An easy to whip up meal that satifies so many cravings, I just love this gently spiced dish, it’s often a quick lunch for me.
Fresh, bright, silky, and packed with as many vegetables as you are craving, it’s a fabulous way to clean out the fridge of those last peppers, scallions or herbs. It ticks all the boxes, and is packed with nutrients, so it really is a great dish to add to the regular rotation. The texture is light and creamy, the aromas are wonderful. The colours are vibrant, since we do eat with our eyes first. 
And it comes together in minutes.
Thai Red Curry Ingredients
First things first, you will need a can of coconut milk, and Thai Red Curry Paste. I like Thai Kitchen, but use what you can find. Along with Sambal Oelek, a Thai hot pepper paste, and some fish sauce, that is it for the pantry aisle. And a little brown sugar, for taste. Pick these up when on sale, unopened they keep for so long in the cupboard.
Fresh Ingredients
- Ginger
- Garlic
- white or yellow onion
- Stock, can be chicken or vegetable stock, or even fish stock if you have it.
- Red bell pepper
- Bok choy
- Scallions
- Lacinato Kale
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Cilantro
- Thai basil, regular basil will also work just fine
- Jasmine rice, (basmati will work fine if that is all you have) leftover rice from the fridge is even better.
When it comes to the vegetable add-ins, use as many or as few as you happen to have on hand. If I only have a random bell pepper and some onions in the crisper drawer, that is all that goes in this time around. You are looking to have a full cup’s worth of vegetables per person.
Seafood, feel free to use one or all of the following for a truly impressive curry that is worthy of company:
- Cod
- Halibut
- Haddock
- Sole
- Shrimp
- Tilapia
- Barramundi
- Any firm white fish.
And yes, you can even use from frozen as you can see below, no need to thaw. Just adjust the cooking time. I love using a combination of fish and shellfish, for that Boulliabase (French mixed seafood soup) vibe.
And if you want to keep this curry vegetarian, just omit the fish, and increase the amount of vegetables you are using.
Method
This method is so easy, you will be thrilled with how fast it comes together. The key is the prep. Have all your vegetables prepped: cleaned, trimmed, julienned, so that they are all of similar size. If you are using larger pieces of fish, break them down into large bite sized pieces.
First you will saute the minced onion, ginger, and garlic to get the aromas started. Then you will add the curry paste and some turmeric,and stir it through the softened aromatics. Add in the coconut milk, stock and fish sauce, as well as a little sugar.Whisk or stir it well to blend. Once warmed through, add in the vegetables, starting with the ones that will require the longest time to soften slightly (ie the carrots, green beans etc) Follow with the red peppers. Finally add in the kale.
When you add in kale, you will also add in the fish. Fresh fish really takes only a few minutes to poach in this delightful sauce. Place the lid on the pot to finish cooking.
Assemble
You can use fresh rice, or leftover rice from the fridge. If you are using leftover rice, warm it up in a skillet first. Divide the rice among the bowls, and then ladle the curry over it, beside it, or around it! For the rice below I just pressed it into a cup that I had sprayed with avocado oil spray for easy release into the bowl.
Garnish with some freshly squeezed lime juice, chopped fresh basil, cilantro, and red pepper flakes if you so desire. You can also drizzle it with chili oil or Sriratcha. Even chili crisp oil would be a fab finish. Chopped peanuts or cashews would also be a fantastic garnish.
Thai Fish Curry Soup
For a quick alternative to the Thai Fish Curry above, or if you happen to have some leftovers, but no more rice, just add extra coconut milk, stock (or water) and a splash more fish sauce. Add enough liquid to fill the amount of people you are serving. As it warms through, add more vegetables if you want, and finally the fish or shrimp.
If you just want to make a bowl for one, just take all the ingredients and reduce them by 3/4, increase the liquid to create 1 cup’s worth and then add some shrimp you pulled out of the freezer!
I always cook my noodles separately (thick udon or ramen noodles are best) and place them in the bowl first (like the rice) Then I ladle the soup on top and stir gently to combine. Finish as above for the Thai Red Curry dish. And yes, you can use rice for this soup as well.
Final Thoughts
This curry is really customizable, so use the veggies, stock and protein you want. Add some mushrooms, use fish stock if you happen to have some on hand, or even replace the fish with chicken, tofu or chickpeas!
Any curry leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days.
Feel free to replace the red curry paste with a yellow or green curry paste. They have slightly different heat and spice levels, so adjust accordingly, starting with less at first.
You can make the curry ahead of time and store in the fridge till ready to serve. If doing this, I would hold off on adding the tender vegetables and fish until you are ready to re-warm the curry. You can freeze the curry as well, but again, I would do so before adding the tender vegetables. Just thaw in the fridge overnight, and then re-heat over medium low temperature. Add tender vegetables and fish once just warmed through.
If you want to add more heat, you can do so by adding a minced red chili pepper when cooking the vegetables. Or feel free to garnish with that minced red chili pepper, more Sriracha or chili crisp oil. My recipe for Chili Crisp Oil can be found here.
If you want more umami goodness, stir in a few tsp of tamari or soy sauce.
For other curry options, check out ‘Butter Chicken’ Curry Califlower Soup, Thai Green Chicken Curry, Salmon Curry and Rice aka Kedgeree,
If you make this delicious and satisfying Thai Red Curry with Fish and Vegetables, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Love Jen
Thai Red Curry with Fish and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil, like avocado or mild olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste, see Notes
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp brown sugar, to taste, add more if you so desire
- 1-400 ml 15 oz can coconut milk (not cream), see Notes
- 250 ml (1 cup) chicken or vegetable stock, see Notes
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 cups assorted vegetables, julienned, like bell peppers, carrots, beans, kale, see Notes
- 4 halibut or cod loins, about 150 grams or 5 oz each patted dry and cut into large bite sized pieces, see Notes
- Tamari or soy sauce, if needed, to add depth once the curry is done.
- 2 or more cups cooked rice, can use basmati, Jasmine, or even leftover rice you have in the fridge, see Notes
- Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, Thai basil, lime wedges, finely sliced scallions, chili oil crisp, sriratcha, chopped peanuts, see Notes
Instructions
Thai Red Curry
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Heat the oil in a large pot or braiser over medium high heat. Add in the onion, ginger and garlic. Gently cook till softened and starting to turn golden. Adjust heat down if necessary. Add in the turmeric, red curry paste and brown sugar and stir to coat everything well.
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Add the coconut milk, stock, and fish sauce. Stir everything to blend well. Bring to a gentle boil
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Add in the vegetables, starting with the firmer ones which require more cooking (ie: carrots vs bell peppers) and reduce the heat to medium or so, to maintain a gentle rolling simmer.
After about two minutes, add the remaining vegetables, as well as the fish. Place the lid on the pot and let everything cook till the fish is just opaque, tender and flakey. Depending on the the thickness of the fish you are using, this could take only two to three minutes, turning over and then cooking the other side. Add thicker pieces of fish a minute before thin fish or shrimp.
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Taste and adjust any seasonings. Do you want it sweeter, add a bit more sugar. Need it to be more savoury, add some tamari or soy sauce for umami depth. Salt will be in the fish sauce, so only add salt once the curry is done and you can taste it all together.
To Serve
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Divide the rice between four bowls. Ladle the curry with the fish evenly between the four bowls.
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Garnish with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and sliced scallions. You can also serve the curry with extra heat like chili crisp oil, sriratcha, or thinly sliced red chili pepper. Chopped peanuts are also fabulous.
Soup Version
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Make the curry exactly as described above, just adding more liquid (using a higher ratio of coconut milk to stock will result in a slightly thicker, creamier soup) depending on how many you want to feed.
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Instead of rice, prepare udon or ramen noodles per package directions. Divide this among the bowls you are serving. Ladle the curry soup over the noodles and stir to combine. Garnish as describe above.
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Store any leftover curry in a sealed container in the fridge. Re-warm over low heat.
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See blog post for more details and suggestions.
Recipe Notes
Start with the amount of curry paste stated, add more once you have tasted the curry sauce if you so desire. You can switch up the red curry paste for yellow or green curry paste, it will change the flavour, and the heat level may change, so adjust as you see fit.
Use full fat canned coconut milk, not the type found in a carton meant for drinking or adding to smoothies etc.
Change the ratio of coconut milk to stock to create a thicker, creamier curry.
You can use fish stock if you have that on hand as well.
For a full choice of vegetables, see the blog post. Ensure that the vegetables you choose are all chopped or julienned in similar sizes for even cooking. If you are making a vegetarian version, feel free to increase the amount of vegetables you are using.
Feel free to use any firm white fish you desire, or even shrimp etc. You can even combine them in one curry. You can also replace the fish with chicken or even tofu. See blog post for full list.
Garnishes are all a suggestion, the lime, scallions and cilantro are classic and will balance the flavours. The heat options are as you desire.
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