Red Curry

Curry is rather fascinating. It can go in many different directions. When I mention curry, people often think of turmeric, and assume it is in the dish. But this isn't always true. Though the original curry recipe I made many moons ago is largely turmeric (and oh so good), I also made Peanut Butter Curry recently and it had only a little turmeric. But what if I told you that curry can exist with no turmeric at all?

One of the reasons I made peanut butter curry recently is because I was strongly desiring [read: craving] red or green curry and simply did not have the tools in my kit to get the job done. I've been to some Indian restaurants and enjoyed curry, but honestly had not ordered red or green curry there. What I had tried, though, are Amy's frozen meals.

I know! The shock! The horror! A frozen meal...really, Em? Hear me out.

I am not a vegan nor a vegetarian (though I'll avoid meats such as pork and those I consider detestably cruel like foie gras and veal), but you know, on occasion I lack the energy during the week to make food to take into work. I prefer bringing meals for various reasons, but that's a separate path in the woods to wander down another day. I digress.

On said days where I just need to grab and go, my hands-down-favorite meal are the aforementioned brand (no, this is not a sales pitch) because they make good vegan meals. The Pad Thai is one of my favorite varieties of the dish, and I've ordered it at many a restaurant. So I trust their dishes, and began trying a few more, including curry. The boxes describe their quality philosophy, and that they work with actual chefs to flavor the dishes properly. I can't speak to any of that, but I read it on a box, so I'm in to try.

All of that being said, the day I desperately wanted my red or green curry was not a day I had one of those nearby. So I moved along another route and planned for another day.

And then my day happened. My best pal has an amazing garden, and shared some spicy red chilis with me. Yes,  yes...

Now, upon diving into my research on the RGB spectrum of curries, I discovered a negative truth about the recipes available. Many, to me, did not qualify as recipes at all. While I would not qualify myself as a "pro" or even super serious blogger in the least, I cannot consider a recipe post based mostly on a pre-made item to be a recipe. Using green curry paste or red curry paste and tossing in the remaining ingredients doesn't count! In my early days, I'd considered canned starters (like a stroganoff/soup thing) as a recipe, but that was many moons ago. It makes it challenging to find an actual recipe when many results are just a tweak of the directions on the side of a jar.

So I kept going until I came across a curry paste from scratch recipe, which really isn't that hard. While I agree that having all of the ingredients can be a challenge - luckily I have fish sauce at home and used ginger in place of the galangal as recommended by the poster, and undoubtedly it altered my results slightly), but I still think from-scratch (or at least mostly from scratch - I can understand using pudding mix or pre-made caramels sometimes) are the way to go on a blog.

*Steps off soap box*

Now, onto my slightly different version of Red Curry, which, preview: I loved.

This is a rather literal title, as the color comes from the chili itself. Yes, this is basically a pepper paste mixed with coconut milk and some extras. The paste is easy to make. Just toss everything into a food processor and blend!

The result is pretty much exactly what you'd expect. A spicy pile of blended peppers.

I cooked some tofu to go with it, then added some vegetables and the paste to a skillet and cooked it for several minutes. I added in coconut milk and simmered it to complete the sauce, and wound up with a lovely red curry.

Spicy! I will say that my version came out hotter than my certainly more intentionally neutral microwave inspiration. But it was so good. I loved it on day one, and even more on days 2 and 3 because the leftovers kept well. Chicken would be an easy swap-in from the tofu, but the tofu did go very well. The sauce is strong enough that I believe even a non-tofu fan would enjoy it.

I'd like to try with galangal next time, for legitimacy purposes. This was my first time working with lemongrass, and I have to say I really enjoy it. I think it's time to explore that ingredient a bit more.

Red Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

For the curry paste:
2 red chilies, roughly chopped and with most seeds removed
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 tablespoons minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons lime juice

For the curry:
1 package tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 can coconut milk (15 ounces)

Instructions:

To make the red curry paste, add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse for 1-2 minutes.

Prepare tofu by draining water, then pressing between two towels and adding weight to drain excess water. Slice into strips 3/4 inch thick, then marinate for 20-30 minutes in soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. Cook tofu by heating oil in a large skillet, then cooking tofu strips for 5-7 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Add onions, peppers, and curry paste and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and continue simmering 3-5 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

adapted from red curry paste