Thai- Beef red curry

 Beef in Red Curry

Gaeng Phet 

The red curry paste is best made at home. It has a base of a few ingredients which can be ground and frozen. You can then add whatever you wish to build up the flavour of your beef, chicken or duck meat. 

While generally meats are used in Red curries a whole fish fried and served can be just as delicious. 

The Red curry paste

10 dry red chillies

2 to 6 bird eye Thai chillie or any other red chillies - Thai chillies are extremely hot

1 tsp salt

Galangal - thumb size or a paste

2 hearts lemon grass - the white part in the root of the stalk

3 red shallots - ground to a pulp

1 pod of garlic

2 roots of the corriander leaf stalk

Zest of a lime

Toast and grind

10 white peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp corriander seeds

optionally 1 tbsp of shrimp paste

Marinade

1 1/2 kg of beef in half the paste

You will also need

500 ml coconut milk or cream

Kaffir lime leaves

Julienne of red chillies - non spicy

Handful of Thai basil

1 tbsp fish sauce

lime juice

In a large wok heat a drop of oil and fry the other half of the paste. Once aromatic add the meat in and keep frying until you think the spices are cooked. Pour in 500 ml of coconut milk or cream, keep stirring and bring it to a boil.

Add 

Kaffir lime leaves, slit chillies or large green chillies - capsicum, Thai basil, palm sugar and fish sauce.

Taste for balance. Serve with boiled rice. Mango salad and papaya salad are great sides. 

Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala