This recipe is like a "Chose your own adventure" book. I love it so much. I'll change up the veggies I use in it, the type of meat, and swap noodles for a rice bowl with the sauce poured on top. It's so easy, and so so so good. A great healthy meal for any night, whether it's training day recovery fuel, or a rest day. It's fresh in the summer, and heartwarming comfort in the winter!
Have you ever actually met someone who doesn’t love Thai food?! I can’t think of a single person! I do know people who eat it at least once a week, though. What’s not to love… heart warming, coconut-y, and versatile. It’s such an easy, healthy dinner. You can so easily make it gluten free or vegan, it’s great with chicken or shrimp or tofu or just chunky sweet potatoes. You can make it as spicy as you want, add peanut butter for additional creamy flavour, chose from about 50 different veggie options depending on your mood, make it green red or yellow. Okay, I could go on for days.
I get such huge cravings for this particular recipe. I’ve made it so many times now, I don’t even need the recipe! Sometimes, we eat it over rice like a sauce. Other times, I’ll boil up rice noodles or ramen and eat it like a soup. I make this a red curry and add a bit of peanut butter. Penang curry is always the one I order when I go to a Thai restaurant! Usually it’s a red curry with a peanut flavour. I also make mine with a bit of sesame oil and honey, which adds so much extra sparkle you just can’t help but smile when you taste a spoonful.
Variations:
Vegetables! Carrots, red pepper and bok choy or broccoli are my favourites. I also frequently sub those out for snow peas, mushrooms, sometimes zucchini, eggplant, and I love to add chunks of sweet potato or butternut squash
Chicken, shrimp, tofu or just chunky sweet potato! You chose!
Peanut butter or no peanut butter
Cilantro (I vote yes!) or no cilantro
Please do use full fat coconut milk! So. Good. That should not be optional, but of course it is :)
A side note on fish sauce. It sounds weird, I know, and it smells funny too when straight from the jar. It’s not meant to be eaten straight up, and you don’t need a lot of it; it’s meant to be an addition that adds such a delicious umami salty flavour. I made this recipe without it once because I was traveling and didn’t have any, and it just wasn’t the same! But if you insist on not using it, you can substitute it for soy sauce or tamari.
Enjoy! I Hope you make this over and over and over again like I do all winter and summer alike!
Coconut Peanut Saucy Thai Noodles
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp sesame oil, divided (1 tbsp to cook the chicken, 1 tbsp to cook the veggies)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced in to rounds
2 cups bok choy, broccoli, or vegetables of choice (snow peas, shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, etc)
1 4oz jar Thai Kitchen thai red curry paste
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
1 can (14oz) full fat coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
soy sauce to taste, if you'd like it saltier
8 oz rice noodles or 1 cup (uncooked) rice
1/4 cup thai basil or regular basil
Optional garnishes: thai basil or regular basil, cilantro, peanuts, lime
INSTRUCTIONS
To prep, chop your chicken/meat/meat substitute in to a bowl, then wash your knife and cutting board. Chop your onion, slice your pepper and carrot, and grate your ginger and garlic. You can also get any other veggies you want to throw in ready.
Fill a separate pot with water for your rice or noodles, and turn it on high heat on the stove to bring to a boil.
Heat 1tbsp sesame oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add your cubed chicken (or other meat/meat substitute). and cook on both sides until browned. Remove this on to a plate and set it aside until later.
Reduce the heat to medium under your pot, and add the other 1tbsp sesame oil. Add your chopped onion, sliced pepper and carrot. Leave to cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
If you're having this with rice, add the rice to the separate pot of boiling water now. If you're having noodles, hold off until later because they only take 2 minutes to cook!
While your veggies are sautéing, chop your cilantro and basil if you're using it, and juice your lime in a separate bowl. Once the veggies on the stove have cooked for the 5 minutes, stir in any other vegetables you're using, like mushrooms or broccoli.
Add your red curry paste, turmeric, grated ginger and chopped garlic. Cook, stirring every 30 seconds, for 2 minutes just to toast the spices. While this is happening, use your can opener to open your can of coconut milk.
Add your coconut milk and chicken broth. Give it a good stir and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add your chicken/meat/meat substitute back in to the broth.
If you're having this with noodles, add them to your separate pot of boiling water now.
Now add your fish sauce, peanut butter, and honey. Bring this to a boil, stirring it occasionally to get the peanut butter mixed in. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.
Finally, stir in your lime juice, cilantro and basil. Strain your noodles.
Serve this in a big bowl. Start by putting your desired amount of of rice or noodles in first, then ladle the sauce over top. Top this with more Thai basil, cilantro, or peanuts, with lime wedges on the side.
