Thai-Inspired Red Curry with Leafy Greens & Scallops

Red Thai curry, served on a bed of rice noodles, along with pak choy, spinach, red cabbage, on a serving platter.

Contains:  Coconut, nightshades, seafood.  Is:  Gluten-free. Vegetarian/vegan option.

Pak choy. Not traditional, perhaps, but very good here.

After scoring a big batch of pak choy (a variant of bok choy, but with a whiter stem) I decided to make a Thai curry.  It’s not quite Paleo or Whole30, but one can leave out the rice noodles and sub in white yam fettuccini.  (PS, I do have arrowroot noodles I plan to try one of these days!)  At some point I plan to make my own home-created curry pastes, but visiting Asian markets these days takes a major time commitment.  (EDIT:  Recipe created January 28th, btw.  Right now I just shop at ONE local Mom and Pop, and not often.)  

The curry sauce is now thick enough for the addition of the vegetables.

At any rate, for a description of the spice and flavor levels of traditionally-Thai curries, please check out Which is hotter: Thai red or green curry?  They also sell their own paste blends, of which I plan to order a few.  (Hint – green is actually hotter, at least authentically-prepared in Thailand.)

Now for the addition of scallops. These sea scallops were so large I cut them in half.

I do not regularly see scallops listed in Thai recipes, so feel free to sub out with shrimp, chicken, pork, tofu – and/or with vegetables of your choice.

Ready to add to the rice noodles.

Cooked January 28, 2020.  Depending where you are, many things here were probably more available then.  Didn’t post back then as January was the Whole30 recipe theme and February focused on Greek recipes.)  PS, I am NOT about to apologize for posting Asian recipes.  Deal with everything new in your home (these ingredients weren’t) as potentially in need of proper handling and cleansing.  

Decided to post as a seafood dish for Good Friday.  

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Prep Time:  15 minutes (although add more for soaking the dried shiitake)
Cook Time:  30 minutes.
Rest Time:  Not needed.
Serves:  4
Cuisine:  Thai.
Leftovers:  Yes. Re-heat in skillet or in microwave.

Thai Curry with Leafy Greens & Scallops

 

• • 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms – reconstituted in hot tap water for at least 30 minutes. Remove any stems and slice the mushrooms once reconstituted.
  • Reserve the mushroom water.
  • Three tablespoons red curry paste. (Or green, your preference.) I used the “Thai Kitchen” brand.
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole coconut milk.
  • When added to about 1/4 cup mushroom water, a total of 1/2 – 2/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth plus that mushroom broth.
  • 1/2 teaspoon galangal powder. (or half an inch if you have whole galangal, minced)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste or 2 garlic cloves minced.
  • 2 inches of lemongrass paste
  • 18ounces pak choy or bok choy. Baby will be less bitter.
  • 4 ounces fresh leaf spinach, roughly shredded.
  • 3 ounces fresh red cabbage, roughly chopped.
  • 2 scallions/green onions, chopped.
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce (I use Vietnamese “Red Boat” brand). For vegetarian or vegan but still paleo, use coconut aminos instead.
  • Optional 1- 2 Thai peppers, sliced in half longitudinally, optionally de-seeded.
  • Optional – Red, orange or yellow bell pepper (for color contrast), de-seeded and thinly sliced longitudinally into narrow strips. (Note: I simply forgot.)
  • Sea scallops. (Or, you could use shrimp, or small cubes of tofu/tempeh. Or shreds of chicken or pork – if the meat, add earlier, or pre-cook this.)
  • Salt and pepper as needed.
  • Cilantro, for garnish.

 

In a deep skillet, mix together the shiitake, curry paste, coconut milk, veggie+mushroom broth, galangal, garlic, lemongrass.

Simmer on a low bare boil for about 15 minutes or so, until the sauce develops some thickness. Stir often.

Add all the vegetables and fish sauce, and stir until they begin to soften. Add the scallops, taste for salt and pepper, and cook another two minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve over 4 ounces rice noodles cooked as per packaging, and top with optional cilantro as desired. Serves four.  Re-heats easily.

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Staying at home as much as possible to link up to the following link parties:

• Fiesta Friday, with this week’s co-hosts: Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Laurena @ Life Diet Health

• Full Plate Thursday

• Farm Fresh Tuesday.
• What’s for Dinner? – Sunday Link-Up.