Thai Siam Restaurant in Calgary may be a little unassuming, but this mom-and-pop business serves up some of the more authentic Northern Thai flavours in Calgary. Head Chef Sawanya Sousa, who creates the mouthwatering menu for Thai Siam, kindly shared one of her quintessential dishes with us. Red Curry is one of the most popular Thai dishes. It is loved the world over for its rich, spicy and slightly sweet flavour. Try this Thai Red Curry and take a trip to Thailand right in your kitchen.
Thai Red Curry
Ingredients:
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) vegetable oil
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) Thai red curry paste (Mae Ploy or Aroy-D for traditional flavour)
- 200 ml (6-3/4 oz) coconut milk
- 300 ml (10 oz plus 1 tsp) of water
- 250g (9 oz) skinless boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced, crosswise, about 3-5 mm (1/8-1/4 inch) thick
- 1 half red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 100 g (3-1/2 oz) round green ‘Thai’ eggplants, trimmed and quartered
- 15 ml (1 Tbsp) fish sauce
- 15 g (1/2 oz) palm sugar or brown sugar
- 12-15 basil leaves
- 3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
- 100 g (3-1/2 oz) bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
- 3 small Thai red chilis, seeded and sliced thinly (adjust to heat preference)
- 10 g (1/3 oz) chicken seasoning powder like Knorr or Swiss
- 50 g (1-3/4 oz) whole ‘baby’ eggplant (Asian super market)
Directions:
- Sauté the curry paste: Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add red curry paste and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk: Pour in the coconut milk and stir for 2–3 minutes until the paste dissolves and is aromatic.
- Add protein: Add your chosen protein and cook until just done (about 5–7 minutes for chicken). Keep stirring.
- Season the curry: Add fish sauce, sugar, chicken seasoning and water — stir to incorporate.
- Add vegetables: Add all the vegetables mentioned above to the curry and stir gently to combine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 7-10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. For a creamier curry, simmer a little longer to reduce, stirring gently.
- Finish with herbs: Add the fresh basil leaves and sliced fresh chilis. Stir for 1 minute and then turn off the heat.
- Serve: Top the red curry with a touch of coconut milk and serve over hot steamed jasmine rice.
