Serves 4

Who doesn't like beef stew on a cold winter evening? This one isn't quite like Mom used to make (unless your mother is Thai), but it's still satisfying and comforting with tender chunks of beef and silky potatoes.

Red Beef Curry

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste (see recipes in Chapter 1)

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut milk

1 pound lean beef, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons (roughly) ground peanuts

1–3 tablespoons (to taste) fish sauce

Sugar to taste

1 green or red sweet pepper, seeded and cubed

¼ cup chopped basil

Rice, cooked according to package directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over low heat. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Stir in the ½ cup of coconut milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the beef strips and poach for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the peanuts and continue to poach for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Add the fish sauce and sugar to taste; continue to cook until the mixture is almost dry, then add the sweet pepper and basil and cook for 5 more minutes.
  5. Serve with rice.

illustration Chili Varieties

The most typical fresh chilies used in Thai cuisine include jalapeños, serranos, Thai bird, and Scotch bonnet. The jalapeño is the mildest of the bunch, adding more flavor than actual heat. Serranos are a bit more searing.