One of the most prominent countries of South East Asia, Thailand is known for a variety of things, chief among which is its cuisine, distinct, flavourful and versatile. The free use of pastes, fresh herbs like kefir lime and tropical ingredients like coconut milk and lemongrass, make Thai food so eclectic that you cannot stop after one bite. Thai curry, is perhaps one of the crown jewels of Thai cuisine.
Much like India, in Thailand as well, people have always loved pairing rice with a watery gravy sort of a dish. Mention of kaeng, a thin gravy has also been found in first Thai dictionary from 1873 CE. Coconut milk is not included as one of the ingredients as per this definition, along with essential ingredients like shrimp paste, chillies and garlic. But now of course, coconut milk has become synonymous with curry.
The word curry also has an interesting story. In Thai language, the word ‘kari’ refers to dishes using Indian-style curry powders or spice blends. Thai curry may look like an Indian curry in first glance, but once you take a bite, you can tell the difference.
In this Thai curry, homechef and Slurrp community member Chirag gives a delightful summery twist to the Thai curry by adding mango puree to a delectable curry brimming with goodness of coconut milk, Thai red chilli sauce, basil leaves, soy sauce and garlic. This soothing, chilly and sweet curry goes best with sticky rice.
You can watch the recipe video here.
Here are the step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients:
- 10-12 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 inch chopped galangal
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 tbsps Thai red chilli sauce
- 1/4th cup of water
- ️ 3/4th cup of coconut milk
- ️ 1.5 tbsps of oil
- ️ Vegetables of your choice (I have taken tofu, green bell pepper and carrot)
- ️ One cup mango puree
- ️ Some fresh Basil leaves
- ️ 1.5 tsp soya sauce
- ️ Salt as per taste
Method:
- Make a smooth paste of garlic, galangal, onion and Thai chilli sauce.
- Take a pan heat an oil in it and pour the prepared paste.
- Let it cook till it turns aromatic or oil separates.
- Add water and coconut milk to it and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
- After it is cooked add the vegetables of your choice.
- Let them cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add mango puree and let it cook for 2-3 minutes
- ️ After it cooked add fresh basil leaves, soya sauce and salt and finally cook it for 4-5 minutes
- Serve hot with your favourite rice.
Pro tips:
- You can use ginger instead of galangal.
- ️You can use fresh red chilli pepper instead of Thai red chilli sauce.
- ️You can use any variety of mango but try to use sweeter ones.
