Red Thai Seafood Curry

I love Thai food. The flavors are so fresh and delicious. Last night I made a red Thai seafood curry. Sometimes I make the curry paste from scratch however things got busy yesterday and so I did not get started on dinner until late. I compromised and used a commercial red curry paste. I used Mae Ploy brand which is a good one if you are not inclined to make it yourself. The other issue I face is that my daughters are 8 and have sensitive taste buds. When I make the curry paste myself it is quite fiery. The Mae Ploy is somewhat milder in flavor and will suit the young taste buds better. I love my food very hot and spicy. To accommodate this I dry habernero peppers in the oven. Once they are completely dry I run them through the food processor until they are powder. I keep a vial of this powder in my purse for eating out and in my kitchen to spice up my food. I have several spice loving friends and keep them supplied as well!

I also made a fresh summer roll to go along with this theme. I made a Thai beef salad and stuffed it into a rice paper wrapper. My daughters just loved this. It turned out very well. The great thing is, this dish is so healthy, no fat.

I used zucchini, carrot, baby corn and bell pepper in my curry but any vegetables that appeal to you will work. For the seafood I used shrimp, squid, scallops and tilapia.

Red Thai Seafood Curry

2 tbls red curry paste
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1 large zucchini diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 15 oz baby corn cut in half
1 small to medium bell pepper cut into strips
2 lbs assorted seafood - shrimp, squid, scallops, white fish
2 tsp fresh slivered kafir lime leaf or 1 tsp grated lime peel
2 tsp thai or italian basil, slivered
2 tbls fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
juice from 1 lime

fresh steamed jasmine rice for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the curry paste and 2-3 tbls of coconut milk. Simmer 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the lime leaf or peel. Add the vegetables and 1/2 remaining coconut milk and cook 3-4 minutes until just starting to get tender. Add the seafood and the remaining coconut milk and cook until the seafood is just done - about 2-3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, brown sugar, basil and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Serve over rice.