Thai red curry with cottage cheese

Thai cuisine has a special place in our house. Both my parents and in-laws love it. I always tend to keep a jar of curry paste from stores for those sudden cravings. However, preparing the curry paste at home from scratch makes it so much better. Presenting homemade red thai curry with Indian cottage cheese or paneer. You will notice the freshness and difference in texture from the store-bought ones. 

The paste requires a few ingredients unique to Thai cuisine, like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. These are irreplaceable. Even though tofu is an excellent protein source for vegetarians, I used Indian cottage cheese, which is firm and easy to cook. 

Once the curry paste is ready, the curry itself is just minutes away. Add your choice of vegetables and carbs. We prefer rice or noodles, and for protein, it’s chicken, prawn or beef. Vegetables like aubergine, bell peppers, bok choy, etc., are a common choice.

Impress your guests with this quick curry or make it for your family. Just prepare the paste a couple of days ahead. You will be surprised at how quickly you can exit the kitchen.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

Curry paste

• Red chilies 4-5
• Garlic 5 to 6
• Onion 1 
• Galangal 1 inch 
• Lemongrass 1/2
• Tomato paste 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
• Regular chili 1
• Lime juice and zest 1
• Kaffir Lime leaves 2
• Whole peppercorns 1/2 tsp
• Salt
• Oil 1 tbsp

Curry

• Red curry paste 4-5 tbsp
• Indian cottage cheese 100 gms
• Bok Choy 3-4
• Onion 1
• Coconut milk 120 ml
• Oil

Method

Paste: 

Place the ingredients in a processor with a bit of water and blend to get an almost fine puree. 

Curry:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced onion. Once translucent, add the paste.
2. When the paste starts releasing some oil from the sides, and becomes fragrant.
3. Add the bok choy and cottage cheese. Stir in the coconut milk and let it simmer for a couple of minutes on low flame.
4. Serve with noodles. Garnish with basil leaves and sliced chilies.