Serves: 4 • Time: 1 hour
In typical Thai homes, the main meal of the day consists of a soup and curry made with fresh meat and vegetables and served over rice. This simple beef curry recipe features the curry paste from the Thailand Box plus a few spices from the Tom Yum Soup Set. Look for the rest of the red curry beef ingredients in your local grocery store.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups canned coconut milk
- 5 Tbsp. Nittaya Thai curry paste
- 7 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 large carrots, cut lengthwise and sliced ¼-inch thin
- ½ cup basil (with stems)
- 1½–2 lbs. beef flank steak, sliced
- ½ small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. tamarind paste (optional)
- 2 tsp. sugar
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced, for garnish
- 1 cup cooked Jasberry rice (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a skillet over moderate heat. Combine 3 to 5 tablespoons of the thick coconut cream from the tops of the cans with the curry paste and lime leaves. Transfer to the skillet and cook until fragrant and browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots, and basil leaves and continue to boil until reduced by a quarter, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the beef, onion, fish sauce, tamarind paste, and sugar. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the beef and vegetables are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to 4 serving bowls, garnish with bell peppers, and serve with the cooked rice.
NOTE: Look for fresh kaffir lime leaves and tamarind in Asian groceries or online.
Jet Tila is the curator of the Thailand Box. He is a regular judge on Food Network’s Cuthroat Kitchen, Thailand’s first-ever Culinary Ambassador, and the chef-owner of Pakpao Thai restaurants in Texas.
