It’s not uncommon that I get strong, undeniable urges for red curry dishes. Usually, this is not a problem, as our local Thai food restaurant makes the most addicting red curry on the planet. I’m at the point of believing it contains illicit drugs, it’s that addicting! But, as sometimes happens in small towns, the owners, who also serve as the cook and wait staff, decided to take a vacation. For the entire month of July! I know, right?! One whole month without their cooking. Sigh. Oh, yeah, I can make curry, too. But I like theirs a lot, and I particularly like not having to cook. But finally, toward the end of July, I broke down and made my own red curry dish with ingredients I had on hand. It hit the spot, and it was stupidly easy. Try it out, and see for yourselves.

Ingredients:

*Note: Adjust according to the number of people you will be serving. This serves 2-3.

½ lb whole wheat spaghetti
½ lb shrimp
½ red pepper, sliced
1-2 tbsp. red curry paste
3-4 tbsp. lime juice
¾ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking spaghetti)
fresh basil
peanuts
olive oil

Guidelines:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve ¾ cup of the cooking liquid before draining the noodles.

In a large skillet, cook shrimp in a tbsp. or so of olive oil until pink, about 3-5 minutes, depending on size.

Add the red curry paste and lime juice. Stir to combine and coat the shrimp.

Add the red pepper and cook until just softened, but still crisp, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the pasta water. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, mix the noodles with the shrimp and red curry sauce. Top with slivered fresh basil and chopped peanuts.

Don’t let that bad curry you ordered at the street fair or farmer’s market deter you from ever eating curry again. Great curry will leave you craving more. It’s incredibly addictive. And, the good news is, it’s quite simple to prepare! Your supermarket should stock all of the ingredients. If they don’t, check a few others in your area. I wasn’t able to find red curry paste at my Safeway, but it was in stock in the health food store. Green curry paste is more common, but don’t substitute it in this recipe! Also, I want to say one thing about the sauce—there should be plenty. Don’t boil it down or add thickening agents thinking that your dish is too runny. I promise you, it’s not.

Okay, let’s get down to cooking, shall we?

Ingredients:

1 -1 ½ lbs. chicken (I by the thin sliced boneless, skinless breasts for this recipe.)
1 small red pepper
1 large carrot
1 cup green beans (I like those microwavable bags of green beans. I never microwave them, but they usually taste fresher than those left out in the bins.)
2 inch chunk of fresh ginger
1 ½ cups coconut milk (A 14 oz. can will do it. If you can find “Lite” I recommend it.)
½ cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. red curry paste
1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
¼ cup fresh basil
Optional: 1tbsp. brown sugar (If you use a low sugar based peanut butter, like Adams, you may want the additional sweetness.)

Method:

Cut the chicken breasts into thin slices, about two inches long.

Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Add chicken and cook over medium until nearly done and slightly browned on the outside.

Peel the two inch chunk of fresh ginger, and mince the flesh. Add to pan with chicken. Stir and let the flavors meld together briefly, about 3 minutes.

To the pan, add the coconut milk, chicken broth, red curry paste, peanut butter, and brown sugar (optional). Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and let simmer while you chop the vegetables, about ten minutes.

Cut the red pepper and carrot julienne style. Cut the green beans into 4 inches pieces. Add the vegetables to the pan. Stir to combine. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes. The vegetables should be softened, but still crisp.

*Note: If at any time, the liquid appears to be reducing too much, add more coconut milk to the pan.

Spoon curry over jasmine rice and top with fresh basil slivers.