Servings: 3 · Prep Time: 10 mins · Cooking Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Forget the nonsense packet red Thai curry pastes, we're going to show you how to make your very own fresh paste that's free from the sugar used in most shop brought sauces. The secret to making the curry paste is down to the aromatics. We're talking onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Whilst the ingredient list may seem a little large, it really does make a difference compared to the shop-bought stuff. You can certainly expect a more traditional Thai taste with this recipe, that's for sure. As for the recipe itself, you can thank the full-fat coconut milk, colourful veg, juicy beef strips and the sweet pineapple for the finishing touch. These ingredients really do add lots of personality to the dish - not to mention flavour! Also, when it comes to the pineapple chunks, don't even think about opting for the tinned stuff! Grab a fresh, ripe pineapple and get chopping. Red Thai curries are slightly different than other curries in the fact that they are more of a liquid texture. You have the coconut milk to thank for that - full-fat coconut milk of course.

Ingredients

Curry paste

  • Small onion (One, diced)
  • Red chilli (One, sliced)
  • Garlic cloves (Two, diced)
  • Lime (Juice of one)
  • Lemongrass stalk (One)
  • Cumin (1 tsp)
  • Ground coriander (1 tsp)
  • Paprika (1 tsp)
  • Full-fat coconut milk (the think cream) (2 tbsp)

Curry

  • Fresh pineapple (1 cup, chunks)
  • Beef strips (350g)
  • Red pepper (One, sliced)
  • Full-fat coconut milk (400ml)
  • Mangetout (100g)
  • Green beans (100g)
  • Basil (1 handful, chopped)
  • Fish sauce (2 tbsp)
  • Lime (1 tbsp, juice)

Method

Begin by making your red Thai curry paste. Pop all of the ingredients into a food processor and
blend until you have a creamy paste. In a pan, pour in the creamy part of your coconut milk and
bring to an almost boiling point (not for too long otherwise the milk will curdle) and then bring
to the simmer.

Add the red Thai curry paste, red pepper, green beans, mangetout and fish sauce.
Whilst this cooks, fry your beef in a separate pan until brown. Make sure not to over cook
otherwise the meat will become tough. Once brown, add the beef strips to the coconut milk, the
rest of the coconut milk liquid and slowly stir. Leave on medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes
for the flavours to soak into the meat. In the last 5 minutes, add your pineapple chunks.
Once done, serve and top with a sprinkle of fresh basil and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Photos

Red thai beef curry 2.jpg