One of my favourite cuisines is Thai. What I love about Thai food is the depth of flavour and the fresh ingredients.
In our local village is a cafe owned by a friendly Thai lady called May. For years me and my friends have visited her cafe and tried countless traditional Thai dishes cooked fresh to order. The place is incredible and we are so lucky to have it nearby. So lucky in fact that my friend eventually asked her to increase her prices, it was so cheap we were worried she wouldn’t be around for long!
Every time we visit she has the same standard menu, even doing traditional English breakfasts for the local elders set in their ways. On this menu are many stir-frys and curry’s we have come accustomed to over the years and they are consistently amazing! However, my favourite part is the specials board. May frequently makes new changes and one of her recent ones was the inspiration for this recipe.
I’d never used minced meat in a curry before. May cooked a dish with minced chicken and a spicy peanut sauce. It was incredible! I noticed that other customers were ordering this dish quite frequently too.
At the time, as it was summer, we had a few BBQ’s, and the taste and smell of smoke is one that always appeals to me. I thought it would be great to create a Thai curry dish that incorporated this smokey taste, and it works really well!
Thai Smokey Red Curry and Peanut Pork Mince with Turmeric Rice
The dish looks complicated at first glance, but it really is easy to make. The list of ingredients is quite large, but once you’ve got hold of some of them they will last for weeks/months and can be used in many other dishes too.
The recipe works equally as well with chicken or beef mince.
Tip: A typical Thai curry is a little thinner than the Indian curries the UK is used to. I prefer to have the Thai curries the traditional way, but I know some of my friends prefer the sauces a little thicker. So don’t be worried if it comes out more like a soup. If you do want to thicken it then add 1 tbsp of cornflour to cold water, mix into a paste then add to the pan. It’ll thicken the curry in no time.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 450 grams Pork mince
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste use a good Thai brand such as Mae Ploy
- 1 can Coconut milk
- 1 tbsp Nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
- 1 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tbsp Peanut butter check for 100% peanut in the list of ingredients
- 1 inch Fresh ginger grated
- 0.5 Red Onion
- Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tbsp Dessicated coconut optional
- Coriander
- Peanuts chopped
- 2 Spring onions chopped
- 2 portions Rice
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- Good quality salt
- 1 tsp Liquid smoke optional
- 1 block Palm sugar or 2 tsp brown sugar is a good substitute
Ingredients
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- Fry the mince with the chopped onion until lightly browned
- Remove the mince and onion and set to one side. Add the Thai red curry paste to the hot pan with the coconut milk. Stir until paste is dissolved into the milk
- Add the Nam pla fish sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, fresh ginger, palm sugar and crushed kaffir lime leaves to taste. Also add the dessicated coconut and liquid smoke if using. Once the curry sauce is all mixed evenly add the mince and onion back to the pan. Continue to cook through for another 5-10 minutes on a low heat.
- Add the rice to a pan of hot water, add the turmeric and salt. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until cooked
- To serve add the turmeric rice and Thai Smokey Red Curry to a bowl. Top with chopped spring onions, peanuts and coriander. For the adventurous add some chopped red chilli too.
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