I actually have never used it to cook with. I usually use curry powder. But I always keep a small jar on hand to punch up a bowl of soup or whatever. DH likes curry, but I think he must have a mild allergy to it, because after a couple of bites, no matter how mild the curry, his throat starts hurting. So unless I'm making something for myself only, I forego the curry during cooking and spoon a bit of the paste into my dish only.

I also keep a jar at work to add to (gasp!) canned soups occasionally, LOL.

Thank you. I'll try some in soup.
Any recipes using curry powder? I think I could adapt enough to sub the paste.

This is just such a stretch from spices/seasonings I normally use, I am having trouble with the "idea" side of things!

Deanna

I add curry paste to stir fries, but you can also use it to spice up other dishes, particularly if they are bland. It's good with beans, green beans, boiled potatoes, cauliflower, etc. I haven't used it in rice, however, except as part of a stir fry. I tend to use curry paste more often than I use curry powder. The powder is more common in Indian dishes while the paste is more common in Thai and SE Asian recipes. It's particularly good with chicken and beef. Sometimes I add it to a Velouté sauce to use over meat and/or vegetables. I've never used it in soup, however - I think it would be too strong.

Lars

"...while the paste is more common in Thai and SE Asian recipes."

That's my understanding of it. I've only used it a few times and IIRC the package instructions which I followed were to add a liquid such as coconut milk to the paste. This became a sauce for a stir fry dish with meat and veggies.

IOW, I see curry paste as a concentrate for making Thai style curries.

Jim

I think Jim is right. Curry paste (sometimes called chili paste) is not like curry powder, it's the base of many Thai recipes. In the cookbook I bought in Bangkok (Sisamon Kongphan, Authentic Thai Food), the first page of recipes is 5 kinds of curry paste (Kaeng Khua, Yellow, Matsaman, Red, and Green), and they are used in almost all the recipes in the book. Here is one that uses Yellow Curry Paste (Nam Phrik Kaeng Ka-ri). For some reason, my "enter" key isn't working, so please forgive the format. Kaeng Ka-ri Kai Rue Neua (Chicken or Beef Curry) / INGREDIENTS: 500 grams chicken or beef / 2 tbsp. yellow curry paste / 3 peeled and boiled small potatoes / 3 cups coconut milk (I use light) / 2 T fried shallots / 1 tsp. salt // 1. Cut meat into 2 inch thick slices. 2. Fry the spice mixture in 2 T of the oil used for frying the shallots (I buy fried shallots, so I would just use 2 T oil) adding the coconut cream* in small amounts. Then add the meat and cook while stirring. Spoon into a pot (I just start the whole thing in the pot I will use). Add the coconut milk and the salt. Cook the meat until it is tender and add the potatoes. 3. Remove from heat when done, dip into serving bowl, and sprinkle with fried shallots. Serve with cucumber relish. // Cucumber Relish: / Mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. salt in a pot, bring to a boil, strain, and allow to cool. Slice 4 cucumbers, 2 shallots, and 1 red spur chili just before serving and add the vinegar mixture. // * I know, coconut cream isn't in the list of ingredients. That's the way it is in the book. I would use a little of the coconut milk instead.

I bought cans of red, green and yellow curry paste but I haven't had a chance to use them yet. I have become obsessed by Thai and other SE Asian cuisines and I really want to learn more about them, the spices and techniques they use, etc. While I love Indian food, their "curry" is completely different than SE Asian curries. And I'm finding it a bit confusing probably because I'm new to the cuisine.

gellchom - you got your books at the source lol!! Anyone have any recommendations for good Thai/Vietnamese/Malaysian cookbooks?

Lisa

Well, that reminds me that I have a jar of green curry sauce in the pantry that I need to try, I guess that's what Elery and I will have tomorrow night. I wonder how it would go with venison, LOL.

Probably not, maybe chicken or duck....

Annie

It's not like you have a DUCK shortage at your house Annie! (sorry, CF inside joke). What did you end up with, something like 50 ducks? Or is my count off?

Geez, Lpink, I ONLY had 32 ducks, LOL. I still have about 2 dozen of them in the freezer! (grin) I still remember those ducks in the back of Elery's Bravada, driving down the expressway with the feathers flying and the ducks quacking and that State Trooper just driving past and trying hard not to notice. (grin)

Come on up for duck in green curry sauce!!!

Annie

OK Annie.......I will if you will. :-)

Mine will be Chicken or Beef in Yellow Curry sauce!

Lisa??? Are you "in" for this one? Pick a color!

My daughter mentioned that she uses the fat free evaporated milk, then tosses in a little coconut to reduce the fat content a little. I may do that since I don't have coconut milk on hand (sheesh, I'll have to check and see if I even have coconut right now!)

Deanna

I leave the coconut milk (or any other milk) out completely. You can use broth instead, if you prefer, or a velouté sauce if you want it thicker.

Lars

Oh, I think the coconut milk is essential if you want a Thai taste in a curry dish. I mean, I'm no big purist about things, and I'm sure it would be good, but it would be sort of like pizza with no cheese or something -- I'd just make something else. There are lots of good Thai recipes that don't use coconut (like pad thai).

Lisa, I know we all get recipes off the internet now, but if you are really interested, I'd buy a Thai cookbook. You just learn a lot that way. I see how the different curry pastes are made and how they are used. Then I can start to improvise. The one I chose is available at Amazon.com (see link below) and other sites, e.g. http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?cPath=64&products_id=259 -- but they won't stand there and hand-laminate the cover like the clerk did in Bangkok! It doesn't have a zillion recipes, but that's not what I was after.

I chose this book in large part because of the curry paste recipes and information about ingredients. And it was in English!

Here is a link that might be useful: Authentic Thai Cooking on Amazon.com

You can use coconut juice. It has a greener taste then the milk and way less fat. Coconut milk has about 70 grams of fat per can. It does give a nice smooth sweet taste to things.

It seems to go more towards an Indian flavor if I add a good quantity of cumin. House of India is one of the few pre-packaged foods I make an effort to keep on hand.

This weeks "curry" started as lentil soup. Lentils, spinach, onions, cayenne pepper. Then in went some gram marsala, curry paste, and very hot pepper powder. Okay the first day and much better the second day when the flavors had blended.

As for venison I prefer cajun spice... and very rare meat.

Lars also had a good comment some months ago about curry paste and mayo on a sandwich. If you are just starting to experiment that is probably the quick easy.... chicken, tuna, ham, or even a hamburger.

: )
lyra

I used to order pizza without cheese when I was a child, and now I have found pizzas without cheese in many pizza restaurants. If there is an ingredient I don't like, I omit it. It may not be authentic, but it will taste better to me, and that's what counts. I do usually call it something else, however, but if a recipes has 15 ingredients and I only omit one, then it seems more like a variation instead of a new recipe. I used to omit peanuts in stir fries, but then I found if I used dry roasted peanuts instead of the ones cooked in oil, I liked them okay. Sometimes (especially in simple recipes), adding one ingredient does make a new recipe, such as adding cheese to a Bechamel sauce to make a Mornay sauce. Unfortunately, when I go to a Thai restaurant, I cannot order a specific curry without the coconut milk, but I would if I could because I like all the other ingredients.

Lars

You're right!

I really meant it when I said I'm not a stickler about this stuff. I mean, when I make my curry paste, I have to substitute fish paste for the shrimp paste anyway. I have to make all kinds of substitutions because of kosher rules. So I didn't mean to suggest that if you leave out or change something, it's not "really" the same dish.

To me, coconut is the dominant flavor in Thai curries -- of course, I happen to love coconut. But I am definitely in no position to judge -- Thai dishes all seem to call for one ingredient that I will NEVER use: cilantro. (We are "tasters.")

I am definitely in the camp with you guys. I don't care so much about "authentic" as liking the taste.

However, when trying something new to me, I do like to improvise as little as possible to see if I like it "as written".
I can adjust from there.

Deanna
(another "no cilantro" person...except in Annie's salsa, but it has to be cooked in and NO MORE than the recipe calls for)

Wow - different strokes for different folks!! One of the things I love the most about Thai food is the cilantro!! And what's really strange is I used to HATE it when I first tasted it!! I don't know what it was but all of a sudden I started liking it, and now, I absolutely love it! It seems most of my favorites have loads of fresh cilantro - that and the Thai basil they use!! I'm always using the regular, Italian, basil, but after having grown both I can say that I like the Thai better! And I'm Italian!! That's sacrilege lol!!

Thanks for the link gellchom - I'm not really looking for tons of recipes either - it's learning about the ingredients, culture, and techniques that make up ethnic cuisines that fascinates me! Exactly what I want is to learn about what makes up the various curry pastes, why they use different flavors, etc. Thanks! And thanks to Lars as well - It was a different thread, but you linked me to a site that has info on Thai ingredients and currys.

The one recipe I have down pat is Pad Thai - I'm making it this weekend for BIL's birthday!

Lisa

Lisa, look at this site for Thai Kitchen products. I have been making my own curry paste, but there is a good guide to information about Thai ingredients you might like. Is that the one Lars linked?

The cilantro sensitivity can change during your life. It has to do with the Ph level in your mouth, and it is a genetic trait that shows up in about 20% of the population (I'm guessing fewer in Thailand!).

Here is a link that might be useful: Thai Kitchen explains Thai ingredients

I love the Thai Kitchen coconut milk - they make a low fat version that is decent. I use their curry pastes - green and red - and love both. They have recipes on them that are simple and honestly taste nearly as good as a local Thai place we love, even with the low fat milk. Enjoy your new ingredient!

I have now tried a few of the canned/jarred curry pastes available at the Thai market and the supermarket, and they taste just fine. I guess I won't be making my own much anymore. I'll just have to find another use for the bags of lemon grass and galangal in the freezer!

Here's a recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yellow curry paste recipe