Thai curries embrace a delicate balance of flavors, textures, temperatures, and colors to produce lively, satisfying meals. Though fresh tasting (thanks to potent herbs and aromatics), restaurant renditions can be high in saturated fat due to hefty amounts of coconut milk, especially when made with red meat.
We wanted to create a Thai-style red curry that wasn’t swimming in coconut milk and featured fiber-rich lentils and tofu instead. We started by cooking the lentils in an aromatic red curry broth.
When the lentils were tender but still slightly al dente and had absorbed most of the liquid, we incorporated a bit of coconut milk to create a rich, fragrant sauce.
To contrast the nutty earthiness of the lentils, we added vibrant red bell pepper slices, snow peas, and cubes of tofu at the very end, simply warming them through to maintain the vegetables’ color and crisp-fresh texture.