onions

Directions

First, prepare the curry paste and coconut milk seperately. Add the paste with some of the 'cream' form the coconut milk and heat until the oil starts to separate. Then, in a separate pan, heat peanut oil, garlic, galangal and lemon grass. Stir fry 1 minute until oil is aromatic.

Add beef and stir fry 3 minutes until lightly browned and add the curry paste/coconut cream mixture

Add the rest of the coconut milk, lime zest, lime leaves, basil, fish sauce and chili paste, bring to a boil, and reduce heat.

Simmer 45 minutes, until beef is tender.

When beef is just tender, add potatoes and onions to curry and simmer 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked.

Yield - 6 cups


Pineapple Prawn Curry
(Gaeng Gung Sapparot)

Ingredients

Peanut oil
1/4 cup Onion chopped fine
3 tbsp Dried shrimp chopped fine
3 tbsp Lemon grass chopped fine
3 tbsp Galangal chopped fine
1/2 tsp Shrimp paste
1-4 tsp Chili paste

2 cups Coconut milk
Fish sauce to taste
1 tsp Palm sugar

1 lb Shelled prawns
2 cups Pineapple chunks

Directions

Heat wok. Add peanut oil, onion, dried shrimp, lemon grass, galangal, shrimp paste and chili paste. Stir fry for 2 minutes until oil is aromatic.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce and palm sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce to half.

Add prawns and pineapple, simmer 3-4 minutes.

Yield - 4 cups


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