Name: Thai Red Beef Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 550g (19.5oz) of sirloin steak, trimmed of visible fat and sliced thin (or similar cut of beef); 1 large carrot, halved and sliced into thin strips; 1 large zucchini (courgette), sliced into quarters; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 2.5 tablespoons of Red Thai Curry Paste; 2 tablespoons of fish sauce; 400ml (1.75 cups) of light coconut milk; 180ml (0.75 cup) of chicken or beef stock; 2 tablespoons of tomato paste; 1 tablespoon of cornstarch; sweetener to taste; fresh coriander; cooking oil spray

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Thai Red Beef Curry - a simple delicious make at home recipe using strips of beef, vegetables and a lighter coconut Thai curry sauce.

thai red beef curry in black frying pan with wooden spatula, black bowl of cauliflower rice and bunch of cilantro iin the background

Thai Red Curry Paste

If there is a curry that is up there with my favourites it has to be a Thai Curry. I just love the combinations of spices and flavours with that subtle sweet creamy coconut sauce. It's a flavour explosion on the palette.

Occasionally I do make my own paste from scratch, but when I want a quick meal on the table like today, the ready made pastes in the little jars are perfect. Most have clean good ingredients and are not too bad calorie wise.

Thai Kitchen is my favourite brand, they do red, green and yellow curry pastes which are perfect for a throw together quick meal like this.

Coconut Milk

Traditionally a Thai Curry will use regular coconut milk, but to keep the calories low I opt for light coconut milk in this recipe, if regular is all you have on hand, then you can use that also by calculated accordingly or just using less and adding more liquid.

Light coconut milk is actually just regular coconut milk but with a higher water ration to make lower in fat.

To make the sauce thicker I also add in a little cornstarch, it gives that thicker creamy feel to the curry but not as many calories as using the regular stuff. If you like a not so thick sauce, then you can omit the cornstarch from the recipe.

close up of thai red beef curry in black frying pan with wooden handle

Type of Beef for Thai Red Curry

This is a quick ready in less than 30 minute recipe, so for this recipe you want a quick frying cut of beef like sirloin steak, flank or tenderloin, you can also use stir fry beef strips if you have that available to use. I don't recommend using a cut of beef like stewing steak that generally require a long slow cook to tenderise the meat.

Other Proteins for Thai Red Curry

If you don't fancy beef you may be wondering what other types of protein you can use. Chicken thighs or shrimp or even some white fish are other great substitutes for the beef in this recipe.

and if you are vegetarian or just fancy a meat free meal, try just adding a variety of different vegetables into the recipe in place of the meat and add something like some chickpeas for some protein and fibre. Chickpeas are a great choice in a curry like this instead of meat, as they hold their shape.

thai red beef curry in black frying pan with wooden spatula and bowl of cauliflower rice in background

Vegetables for Thai Red Beef Curry

I have to admit each time I make this I generally add different vegetables, as it's usually just what I have on hand at the time. Most vegetables are great in this curry.

My favourites are:

Carrot
Zucchini (Courgette)
Red Pepper

but also some other great choices are:

Mushrooms
Green Pepper
French Beans
Peas
Tomatoes
Cauliflower Florets

thai red beef curry in white bowl with cauliflower rice, frying pan of curry in background

Sides for Thai Red Beef Curry

For most it has to be some white jasmine rice as a side for curry. It's just the perfect side for mopping up all that sauce, right?

Whenever I cook long grain rice like basmati or jasmine – I use the same technique of 2:1 ratio. So for example, if you are cooking 1 cup of rice you want 1 cup of water.

Rinse the 1 cup of rice until the water runs clear, add the rice to a saucepan with 2 cups of cold water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the lid, don’t touch or stir, but keep an eye on it, when the liquid is just absorbed, turn off the heat, but leave lidded and untouched for approx 10 minutes, the steam trapped underneath will cook the rice to perfection. Then just fluff with a fork and it’s ready to serve.

However if you want to make this even healthier and lower in calories, Cauliflower Rice is another great option. My favourite way to make cauliflower rice is by roasting it as per this Roasted Cauliflower Rice recipe. The roasting gives it a lovely flavour that makes it the perfect side for any curry.

Thai Red Beef Curry in a cream bowl with cauliflower rice and cilantro

More Curry Recipes

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Recipe Card

Thai Red Beef Curry

Yield: SERVES 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Thai Red Beef Curry - a simple delicious make at home recipe using strips of beef, vegetables and a lighter coconut Thai curry sauce.

Ingredients

550g (19.5oz) of sirloin steak, trimmed of visible fat and sliced thin (or similar cut of beef)
1 large carrot, halved and sliced into thin strips
1 large zucchini (courgette), sliced into quarters
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2.5 tablespoons of Red Thai Curry Paste
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
400ml (1.75 cups) of light coconut milk
180ml (0.75 cup) of chicken or beef stock
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
sweetener to taste
fresh coriander
cooking oil spray

Instructions

Heat a wok or deep frying pan sprayed with cooked oil spray over a medium high heat.
Once hot add the beef and with a pinch of salt and black pepper and fry until lightly browned, remove and set aside.
Add the vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
Add in the Thai paste, fish sauce, tomato paste, coconut milk and stock, and stir until all combined, then bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.
Taste the sauce and sweeten to your liking with a little sweetener of your choice. (I add half a tablespoon.)
Add back in the beef. Mix the cornstarch with a little water and add this into the pan, let the sauce bubble, stirring until the sauce thickens.
Serve with fresh coriander and your choice of sides.
Enjoy!!

Notes

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Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
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