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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

This warming sweet potato and chickpea curry is a great option for a delicious vegetarian dinner with plenty of healthy veg and aromatic spicy flavours. The sweet potatoes really bring this dish to life by melting their wonderfully sweet caramelised juices into the spicy coconut sauce and creating a gorgeous consistency. A warm and inviting curry with husky flavours of cumin and garam masala and a pungent taste of ginger all infused with the sweetness of the potatoes. It really is the ultimate healthy, comfort food.

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe makes enough sweet potato curry to serve 4 people:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Sweet potatoes: If preferred you can use normal potatoes, and make potato and spinach curry.

Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut as reduced fat will make the curry watery.

Chickpeas: Optional or can be replaced with other pulses such as beans, split peas or lentils.

Yogurt (not pictured): Yogurt is an optional topping, but its creamy and cooling nature works really well with the heat from the spices. Choose plain yogurt.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan, add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds or until golden brown (be careful not to burn them). As soon as the seeds start to change colour add in the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook on a gentle heat until soft.
2. Stir in the curry powder, garam masala and cinnamon and cook for a further minute to allow the flavours to be released.
3. Next add the cubed sweet potato, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and coconut milk. Stir together well then bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Place a lid on the pan and continue to simmer for around 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft (blade of a knife pushes in easily).
5. Meanwhile drain and rinse the can of chickpeas and wash the spinach leaves. Once the potatoes are cooked through, add the chickpeas and spinach to the curry. Stir in and continue to cook on the heat until the spinach has wilted. 
6. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice then serve with rice and naan. Add toppings if desired: yogurt, fresh coriander, chilli flakes, onion seeds and lime wedges.

💭 Expert tips

• Frying cumin seeds: Add a couple of cumin seeds to test the heat of the oil. If the seeds bubble then the oil is hot enough. Add the rest of the seeds but only cook briefly, until just golden brown, before adding the onions. Be aware that cumin seeds are quick to burn, which will create a bitter taste throughout the dish.
• Chickpeas: To avoid any chickpeas skins floating around in the curry, place the chickpeas in a sieve then agitate under a running tap to loosen any skins. Pick these out and discard.
• Make it your own: Use split peas, lentils or beans, or completely swap the chickpeas for one of these. Try with different types of lentils (green, yellow) or add other vegetables such as roasted squash, roast cauliflower, courgette or aubergine. And for an extra protein boost try with shredded chicken or poached fish.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍛 Other Curry recipes

• Thai Green Prawn Curry
• Red Lentil Dahl
• Fish Biryani
• Thai Red Curry Recipe
• Chicken Tikka Masala Curry
• Thai Panang Curry
• Thai Green Curry Recipe

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

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Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Warm and comforting sweet potato and chickpea curry made with a lightly spiced coconut sauce. This wholesome and nutritious vegetarian curry is made in one big pan and can be ready in just one hour.

Course Dinner, evening meal, fake away, main meal

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 238kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large pan or wok

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons medium curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tin coconut milk full fat
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
• 1 small tin chickpeas
• Lime juice to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Extras to serve

• Rice
• Plain yogurt
• Chilli flakes
• Onion seeds
• Fresh coriander
• Naan bread

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Heat up the oil in a large frying pan, add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds or until golden brown (be careful not to burn them). As soon as the seeds start to change colour add in the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook on a gentle heat until soft.
  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 cm piece fresh ginger
• Stir in the curry powder, garam masala and cinnamon and cook for a further minute to allow the flavours to be released.
  2 tablespoons medium curry powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Next add the cubed sweet potato, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and coconut milk. Stir together well then bring to a gentle simmer.
  2 large sweet potatoes, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato puree, 1 tin coconut milk
• Place a lid on the pan and continue to simmer for around 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft (blade of a knife pushes in easily).
• Meanwhile drain and rinse the can of chickpeas and wash the spinach leaves. Once the potatoes are cooked through, add the chickpeas and spinach to the curry. Stir in and continue to cook on the heat until the spinach has wilted.
  1 small tin chickpeas, 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
• Season with salt, pepper and lime juice then serve with rice and naan. Add toppings if desired: yogurt, fresh coriander, chilli flakes, onion seeds and lime wedges.
  Lime juice to taste, Rice, Plain yogurt, Chilli flakes, Onion seeds, Fresh coriander, Naan bread

Notes

Note: Above nutritional info is for 1 portion of curry with toppings but without any sides such as rice or naan bread.

Sweet potatoes: If preferred you can use normal potatoes, and make potato and spinach curry.

Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut as reduced fat will make the curry watery.

Chickpeas: Optional or can be replaced with other pulses such as beans, split peas or lentils. To avoid any chickpeas skins floating around in the curry, place the chickpeas in a sieve then agitate under a running tap to loosen any skins. Pick these out and discard.

Yogurt: Yogurt is an optional topping, but its creamy and cooling nature works really well with the heat from the spices. Choose plain yogurt.

Frying cumin seeds: Add a couple of cumin seeds to test the heat of the oil. If the seeds bubble then the oil is hot enough. Add the rest of the seeds but only cook briefly, until just golden brown, before adding the onions. Be aware that cumin seeds are quick to burn, which will create a bitter taste throughout the dish.

Make it your own: Use split peas, lentils or beans, or completely swap the chickpeas for one of these. Try with different types of lentils (green, yellow) or add other vegetables such as roasted squash, roast cauliflower, courgette or aubergine. And for an extra protein boost try with shredded chicken or poached fish.

Is sweet potato and chickpea curry healthy?
This curry is packed full of nutrients including protein, fibre, iron and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Chickpeas are low in fat and high in protein and along with the sweet potatoes will do a great. Job of filling you up due to both containing plenty of fibre. Spinach is also a great option for boosting your iron and folate levels.

How to make this curry extra spicy?
If you like your curry hot then there are a couple of extras you can add to turn up the heat. Try adding fresh green or red chopped chillies during cooking. The increase the heat further use smaller chillies and leave in the seeds. You could also add chilli flakes whiles cooking or add chilli sauce or Tabasco as toppings.

How to store?
What to do with any leftovers? Once fully cooled you can transfer any leftover curry to a sealable container. Seal and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat defrost thoroughly in the fridge overnight (if frozen) then transfer to a pan and heat until piping hot throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 988mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 25711IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 4mg

This post was first published in Sept 2016. Updated in Mar 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.

 

The post Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Really healthy and packed full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, this red lentil dahl is one curry that can be thoroughly enjoyed guilt free. If you fancy a meat free night or are indeed vegetarian or vegan, then this spicy curry recipe is a great option. Its also simple to prepare and uses basic ingredients that won't break the bank.

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe makes enough red lentil dahl to serve 4 people.

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Lentils: Use good quality, freshly bought lentils to ensure good taste and texture. Opt for any variety of lentil but always check packet instructions. If you prefer swap lentils for beans, chickpeas or split peas.

Yogurt: Yogurt is an optional topping, but its creamy and cooling nature works really well with the heat from the spices. Choose plain yogurt.

Vine tomatoes: Opt for vine ripened tomatoes for that earthy, sunshine flavour. If you can't get hold of vine ripened, use tinned chopped or plum tomatoes which also hold plenty of flavour.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Simmer lentils in water for 10-15 minutes or until soft, then drain and set to one side.
2. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan, add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds or until golden brown (be careful not to burn them).
3. As soon as the seeds start to change colour add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook on a gentle heat until soft.
4. Next add the tomatoes, chillies, drained lentils, spices and tomato puree.
5. Mix well and simmer for a couple of minutes, then taste and season if required. If you want to make the Dahl more soup-like or creamy you can add stock or coconut milk at this point, stir in well and bring to a simmer.
6. Finally; remove from the heat, stir in the chopped coriander and serve with plain yogurt.

💭 Expert tips

Lentils: Choose good quality lentils and don't use old ones. Rinse well under running tap water before cooking to remove any dust or dirt. Don't overcook! Cook until just soft and check packet instructions for recommended cooking times.

Frying cumin seeds: Add a couple of cumin seeds to test the heat of the oil. If the seeds bubble then the oil is hot enough. Add the rest of the seeds but only cook briefly, until just golden brown, before adding the onions. Be aware that cumin seeds are quick to burn, which will create a bitter taste throughout the dish.

Soupier version: For a version thats creamier or more soup-like add a tin of coconut milk or 400ml of stock.

Make it your own: Add chickpeas or split peas, or completely swap the lentils for one of these. Try with different types of lentils (green, yellow) or add vegetables such as roasted squash, roast cauliflower, courgette or aubergine. And for an extra protein boost try with shredded chicken or poached fish.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍛 Other curry recipes

• Fish Biryani
• Chicken Tikka Masala Curry
• Thai Panang Curry
• Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
• Thai Green Prawn Curry
• Thai Red Curry Recipe

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Print

Red Lentil Dahl

Red lentil dahl flavoured with Indian spices and simmered in vine ripened tomatoes. A nutritious, vegan curry that will warm you up, keep you going through winter and can be on the table in just 30 minutes.

Course Dinner, main meal

Cuisine Indian

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 359kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Saucepan to cook the lentils
• Wide pan to cook the dahl

Ingredients

• 300 g dried red lentils rinsed well
• Boiled water double the volume of lentils

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 350 g of vine tomatoes roughly chopped
• 2 green chillies deseeded and finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 tablespoon tomato puree
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Handful fresh coriander chopped
• Plain yogurt to serve
• Tin of coconut milk or 400ml of stock optional, for a more soup-like version

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Simmer lentils in water for 10-15 minutes or until soft, then drain and set to one side.
  300 g dried red lentils, Boiled water
• Heat up the oil in a large frying pan, add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds or until golden brown (be careful not to burn them).
  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• As soon as the seeds start to change colour add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook on a gentle heat until soft.
  2 onions, 2 cloves garlic
• Next add the tomatoes, chillies, drained lentils, spices and tomato puree.
  350 g of vine tomatoes, 2 green chillies, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 3 tablespoon tomato puree
• Mix well and simmer for a couple of minutes, then taste and season if required. If you want to make the Dahl more soup-like or creamy you can add stock or coconut milk at this point, stir in well and bring to a simmer.
  Salt and pepper to taste, Tin of coconut milk or 400ml of stock
• Finally; remove from the heat, stir in the chopped coriander and serve with plain yogurt.
  Handful fresh coriander chopped, Plain yogurt

Video

Notes

Lentils: Use good quality, freshly bought lentils to ensure good taste and texture. Opt for any variety of lentil but always check packet instructions. If you prefer swap lentils for beans, chickpeas or split peas. Rinse well under running tap water before cooking to remove any dust or dirt. Don't overcook! Cook until just soft and check packet instructions for recommended cooking times.

Yogurt: Yogurt is an optional topping, but its creamy and cooling nature works really well with the heat from the spices. Choose plain yogurt.

Vine tomatoes: Opt for vine ripened tomatoes for that earthy, sunshine flavour. If you can't get hold of vine ripened, use tinned chopped or plum tomatoes which also hold plenty of flavour.

Frying cumin seeds: Add a couple of cumin seeds to test the heat of the oil. If the seeds bubble then the oil is hot enough. Add the rest of the seeds but only cook briefly, until just golden brown, before adding the onions. Be aware that cumin seeds are quick to burn, which will create a bitter taste throughout the dish.

Soupier version: For a version thats creamier or more soup-like add a tin of coconut milk or 400ml of stock.

Make it your own: Add chickpeas or split peas, or completely swap the lentils for one of these. Try with different types of lentils (green, yellow) or add vegetables such as roasted squash, roast cauliflower, courgette or aubergine. And for an extra protein boost try with shredded chicken or poached fish.

Should lentils be soaked before cooking?
No its not necessary to soak lentils before cooking. It is however, good practise to rinse and drain thoroughly before cooking. Lentils are very small and so its not uncommon for dirt and dust to get mixed in during packaging.

Is red lentil dahl healthy?
Dahl is packed full of nutrients and provides a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Lentils are also high in protein and low in fat so they are great substitute for meat.

Storage?
Leftovers? Once fully cooled you can transfer any leftover lentil dahl to a sealable container. Seal and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat defrost thoroughly in the fridge overnight (if frozen) then transfer to a pan and heat until piping hot throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 26g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 837IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 7mg

This post was first published in Nov 2016. Updated in Jan 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.

 

The post Red Lentil Dahl appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Massaman is a mild Thai curry recipe made with a yellow Massaman curry paste, coconut milk and potatoes. Massaman curry recipes tends to be milder and sweeter than other Thai curries due to the addition of spices like cinnamon, star anise and cardamom. So its a great option if you're not a fan of spicy foods and whats more this lovely curry can be made and on the table within 45 minutes.

Massaman is the mildest of the Thai curries, so opt for the more spicy Thai red curry or Thai green curry if you're after something with a bit more heat.

🥘 Ingredients

To make massaman curry for 4 people you will need:

• ½ tablespoon Oil
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped 
• 1 Onion sliced
• 2 Chicken Breasts cubed (360g)
• 25g potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoon Massaman Curry paste (homemade or shop bought)
• 400ml tin of Coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Star anise
• 100g sugar snap peas (roughly chopped)
• ½ teaspoon Fish sauce
• ½ a lime juiced
• Toppings: Fresh coriander, sliced red chillies and chopped cashew nuts

Ingredient notes

Recipe: For the full recipe and amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Chicken: This recipe uses raw chicken. However, cooked shredded chicken can also be used. This means you could buy a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken from a previous meal.

Potatoes: Choose a waxy variety that will hold together well such as Charlotte, Anya, baby or new potatoes. Leave the skins on for a more rustic finish and to add more fibre to your meal.

Coconut milk: Coconut milk is the base of most Thai curries. However, if you need a different option the best replacement in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you could also use yogurt (full fat).

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Place a large pan on a medium heat and the oil, garlic and sliced onions and gently fry until starting to soften. Next add the chicken and stir fry to seal off the edges of the meat.
2. Add the sliced potatoes to the chicken and onions and continue to stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes so allowing the potatoes to start cooking. Then transfer the contents of the pan to a large bowl and set to one side.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add 2 large tablespoon of Massaman curry paste (homemade or shop bought). Cook for a minute or so and allow the paste to release its flavours. Turn the pan to a low heat and stir in the coconut milk, sugar and star anise.
4. When the sauce has heated through add the partially cooked chicken, potatoes and onions and mix in until well coated in the sauce. Bring the pan to a very gentle simmer then place on a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.
5. Next add the chopped sugar snap peas to the curry and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
6. Find and remove the star anise. Then taste the curry and season to your liking with lime juice and fish sauce.
7. Serve and top with freshly sliced red chillies, fresh coriander leaves and chopped cashews nuts.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍛 Other easy homemade curry recipes

• Thai Red Curry Recipe
• Fish Biryani
• Thai Green Curry Recipe
• Chicken Tikka Masala Curry
• Thai Green Prawn Curry
• Quick Chicken and Almond Curry
• Thai Panang Curry
• Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Print

Massaman Curry

Massaman curry recipe made with an aromatic curry paste, chunks of juicy chicken, sliced new potatoes and a Thai coconut cream sauce. Great served up with cashew nuts, sliced red chillies and fragrant fresh coriander.

Course Dinner, Main Course, main meal

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 440kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• large pan
• Bowl

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon Oil
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 Onion sliced
• 3 Chicken Breasts cubed 500g
• 250 g potatoes chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoon Massaman Curry paste homemade or shop bought
• 400 ml tin of Coconut milk full fat
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Star anise
• 100 g sugar snap peas roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon Fish sauce
• ½ a lime juiced
• Toppings: Fresh coriander sliced red chillies and chopped cashew nuts

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place a large pan on a medium heat and the oil, garlic and sliced onions and gently fry until starting to soften. Next add the chicken and stir fry to seal off the edges of the meat.
  ½ tablespoon Oil, 1 Garlic clove finely chopped, 1 Onion sliced, 3 Chicken Breasts cubed
• Add the sliced potatoes to the chicken and onions and continue to stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes so allowing the potatoes to start cooking. Then transfer the contents of the pan to a large bowl and set to one side.
  250 g potatoes
• Return the pan to the heat and add 2 large tablespoon of Massaman curry paste (homemade or shop bought). Cook for a minute or so and allow the paste to release its flavours. Turn the pan to a low heat and stir in the coconut milk, sugar and star anise.
  2 tablespoon Massaman Curry paste, 400 ml tin of Coconut milk, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 Star anise
• When the sauce has heated through add the partially cooked chicken, potatoes and onions and mix in until well coated in the sauce. Bring the pan to a very gentle simmer then place on a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.
• Next add the chopped sugar snap peas to the curry and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
  100 g sugar snap peas
• Find and remove the star anise. Then taste the curry and season to your liking with lime juice and fish sauce.
  ½ a lime juiced, ½ teaspoon Fish sauce
• Serve and top with freshly sliced red chillies, fresh coriander leaves and chopped cashews nuts.
  Toppings: Fresh coriander

Video

Notes

Chicken: This recipe uses raw chicken. However, cooked shredded chicken can also be used. This means you could buy a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken from a previous meal.

Potatoes: Choose a waxy variety that will hold together well such as Charlotte, Anya, baby or new potatoes. Leave the skins on for a more rustic finish and to add more fibre to your meal.

Coconut milk: Coconut milk is the base of most Thai curries. However, if you need a different option the best replacement in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you could also use yogurt (full fat).

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Chicken massaman curry: The chicken can be replace with your preferred meat or fish (lamb or cod are good options). Or swap in for veggies (courgette, aubergine, sweet potato) if you want to make a vegetarian tikka masala.

Coconut milk: This will have separated in the can so give it a shake and a stir before adding to the pan.

Spicy massaman curry: For an extra kick add in sliced chilli pepper or a few drops of Tabasco or a teaspoon of hot chilli powder.

How to store? Once made, allow the massaman curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.

What to serve with massaman curry? Serve up with a helping of jasmine rice or plain rice, plus extra cashew nuts, fresh chilli and fresh coriander.

Nutrition

Serving: 279g | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 1047mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1494IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 5mg

This post was first published in Jan 2020. Updated in Oct 2021 with new step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Massaman Curry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

A delicious, homemade chicken tikka masala curry that you will find yourself making again and again. After marinating the meat, this lovely curry can be made and on the table within 30 minutes. If you're really short on time you can skip the marinating time. Just mix the chicken into the marinade and add to the curry. However, the flavour of the chicken will be greatly enhanced by marinating for just 20 minutes and then cooking on griddle pan until lightly browned.

🥘 Ingredients

To make chicken tikka curry for 4 people you will need:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Passata: Passata is the best option for a making a smooth tomato based curry sauce. Alternatively use a tin of chopped tomatoes but whiz up in the blender.

Chicken: This recipe uses raw chicken. However, cooked shredded chicken can also be used. This means you could buy a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken from a previous meal.

Tikka masala paste: This recipe uses a homemade tikka masala paste, but if you are short on time you can buy a jar of paste.

Ground almonds: This adds a sweetness to the curry without having to add sugar. However, if you prefer, the almonds can be replaced with 2 teaspoon of sugar.

Plain yogurt: Use full fat yogurt to help keep the sauce nice and thick. This adds a creaminess to the sauce. If you want extra creamy sauce then replace with 2 tablespoon of double cream.

Fresh garlic and ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger will give the best flavour for this tikka curry, but a teaspoon of paste or jarred garlic/ginger could be used instead.

Tikka masala spices: Paprika, cinnamon, garam masala are used in this recipe which helps boost the flavour already provided by the tikka paste. I recommend using at least these spices and for a little extra flavour try adding a teaspoon of cumin and turmeric.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. First add 2 tablespoon of tikka masala paste and 120ml plain yogurt to a large bowl and mix together well to create a tikka marinade.
2. Slice the chicken breast into chunks and add to the tikka marinade. Alternatively slice or shred leftover or rotisserie chicken and add to the marinade. Stir well to completely coat the chicken. Cover and leave to marinade in the fridge for around 20 minutes. You can marinade for longer (max 2 hours) but don't over marinade as the chicken may start to become a bit mushy.
3. Next heat up a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and add finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Gently fry until the onions start to caramelise. 
4. Once the onions are caramelised add the juice of half a lemon, chopped coriander stems, 1 tablespoon of tikka masala paste and the ground spices. Mix together and continue to gently fry on a medium heat allowing the paste and spices to release their flavours.
5. Stir in the passata and ground almonds and bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat to slightly cool.
6. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge. At this point the chicken can either be added as it is directly to the curry sauce or can be griddle in a pan to brown the marinade. To griddle add the marinated chicken to a sizzlingly hot pan (no oil required). Fry until browned on both sides then remove from the pan into a bowl.
7. Add 2 tablespoon yogurt to the slightly cooled curry sauce and stir in well.
8. Next add the marinated chicken and fresh coriander leaves to the sauce. The marinated chicken can be browned off in the griddle pan first (step 6) or just added straight from the marinating bowl with all the marinade. Stir together well.
9. Bring the curry to a gentle simmer to ensure the chicken is cooked through before serving. If you have added raw marinated chicken directly to the curry simmer for 10 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍛 Other easy homemade curry recipes

• Thai Red Curry Recipe
• Fish Biryani
• Thai Green Curry Recipe
• Massaman Curry
• Thai Green Prawn Curry
• Quick Chicken and Almond Curry
• Thai Panang Curry
• Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Print

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry

A mild and fragrant chicken tikka masala curry made with homemade tikka paste, ground spices and fresh herbs. This easy to make tikka masala curry is perfect for a stay at home curry night and a great dish to whip up for a dinner party. Also a fantastic recipe for using up leftover or rotisserie chicken.

Course Dinner, evening meal, main meal

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 328kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl (to marinade chicken)
• large pan
• Griddle pan (optional)

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

• 500 g raw chicken breast or leftover/rotisserie chicken
• 2 tablespoons curry paste homemade or shop bought
• 120 ml plain yogurt

For the curry

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or minced
• 2 cm piece of fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
• ½ lemon juiced
• Handful fresh coriander stems chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry paste homemade or shop bought
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 400 g passata
• 40 g ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• Handful fresh coriander leaves

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• First add 2 tablespoon of tikka masala paste and 120ml plain yogurt to a large bowl and mix together well to create a tikka marinade.
  2 tablespoons curry paste, 120 ml plain yogurt
• Slice the chicken breast into chunks and add to the tikka marinade. Alternatively slice or shred leftover or rotisserie chicken and add to the marinade. Stir well to completely coat the chicken. Cover and leave to marinade in the fridge for around 20 minutes. You can marinade for longer (max 2 hours) but don't over marinade as the chicken may start to become a bit mushy.
  500 g raw chicken breast or leftover/rotisserie chicken
• Next heat up a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and add finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Gently fry until the onions start to caramelise.
  1 Onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 cm piece of fresh ginger
• Once the onions are caramelised add the juice of half a lemon, chopped coriander stems, 1 tablespoon of tikka masala paste and the ground spices. Mix together and continue to gently fry on a medium heat allowing the paste and spices to release their flavours.
  ½ lemon juiced, 1 tablespoon curry paste, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Stir in the passata and ground almonds and bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat to slightly cool.
  400 g passata, 40 g ground almonds
• Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge. At this point the chicken can either be added as it is directly to the curry sauce or can be griddle in a pan to brown the marinade. To griddle add the marinated chicken to a sizzlingly hot pan (no oil required). Fry until browned on both sides then remove from the pan into a bowl.
• Add 2 tablespoon yogurt to the slightly cooled curry sauce and stir in well.
  2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• Next add the marinated chicken and fresh coriander leaves to the sauce. The marinated chicken can be browned off in the griddle pan first (step 6) or just added straight from the marinating bowl with all the marinade. Stir together well.
  Handful fresh coriander leaves
• Bring the curry to a gentle simmer to ensure the chicken is cooked through before serving. If you have added raw marinated chicken directly to the curry simmer for 10 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked.

Notes

Passata: Passata is the best option for a making a smooth tomato based curry sauce. Alternatively use a tin of chopped tomatoes but whiz up in the blender.

Chicken: This recipe uses raw chicken. However, cooked shredded chicken can also be used. This means you could buy a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken from a previous meal.

Tikka masala paste: This recipe uses a homemade tikka masala paste, but if you are short on time you can buy a jar of paste.

Ground almonds: This adds a sweetness to the curry without having to add sugar. However, if you prefer, the almonds can be replaced with 2 teaspoon of sugar.

Plain yogurt: Use full fat yogurt to help keep the sauce nice and thick. This adds a creaminess to the sauce. If you want extra creamy sauce then replace with 2 tablespoon of double cream.

Fresh garlic and ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger will give the best flavour for this tikka curry, but a teaspoon of paste or jarred garlic/ginger could be used instead.

Tikka masala spices: Paprika, cinnamon, garam masala are used in this recipe which helps boost the flavour already provided by the tikka paste. I recommend using at least these spices and for a little extra flavour try adding a teaspoon of cumin and turmeric.

Chicken tikka curry: The chicken can be replace with your preferred meat or fish (lamb or cod are good options). Or swap in for veggies (courgette, aubergine, sweet potato) if you want to make a vegetarian tikka masala.

Spicy tikka curry: For an extra kick add in sliced chilli pepper or a few drops of Tabasco or a teaspoon of hot chilli powder.

How to store?
Once made, allow the tikka masala curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.

What to serve with chicken tikka masala?
Serve up with a helping of rice, naan bread, extra coriander leaves and wedges of lemon.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 1047mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2653IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 3mg

This post was first published in Aug 2016. Updated in Sept 2021 with an improved recipe, new photos, and new step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Chicken Tikka Masala Curry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

I love to make my own pastes for all my curries, you just can't beat the sweet and spicy aromas of fresh curry paste hitting the surface of a hot pan. Use this tikka masala curry paste recipe to make a chicken marinade for this amazing chicken tikka masala curry.

Theres also a whole world of pastes to explore once you've mastered making this one (see links below)! I also love to make my own biryani masala marinade for a tasty homemade fish biryani.

🥘 Ingredients

To make a small jar of tikka masala curry paste you will need:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Fresh ginger: Use fresh ginger if you can get hold of it. If not, a teaspoon of ginger paste, jarred ginger or ground ginger will work just fine.

Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic cloves will give the best flavour for this tikka paste, but a teaspoon of jarred or granulated garlic could be used instead.

Red chilli pepper: The chillies used here will ultimately determine how hot your curry is. So if you like it spicy then use hotter chillies. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger red chillies for a milder flavour. If you would prefer no spice at all then just replace the chillies with red bell pepper (capsicum).

Coriander: Coriander is a great flavour in tikka masala paste and so I don't recommend that you substitute or leave it out. This recipe uses both fresh and ground coriander for full flavour and a burst of colour.

Tikka masala spices: Cumin, garam masala and paprika are used in this recipe as the base for this tikka paste. I recommend using at least these spices and for a little extra flavour try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and turmeric.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Place all the ingredients into a small blender.
2. Add just 1 tablespoon of oil to begin with, more can be added as required.
3. Start the blender and blend until the ingredients start to come together into a paste.
4. If the blender has trouble getting going add another half tablespoon of oil of tomato puree. then after this add small amounts of tap water in between blending, until you are happy with the consistency.
5. Once completely blended the paste can be used immediately as a marinade. Mix 2 tablespoons of the tikka masala paste with 120ml of plain yogurt. Then cover raw or leftover cooked chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Alternatively you can jar up the paste and keep in the fridge for up to a month.

❓ Frequently asked questions

🍛 Other easy homemade curry pastes

• Thai red curry paste
• Massaman curry paste
• Thai green curry paste
• Thai yellow curry paste

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

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Homemade Tikka Masala Paste

Homemade tikka masala paste made with ground spices and fresh herbs. This easy to make tikka curry paste is great to have handy in the fridge, ready for your next impromptu curry night. Its fresh and aromatic and whizzed together in just 10 minutes.

Course paste

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 tablespoons

Calories 33kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small blender or smoothie maker
• Small jar for storage

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped

• 1 red chilli pepper seeds removed and roughly chopped

• 2 cm piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika or paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 30 g fresh coriander chopped including stems

• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients into a small blender.
  2 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli pepper, 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, 2 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon hot paprika, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 30 g fresh coriander, Pinch of sea salt
• Add just 1 tablespoon of oil to begin with, more can be added as required.
  1 tablespoon oil
• Start the blender and blend until the ingredients start to come together into a paste.
• If the blender has trouble getting going add another half tablespoon of oil of tomato puree. Then after this add small amounts of tap water in between blending, until you are happy with the consistency.
• Once completely blended the paste can be used immediately as a marinade. Mix 2 tablespoons of the tikka masala paste with 120ml of plain yogurt. Then cover raw or leftover cooked chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Alternatively you can jar up the paste and keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Video

Notes

Scaling this recipe: The ingredients for this recipe will make around 6 tablespoons of tikka paste (one small 110ml jar). To make more just increase the amounts of ingredients.

Consistency of the tikka paste: Make sure to only add small amount of water in between blending (½ a tablespoon at a time) otherwise your paste will be too thin.

Spicy tikka paste: For an extra kick add a few drops of Tabasco or a teaspoon of hot chilli powder.

How to store? Once made, tikka masala paste can be transferred to a jar and kept in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to use tikka masala paste? I like to mix this tikka paste with plain yogurt to create a beautiful marinade for sliced chicken breasts. The marinaded chicken can then be used in this tasty chicken tikka masala curry. But of course you could use any meat or fish. Also use as a marinade for vegetables to make a vegetarian curry. Or if you don't have time to make a paste, check out my quick chicken and almond curry.

Can you buy tikka masala paste? If you prefer you can just buy a jar of paste from the supermarket. Sometimes a jar of paste and a packet of microwave rice are just the ticket on a busy weekday night. That said, if I have the time and where-with-all to get out my blender and chop up a few ingredients, then I most certainly will. Not only does homemade curry paste taste amazing but the fragrant aromas that fill the kitchen are just too good to miss.

Is there a difference between tikka and tikka masala? Tikka usually means pieces of marinated meat cooked in a tandoor or grilled. Tikka masala uses the marinated meat in a curry sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was first published in Aug 2016. Updated in Sept 2021 with an improved photos, and new step by step instructions and expert tips.

The post Homemade Tikka Masala Paste appeared first on ProperFoodie.

A fragrant and creamy Thai green prawn curry recipe with plump and juicy prawns and nutty edamame beans. Make your own Thai green prawn curry at home with this simple recipe and this easy to make Thai green curry paste. Better than a takeaway any night of the week.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

A creamy and aromatic curry recipe that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Prawn curry is a great option for a healthy meal and its super easy to just throw the prawns in the pan. No need to chop up any raw meats, so it saves you time and the mess.

This Thai green prawn curry is adapted from the Thai recipes I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand. I've closely match ingredients where I can and used pre ground spices.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this easy Thai green prawn curry you will need:

Ingredient notes

Coconut milk: The best replacement for coconut milk in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you can also use yogurt or milk. If using milk I would recommend adding flour as well, as described in the recipe, to help keep the sauce thick.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Prawns: The prawns can be substitute for your preferred meat or fish. See Thai green chicken curry option. For a vegetarian option replace the prawns with extra veggies and remember to replace the fish sauce with either soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Thai green curry paste: For best results I recommend making the Thai green curry paste yourself. However, if you don't have time to make the paste the best alternative is to buy a jar of pre-made paste. Bear in mind that the homemade paste can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Edamame beans: Any type of green bean will work well here. I usally opt for soy or green beans. If you want more veg try with tenderstem broccoli, pak choi, baby corn, red onion, finely chopped carrot, aubergine, or courgette..

Flour: The flour is used in this recipe as a thickening agent. If you prefer a Thai green sauce with a thin consistency or if you are making a gluten free version then leave this out. See expert tips below for alternative ways to thicken a curry sauce.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Place a wok or large shallow pan onto a medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of Thai green curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release the flavours.
2. Next add a can  coconut milk and stir well until fully combined with the paste.
3. Continue to stir until heated through.
4. Next add a small amount of cold water to 1 tablespoon of plain flour and mix into a paste. Add this to the sauce and stir in. Continue to heat and stir until sauce starts to thicken. (Skip this step if gluten free and see expert tips below for other ways to thicken the sauce)
5. Add the raw king prawns to the green sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. TIP: do not boil as this will cause the sauce to thin out.
6. Season with lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar and fish sauce (if you're making a vegetarian curry replace the fish sauce with a vegan fish sauce or seaweed paste). Stir well and cook at a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until prawns are bright pink.
7. Next, add your choice of vegetables (I added edamame beans) and heat for a further 1-2 minutes or until veg is cooked but still crisp and bright green.
8. Top with fresh basil, fresh chillies and Crispy onions. Dish up and serve with rice.

📖 Recipe

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Thai Green Prawn Curry

A fragrant and creamy Thai green prawn curry recipe with plump and juicy prawns and nutty edamame beans. Make your own Thai green prawn curry at home with this simple recipe and this easy to make Thai green curry paste. Better than a takeaway any night of the week.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 668kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Wok or large shallow pan

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon of homemade Thai green paste or shop bought green paste if you’re short on time
• 400 ml can of full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon plain flour for thickening - optional do not use if making a gluten free version
• 250 g king prawns
• Juice and zest of half a lime
• 2 teaspoon soft brown sugar
• Few splashes of fish sauce
• 150 g frozen edamame beans
• Basil leaves fresh chillies and crispy onions to serve (optional)
• Rice to serve optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place a wok or large shallow pan onto a medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of Thai green curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release the flavours.
• Next add a can of coconut milk and stir well until fully combined with the paste.
• Continue to stir until heated through.
• Next add a small amount of cold water to 1 tablespoon of plain flour and mix into a paste. Add this to the sauce and stir in. Continue to heat and stir until sauce starts to thicken. (Skip this step if gluten free and see expert tips below for other ways to thicken the sauce)
• Add the raw king prawns to the green sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. TIP: do not boil as this will cause the sauce to thin out.
• Season with lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar and fish sauce (if you're making a vegetarian curry replace the fish sauce with a vegan fish sauce or seaweed paste). Stir well and cook at a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until prawns are bright pink.
• Next, add your choice of vegetables (I added edamame beans) and heat for a further 1-2 minutes or until veg is cooked but still crisp and bright green.
• Top with fresh basil, fresh chillies and Crispy onions. Dish up and serve with rice.

Notes

Extra spiciness: If you like your Thai green curry spicy then add chopped, fresh green chillies during cooking or as a topping. Taste the chillies first so you have a rough idea of how much heat you're adding. The curry paste already contains chillies so if you're not a fan of too much heat then don't go crazy. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger green chillies for a milder flavour.

How to make curry sauce thicker: Use full fat coconut milk in the recipe. Add full fat yogurt to the sauce. Instead of serving rice at the side, mix it directly into your curry whilst still in the pan. If adding vegetables that release water during cooking (e.g. courgettes, mushrooms) roast these in the oven first and then mix into the finished curry. Or add flour to the curry. To avoid flour lumps forming I usually mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a bit of water to form a paste. Then add the flour paste to the curry and mix well.

How much curry paste is needed to make a curry? 2-3 tablespoon of paste is usually enough when making a curry for 2-4 people.

How to store? Once made, allow the Thai green curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.

Is this recipe gluten free? Yes its gluten free, as long as you don't use the above flour option for thickening. But do always check the packets of the individual ingredients you are using. Generally the main ingredients in this curry are naturally gluten free.

Nutrition

Calories: 668kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 315mg | Sodium: 1239mg | Potassium: 894mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3599IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 12mg

The post Thai Green Prawn Curry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

A creamy and full flavoured Thai red curry recipe with tender chunks of chicken and oven roasted veggies. Make this simple Thai red curry in just 30 minutes and for a boost of flavour try it with homemade Thai red curry paste.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

A creamy and aromatic curry recipe that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Perfectly tender chicken coated in coconut curry sauce and finished with fiery chillies and coriander leaves.

Thai red curry is also great on a week night when you want something quick and tasty, that doesn't take too much effort. This particular recipe is a Thai chicken curry but feel free to replace the meat with your preferred choice or with extra vegetables.

This Thai red chicken curry recipe is adapted from the Thai recipes I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand. I've closely match ingredients where I can and used pre ground spices.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this easy Thai red curry recipe you will need:

Ingredient notes

Shallots: The sweeter flavour of shallots compared to onions works really well in this creamy dish. However, you can swap for onion if you prefer.

Coconut milk: The best replacement for coconut milk in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you can also use yogurt or milk. If using milk I would recommend adding flour as well, as described in the recipe, to help keep the sauce thick.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Chicken: The chicken can be substitute for your preferred meat or fish. Or try a Thai green prawn curry. For a vegetarian option replace the chicken with extra veggies and remember to replace the fish sauce with either soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Ginger: Use fresh or jarred. Or for a more authentic taste use Thai ginger otherwise known as galangal (Kha).

Thai red curry paste: For best results I recommend making the Thai red curry paste yourself. However, if you don't have time to make the paste the best alternative is to buy a jar of pre-made paste. Bear in mind that the homemade paste can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Courgette: I love to add sweet and juicy roasted courgettes to this creamy Thai curry. However, this can be substituted for your preferred veg. Try with roasted aubergine or mushrooms for a similar bulk and texture. Or try with some crunchy greens like mangetout, tenderstem broccoli, or pak choi.

Flour: The flour is used in this recipe as a thickening agent. If you prefer a Thai red sauce with a thin consistency or if you are making a gluten free version then leave this out. See expert tips below for alternative ways to thicken a curry sauce.

Red Chilli: The red chilli is used as a topping to the curry and will add extra heat to the dish. Taste the chilli first so you have a rough idea of how much heat you're adding. The curry paste already contains chillies so if you're not a fan of too much heat then don't go crazy with the extra chillies. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger red chillies for a milder flavour.

Fresh coriander: A suggested topping for extra flavour, but its optional.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C (fan) (400°F). Slice the courgette into ¼ cm thick circles and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and salt then bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Set to one side to cool.
2. Next place a large, shallow pan on a medium heat. Add half tablespoon oil and the chopped garlic to the pan. Fry the garlic for 10-20 seconds to allow the flavour to be released. Next add the slice shallots and ginger and continue to cook until soft.
3. Add the chicken to the pan and stir fry with the shallots until sealed all over. Transfer the chicken and shallots to a bowl and set to one side.
4. Return the pan to the heat. Add 3 tablespoon of red curry paste (homemade or from a jar) and briefly cook for 30 seconds to allow the flavours to release.
5. Next add the tin of coconut milk and mix well with the paste.
6. Whilst the coconut milk is still relatively cool stir in the flour paste. Continue to heat and stir until the liquid heats up and gradually thickens. (Skip this step if making a gluten free version and see expert tips below for other ways to thicken the sauce).
7. Once thickened add the chopped bell pepper and the pre cooked shallot and chicken mixture. Stir together well then add a splash of fish sauce, lime juice and 2 teaspoon of sugar to season.
8. Before a final blast of heat, transfer the roasted courgettes to the pan and stir in. Allow the pan to heat gently and then simmer for couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
9. Serve with your choice of rice or naan bread (or both) and top with freshly sliced chillies and fresh coriander (optional).

📖 Recipe

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Thai Red Curry

A creamy and full flavoured Thai red curry with tender chunks of chicken and oven roasted veggies. Make this simple Thai red curry in just 30 minutes and for a boost of flavour try it with homemade Thai red curry paste.

Course Dinner, Main Course, main meal

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 674kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Baking tray for roasting courgettes
• large pan for the curry

Ingredients

• 200 g courgette cut into circles ½ cm thick
• ½ tablespoon oil for courgettes
• Salt to season courgettes
• ½ tablespoon oil for garlic and shallots
• 1 clove finely chopped or minced garlic
• 150 g sliced shallots
• Small piece of finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks 260g
• 3 tablespoon red curry paste - homemade or jarred
• 400 ml tin of full fat coconut milk
• 1 medium red bell pepper roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon plain flour mixed with a bit of cold water to form a paste
• Splash of fish sauce
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar or palm sugar
• ½ a lime juiced
• Fresh red chillies and coriander leaves for toppings optional
• Basmati rice or naan bread to serve optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Start by preparing the courgettes. Pre heat the oven to 180°C (fan) (400°F). Slice the courgette into ¼ cm thick circles and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt then bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Set to one side to cool.
• Next prepare the curry. Place a large, shallow pan on a medium heat. Add half tablespoon oil and the chopped garlic to the pan. Fry the garlic for 10-20 seconds to allow the flavour to be released. Next add the slice shallots and ginger and continue to cook until soft.
• Add the chicken to the pan and stir fry with the shallots until sealed all over. Transfer the chicken and shallots to a bowl and set to one side.
• Return the pan to the heat. Add 3 tablespoon of red curry paste (homemade or from a jar) and briefly cook for 30 seconds to allow the flavours to be released.
• Next add the whole tin of coconut milk and mix well with the paste.
• Whilst the coconut milk is still relatively cool stir in the flour paste. Continue to heat and stir until the liquid heats up and gradually thickens.
• Once thickened add the chopped bell pepper and the pre cooked shallot and chicken mixture. Stir together well then add a splash of fish sauce, lime juice and 2 teaspoon of sugar to season.
• Before a final blast of heat, transfer the roasted courgettes to the pan and stir in. Allow the pan to heat gently and then simmer for couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• Serve with your choice of rice or naan bread (or both) and top with freshly sliced chillies and fresh coriander (optional).

Video

Notes

Coconut milk: The best replacement for coconut milk in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you can also use yogurt or milk. If using milk I would recommend adding flour as well, as described in the recipe, to help keep the sauce thick.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Chicken: The chicken can be substitute for your preferred meat or fish. Or try a Thai green prawn curry. For a vegetarian option replace the chicken with extra veggies and remember to replace the fish sauce with either soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Flour: The flour is used in this recipe as a thickening agent. If you prefer a Thai red sauce with a thin consistency or if you are making a gluten free version then leave this out. See tips below for alternative ways to thicken a curry sauce.

Extra spiciness: If you like your Thai red curry spicy then add chopped, fresh red chillies during cooking.

Storage: Once made, allow the Thai red curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.

How to make curry sauce thicker: Use full fat coconut milk in the recipe. The reduced fat versions are more watery and so will ultimately thin out the sauce. Coconut milk can also lose its consistency when boiled rapidly over a prolonged period. So even though reducing a sauce does thicken it, rapidly boiling in this instance will not help. When making this recipe, ensure that the the finished Thai red curry is heated gently to just a simmer before serving. 

Other options for thickening the Thai red curry sauce include:

• Add full fat yogurt, but be aware that this will reduce the spiciness of the dish, so you may need to add more chillies at the same time. Only add yogurt right at the end of cooking - too much heat and the yogurt will curdle. Take the Thai red curry off the heat and stir in enough yogurt to reach your desired consistency.
• Instead of serving rice at the side, mix it directly into your curry whilst still in the pan. Then serve.
• If adding vegetables that release water during cooking (e.g. courgettes, mushrooms) roast these in the oven first and then mix into the finished curry.
• Add flour to the curry. To avoid flour lumps forming I usually mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a bit of water to form a paste. Then add the flour paste to the curry and mix well. For best results add the flour paste before its heated up to much. Then stir continually until the sauce thickens and the flour is 'cooked out'.

Nutrition

Serving: 645g | Calories: 674kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 1714mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2203IU | Vitamin C: 117mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 9mg

This post was first published in April 2019. Updated in May 2021 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step photos and expert tips

The post Thai Red Curry Recipe appeared first on ProperFoodie.

A fragrant and creamy Thai green curry recipe with tender chunks of chicken and crunchy green vegetables. Make your own Thai green chicken curry at home with this simple recipe and this easy to make Thai green curry paste. Better than a takeaway any night of the week.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

A creamy and aromatic curry recipe that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Perfectly tender chicken coated in coconut curry sauce and finished with fiery chillies and crispy onions. Simple and delicious.

Thai green curry is also great on a week night when you want something quick and tasty, that doesn't take too much effort. This particular recipe is a Thai chicken curry but feel free to replace the meat with your preferred choice or with extra vegetables.

This Thai green chicken curry recipe is adapted from the Thai recipes I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand. I've closely match ingredients where I can and used pre ground spices.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this easy Thai green curry recipe you will need:

Ingredient notes

Coconut milk: The best replacement for coconut milk in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you can also use yogurt or milk. If using milk I would recommend adding flour as well, as described in the recipe, to help keep the sauce thick.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Chicken: The chicken can be substitute for your preferred meat or fish. Or try a Thai green prawn curry. For a vegetarian option replace the chicken with extra veggies and remember to replace the fish sauce with either soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Thai green curry paste: For best results I recommend making the Thai green curry paste yourself. However, if you don't have time to make the paste the best alternative is to buy a jar of pre-made paste. Bear in mind that the homemade paste can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Mangetout: I love the crisp and fresh flavour of mangetout in this creamy Thai curry. However, this can be substituted for your preferred veg. Try with tenderstem broccoli, pak choi, baby corn, red onion, finely chopped carrot, aubergine, courgette or green beans.

Flour: The flour is used in this recipe as a thickening agent. If you prefer a Thai green sauce with a thin consistency or if you are making a gluten free version then leave this out. See expert tips below for alternative ways to thicken a curry sauce.

Chillies: The chillies are used as a topping to the curry and will add extra heat to the dish. Taste the chillies first so you have a rough idea of how much heat you're adding. The curry paste already contains chillies so if you're not a fan of too much heat then don't go crazy with the extra chillies. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger green chillies for a milder flavour. I like to use red chillies just for the contrasting colours on the top.

Coriander, basil and onions: This are all suggested toppings and are optional.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Place a wok or large shallow pan onto a medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of Thai green curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release the flavours.
2. Next add a can a coconut milk and stir well until fully combined with the paste.
3. Continue to stir until heated through.
4. Next add a small amount of cold water to 1 tablespoon of plain flour and mix into a paste. Add this to the sauce and stir in. Continue to heat and stir until sauce starts to thicken. (Skip this step if gluten free and see expert tips below for other ways to thicken the sauce)
5. Add the raw, cubed chicken to the green sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. TIP: do not boil as this will cause the sauce to thin out.
6. Season with lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar and fish sauce (if you're making a vegetarian curry replace the fish sauce with a vegan fish sauce or seaweed paste). Stir well and cook at a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
7. Next, add your choice of vegetables (I added mangetout) and heat for a further 1-2 minutes or until veg is cooked but still crisp and bright green.
8. Top with fresh basil, coriander, fresh chillies and Crispy onions. Dish up and serve with rice.

📖 Recipe

Print

Thai Green Curry Recipe

A fragrant and creamy Thai green curry recipe with tender chunks of chicken and crunchy green vegetables. Make your own Thai green chicken curry at home with this simple recipe and this easy to make Thai green curry paste. Better than a takeaway any night of the week.

Course Dinner, Main Course, main meal

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 763kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Wok or large shallow pan

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon of homemade Thai green paste or shop bought green paste if you’re short on time
• 400 ml can of full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon plain flour for thickening - optional (do not use if making a gluten free version)
• 500 g Chicken breast chopped into bitesize cubes
• Juice and zest of half a lime
• 2 teaspoon soft brown sugar
• Few splashes of fish sauce
• 125 g Mangetout
• Basil leaves fresh coriander, fresh chillies and crispy onions to serve (optional)
• Rice to serve optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place a wok or large shallow pan onto a medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of Thai green curry paste and cook for 1 minute to release the flavours.
• Next add a can a coconut milk and stir well until fully combined with the paste.
• Continue to stir until heated through.
• Next add a small amount of cold water to 1 tablespoon of plain flour and mix into a paste. Add this to the sauce and stir in. Continue to heat and stir until sauce starts to thicken. (Skip this step if making a gluten free version and see expert tips below for other ways to thicken the sauce).
• Add the raw, cubed chicken to the green sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. TIP: do not boil as this will cause the sauce to thin out.
• Season with lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar and fish sauce (if you're making a vegetarian curry replace the fish sauce with a vegan fish sauce or seaweed paste). Stir well and cook at a simmer for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Next, add your choice of vegetables (I added mangetout) and heat for a further 1-2 minutes or until veg is cooked but still crisp and bright green.
• Top with fresh basil, coriander, fresh chillies and Crispy onions. Dish up and serve with rice.

Video

Notes

Coconut milk: The best replacement for coconut milk in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you can also use yogurt or milk. If using milk I would recommend adding flour as well, as described in the recipe, to help keep the sauce thick.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Thai green curry paste: For best results I recommend making the Thai green curry paste yourself. However, if you don't have time to make the paste the best alternative is to buy a jar of pre-made paste. Bear in mind that the homemade paste can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Flour: The flour is used in this recipe as a thickening agent. If you prefer a Thai green sauce with a thin consistency or if you are making a gluten free version then leave this out. See expert tips below for alternative ways to thicken a curry sauce.

Extra spiciness: If you like your Thai green curry spicy then add chopped, fresh green chillies during cooking.

How to make curry sauce thicker: Use full fat coconut milk in the recipe. The reduced fat versions are more watery and so will ultimately thin out the sauce. Coconut milk can also lose its consistency when boiled rapidly over a prolonged period. So even though reducing a sauce does thicken it, rapidly boiling in this instance will not help. When making this recipe, ensure that the the finished Thai green curry is heated gently until just boiling before serving. 

Other options for thickening the Thai green curry sauce include:

1. Add full fat yogurt, but be aware that this will reduce the spiciness of the dish, so you may need to add more chillies at the same time. Only add yogurt right at the end of cooking - too much heat and the yogurt will curdle. Take the Thai green curry off the heat and stir in enough yogurt to reach your desired consistency.
   Instead of serving rice at the side, mix it directly into your curry whilst still in the pan. Then serve.
2. If adding vegetables that release water during cooking (e.g. courgettes, mushrooms) roast these in the oven first and then mix into the finished curry.
3. Add flour to the curry. To avoid flour lumps forming I usually mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a bit of water to form a paste. Then add the flour paste to the curry and mix well. For best results add the flour paste before its heated up to much. Then stir continually until the sauce thickens and the flour is 'cooked out'.

Storage: Once made, allow the Thai green curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.

Nutrition

Serving: 400g | Calories: 763kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 1517mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4354IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 10mg

This post was first published in May 2018. Updated in March 2021 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step photos and expert tips

The post Thai Green Curry Recipe appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Homemade Thai red curry paste, full flavoured and whipped up in just 10 minutes. Use this easy Thai paste recipe in the base of a lovely homemade Thai red curry or jar it up and keep it in the fridge or freezer until its needed.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Most curry recipes will call for some kind of curry paste, whether thats homemade or out of a jar grabbed off the supermarket shelf. Theres nothing wrong with the latter if you're short on time and ingredients. However, you just can't beat fresh homemade curry paste. Not only does it taste amazing but the fragrant aromas that fill the kitchen are just too good to miss.

This paste takes just 10 minutes to make and its the best base for making a tasty, Thai red curry. Its also the starting point for making Thai yellow paste, Massaman curry paste, Massaman curry, Panang curry and Jungle curry. So all the more reason to make plenty of this amazing Thai red curry paste.

This recipe is adapted from the Thai recipes I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this easy Thai red curry paste recipe you will need:

Ingredient notes

Red chillies: The chillies used here will ultimately determine how hot your curry is. So if you like it spicy then use hotter chillies. For Thai red Curry paste, red chillies are required. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger red chillies for a milder flavour. If you would prefer no spice at all then just replace the chillies with red bell pepper (capsicum).

Ginger: If you can get hold of galangal (Thai ginger) then definitely use that here. If not, ginger paste, jarred ginger or standard fresh ginger is just fine.

Ground Coriander: Coriander is a great flavour in Thai paste and so I don't recommend that you substitute or leave it out. This recipe uses just ground coriander but feel free to add a bit of fresh coriander as well for a bit of extra flavour and a burst of colour.

Garlic: Use garlic paste or 2 cloves of garlic, if preferred.

Lemongrass: You can substitute this for jarred lemongrass if preferred.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Start by preparing the ingredients: Roughly chop the shallots, red chillies (seeds removed), and lemongrass, and peel and slice the garlic and ginger (if using fresh).
2. Set up a small blender or smoothie maker. Then add all of the ingredients plus 1 tablespoon of water.
3. Start the blender and blend until a thick, smooth paste has formed. If the blender has trouble getting going add another tablespoon of water. Make sure to only add small amounts of water otherwise your paste will be too thin.
4. Use the paste to make a Thai red Curry or transfer to a jar or sealable containers and refrigerate for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

💭 Expert tips

• Blending the paste: Use a small blender to make the Thai red paste. If the ingredients don't blend together easily then add a bit of water or olive oil to help get it going. Only add small amounts (1 tbsp) of water or oil each time. Too much and the paste will become thin and runny.
• Make in advance: Curry pastes are great to make in advance as they store easily and can be used directly in whatever curry you are making as soon as you are ready to make it. I like to batch make my curry pastes and then split into small containers. Each container has enough to make one curry for 2-4 people (3-4 tbsp). These can be stored in the fridge or freezer and then called upon when needed. Frozen paste can be microwaved for a minute or two and can then be used right away.
• Scaling this recipe: The ingredients for this recipe will make around 6 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste. To make more just increase the amounts of ingredients. Doubling the ingredients will produce 12 tablespoons.

❓ Frequently asked questions

📖 Recipe

Print

Thai Red Curry Paste

Homemade Thai red curry paste, full flavoured and whipped up in just 10 minutes. Use this easy Thai paste recipe in the base of a lovely homemade Thai red curry or jar it up and keep it in the fridge or freezer until its nee

Course Main Course, meal prep, paste

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 tablespoon

Calories 39kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small blender or smoothie maker

Ingredients

• 100 g Shallots
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 2 garlic cloves
• 10 g jarred ginger pieces or 10g piece of fresh ginger
• 2 large red chillies
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 or 2 tablespoon of water if needed for blending

Instructions

• Start by preparing the ingredients: Roughly chop the shallots, red chillies (seeds removed), and lemongrass, and peel and slice the garlic and ginger (if using fresh).
• Set up a small blender or smoothie maker. Then add all of the ingredients plus 1 tablespoon of water.
• Start the blender and blend until a thick, smooth paste has formed. If the blender has trouble getting going add another tablespoon of water. Make sure to only add small amounts of water otherwise your paste will be too thin.
• Use the paste to make a Thai red Curry or transfer to a jar or sealable containers and refrigerate for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Is this curry paste hot? Out of all the Thai currys, Thai green curry is the hottest, despite the belief that Thai red curry is the hotter of the two. This is mainly down to the chillies used. Green chillies (particularly green birds eye chilli peppers) tend to be hotter than red. But in general the smaller the chilli (red or green) the hotter it becomes. So whether the paste is hot or too spicy for you, is dependent on the type of chillies used and the amounts.

If you like it spicy add plenty of small red chillies. If not, add less and go for a bigger sized chilli pepper or for no head use bell peppers (capsicum). If a milder curry is much more your thing then try Panang curry, or Massaman curry, or even a Thai yellow curry.

How much curry paste is needed to make a curry? 2-3 tablespoon of paste is usually enough when making a curry for 2-4 people.

How to store? Once made, Thai red curry paste can be transferred to a jar and kept in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Blending the paste: Use a small blender to make the Thai red paste. If the ingredients don't blend together easily then add a bit of water or olive oil to help get it going. Only add small amounts (1 tbsp) of water or oil each time. Too much and the paste will become thin and runny.

Make in advance: Curry pastes are great to make in advance as they store easily and can be used directly in whatever curry you are making as soon as you are ready to make it. I like to batch make my curry pastes and then split into small containers. Each container has enough to make one curry for 2-4 people (3-4 tbsp). These can be stored in the fridge or freezer and then called upon when needed. Frozen paste can be microwaved for a minute or two and can then be used right away.

Scaling this recipe: The ingredients for this recipe will make around 6 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste. To make more just increase the amounts of ingredients. Doubling the ingredients will produce 12 tablespoons.

Nutrition

Serving: 48g | Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 144IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was first published in March 2019. Updated in April 2021 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step photos and expert tips.

The post Thai Red Curry Paste appeared first on ProperFoodie.

A fragrant and spicy Thai green curry paste. Make your own Thai green paste at home with this simple and quick recipe that can be whipped up in 10 minutes. Use this Thai paste as a base for a fragrant, homemade Thai green curry recipe or jar it up and save for later.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Most curry recipes will call for some kind of curry paste, whether thats homemade or out of a jar grabbed off the supermarket shelf. Theres nothing wrong with the latter. Sometimes a jar of paste and a packet of microwave rice are just the ticket on a busy weekday night. That said, if I have the time and where-with-all to get out my blender and chop up a few ingredients, then I most certainly will. Not only does homemade curry paste taste amazing but the fragrant aromas that fill the kitchen are just too good to miss.

This recipe is adapted from the Thai recipes I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this easy Thai green curry paste recipe you will need:

Ingredient notes

Green chillies: The chillies used here will ultimately determine how hot your curry is. So if you like it spicy then use hotter chillies. For Thai green Curry paste, green chillies are required. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger green chillies for a milder flavour. If you would prefer no spice at all then just replace the chillies with green bell pepper (capsicum).

Ginger: If you can get hold of galangal (Thai ginger) then definitely use that here. If not, standard fresh ginger is just fine. If you can't get hold of any type of fresh ginger than you can substitute for jarred ginger.

Coriander: Coriander is a great flavour in Thai paste and so I don't recommend that you substitute or leave it out. This recipe uses both fresh and ground coriander for full flavour and a burst of colour.

Garlic: You can substitute for 2 teaspoon of garlic paste, instead of cloves, if preferred.

Lime: this paste recipe uses both the juice and the zest

Lemongrass: You can substitute this for jarred lemongrass if preferred.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Start by preparing the ingredients: Roughly chop the shallots, lemongrass and green chillies, peel and slice the garlic and ginger, and zest the whole lime and juice half of it.
2. Set up a small blender or smoothie maker. Then add all of the ingredients plus 1 tablespoon of water.
3. Start the blender and blend until a thick, smooth paste has formed. If the blender has trouble getting going add another tablespoon of water. Make sure to only add small amount of water (1 tablespoon at a time) otherwise your paste will be too thin.
4. Use the paste to make a Thai green Curry or transfer to a jar or sealable containers and refrigerate for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

💭 Expert tips

• Blending the paste: Use a small blender to make the Thai green paste. If the ingredients don't blend together easily then add a bit of water or olive oil to help get it going. Only add small amounts (1 tbsp) of water or oil each time. Too much and the paste will become thin and runny.
• Make in advance: Curry pastes are great to make in advance as they store easily and can be used directly in whatever curry you are making as soon as you are ready to make it. I like to batch make my curry pastes and then split into small containers. Each container has enough to make one curry for 2-4 people (3-4 tbsp). These can be stored in the fridge or freezer and then called upon when needed. Frozen paste can be microwaved for a minute or two and can then be used right away.
• Scaling this recipe: The ingredients for this recipe will make around 6 tablespoons of Thai green paste. To make more just increase the amounts of ingredients. Doubling the ingredients will produce 12 tablespoons.

❓ Frequently asked questions

📖 Recipe

Print

Thai green curry paste

A fragrant and spicy Thai green curry paste. Make your own Thai green paste at home with this simple and quick recipe that can be whipped up in 10 minutes. Use this Thai paste as a base for a fragrant, homemade Thai green curry recipe or jar it up and save for later.

Course Dinner, paste, sauce

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 tablespoon

Calories 42kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small blender

Ingredients

• 100 g Shallots roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 10 g piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
• 8 green finger small chillies
• 1 large green chilli pepper
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 20 g fresh coriander stems and leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ lime juiced
• 1 lime zested
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 or 2 tablespoon of water if needed for blending

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Start by preparing the ingredients: Roughly chop the shallots, lemongrass and green chillies, peel and slice the garlic and ginger, and zest the whole lime and juice half of it.
• Set up a small blender or smoothie maker. Then add all of the ingredients plus 1 tablespoon of water.
• Start the blender and blend until a thick, smooth paste has formed. If the blender has trouble getting going add another tablespoon of water. Make sure to only add small amounts of water (1 tablespoon at a time) otherwise your paste will be too thin.
• Use the paste to make a Thai green Curry or transfer to a jar or sealable containers and refrigerate for 1 week or freeze for 1 month.

Video

Notes

Is this curry paste hot? Out of all the Thai currys, Thai green curry is the hottest, despite the belief that Thai red curry is the hotter of the two. This is mainly down to the chillies used. Green chillies (particularly green birds eye chilli peppers) tend to be hotter than red. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger green chillies for a milder flavour. If you would prefer no spice at all then just replace the chillies with green bell pepper (capsicum).

How much curry paste is needed to make a curry? 2-3 tablespoon of paste is usually enough when making a curry for 2-4 people.

How to store? Once made, Thai green curry paste can be transferred to a jar and kept in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Blending the paste: Use a small blender to make the Thai green paste. If the ingredients don't blend together easily then add a bit of water or olive oil to help get it going. Only add small amounts (1 tbsp) of water or oil each time. Too much and the paste will become thin and runny.

Make in advance: Curry pastes are great to make in advance as they store easily and can be used directly in whatever curry you are making as soon as you are ready to make it. I like to batch make my curry pastes and then split into small containers. Each container has enough to make one curry for 2-4 people (3-4 tbsp). These can be stored in the fridge or freezer and then called upon when needed. Frozen paste can be microwaved for a minute or two and can then be used right away.

Scaling this recipe: The ingredients for this recipe will make around 6 tablespoons of Thai green paste. To make more just increase the amounts of ingredients. Doubling the ingredients will produce 12 tablespoons.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was first published in May 2018. Updated in March 2021 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step photos and expert tips.

The post Thai Green Curry Paste appeared first on ProperFoodie.

When Christmas is over, the decorations are away and all the pretty colourful lights have been taken down. Winter is truly upon us and there’s nothing on the horizon to cheer us up. On top of all this doom and gloom there always seems to be an abundance of chocolate and sugary snacks knocking about, not that this is all bad news, we all need a bit of chocolate in our lives! But for me, the aftermath of Christmas seems to create a hungry, chocolate-eating monster, which is never satisfied and forever aggravated by the constant supply of leftover Christmas treats.  And yet we’re all supposedly on “New Year, New Me” diets. Its probably the worst time to go on a diet, when all I ever want in January is a huge pile of mash with lashings of onion gravy followed by 3 Terry's chocolate oranges and a couple of mint matchmakers, hmmmmm.

But, people, let’s not despair, instead let’s get out a humongous bowl of chicken and wild rice mulligatawny soup and laugh in the face of coldness and darkness. Rejoice in the bright colours and nutritious goodness of the chicken, wild rice, carrots, tarragon, and curry powder. Spring will be here before we know it!! …..and so will August and our wedding!! So I best put those chocolates to the back of the cupboard and then get thinking about my waistline and the dress I hope to look ‘oh so graceful and fairy like’ in. So once the choccies are out of sight and out of mind, full attention can be given to the healthy stuff and the best way to make it tasty and comforting.

How to make Mulligatawny soup

The recipe for this bowl of mulligatawny soup, is really simple and includes plenty of veggies and protein to get anyone back on the right track. Best of all its one of those recipes that can hoover up all the leftover bits and bobs, including leftover turkey if you want to swap that in for the chicken. You can even include veggies that are on the cusp of, or just over, their best before dates. As this is a soup and everything is thrown in the pot and simmered down, veggies can be limp and lifeless when they go in the pan and with a bit of love and a good mix with some curry powder, they can be revitalised into what is now my favourite winter meal.

Ingredients for mulligatawny soup

My personal must-have  ingredients for this dish are green, Golden Delicious apples, which melt into a sweet, mushy sauce; and carrots cut into thin, stubby batons, which soften-up during cooking and pair amazingly well with the sweet apple and aniseed flavoured tarragon. However, if you don’t have apples and tarragon you can swap for dried fruits (currants, apricots) and fresh coriander, which tastes just as good.  The main staples for my version of this great Indian classic are shredded Chicken and a mixture of long grain and wild rice. However, any variations can be used for this: leftover turkey or pork meat, chunks of white fish such as cod or haddock, white rice, wholegrain rice, small pastas (orzo, macaroni) or even diced potatoes and sweet potatoes. Open your fridge and cupboards and find the best veggies and carbs that will make your kind of mulligatawny!

For an extra treat, serve up this soup with my easy homemade bread rolls.

📖 Recipe

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Mulligatawny Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A warming chicken and wild rice mulligatawny soup perfect for a cold winters night and great for using up leftover meat and veggies

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Calories 292kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 Onions finely chopped
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 large carrot peeled and chopped into small batons
• 1 green apple cubed
• 150 g of long grain and wild rice
• Splash of white wine
• 700 ml Chicken stock
• 2 tablespoon Curry powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
• 2 teaspoon Black onion seeds
• 1 tablespoon brown muscovado sugar
• 200 g Chicken or turkey meat shredded
• 1 tablespoon Plain flour
• Handful of fresh tarragon leaves
• Seasoning
• Harissa paste or fresh chilli for extra flavour and heat if desired

Instructions

• Heat the oil in large pan. Gently fry the onions and garlic until soft. Add the uncooked rice to the pan and stir well ensuring each grain is coated in oil. Keeping the pan on a medium heat and add the splash of wine and half the stock. Then add the carrot, apple, curry powder, ground coriander, onion seeds and sugar. Bring to the boil and then simmer.
• Top up with the remaining stock as required. Once all the stock has been added mix in the chicken or turkey and continue to simmer and reduce. After the 30 minutes check the consistency. If the soup is thinner than you would like make a paste using the tablespoon of plain flour and a little cold water. Add the paste to the soup and stir continuously until it thickens. Add more flour paste if required. If your soup is too thick add water until you are happy with the consistency. Always check the taste and add more spices if the taste has been watered down.
• Taste the soup and season if desired. At this point the soup can be transferred to seal-able containers, left to cool and then frozen. If serving immediately, divide into bowls and top with fresh tarragon. If desired a tablespoon of harissa paste or fresh chopped chillies can be stirred in just before serving to give extra flavour or heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 410g | Calories: 292kcal | Fat: 7.4g

Nutritional Info

**Estimated nutritional information per serving of chicken mulligatawny and per 100g of Chicken mulligatawny. If you want to find out more about how the information is calculated and the sources used, please refer to my Nutrition Information Guide.

The post Mulligatawny Chicken and Wild Rice Soup appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Chicken and almond Curry

Sometime the body craves a good old British curry and our tummies will not be satisfied with anything less.

With takeaways and curry houses all over the place, its no hardship to pop out and fulfil that need to gorge on a rich lamb rogan josh or creamy chicken korma. And of course there's always plenty of room for popadums, and samosa,  and naan bread. . . and you can't just get one type can you - - you have to try the peshwari naan and the chilli naan and ooh what about a coriander naan  🙄

It can all get out of control very quickly. Trust me I know - I have been there, I have walked the dark path of shame the next morning with a slight garlic hangover and huge bloated belly.

So, what to do?? Obviously you know I'm going to tell that you can make it yourself. And homemade curry is one of the most satisfying things to eat, once you've gone to the effort of making it! My usual chicken tikka curry, although fantastic, does take a while to make and does including the making of your own tikka paste. Likewise for my super authentic Thai green curry with Thai green curry paste, Thai red curry with Thai red curry paste and Massaman curry with Massaman curry paste. All very nice, and great if you have the whole day to cook and you're after a romantic dinner recipe for a cosy night in. But not great when its late and you need a curry - right now.

The point of this recipe was to create a tasty authentic curry dish, with minimal ingredients and time, but maximum flavour and enjoyment. The fact that this can also be thrown into one pan really saves on time and washing up. I do like a one pan meal and even like to make my own fish biryani rice dish in the tradition dum way (steaming everything in one pot).

Easy chicken curry ingredients

So here they are - the basic ingredients needed to make a great, simple, healthy and super quick chicken curry

• Chicken breast
• Bell pepper
• Tinned tomatoes
• Curry powder
• Ground almonds
• Garlic
• Juice of half a lemon
• Fresh coriander
• Flaked almonds

No coconut milk, or yogurt or cream or lashings of oil. This is curry, at its best, without the overload of fat and calories.

How to make quick chicken curry

To make this dish, all you need to do is pop everything into one big pan. - I promise its that straight forward. I usually start by sprinkling the raw chicken with the curry powder and adding a bit of seasoning.

The chicken is then quickly fried off in a hot griddle pan with the addition of fresh coriander stalks. The griddle pan really speeds up the cooking process and is what makes this recipe 'super quick'.

Once the chicken is browned off and cooked through, everything else is added to the pan - in no particular order. Then stirred and simmered for a few minutes - so it looks like this ↓

YUMMY!!

How do I make my chicken curry sauce thicker?

The griddle pan is also really useful for helping to create a nice thick sauce, as it quickly evaporates away any excess water from the tinned tomatoes.

And thats it - done - serve up, top with yogurt and toasted, flaked almonds (optional!!) and tuck in!

I personally find this chicken curry to be fantastic on its own, particularly if its mid week and I'm trying to eat healthily. However, a bit of rice or roti bread will help make this a truly, great Indian feast.

Other chicken recipes you can make in a hurry

• Cajun chicken pasta
• Sesame seed chicken
• Dragon chicken
• Sweet and sour chicken
• Chicken and Leek recipe
• Homemade chicken noodle soup
• Chicken pesto pasta
• Italian Chicken Cacciatore
• Spicy chicken soup
• Paprika chicken wraps
• Chicken satay

📖 Recipe

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Quick Chicken and Almond Curry

Its time for curry!! A one pan meal, prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes with all the taste and flavour of an Indian take away.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 453.6kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 400 g Chicken breast diced fat trimmed off
• 30 g fresh coriander separate the stems from the leaves
• 2 teaspoon medium curry powder
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• Sea salt and Black pepper
• Half tablespoon olive/coconut oil
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes plus 1 can refilled with water
• 20 g ground almonds
• 100 g orange bell pepper roughly chopped
• juice of half a lemon

Optional:

• 1 tablespoon fat free Greek Yogurt
• 10 g Toasted almond flakes

Equipment:

• Griddle pan

Instructions

• For best and quickest results use a large griddle pan for cooking. Food items will cook a lot quicker using this method so remember to check and stir regularly.
• 1.Firstly prepare the fresh coriander by separating the stems from the leaves. Place the leaves to one side for later. Finely chop the stems and also place to one side.
• 2.Next dice the chicken into 2cm cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the curry powder, coriander stems, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and mix well to fully coat in the seasoning.
• 3.Place the griddle pan on a medium-high heat and add the oil. Then add the seasoned chicken to the griddle pan and fry off evenly, using a wooden spoon to stir and turn the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked and a golden brown colour on all sides, add the bell pepper, tinned tomatoes, ground almonds, and stir well. Refill the tomato can with tap water and place to one side.
• 4.Bring the curry to a gently simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes. Place a lid over the pan during this time, if you have one. Check regularly and gradually add the water from the tomato can if the sauce begins to get too dry.
• 5.Add the lemon juice, stir and remove from the heat.
• 6.Taste and add more seasoning or lemon juice if desired.
• 7.Finally, roughly chop the coriander leaves and add to the curry before serving.
• Serve in bowls topped with yogurt and flaked almonds.
• NB: If cooking up a large batch the curry can be transferred to sealable containers and frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

Click here to see the traffic light nutritional information for this recipe>>

Nutrition

Serving: 493g | Calories: 453.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.9g | Protein: 69.8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 560mg | Sugar: 10.5g

The post Quick Chicken and Almond Curry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Chicken Satay

Chicken Satay is the perfect summer comfort food. Its warm and creamy, yet light and refreshing, with plenty of Asian flavours knocking about to ensure your tastebuds will not be disappointed. Sauces, condiments and dressings can sometimes be the trickiest part of a recipe, but often this is the very thing that makes a meal really great. This satay sauce is so quick and so simple that it leaves no excuses for not turning a simple piece of Chicken into a really fantastic dinner.

And just to show off how easy and super duper this dish really is, and to let you know how much I love it, theres not 1 but 2 videos below. Thats right - I'm getting super fancy now with videos as well as photos!!

Satay Ingredients

My satay sauce requires no more than soy sauce, peanut butter and tahini with a teaspoon of coriander, a squeeze of lime juice and grated ginger and garlic.

Quinoa Salad

Because this is most definitely a summer dish, I love to serve my chicken satay with a full flavoured quinoa salad.

Fluffy quinoa mixed with squash, mint and edamame beans help keep this salad bright, refreshing, healthy and of course mega tasty.

Quinoa is one of the easiest grains to cook. Just cover with stock, pop on a lid, simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed, then set to one side with the lid on for 10 minutes, before fluffing up with a fork.

To make this recipe even more lovable and mid-week worthy; make the sauce ahead of time and use as a marinade for the chicken until you are ready to cook. The quinoa salad will also keep well in the fridge, if made the day before.

If you love this satay sauce recipe, check out my easy tikka paste recipe which is also great with chicken and good to keep handy in the fridge.

**Estimated nutritional information per serving of chicken satay and quinoa salad and per 100g. If you want to find out more about how the information is calculated and the sources used, please refer to my Nutrition Information Guide.

Watch how to make squash and edamame quinoa salad

📖 Recipe

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Chicken Satay and Quinoa Salad

Juicy chicken breasts smothered and baked in a sweet satay sauce, with a good helping of squash and edamame quinoa salad and extra sauce for dipping

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine Asian, Indonesian

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 586kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

For the Chicken Satay

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cm piece of ginger peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce for gluten free recipe check soy sauce is a gluten free version
• 2 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon Tahini
• 1 Juice of lime
• 50 ml cold water

for the quinoa salad

• 100 g dried quinoa
• 500 ml veg stock
• ½ Juice of lime
• 150 g butternut squash - skin removed and squash cubed
• 50 g edamame beans
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• Black pepper

To Garnish

• Extra mint leaves
• Chopped cashew nuts
• Fresh cornflowers if desired

Instructions

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C

For the Chicken satay

• In a large bowl grate the ginger and garlic, then add the dried coriander, soy sauce, peanut butter, tahini, lime juice and water. Whisk together well until smooth a creamy. Spoon out a few large spoonfuls of the satay sauce and set to one side to serve as dip later on.
• Using a sharp knife score one side of the chicken breasts with 3 diagonal cuts (this allows the satay to soak into the middle of the chicken). Place the chicken into the bowl of sauce and coat well. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to marinade for at least 30 minutes, if you have time marinate over night.

For the Quinoa salad

• Place the cubed squash on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the paprika. Place in the pre heated over and bake for 20 minutes. Check half way through and turn.
• Meanwhile put the quinoa in a small pan, cover with the stock and pop on a lid. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water has absorbed. Take off the heat, add juice from half a lime and set to one side with the lid still on for 10 minutes. Then fluff up with a fork, and add the baked squash, edamame beans, mint leaves and black pepper. Mix carefully with a fork. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

To cook the chicken:

• Transfer the chicken to an oven proof dish and pour over any excess sauce. Place in the middle of a pre heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice in half on the diagonal, check its cooked through.

To serve

• Spoon out the quinoa salad and place the chicken on top before finishing off with chopped cashews, cornflower petals and extra wedges of lime.

Video

Notes

Click here for traffic light nutritional Info for this recipe >>

Nutrition

Serving: 393g | Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.4g | Protein: 48.5g | Fat: 26.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.3g | Fiber: 5g

I am linking this recipe to #cookblogshare hosted by hijackedbytwins, recipesmadeeasy, everydayhealthyrecipes and Easypeasyfoodie. I am also linking to #brilliantblogposts by honestmum, #CookOnceEatTwice hosted by seachingforspice, and #recipeoftheweek hosted by aMummyToo.

The post Chicken Satay and Quinoa Salad appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Healthy Turkey Meatballs in a Moroccan meatballs sauce is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy minced turkey. The fact that its high in protein and low in fat is just an added bonus, because these amazing meatballs in this delicious Moroccan sauce taste incredible.  A good helping of meatballs and giant couscous contains less than 500kcal, under 2g of saturates, and 2 portions of veggies.

For another Moroccan twist on the nutritious turkey why not check out my Slow Cooker Turkey Tagine?

Meatball sauce

I just love Moroccan Tagine flavours, all that warm, rich, sweet flavour, with prunes and root veggies, and yummy couscous on the side. Its all so moreish and wonderful. For my Moroccan style meatball sauce I use chicken stock, passata, ras el hanout paste, ginger and mixed spice.

A bonus about this dish is that the Moroccan sauce is separate and so its up to you whether the whole lot goes all over the meatballs, or of its drizzled on top of the couscous, or if its kept to the side as a dip.

Personally, I prefer the whole lot poured all over the meatballs with a bit of creme fraiche on the side.

Turkey Meatballs with Moroccan Couscous recipe ingredients

The ingredients you will need to make this recipe are:

1. In a large bowl mix together the turkey mince, egg, prunes and breadcrumbs.
2. Use your hands to form small meatballs from the turkey mixture. Place shaped meatballs onto the large plate.
3. Place a griddle pan on a high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Gently transfer the meatballs to the heat pan and brown all over - turn the meatballs to give an even colouring
5. For the sauce add the stock, passata, ras el hanout paste, ginger and mixed spice to a small bowl or jug - mix together well and then pour over the meatballs
6. Add the Place a lid over the meatball pan and simmer them in the sauce for a good 10 minutes. Ensure meatballs are cooked through (nice a firm) before serving.

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart?

The key to making your meatballs hold together is the egg and the breadcrumbs.  The egg and the breadcrumbs combine to bind the meatballs but too many breadcrumbs can dry the meatballs too much and cause the to break.  The breadcrumbs should be added to a meatball mix until it can be shaped without feeling too soggy.  When these meatballs are browned you should have achieved the Best Turkey Meatballs!

Can you cook meatballs from frozen?

The meatballs in this recipe can be made ahead of time and frozen for a quick evening meal any day of the week.  Meatballs should be cooked in the sauce and then cooled and frozen immediately.

The meatballs will keep in the freezer for around 3 months but should be consumed sooner if possible.

Defrost the meatballs and reheat in a pan or a wok until piping hot throughout. serve and enjoy.

The couscous is a really simple salad, which is the perfect accompaniment to these Moroccan meatballs. The veg and chickpeas are roasted in the oven, whilst the giant couscous simmers on the hob. When ready, just mix together and serve.

Absolutely stunning - I could eat these Moroccan meatballs all day long.

📖 Recipe

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Turkey Meatballs with Moroccan Couscous

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 495kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

For the Cous Cous Salad

• 150 g Courgette diced
• 150 g aubergine diced
• 100 g red onion
• 210 g tinned chickpeas 130g drained
• Drizzle of oil
• Black pepper
• 170 g Giant CousCous I used Merchant Gourmets giant couscous
• 250 ml chicken stock

For the meatballs

• 500 g minced Turkey
• 1 medium egg whisked
• 40 g breadcrumbs
• 130 g pitted prunes roughly chopped
• 200 ml passata
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 4 teaspoon Ras el hanout paste available in most supermarkets
• 0.5 teaspoon ginger
• 0.5 teaspoon mixed spice

Instructions

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C

For the Couscous Salad

• Place the diced courgette, aubergine, red onion and chickpeas into a large bowl. Add the oil and pepper then mix together well ensuring the vegetables are well coated with the oil. Next transfer the veggies onto a baking tray and spread out. Place the tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check half way and turn with a spatula.
• Meanwhile place the couscous in a small saucepan add the stock, cover with a lid and then place on a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the pan off the heat and leave to stand with the lid on for at least 5 minutes. drain off any water still remaining and then fluff the couscous with a fork.
• Once the veggies are cooked remove from the oven and mix in with the cooked couscous - set to one side ready to serve later on.

For the meatballs

• In a large bowl mix together the turkey mince, egg, prunes and breadcrumbs. Place a large empty plate or tray at the side of the bowl.use your hands to form small meatballs from the turkey mixture. Place shaped meatballs onto the large plate. Once all the turkey has been made into meatballs place a large frying pan or griddle pan on a high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Gently transfer the meatballs to the heat pan and brown all over - use tongues to constantly turn the meatballs to give an even colouring all over. Remove from the heat.
• Next add the stock, passata, ras el hanout paste, ginger and mixed spice to a small bowl or jug - mix together well and then pour over the meatballs (hold back some of the sauce and heat separately if you would like some for the couscous or some to use as dip). Place a lid over the meatball pan and simmer them in the sauce for a good 10 minutes. Ensure meatballs are cooked through (nice a firm) before serving.
• Serve the meatballs alongside the couscous salad with chopped parsley and creme fraiche.

Video

Notes

click here for traffic light nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.4g | Fiber: 4.4g

The post Turkey Meatballs with Moroccan Couscous appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Spicy Chicken Soup with yellow and green split peas

If you're ever in need of a recipe that will feed a crowd but isn't the usual hot pot, chicken tikka masala curry or chilli con carne, then a spicy chicken soup, which is actually more of stew, will always do the job. This particular soup is also bulked up with split peas, which soak up all the spicy Indian flavours and also adds a wonderful texture to the soup.

What do you put in a homemade chicken soup?

Generally when it comes to chicken or turkey soup  - anything goes. Its great for using up leftovers and clearing out the fridge. So its especially good at Christmas when theres plenty of leftover turkey and veggies. So even though its not written in the recipe - if you have leftover carrots, leftover leeks, leftover potatoes - whatever - chuck em in!

In the recipe below I've actually stayed more true to a tarka dahl type curry - using onions, tomatoes and pulses as the base of the dish. But the beauty of this soup is that you can choose what goes in and what stays out. And that includes the spices. . . . Theres a great article here: for inspiration on different spices and how you can use them.

How do you make spicy chicken soup?

If you are using leftover chicken or turkey then this goes in towards the end of the recipe. Same goes for raw chicken accept a little prep is required before hand, where the chicken is seared off in a pan first. The rest of the ingredients, apart from the split peas, all go into one big pan and are cooked down into a soup. The split peas are boiled in water in a separate pan for around 45 minutes to ensure they are nice and soft before being mixed into the soup.

How can I spice up a chicken soup?

If you have ever asked yourself this question then this recipe is your answer! Turmeric, garam masala, cumin seed, fresh coriander, fresh chilli, and garlic -  all provide an array of spice and flavour and really do boost a chicken soup in both colour and taste. Of course a very similar recipe to this, which will also give the same affect, is mulligatawny soup. - My recipe for this uses carrots, nigella(onion) seeds, and wild rice - love it!! If you're after a more mellow soup why not try tuscan ribollita soup, leek and potato soup or creamy cauliflower soup.

This soup is made extra special with the toppings of creme fraiche, spring onion and fresh coriander - It just wouldn't be the same without these 🙂 Enjoy!!

OTHER SPICY RECIPES:

• Thai red curry
• Thai red curry paste
• Thai green curry
• Thai green curry paste
• Massaman curry
• Massaman curry paste
• Thai yellow curry paste
• Chicken tikka masala curry
• Homemade Tikka masala paste
• Fish biryani
• Quick chicken and almond curry
• Spicy chicken soup
• Mulligatawny chicken and wild rice soup

For more recipe ideas for a cosy night in have a look at my romantic dinner recipes post.

📖 Recipe

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Spicy chicken soup

A delicious spicy chicken soup crammed full of Indian spices, off-set by sweet vine tomatoes and cooling creme fraiche. With the addition of both yellow and green spilt peas this filling soup not only satisfies the hungriest of crowds but also ticks the box for a healthy and nutritious meal. And if thats not enough - its also great for using up leftover turkey or leftover chicken!!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup, starter

Cuisine British, Indian, leftovers

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 people

Calories 470kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 200 g yellow split peas
• 200 g green split peas
• 800 g raw Chicken breast or 650g cooked leftover Chicken/Turkey
• ½ tablespoon olive oil (to cook chicken if using raw)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying off the onions)
• 500 g onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped (7g)
• 500 g vine tomatoes quartered and seeds scooped out and discarded.
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon medium curry powder
• Salt and pepper
• 2 green chillies finely chopped (25g)
• 2 tablespoon tomato puree
• 500 ml water

To serve:

• Creme fraiche
• Sliced spring onion
• Fresh coriander

Instructions

• Place the split peas into a medium sized pan, cover with double the amount of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on (or follow instructions on pack).
• Whilst the split peas are cooking prepare the raw chicken (skip this step if using cooked chicken or turkey): Slice the chicken into 2 cm chunks. Heat up half a tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the raw chicken. Seal the meat on all sides and fry for at least 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set to one side.
• Check the split peas - add more water if needed and keep at a simmer.
• Next start to make the soup: In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Next add the quartered vine tomatoes (seeds removed), followed by the turmeric, cumin seeds, garam masala, curry powder, and seasoning. Stir well ensuring the spices fully coat the onions and tomatoes. Cook for a further 2 minutes to allow the tomatoes to soften.
• Next add the chopped green chilli, tomato puree and 500ml tap water. Stir well.
• Now mix in the chicken breast that was sealed off earlier. Or if using pre cooked / leftover turkey or chicken now is the time to slice or shred this and add to the soup. Mix well and bring everything to a simmer.
• Finally return to the split peas - taste test to see if they are cooked through and soft. If so, drain and transfer to the soup. Mix well one last time.
• If the soup appears a little thin, continue to simmer on a low heat until reduced down to the right consistency.
• Serve up and top with creme fraiche, spring onions and fresh coriander. Or transfer and store in sealable containers. This soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Click here to see the traffic light nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 460g | Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 49.7g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Potassium: 240mg | Sugar: 10.2g

The post Spicy Chicken Soup (/leftover turkey soup) appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Fish biryani recipe

Biryani isn't really a curry - its a rice dish, a rice dish thats sealed in the pan and then 'baked' on the stove. Theres no 'curry gravy' going on here. If you are looking for something a little more saucy then a Thai green curry, Thai red curry, Massaman curry, chicken tikka masala curry or chicken and almond curry should do the trick. For a veggie option I always, always opt for a warming and aromatic red lentil tarka dahl.

There is, however, a lovely, creamy, biryani marinade in this recipe. Its used to initially flavour the fish, but is then mostly soaked up into the rice during cooking. The meat for this dish goes in raw and traditionally the biryani recipe uses mutton. However, to keep this dish nice and light and easy to cook I've opted for cod. But any white chunky fish would work well here. I do love a good fish and rice dish and I'm always on the look out for anything that makes this combination a little more interesting. Like my fish kedgeree, haddock and rosemary risotto or giant wild rice salad with salmon and eggs.

Biryani rice

To produce perfectly cooked rice in a biryani dish, the rice should be briefly cooked to al dente in a pan of simmering water, before transferring to the dum biryani (cooking pot). Traditional recipes and the recipe below use basmati rice, which should fluff up nicely at the end of the cooking process.

Biryani spices

A mixture of Indian spices are used in a biryani. These include ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric. The other main spice is biryani masala, however, in this recipe I have used garam masala, which is a more accessible spice. If you would prefer to use biryani masala you can prepare this yourself at home. Have a look at this biryani masala recipe for further details.

What is Dum Biryani?

Traditionally dum biryani is the description of the cooking process. Dum means cooking on low and effectively baking the dish in a sealed container. In this recipe I have tried to replicate this process by cooking the fish biryani is a large pan with the lid on and over a low heat on the stove. The dish is cooked like this for 20 minutes, allowing the fish and rice to cook through until the fish flakes into pieces and the rice is fluffy.

How to make Fish Biryani

1. In a large bowl mix together the ground coriander, chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric, and garlic ginger paste.
2. Next, add yogurt to the spice mix and combine together to form a paste
3. Add the fish to the biryani paste and coat well. Then set to one side and allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile fry off diced onions and sliced green chillies in a large pan. Cook until golden brown and just starting to char.
5. Remove the onions from the heat and add the marinated fish and all the sauce.
6. Layer al dente rice (simmered in water for 3 minutes only) over the top of the fish
7. Add lemon juice and saffron soaked in water
8. Place on the lid and cook on the stove on low for 20 minutes.
9. After 20 minutes remove the lid, mix well and garnish with chopped coriander

How do you keep biryani rice from sticking to the pan?

To stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan during cooking place the fish and marinade sauce in the bottom of the pan before the rice and make sure the base is fully covered. Diced tomatoes can also be added to the base along with the fish to fully ensure that the rice doesn't stick.

How long can you keep fish biryani in the fridge?

The biryani will keep well in the fridge for 48 hours. Ensure that the biryani is fully cooled before refrigerating.

Can you freeze and reheat rice dishes?

Yes rice dishes can be frozen and reheated, just ensure the rice is completely cooled before going in the freezer. When reheating make sure the rice is fully defrosted then, for best results add a splash of water and reheat in the microwave.

OTHER CURRY RECIPES:

• Thai red curry
• Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
  
• Thai green curry
  
• Massaman curry
• Chicken tikka masala curry
  
• Quick chicken and almond curry
• Spicy chicken soup
• Mulligatawny chicken and wild rice soup

For more recipe ideas for a cosy night in have a look at my romantic dinner recipes post.

📖 Recipe

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Fish Biryani

Lightly spiced fish biryani made with a yogurt biryani sauce and cooked in one pot with layered fish, rice and saffron. The dish is served with fresh coriander and extra yogurt topped with chilli flakes and oil

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 480.5kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 300 g Uncooked white basmati rice
• 600 ml boiling water
• Pinch of salt

For the biryani marinade:

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon Garlic ginger paste
• 250 g whole plain natural yogurt
• 600 g boneless and skinless cod fillets

For the biryani

• ½ tablespoon oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 200 g Red onions finely chopped
• 5 small green chillies chopped
• A few Saffron strands
• 1 juice of a lemon

To serve:

• Fresh coriander
• Extra yogurt
• chilli flakes

Equipment:

• Large bowl
• Large pan for cooking rice
• Large shallow pan with lid

Instructions

To make the rice

• Add 300g of uncooked rice to a large pan the cover with approximately 600ml boiling water from the kettle. Add a pinch of salt then simmer on medium heat for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes drain and rinse under the cold tap to cool the grains and stop the cooking process. At this point the rice should be barely cooked (al dente). The rice will be fully cooked through later, for now, set to one side.

To make the biryani marinade:

• In a large bowl mix together ½ teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, and 1 tablespoon garlic ginger paste.
  
• Next, add 250g whole plain yogurt to the spice mix and combine together to form a paste.
  
• Add the fish to the biryani paste and mix to coat well. Then set to one side and allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes.
  

To make the biryani

• Whilst the fish in marinating, fry off 200g diced red onions and 5 sliced green chillies in a large pan (one with a lid). Cook until golden brown and just starting to char. Remove the pan from the heat and add the marinated fish and all the sauce.
  
• Next layer the al dente rice over the top of the fish followed by a squeeze of lemon juice and saffron strands soaked in water for 2 minutes.
  
• Place the lid on the pan and cook on the stove on low for 20 minutes.
  
• After 20 minutes remove the lid, mix well and garnish with chopped coriander.
  
• Serve with extra yogurt topped with oil and chilli flakes (optional)

Video

Notes

Click here to see traffic light nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 354g | Calories: 480.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 73.1g | Protein: 37.4g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 240mg | Sugar: 8.3g

The post Fish Biryani appeared first on ProperFoodie.

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Thai panang Curry is milder and sweeter than both red and green curry but it still keeps a deliciously creamy and complex flavour. This is thanks to the use of extra ingredients including ground coriander and crushed peanuts. Whats more, these simple additions are easy to get hold of in the shops, so this chicken panang curry is really easy to replicate at home.

This Thai panang curry recipe is adapted from the Thai recipes I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand. I've closely match ingredients where I can and used pre ground spices.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this easy Thai panang curry you will need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 600g chicken breast cubed
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced into semi circles (260g)
• 2 orange bell peppers sliced (300g)
• 150g baby corn sliced in half length ways
• 1 red chilli pepper finely chopped 15g
• 2 tablespoon Thai yellow curry paste (homemade or from a jar)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peanuts
• 1 tin full fat coconut milk 400ml
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
• Fish sauce to season
• 2 dried kaffir lime leaves
• Fresh basil leaves, plain yogurt and freshly sliced red chilli pepper to serve (optional)

Ingredient notes

Chicken: The chicken can be substitute for your preferred meat or fish. Try with white chunky fish instead, such as cod, haddock or hake.

Carrots, bell peppers and corn: Substitute for your preferred veg. I found that the flavour and colour of these particular veg work really well in panang curry.

Thai yellow curry paste: For best results I recommend making the Thai yellow curry paste yourself. However, if you don't have time to make the paste the best alternative is to buy a jar of pre-made paste. Bear in mind that the homemade paste can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Peanuts: Replace with your preferred type of nut (try with cashews for a creamier flavour) or leave out all together.

Coconut milk: The best replacement for coconut milk in terms of consistency and flavour is cream. This can be a little heavy so you can also use yogurt or milk. If using milk I would recommend adding flour as well, as described in the recipe, to help keep the sauce thick.

Flour: The flour is used in this recipe as a thickening agent. If you prefer a curry sauce with a thin consistency or if you are making a gluten free version then leave this out. See expert tips below for alternative ways to thicken a curry sauce.

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient in Thai cooking and completely transforms the dish. I highly recommend using fish sauce in this recipe for the best flavour. If you can't get hold of any or if you are making a vegetarian curry, you can substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large shallow pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes until browned all over. Remove the chicken and set to one side.
2. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil. Then add the chopped carrot, bell pepper, baby corn and finely chopped red chilli. Pan fry for a couple of minutes then remove and set to one side along with the browned chicken.
3. Place the pan back on the heat. Add the 2 tablespoon of Thai yellow curry paste and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped peanuts. Stir the peanuts into the paste as it heats. Cook the paste and nuts for 1-2 minutes to allow the flavours to release.
4. Next pour the coconut milk over the paste and stir well to combine into a yellow curry sauce.
5. Heat the sauce gently (do not boil) whilst adding 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 kaffir lime leaves and a good shake of fish sauce (to taste).
6. Next, in a small bowl or ramekin, add a little water to the tablespoon of flour and stir into a loose paste. Pour the paste into the curry. Keep heating the sauce and continue to stir allowing it to thicken.
7. Once thickened return the chicken and veg to the sauce and stir well.
8. Bring the curry to a gentle simmer then place on a lid and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. When the chicken is cooked remove the lime leaves and serve with plain yogurt, fresh basil leaves and sliced red chillies.

📖 Recipe

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📋 Chicken Panang curry

A creamy and aromatic Thai Panang Curry made with juicy chunks of chicken, crushed peanuts and a sweet Thai yellow curry paste. The spice in this Thai panang curry is balanced out with  cool yogurt and sweet coriander, and it can be ready and on the table in just 30 minutes.

Course Main Course, main meal

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 565kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Large shallow frying pan or wok
• Small dish or ramekin
• 2 medium bowls for setting aside chicken and veg once fried off in the pan

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 600 g chicken breast cubed
• 250 g carrots peeled and sliced into semi circles
• 300 g orange bell peppers sliced
• 150 g baby corn sliced in half length ways
• 1 red chilli pepper finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon yellow curry paste homemade or from a jar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peanuts
• 400 ml tin full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon Fish sauce to season
• 2 dried kaffir lime leaves

To serve:

• Fresh basil leaves
• Plain yogurt
• Freshly sliced red chilli pepper

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large shallow pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes until browned all over. Remove the chicken and set to one side.
• Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil. Then add the chopped carrot, bell pepper, baby corn and finely chopped red chilli. Pan fry for a couple of minutes then remove and set to one side along with the browned chicken.
• Place the pan back on the heat. Add the 2 tablespoon of Thai yellow curry paste and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped peanuts. Stir the peanuts into the paste as it heats. Cook the paste and nuts for 1-2 minutes to allow the flavours to release.
• Next pour the coconut milk over the paste and stir well to combine into a yellow curry sauce.
• Heat the sauce gently (do not boil) whilst adding 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 kaffir lime leaves and a good shake of fish sauce (to taste).
• Next, in a small bowl or ramekin, add a little water to the tablespoon of flour and stir into a loose paste. Pour the paste into the sauce. Keep heating the sauce and continue to stir allowing it to thicken.
• Once thickened return the chicken and veg to the sauce and stir well.
• Bring the curry to a gentle simmer then place on a lid and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• When chicken is cooked remove the lime leaves and serve the curry with plain yogurt, fresh basil leaves and sliced red chillies.

Video

Notes

How to store? Once made, allow the Thai green curry to completely cool then transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for 2 days or or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot throughout.

Vegetarian option: For a vegetarian option replace the chicken with extra veggies and remember to replace the fish sauce with either soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or seaweed paste.

Extra spiciness: If you like your Thai curry spicy then add chopped, fresh green chillies during cooking or as a topping. Taste the chillies first so you have a rough idea of how much heat you're adding. Use the smaller, thinner finger chillies for extra heat or use the larger green chillies for a milder flavour.

How to make curry sauce thicker: Use full fat coconut milk in the recipe. The reduced fat versions are more watery and so will ultimately thin out the sauce. Coconut milk can also lose its consistency when boiled rapidly over a prolonged period. So even though reducing a sauce does thicken it, rapidly boiling in this instance will not help.

Other options for thickening the Thai green curry sauce include: Add full fat yogurt to the sauce. Instead of serving rice at the side, mix it directly into your curry whilst still in the pan. If adding vegetables that release water during cooking (e.g. courgettes, mushrooms) roast these in the oven first and then mix into the finished curry. Or add flour to the curry. To avoid flour lumps forming I usually mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a bit of water to form a paste. Then add the flour paste to the curry and mix well.

Is this recipe gluten free? Yes its gluten free, as long as you don't use the above flour option for thickening. But do always check the packets of the individual ingredients you are using. Generally the main ingredients in this curry are naturally gluten free.

What to serve with this recipe? I usually serve Chicken Panang curry with plain yogurt, fresh basil leaves and freshly sliced chilli. A squeeze of lime juice would also work really well. In addition, there are a number of side dishes you could serve up as well including basmati rice, coconut rice, pilau rice and spring rolls.

Nutrition

Serving: 455g | Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 1340mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 14422IU | Vitamin C: 124mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Thai Panang Curry appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Meal kits

Cooking from scratch is great when you have the time and the inclination. If we're talking Thai then I love to make a spicy Thai green chicken curry with my own Thai green curry paste or even a refreshing mango salad with a zesty Thai dressing. However, life isn't always that fabulous.

Sometimes I'm home late, or I've not done the shopping, or sometimes I just really don't feel like cooking for hours on end. For those occasions its good to have something to hand thats quick, tasty, easy to make and cheap to buy - but isn't a take away or a ready meal. Thai Taste meal kits fit that bill perfectly, providing the basics to authentic Thai dishes but still allowing room for a bit of cooking and for a bit of artistic flare. And by that I mean the option to choose what goes into the dish in terms of meat and veggies. - Go wild if you like or keep it nice and simple.

For other quick and tasty one pan meals have a look at my super quick chicken and almond curry. easy Chicken Noodle Pho, healthy salmon and prawn linguine or how about a traditional dum-style fish biryani?

Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

Each kit contains the the essentials to get you started, so all you need is some meat and a few chopped vegetables. I had a go at making the Pad Thai noodles kit, which is basically a Thai stir fry. The kit comes with rice noodles, Pad Thai sauce and a chilli and peanut mix. The Pad Thai meal kit would work with most meats or even with just vegetables if you prefer a meat-free option.

Chicken or prawns are my go-to stir fry option or even a mixture: chicken and prawn Pad Thai anyone?!! I opted for a prawn Pad Thai with this kit and added in a selection of veg including mangetout, yellow bell pepper, spring onion and fresh chilli. I also had an egg to scramble into the mix and some fresh coriander and lime wedges for serving.

How do you make Pad Thai noodles?

1. Finely chop your choice of fresh vegetables (mangetout, bell pepper and spring onion) and fresh chilli pepper.
2. Cook Noodles in a pan of boiling water for 8 minutes or per packet instructions
3. Add oil, raw prawns (or other choice of meat) and chopped chilli to a pan on a medium heat and stir fry until prawns are pink. For vegetarian option replace the meat with extra vegetables such as bean sprouts, baby corn and carrot)
4. Add chopped vegetables and continue to stir fry. Then move Pad Thai ingredients to one side, crack in an egg and scramble.
5. Add Thai Taste Pad sauce, the cooked noodles and the peanut mix
6. Then stir together well
7. Serve and garnish with fresh coriander. wedges of lime and extra freshly chopped chilli

Can you make Pad Thai ahead of time?

With the Thai Taste meal kit, you're already pretty much well on your way to a 'make ahead meal'. But to get it on the plate even quicker, the veg could be chopped earlier on and chilled in the fridge until needed. If using chicken this could also be diced in advance. However, I would only do this up to 24 hours beforehand and only with super fresh chicken. Prawns are even easier and don't require any pre preparation.

How do you make authentic Pad Thai sauce?

These recipe packs take all the hassle out of making that perfect Pad Thai sauce - as its already done for you! One of the sachets within the meal kit is a pre-prepared Pad Thai sauce, and its made with real, authentic, Thai ingredients. You just need to whack it the pan and give everything a good stir. However, if you are interested in making a Pad Thai sauce from scratch you can put one together quite easily with a few key ingredients. An in depth look into Pad Thai and its sauce as conducted by the Guardians Felicity Cloake concluded that the sauce requires a combination of fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar. My own recipe for this will be available soon!!

Thai Taste meal kits

Meal kits are available now in Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Ocado.

With thanks to Thai Taste for providing the meal kit for this post. All thoughts and opinions presented in this blog post are my own. I will only ever post about and link to foods and products I have tried and recommend myself.

📖 Recipe

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Pad Thai Noodles with Prawns

Get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes with these amazing dinner kits from Thai Taste. Recipe kits include Thai favourites such as: Pad Thai noodles, Thai green, Thai red and Thai yellow. Each kit includes real, authentic, Thai ingredients and the basics to get your Thai dish underway. Just add your choice of meat and vegetables.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 476.8kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Ingredients

• 1 Thai Taste Pad Thai Meal kit
• 1 packet Rice noodles (from Thai Taste meal kit)
• 1 ½ tablespoon Oil
• 250 g King prawns (Raw)
• 1 Red chilli pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
• 80 g Mangetout (chopped)
• 150 g Yellow bell pepper (diced)
• 5 Spring onions (sliced) (40g)
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Sachet Pad Thai sauce (from Thai Taste meal kit)
• 1 Sachet Peanut and chilli mix (from Thai Taste meal kit)
• ½ Juice of a lime
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander to serve
• Extra lime wedges, chilli and spring onions for toppings

Instructions

• Start by preparing the noodles according to the kit instructions: Empty noodles into a small pan, add a dash of oil and cover with boiling water, then simmer for 8 minutes or until cooked.
  
• Once cooked, drain the noodles and run through cold water to cool and set to one side.
• Next heat a tablespoon of oil in a large shallow pan or wok. Add the King prawns and chopped chilli and str fry until prawns turn bright pink.
  
• Immediately add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for another minute.
  
• With the heat on a medium flame, move the prawns and veg to one side of the pad and crack the egg into the other side. Allow the egg to just start to turn white and slightly set and then scramble with a wooden spoon. 
  
• Mix the cooked egg into the prawn and veg
• Add the sachet of Pad Thai sauce from the Thai taste meal kit. As the sauce is quite salty no additional seasoning is required. Then add the cooked noodles and mix/toss together well.
  
• Next add the Thai Taste peanut mix and stir through.
  
• Finish with a squeeze of lime juice before serving with fresh coriander leaves, extra wedges of lime, chopped chilli and chopped spring onions.
  

Video

Notes

Click here to see the traffic light nutritional info for this recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 405g | Calories: 476.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 74.9g | Protein: 32.1g | Fat: 5.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Sodium: 1120mg | Sugar: 23g

The post Pad Thai Noodles appeared first on ProperFoodie.

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This recipe is used as the base to create the sauce for Massaman curry. Massaman paste is actually created from Thai red curry paste but with sweeter spices added like cardamom seeds and ground cinnamon. As a result Massaman curry is much sweeter and milder than its other Thai relatives; Thai red curry and Thai green curry.

Other milder options for a curry night in include fish biryani, and chicken tikka masala curry with homemade tikka masala paste. For more recipe ideas for a cosy night in have a look at my romantic dinner recipes post.

🥄 How to use paste in a curry

Curry paste is usually made by blending together raw ingredients such as fresh chillies, fresh herbs, shallots, garlic and spices. Therefore, when making curry the curry paste is usually added to the pan first in order to start the cooking process and the release the flavour from all the herbs and spices. For Massaman curry, around 2 tablespoon of Massaman curry paste will be enough to make a curry for four people.

🌶 Massaman vs red curry paste

Thai red paste

Thai red curry paste is the base for making all other Thai curry pastes, apart from Thai green curry paste, which is stand alone and used for Thai green curry. From Thai red curry paste you can make Thai red curry or add further spices for Thai yellow curry paste or Massaman curry paste. In addition to this you can also use it to make Thai jungle curry, which is usually given extra heat by adding fresh chillies and dried chillies.

Thai yellow paste

Thai yellow curry paste is made by adding ground coriander, cumin, curry powder and black pepper to red paste. The result is a paste that is slightly milder in both flavour and colour. This paste can be used in Thai yellow curry and Chicken Panang curry.

Thai Massaman paste

Thai Massaman curry paste is made from the same ingredients as Thai red curry paste  but with a few additions. First, coriander, cumin, curry powder and black pepper are added to make Thai yellow paste.

Then Massaman paste is made by adding curry powder, cinnamon and cardamom to the Thai yellow paste. Ingredients are separated below so you can stop at either the Thai red or Thai yellow stage and save some of the paste for making red or yellow curries before continuing to make the Massaman paste.

🥘 Ingredients

Thai red paste

• 3 large shallots finely chopped (or 6 small - 75g)
• 3 large red chillies finely chopped (50g)
• 2 tbsp garlic paste or 1 clove chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp Thai galangal paste or freshly chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped lemongrass or lemongrass paste
• 1 tbsp kaffir lime leaves or kaffir lime peel 
• Splash of fish sauce
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tbsp oil
• Tap water if needed to loosen the mixture and help to blend.

Thai yellow paste

• 4 tablespoon Thai red paste (made from the above)
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Black pepper

Massaman paste

• 2 tablespoon Thai yellow curry paste (made from the above)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Seeds from 2 cardamom pods

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Start by blending together the ingredients for Thai red paste. In a small blender add 3 large chopped shallots, 3 chopped red chillies, 1 finely chopped garlic clove or 2 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped ginger or ginger paste, 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass or lemongrass paste,1 tablespoon of kaffir lime leaves or kaffir lime peel, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, and ½ tbsp oil. Blend until smooth adding tap water to loosen the mixture if required
2. At this point, if you like, you can put aside half of the paste for making Thai red curry. Keep in an air tight jar and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Next use the rest of the red paste as a base for making Thai yellow curry paste. Take 4 tablespoon of the Thai red paste and place in a small bowl. To this add ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon curry powder and some Black pepper. Stir together until fully combined.
4. At this point, if you like, you can put aside half of the Thai yellow paste for making Thai yellow curry or Panang curry. Keep in an air tight jar and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
5. Finally, use the rest of the Thai yellow curry paste as a base for making Massaman paste. Take 2 tablespoon Thai yellow curry paste and place in a small bowl. To this add 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder and the seed from 2 cardamom pods. TIP: use the flat side of knife to apply pressure to the cardamom pods and split them open. Discard the cardamom pod shells. Gently crush the cardamom seeds with the sharp edge of knife before adding to the paste mixture.
6. If you aren't planning to use the paste in a curry immediately, transfer to an air tight jar and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before use. To make massaman curry for 4 people you will need about 2 tablespoon of massaman curry paste.

💭 Recipe tips

📖 Other paste recipes

• Thai green curry paste
• Thai red curry paste
• Thai yellow curry paste
• Homemade Tikka masala paste

Let me know what you think of this Massaman paste recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! You can also save this recipe on pinterest: Or if you prefer you can pin the video!

📖 Recipe

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📋 Massaman curry paste

Massaman curry paste made from scratch and whipped up in just 5 minutes. First blend together the ingredients to make Thai red curry paste, before adding extra spices to create Thai yellow paste and then finally massaman paste. Save a bit of each as its made so you can have the whole collection of Thai pastes jarred up and ready to go. Next time you fancy a Thai curry you'll be spoilt for choice. 

THE RECIPE BELOW WILL ALLOW YOU TO SAVE HALF OF THE AMOUNT OF THAI RED PASTE AND THAI YELLOW PASTE THAT YOU MAKE ALONG THE WAY AND WILL LEAVE YOU WITH AROUND 2-3 tablespoon OF MASSAMAN CURRY PASTE - ENOUGH TO MAKE A CURRY FOR 4 PEOPLE.

Course condiment, paste

Cuisine Thai, Thailand

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 tablespoon

Calories 15.6kcal

Author By: Debbie Jones

Equipment

• Small blender or nutribullet

Ingredients

For Thai red paste:

• 3  large shallots finely chopped  or 6 small - 75g
• 3  large red chillies finely chopped  50g
• 2  tbsp  garlic paste or 1 clove chopped fresh garlic
• 1  tbsp  Thai galangal paste or freshly chopped ginger
• 1  tbsp  chopped lemongrass or lemongrass paste
• 1  tbsp  kaffir lime leaves or kaffir lime peel
• Splash of fish sauce
• 1  tsp  ground coriander
• 1  tsp  ground turmeric
• ½  tbsp  oil
• Tap water if needed to loosen the mixture and help to blend.

For Thai Yellow paste:

• 4 tablespoon Thai red paste made from the above
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Black pepper

For Massaman curry paste:

• 2 tablespoon Thai yellow curry paste made from the above
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 2 cardamom pods

Instructions

To make Thai red paste

:

• Start by blending together the ingredients to make Thai red paste. In a small blender add 3 large chopped shallots, 3 chopped red chillies, 1 finely chopped garlic clove or 2 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped ginger or ginger paste, 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass or lemongrass paste,1 tablespoon of kaffir lime leaves or kaffir lime peel, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, and ½ tbsp oil. Blend until smooth adding tap water to loosen the mixture if required

.
  
• At this point, if you like, you can put aside half of the paste for making Thai red curry. Keep in an air tight jar and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
  

To make Thai yellow paste

:

• Next use the rest of the Thai red paste as a base for making Thai yellow paste. Take 4 tablespoon of the red paste and place in a small bowl. To this add ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon curry powder and some Black pepper. Stir together until fully combined.
  
• At this point, if you like, you can put aside half of the Thai yellow paste for making Thai yellow curry. Keep in an air tight jar and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
  

To make Massaman curry paste

:

• Finally, use the rest of the Thai yellow paste as a base for making Massaman paste. Take 2 tablespoon Thai yellow curry paste and place in a small bowl. To this add 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder and the seed from 2 cardamom pods.
• TIP: use the flat side of knife to apply pressure to the cardamom pods and split them open. Discard the cardamom pod shells. Gently crush the cardamom seeds with the sharp edge of knife before adding to the paste mixture.
  

Storing and using the massaman curry paste:

• If you aren't planning to use the paste in a curry immediately, transfer to an air tight jar and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before use. 
To make massaman curry for 4 people you will need about 2 tablespoon of massaman curry paste.
  

Video

Notes

Can you freeze this paste?: Store in a jar or sealable container and keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before use.

How much curry paste is needed to make a curry?: Around 2 tablespoon of curry paste will be enough to make a curry for four. However, you can add slightly more or less depending on how strong you want the curry to be.

Is this recipe spicy?: Massaman paste, along with Thai yellow paste, is one of the mildest Thai curry pastes. Both red and green curry pastes are made with fresh chillies which provide the spice. As more spices are added to the red paste to make Massaman paste, the initial heat becomes diluted so providing a more gentle flavour.

Make in advance: Curry pastes are great to make in advance as they store easily and can be used directly in whatever curry you are making as soon as you are ready to make it. I like to batch make mine and then split into small containers – each container has enough to make one curry for 4 people. these can be stored in the fridge or freezer (see above) and then called upon when needed. Frozen paste can be microwaved for a minute or 2 and ready to use right away. 

Blending paste: Use a small blender to make the Thai red paste. If the ingredients don’t blend together easily then add a bit of water or olive oil to help get it going.

Scaling this recipe: If you plan to save half of each paste as its made, the amount of useable paste available to make the next paste will halve each time. Times up the amount of ingredients to make more. Or if you don't want to save either the Thai red paste or Thai yellow paste but want it all to go into Massaman paste: Count out the number of table spoons of red curry paste you have made and then add the appropriate amount of Thai yellow spices and Massaman spices to this (knowing that the amounts listed above make 8 tablespoon of thai red paste and 4 tablespoon of Thai yellow paste).

Example: You have 8 tablespoon of Thai Red paste that you would like to turn into Massaman paste. To this add 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoon curry powder, few grinds of black pepper, 4 teaspoon curry powder, 4 teaspoon cinnamon powder and the crushed seeds from 8 cardamom pods.

Nutrition

Serving: 17g | Calories: 15.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 32.6IU | Vitamin C: 6.2mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3.1mg

The post Massaman curry paste appeared first on ProperFoodie.

Whip up this paste in just 5 minutes - see the video below to find out just how easy this is. Plus watch how you can produce three pastes from one. 

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📖 Making Thai curry paste at home

Thai yellow curry paste is made by adding ground coriander, cumin, curry powder and black pepper to already made or store bought Thai red curry paste. Thai red paste is the starting block for all other Thai curry pastes; apart from Thai green curry paste, which stands alone.

Thai yellow paste is slightly milder than red paste, in both flavour and colour, and can be used in a number of Thai dishes:

• Set aside some Thai red paste before you begin for making a Thai red curry or a jungle curry.
• Use this Thai paste recipe to make Thai yellow curry or Chicken Panang curry.
• Turn Thai yellow curry paste in to Massaman curry paste and then whip up a lovely Massaman curry.

👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe inspiration

Ive based this recipe on curry paste I made in 2012 in Thailand when attending the Siam Rice cookery school in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand.

On this cookery course I had access to a traditional Thai food market and used fresh, whole spices. I can’t say its always convenient to get out a pestle and mortar and grind whole spices into powders. Nor is it always possible to get hold of all the traditional Thai ingredients that I used in Thailand. However, It is possible to closely match ingredients and of course use pre ground spices for the curry and the Thai yellow curry paste, which is what I have done for this recipe. 

🥘 Ingredients you will need for this paste

For 4-5 tablespoon of this paste recipe you will need the following:

• 4 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Black pepper

Substitutions: If you don't have the time or the ingredients to make the red paste you can use a jar of shop bought paste instead.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Take 4 tablespoon of the Thai red paste (homemade or shop bought) and place in a small bowl.
2. To this add ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon curry powder and some Black pepper. Stir together until fully combined.
3. At this point, if you like, you can put aside half of the Thai yellow paste for making Thai Massaman curry paste. The rest can then be used to make Thai yellow curry or Panang curry.
4. If not using the paste right away then transfer to an air tight jar/container and store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

🌶 Can you substitute red curry paste for yellow?

Red paste is the main ingredient in yellow curry paste and so technically it is already the same paste but with a few extra ingredients added. These additional ingredients create a different flavour and ultimately determine the type of curry you are making (see above).

If you prefer to buy jarred curry paste but are struggling to find Thai yellow paste then yes jarred Thai red is a great substitute and you can use this recipe to turn the shop bought red paste into yellow paste.

♨️ Is red curry paste hotter than yellow?

Red paste is slightly hotter than yellow due to the extra milder ingredients being added to make yellow paste.

💭 Recipe tips