Mmm Curry

I've been experimenting with Thai cooking recently. I think experiment #2 of the Red Curry can be declared a success.

Swampsville doesn't exactly have a great amount of locally available speciality stores so I have to make do with supermarket ingredients. There is where Taste of Thai  products come in. I had to laugh at the first variation of this I made:

The recipe on the back of the jar of curry paste directs you to use 1/2 to 1 tbsp per 14oz of coconut milk along with a careful admonition at the bottom to start with a small amount and work up according to taste. Well I guess I've worked up my tastes a bit since living here as I thought I'd be daring and add the whole tbsp straight off.

Couldn't taste a damn thing. What I ended up with was way too sweet and not even remotely spicy. So experiment #2 I went to three tablespoons of curry paste and left the sugar and fish sauce down at the original amount. Much better :) I still think #3 will probably have one or two more tablespoons. I would put what I just ate at a 'mild' rating. I like my sinuses to be clear when I finish a curry, I'm barely even sniffing. Flavour was definitely good though. I might have gone overboard on the veggies though, I tend to load up on those and skip the rice. I did discover a great addition is some new potatoes though. :)

Anyone who knew me from back in the UK might be mildly shocked as I never cared for anything remotely spicy growing up. Now I eat things that will knock the socks of most of the cajuns around here and they can do some mean seasoning at a crawfish boil. Trying to eat the corn on the cob from your average boil is asking for totally numb lips that'll burn for hours after - it tastes sooo good though :)