Growing up my mom made Indian red curry every year on her and my dad’s wedding anniversary because it was his favorite food. Naturally, because this was a special day at our house and this was the special meal served me and my siblings grew to love curry. Mom would make it spicy and serve yogurt and canned pears on the side to cool your mouth. We’d roll out whole wheat chapatis, which is an Indian flatbread, and fry them right before sitting down for supper.
Fast forward to today. Our curry experiences have expanded and we got into making Thai curries which are very different than Indian curries. Indian curries have a deeper flavor of cinnamon, clove, turmeric and are thicker while Thai currys are lighter and brighter in flavor using lime leaves, basil, and citrus.
This is a fascinating article on the differences between Thai and Indian Curry.
Appreciating other cultural foods is an important part of a traditional food lifestyle. There are so many amazing dishes out there that are filled with things like spices, broth, and fermented foods that add flavor and nutrition to the meal.
Below is our favorite recipe for Thai curry. It was the main dish that we made and served at our wedding. The recipe was so highly requested we printed it out and sent it to our guests after the celebration!
I hope you enjoy one of our staple ethnic meals!
INGREDIENTS:
2 to 3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion or, 1 diced small purple onion
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 Tbsp ginger powder
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 -13 ounce cans coconut milk
4 cups bone broth or water
2 Tbsp curry powder
3 cups total of any combination of the following: chopped carrots, okra, zucchini, cauliflower
2 ounces of ‘Thai Kitchen’ red curry paste
2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
About 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
Rice, quinoa, or naan, optional for serving
DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet sauté the onion in oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until it is done. flip and stir often to ensure even cooking.
Stir in the rest of the spices and curry paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the veggies then simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through.
Add the coconut milk, spinach, lime juice, and stir to combine. Cook until spinach has wilted and is tender (about 1 to 2 minutes). Taste and optionally add additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
Evenly sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately. Curry is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
