Pantry Thai

Especially when it comes to restaurant favorites like Pad Sieu and Tom Kha soup, I think of Thai as “fresh comfort food.” But, even if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand and are limited to a few hardy (and/or frozen) vegetables, you can still get your Thai fix! All you need is a can of coconut milk and some of that magical curry paste that is so pantry-friendly. It contains the classic aromatics like shallot and garlic, so that prep time is saved; it has exotic ingredients like fresh turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, and even hard-to-find spices like fenugreek! My favorite brand is Maesri, which I get at the Asian grocery near my home, and it seems fairly all-natural, no weird additives.

Thai Curry with Roasted Vegetables

1. Roast a big sheet pan of veggies. My favorite combos are: Broccoli, carrots, red bell peppers; OR Potatoes and carrots (plus frozen peas added just before serving.) Go easy on salting them since the sauce can get pretty salty.
2. Cook your meat of choice. For chicken, I like to use the Kitchn’s sear-and-steam method (I describe it here) or for steak, pan-sear whole steaks and then slice thinly. (I haven’t done pork, shrimp, or vegan alternatives, but the sky’s the limit!) Once the meat is out of the pan,
3. Build the sauce. Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out most of the solid “cream.” Heat that in your now-empty pan, and fry some curry paste for a minute or two. (I use anywhere from 2 teaspoons to 2 or 3 tablespoons, depending on what kind. Red, yellow, green are only a start with Maesri brand! Follow your tastebuds and desired spice metric.) Then stir in the remaining contents of the coconut can. And that’s pretty much it! I usually also stir in 2 Tbsp fish sauce, and a spoonful of peanut butter to thicken it… if you’ve made it a bit too spicy with that lovely paste, add some sugar. Keep tasting and see what you think.
4. Then stir in your sliced meat, cooked veggies, and serve over rice, quinoa, or noodles. Or, with ingredients chopped a bit finer, and a quart of the appropriate broth, you could have a pretty amazing soup!