Thai Red Curry and Sweet Potatoes

Fall is here, which means I’m once again rifling through my recipe book for cozy dinners full of fall squash and sweet potatoes. This one definitely fits the bill and is perfect for weeknights: cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash, cooked with ginger, onions, and Thai red curry paste for a fragrant, nutritious dinner. This recipe is adapted from Little Spice Jar; while Thai red curry dishes are common and largely similar, hers was the first I saw that added some yellow curry powder, which I love in this dish.

Authentic isn’t the goal here (and couldn’t be achieved by me anyway), but I’d like to note here that Thai red curry paste is laborious: it has lots of ingredients and traditionally made with a mortar and pestle. I often use this red curry paste; though it’s an Americanized version, I can reliably find it on the shelf at my local grocery stores. I try to keep a more authentic option on hand, so I pick some up Maesri whenever I’m at the Asian grocery store, which in my reading is far and away the most popular Thai brand. If you’re looking to stock a few Asian pantry staples, I highly recommend this primer from Woks of Life.

For more reading on Thai curry paste and the pros and cons of store-bought, check out this piece.

Spice level will vary depending on what curry paste you use, but I don’t consider this to be a spicy dish. It’s very fragrant - Thai red curry paste is made with lemongrass, kefir lime, garlic, and ginger along with other ingredients - but it’s not necessarily hot.

Don’t skip the fish sauce! It adds a really important umami depth to the curry. It’s also salty, so adjust accordingly. You can always find it at an Asian grocery store, but in the last few years, I’ve been able to find the Thai Kitchen version everywhere from Publix to Target.

---

Thai Red Curry and Sweet Potatoes

---

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 pound chicken thighs, cubed

• 1 ½ pounds (about 2 ½ cups) cubed sweet potatoes

• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger

• 3 Tablespoon Thai red curry paste

• 1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder

• 1 (15oz) can full-fat coconut milk

• ½ cup broth or water

• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce

• ½ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

• 1 ½ cups chopped frozen spinach

• Juice of ½ lime

• Cilantro for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until they just begin to soften. 

2. Add the chicken and cook about halfway through, stirring regularly to prevent onions from burning.

3. Add ginger, curry paste, curry powder, and sweet potatoes; stir to coat and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

4. Add coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and salt. Bring to a simmer before covering. Lower the heat and allow the squash to cook all the way through, about 10-15 minutes. Test doneness with a fork or knife; the potatoes should be easy to pierce. 

5. Stir in the spinach and bring the curry back to a simmer. Add lime juice. Taste for salt and lime juice and adjust as desired. Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.

NOTES:

• An equivalent weight/volume of butternut squash can be used here with a similar cook time. Use the same method to check if the squash is done.

• For a slightly different flavor, dice 1 red bell pepper and sauté with the onions in step one

• The ideal amount of salt will vary depending on your curry paste, broth, and fish sauce. Add it slowly and taste often

---