One of the best meals I ever had the pleasure of nomming on involved two of my favorite things: soft shell crab, and red curry. Soft shell crabs are quite delicious, especially when deep fried, but they are a little too exotic to make it into a regular dinner rotation. Red Curry, however, can be surprsingly simple to prepare, and matches well with a whole lot of go-to proteins. This week, I threw together a pot of Red Coconut Curry and Mixed Vegetables, then tossed in some leftover Roasted Chicken. I served it over Chinese Noodles, but Red Curry is also great over Rice or Pasta. Switch out the chicken with Tempeh, Tofu, Shrimp, Pork, or Tilapia for a simple, versatile meal.
Quick Red Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. Red Curry Paste
- 1 can (6 oz) Coconut Milk
- 6 oz. Water or Stock to match your protein
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh, grated Ginger
- 2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into strips
- 1 cup Snow Peas
- 1 Onion, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup Carrot, shredded or cut into match sticks
- 1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cucumber, seeded and cut into match sticks
- 4 servings fully cooked Protein (Chicken, Tofu, Pork, or Seafood)
Optional Garnish: Diced Tomato, Chopped Cashews or Peanuts, Siracha Sauce, Fresh Lemongrass, Basil, or Cilantro
Directions
Heat Vegetable Oil in a deep saute pan, or a large dutch oven. Add the Garlic, Ginger, Onions, and Red Curry Paste and saute until fragrant. Stir the ingredients so that they do not brown.
Quickly add the Coconut Milk and Water, then raise the temperature to bring the mixture to a boil. Add the Peppers, Snow Peas and Carrots, the reduce the pot to a simmer.
Once the vegetables have softened a little, add your protein (fully cooked) and simmer until it is heated through.
Stir in the Scallions, then remove from heat.
Serve over Rice, Noodles, or Pasta and top with cucumber and any other desired garnishes.
A Tip for my Vegan Readers: Make sure to check your Coconut Milk labels carefully, as some brands of Coconut Milk contain dairy based fillers!