Red Curry Recipe

vegetables and aromatics

Thinly slice the green and red bell peppers into 1/4-inch strips (about 1 cup each). Drain and rinse bamboo shoots if canned. Peel and thinly slice shallots. Mince garlic. If using chicken, thinly slice into bite-size strips and pat dry.

toast curry paste

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the red curry paste (3 tbs) and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 1.5 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened — this releases the aromatics from the paste.

add coconut milk

Pour in 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and stir to loosen the paste, creating a smooth mixture. When it thickens slightly and the oil separates (about 1 minute), add the remaining 1.5 cups coconut milk and stir to combine.

cook protein (if using)

Bring curry to a gentle simmer. Add the sliced chicken (12 oz) in a single layer and simmer for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C). If skipping protein, proceed to the next step.

add vegetables

Add the sliced shallots and minced garlic to the simmering curry and cook 2 minutes. Then add the green and red bell pepper strips and the bamboo shoots. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until peppers are just tender-crisp.

season and finish

Stir in fish sauce (2 tbs) and palm sugar (1 tsp). Taste and adjust seasoning: add more fish sauce for saltiness or a pinch more sugar for balance. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice (1 tbs) and most of the Thai basil (reserve a few leaves for garnish).

Spoon curry over cooked jasmine rice (3 cups cooked). Garnish with remaining Thai basil leaves, cilantro if using, and lime wedges on the side. Serve immediately.