5 Ways to Use Thai Curry Paste (without making a curry)

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You know me, I’m a huge fan of Thai Food; it’s fresh, it’s fiery and full of flavour. And, it’s so quick and easy to cook – it’s been my mid and end of week hero dish for quite a while now (done in twenty minutes and great for using up whatever veg you’ve got bashing around at the back of the fridge at the end of the week!). While Thai Yellow Curry will forever be my absolute go to and favourite when I’m craving Thai Food, I’m always on the look out for ways of mixing things up and using those flavours in a different way. Because a pack of Thai Curry Paste doesn’t just have to be for making curry. Whether it’s red, green or yellow, that little pack tucked away at the back of your cupboard behind the dried pasta and tin of chopped tomatoes can be used in so many different ways to inject heat and flavour into a dish – any dish.

Thai Potato Rosti Cakes

Potato Rosti, Hash Browns… whatever you call them and however you eat them – a tablespoon of any curry paste stirred into the soft, shredded potato and onion mix before you go ahead an get frying is DY-NA-MITE. Add a couple of poached eggs and you’ll be in for an extra special, extra spicy Sunday brunch.

Liven up Vegetable Soups

I’ve always been a fan of boring vegetable soups to be honest. For me, it doesn’t have to be anything special – and after a wet walk with the dog there’s nothing like a bowl of steaming hot soup with a tonne of chunky veg floating in it in my book. My husband however, HATES it. He finds the flavours bland, the soggy veg like baby food and whenever there’s soup on the menu he’ll roll his eyes and whinge his trademarked phrase, “Soup’s not food, it’s sustenance!!!” Ugh. But mix in a spoonful of curry paste and suddenly it’s like he’s staring into a whole new bowl.

Fiery Fish Pie

I’m a recent convert to Fish Pie – it’s just the perfect Autumn comfort dish and I recently posted my go-to recipe: Fish and Lager Pie. But why not mix it up and inject a little Thai spice into the mix? Super easy, just swap out the double cream for coconut milk and spoon in as little or as much curry paste as you fancy!

Thai Omelette

Thai curry paste and eggs go together like a dream, so the next time you’re feeling too knackered to cook and utter the words, “Do you just fancy an omelette tonight?”, why not slip a little curry paste into the mix and take that lazy omelette to a whole new level?

Marinade for Meat

And finally, what better way to liven up the meat on your menu than to inject it with all the flavour packed into just a couple of spoonfuls of curry paste. There’s no end to what you make after letting your meat marinade overnight in the stuff – from kebabs to the fiery Thai-style Burgers topped with Asian Slaw that I whipped up over the weekend using a few ingredients sent to me by Discover Delicious. (Scroll down for the recipe…)

If you’ve never heard of Discover Delicious before then think of them as your one stop online shop for fantastic Welsh food and drink. They’ve got a fully stocked food hall full of groceries made by locally by Welsh Independents – often family run – from cheese and crackers to gin. They also offer gifts and experiences – so if you’re on the hunt for some early Christmas presents, then look no further. From the package of goodies they sent me (including aaaall the pregnancy snacks I’m going to need to get me through the next couple of weeks – including Welsh Cakes and Toffee Waffles, my faves!) I immediately fished out the Thai Yellow Curry Paste and Hot Thai Style Chutney.

Thai Burgers with Asian Slaw

makes 2

Method

1. First things first, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and then place them in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your marinade: that’s the Thai Curry Paste, Olive Oil and Coconut Milk. Combine the two, ensuring both chicken breasts are fully coated and submerged. Leave to marinade for at least an hour, but overnight would be even better.
2. When you’re ready to cook, whip up your Asian Slaw. Finely shred the carrot, beetroot, cabbage and Chinese leaf into a bowl. In a clean bowl, mix together the dressing: that’s the sesame oil, ginger paste, garlic paste and maple syrup. Combine the two, ensuring the veg is all coated. Set aside.
3. Shallow fry your marinaded chicken breasts on a medium heat for around 20 minutes, turning over half way.
4. All that’s left is to assemble! Lightly toast the brioche buns, then stack with the cooked chicken breasts, Asian Slaw and freshly chopped coriander, then serve. I’d totally recommend adding a blob of Calon Lan’s immense and fiery Chutney – it really spiced the burgers up!

Have a great week! 💛

*This post contains gifted items. To find out more about what that means, click here.