The homemade curry paste for this Spicy Healthier Red Thai Chicken Curry is easy and packed with flavour!
I love a good curry at the weekend. I’ll often reach for the ready-made curry paste out of convenience, but in fact it only takes 5 minutes more to make your own paste from scratch.
The result is a fresher, more vibrant taste, with the added bonus that you can adjust the heat to whatever level you fancy.
Nearly all of the ingredients are strong in flavour, but they meld together perfectly for a taste explosion!
I’m using reduced fat coconut milk, just to help keep the fat content down a little, but you can use full fat if you prefer.
If you do use the reduced fat coconut milk, it’s important to remember not to boil the curry, as the coconut milk is likely to separate, making it look a little lumpy.
Healthier food really can taste good!
I’m on my last week with my personal trainer this week.
I managed to lose 7 pounds over the 5 weeks, which I’m pretty happy with, as I made a special point of not starving myself (in fact that’s one of my main aims in life).
I probably had a few too many cheat days – otherwise I might have got to my 10 pound target – but I’m determined to get those last 3 pounds off before Easter.
Easy dinner swaps like this have been great in helping to fill me up, without feeling deprived – you know – that feeling were you still need ‘something’ to satisfy your appetite in the evening. I hate that feeling!
If you like this red curry, try my skinny green Thai curry too:
or my slow cooker spicy beef curry:
Add lots of veggies in to up the nutritional value.
You can even serve with cauliflower rice if you’re being really good! The sauciness of the curries soaks into the cauliflower rice, making it really tasty.
I first made this recipe for SuperFood Magazine.
The Healthier Red Thai Chicken Curry Recipe:
Healthier Red Thai Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 chicken breasts about 200g (7oz) each, chopped into bite-size chunks
- 2 red bird’s eye chillies roughly chopped
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 5 kaffir lime leaves dried or fresh
- 1 lemongrass stalk finely chopped (or 1 tsp lemongrass paste)
- 4 shallots peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 yellow bell pepper deseeded and sliced
- 85 g (1 cup) mangetout (snow peas) sliced in half
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ tsp honey
- 400 ml (14 oz tin) reduced-fat coconut milk
To Serve:
- 1 small bunch coriander leaves
- 1 red chilli finely sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-to-high heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 5 minutes until sealed.1 tbsp olive oil, 3 chicken breasts
- Whilst the chicken is cooking, place the red chillies, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, cumin, ground coriander, and paprika into a food processor. Blend until the mixture forms into a paste.2 red bird’s eye chillies, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 5 kaffir lime leaves, 1 lemongrass stalk, 4 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tbsp paprika
- Add the paste to the chicken in the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to coat the chicken.
- Add the yellow pepper, mangetout, fish sauce, lime and honey. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often. By this time the chicken should be cooked through (you can check this by cutting the largest piece of chicken you can find in half and ensuring it’s no longer pink in the middle).1 yellow bell pepper, 85 g (1 cup) mangetout (snow peas), 1 tbsp fish sauce, juice of 1 lime, ½ tsp honey
- Add the coconut milk and heat through until almost boiling. Don’t let it boil, or it may curdle. *Optional – if you would like the sauce to be a little thicker, mix 1 tbsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water and stir into the sauce.400 ml (14 oz tin) reduced-fat coconut milk
- Serve the Thai curry with brown rice. Top with fresh coriander leaves and slices of red chilli.1 small bunch coriander leaves, 1 red chilli
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi!
Love this recipe! Thank you!
How long does it last in fridge and can you freeze it? Xx 🙂
Hi Nicky
Love your recipes. My mixer doesn’t pulse dry ingredients. Do you think it would work just to add these spices to wok?
Geraldine
I made this tonight and although the taste was spot on it seemed to have a strange texture , but we ate it anyway and it was lovely
What type of food processor have u used I tried to use mine but I did not come as a paste! Unfortunately as small shredded pieces from the lemon grass. Plz reply
Thanks
HI Nema, a high speed one (like a Nutri bullet) is best. Or perhaps you could try a stick blender in a blender cup if your food processor can’t break down the paste ingredients?
Fantastic!!!!
Absolutely delicious
Easy Healthy Quick
Perfect
Made this tonight, was a hit with my sons , one who has just returned from travelling round Thailand says it taste authentic! One for my recipe book, just discovered your blog and I am enjoying trying your recipes.