This blog is sponsored by City Avenue Market
Are you still in warm and cozy mode?
This red thai curry will have you in your blanket in front of the telly in no time.
Guilty pleasures of television are where it’s at!
Vegetables are my thing so I add in as many as I can, whenever it makes sense.
I’ve adjusted my vegetable thai curry recipe over time. The biggest change I made was adding in chicken breast for the protein aspect of my meal. Feel free to substitute tofu in this recipe to make it a meatless Monday (or any day!). Don’tcha love options?
Thai flavours are distinctive and the smooth silky addition of coconut milk is dreamy. I’ve tried light and full fat coconut milk. I go full fat on this one! You are either a coconut lover or you’re not. I’d like to suggest using a non dairy milk as an alternative in this recipe if coconut isn’t your thing. For a richer soup, I’d suggest non flavoured cashew milk.
Thai curries is a mixture of herbs and aromatics; onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass (that unique citrus scent) which differs it from Indian curries which uses more a mix of spices like cumin and coriander.
Turmeric or golden spice as it’s sometimes referred to as the active ingredient in curcumin which is being studied for its benefits with inflammation. It is a perennial herb that is cultivated in countries with a tropical climate.
Other great vegetable additions : sweet potato, butternut squash, cauliflower and zucchini. Cut all the veggies uniform in size, for one it is visually appealing and two it creates more even cooking. Add in your more dense vegetables first and give them time to soften then add in the less dense ones.
I serve this dish on a bed of brown rice and top it with some finely chopped cilantro, green onion and thinly sliced carrot strips. The thai curry is already looks fresh with the vibrant colours and I like to fancy it up even more.
Have fun with this recipe and make it more personalized with your favourite veggie additions. This recipe can be made ahead and it does freeze well.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ lbs chicken breast, small cubes
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch of ginger, finely chopped (psst, I don’t peel the ginger)
2-3 Tbsps red curry paste
1–2 Tbsps turmeric
2 14-ounce cans coconut milk
2 C vegetable broth
3 carrot, 2 chopped for curry
1-2 red peppers, thinly sliced
Spinach, a large handful of fresh spinach (or more if you’d like)
Garnish the top:
2 Green onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, use a vegetable peeler to make thin ribbons
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add diced chicken and cook till browned.
Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add the onion and salt, stir often until the onion is soft and golden (I find that a little more oil is needed in this step)
Add garlic and ginger stirring constantly until fragrant.
Add the carrot, saute for 3 minutes stirring occasionally
Add the sliced red pepper, saute for 2 more minutes stirring occasionally
Add in the curry paste and turmeric, cook stirring often for another 2 minutes until it becomes fragrant. You will notice the mixture all sticking together, it will smooth out in the next step
Add in the coconut milk and vegetable broth stir to combine. Let it come to a simmer.
Add in cooked chicken
Add spinach, give a good old stir and let the spinach wilt. Alternatively you can place a handful of spinach in each bowl and spoon the thai curry on top.
Let it cook for 5 minutes more. You can either ladle into bowls immediately or let it sit and warm it up later.
Don’t forget to fancy your dish up and garnish each bowl with cilantro, green onion and carrot ribbons.
BIG LOVE!!
All ingredients for this recipe you can find at all 3 City Avenue Market locations – New Westminster, Port Coquitlam + Commercial Drive
