The secrets to a really great Thai curry using store bought curry paste are: sautéing the curry paste with onion, garlic and fresh chilli, and simmering the curry with kaffir lime leaves (key tip). Plus my secret tip for a thick, extra saucy, extra tasty sauce with 1/3 less calories – MANGOES. Seriously. (Or if you’re after a classic Thai Red Curry with Chicken, here it is.)
Ever since my visit to the Groves Grown Tropical Fruit farm which I babbled about in the Coconut Shrimp/Prawns with Spicy Thai Mango Sauce recipe I shared a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been going a little mango-mad.
Mango sorbet. Mango cheesecake. Mango marinade (seriously SO GOOD!). Mango salsas.
I don’t want to overwhelm you with mango recipes so I decided to pick one more to share this summer. And really, there was no contention.
This Thai Mango Chicken Curry. There are no words. Honestly, I think it’s the best “from scratch” invention to come out of this kitchen for a while. LOOK how thick and saucy it is! With 1/3 less calories!!!
Everyone loves a great curry, especially creamy coconut milk ones. But I rarely have Thai curries midweek because of the calories….WOWZER! Coconut milk is seriously loaded with calories. There are 920 calories / 3,850 kilojoules in one 400g/13oz can of coconut milk. Did you know that??
Sure, you could go low-fat coconut milk. But it’s nowhere near the same……Those who have tried it will know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that the curry sauce is watery instead of creamy.
So the awesome discovery I made?? Switch out half the coconut milk with mango puree. That’s right, mangoes! In puree form it’s thick and creamy, has the sweetness of coconut milk – the PERFECT coconut milk substitute. With less than 1/3 of the calories of coconut milk.
And in case you are concerned, NO it’s not too sweet! Coconut milk is sweet anyway, so it basically replaces that. Plus, here are the ratios I use: 1 can (400g/13oz) coconut milk, 1 cup mango puree and 3/4 cup chicken broth/stock (thins out the mango, adds extra flavour depth).
There is no way anyone would taste this Thai Mango Chicken Curry and think “this is sweet”.
To be clear – I did not invent this Thai Mango Chicken Curry in a bid to lighten up curry! I made it simply because I thought it would be delish – and it blew me away. And my taste testers. Especially when I told them it was so much healthier than the usual red curry!
This is the very first recipe I’m sharing which uses a store bought curry paste. And it’s in response to a request from a friend who mentioned that curries she makes using store bought curry paste just never tastes as good as restaurant curries.
There’s no denying that a made-from-scratch curry paste makes a difference. But you know what? The bigger factor is using store bought curry paste properly – freshening up the flavours by sautéing it with onion, garlic, ginger and chillies.
And the ultimate tip I have? KAFFIR LIME LEAVES. That is the key. They smell limey but are earthier, and when you plonk them into the sauce to simmer away, that is when the magic happens and you’ll make a curry that rivals a restaurant one.
Just like it’s the secret to make a Restaurant Style Coconut Rice. 🙂
I need to stop here. Otherwise I’ll write a thesis.
I really hope you try this Thai Mango Chicken Curry. I can’t stress enough how delicious it is! Thick, creamy, EXTRA saucy with less calories. *Eyes fluttering* Thai curry heaven. – Nagi x
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Thai Mango Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, grape seed)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 tsp ginger , minced (not critical)
- 1/2 - 1 tsp red chilli , minced (Optional. I used 1 tsp.)
- 1 small onion , sliced (brown, white, yellow) or 3 eschallots
- 1.2 lb / 600g chicken thigh fillets (or breast), cut into bite size pieces
- 4 - 5 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste (Note 1)
- 1 can (400ml/13oz) coconut milk (full fat is better but low fat is ok too)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup mango puree , preferably fresh (1 large mango) (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
To Serve
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Coriander/cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
- Fresh red chili , sliced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Add garlic, ginger, chilli (if using) and onion and saute until the onion is starting to soften.
- Add chicken and cook until white all over but still raw inside.
- Add curry paste and saute for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve the curry paste into the liquid. Then add the mango, fish sauce and kaffir lime leaves.
- Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 12 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Adjust saltiness using fish sauce.
- Serve over jasmine rice, garnished with coriander/cilantro, wedges of lime and slices of red chilli, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition per serving assuming 4 servings using only Coconut Milk per Note 3.
Nutrition Information:
We loved this and ate it with your oven baked coconut rice. It was so delicious together. We omitted the chili pepper and only used 1 tablespoon of curry paste to accommodate some very sensitive palates. It was delicious and we will absolutely make it again soon.
We puréed peaches ( grew too many) and froze it. Used peach instead of mango. Yummy 😋
We loved this dish. Used the recommended amount of curry paste and it was just right. Different brand to recommended though. This dish with the naan bread was highlight of our week.
Ok. This was FABULOUS. I have been avoiding it due to PTSD from the 90s obsession with apricot chicken. But this is the best Thai dish I have ever made or eaten. My mangoes were greener than Nick McKim but no matter this was the perfect flavour. Read the comments about heat so just decided to use a full tin of Maesri and be done. Perfect!!! Loved it.
Can this be frozen?
Fresh flavours, easy to make, and a big hit with my kids. We used 2 tbsp of the red curry paste (same brand as in the recipe). That was about right for us – enough background heat to be interesting, but not overwhelming. I’d use more if not factoring kids.
Leftovers reheated well and the sauce thickened up a bit more in the fridge overnight.
This will become a regular meal at our place. Thanks again, Nagi!
Another winner. I used frozen mango chunks ( defrosted ) plus 1 extra cup of smaller chopped up chunks to stir through at the end. Hubby & I love mangoes and he devoured it! The only thing I did was to reduce the amount of Maesri red curry paste to 2 tablespoons & omit the minced chilli as hubby can’t handle anything too spicy. This will be a regular dish for us now. So delish & I might even try whole pre-marinated chicken thighs or drumsticks next time round. I grew up eating Indian curries & I wish my mum was alive to taste this because I think she would have absolutely loved it too. Yum Yum Thank you Nagi x
I only have dried Kaffir lime leaves (I live in an area where fresh are not available). Should I rehydrate them before using them?
Does this recipe freeze well?
I thought 4-5 tbsp red curry paste was excessive but I always follow recipes exactly however I only put 2 tbsp in for me it was too hot!
I would have put 1tbsp
It was also quite runny what did I do wrong and is the 4-5tbsp red curry paste correct
We can’t buy your brands of curry locally so just buy what’s available in the supermarket
Thank you, I’m glad I read your comment before making this because I agree about that paste being pretty hot. My hubby can’t eat really hot curries & 2 tablespoons was plenty hot without it being overbearing. It was more of a medium heat level which I still found enjoyable & it made the mango flavour come through really well.
Absolutely delicious. I used the recommended red curry paste (in tin) and was perfect heat. N̈ote: I wouldn’t have wanted any more heat. Winning dish
This was amazing! Will definitely become a staple in our house!
Added extra chilli.. made this a lovely fruity spicy dish .. lush . Ps for UK folk, kaffir lime leaves available dried in Waitrose and M&S and fresh in Sainsbury’s
Delicious curry just like the restaurant as Nagi said. I used green mango and the Curry and Co Red Curry Paste.
Is this recipe overly spicy?
Hi Renee, we just made this tonight and it is bursting with flavour. The only heat that is present is dependant on how much red chillies you add. We used one teaspoon and didn’t find it very spicy. If you don’t like spicy heat but like flavour, we would recommend making it without the chilli first then change as fits your palette. Enjoy!
Thank you for replying!
I have small children so I didn’t want to make something that would be too hot for them. I will leave out the Chilli. It looks delicious!
Yum yum. I picked up some Kensington Pride mangoes from a grower just outside Bowen and they were ripening fast. What a delicious way to use them at their prime. So quick and a hit with my husband too. Definitely making this again.
Absolutely delish – used a home grown birdseye chilli , seeds and all and couldn’t bear wasting any of the tiny tin of Maesri Red Curry Paste , so chucked all of it in. NOT too ‘sweet’ at all and creamy as. Tossed some pan roasted cashews on top, fantastic.
Thank you for another awesome recipe, Nagi.
I feel it’s time that we all started referring to the secret/key ingredient in this (and other recipes) by its correct name, however. When you know better, you do better I always say! Please note that the term ‘Kaffir’ Is an offensive slur to certain populations. The correct name for this fragrant plant with its distinctive double leaves, is “Makrut.” I will gently inform readers that the word ‘Kaffir’ has racial/slave connotations akin to calling someone the N-word. You would not list an ingredient as ‘N***** leaf’ in a recipe. So can we all try to say ‘Makrut leaves’ please?
OMG sooo delish. Still salivating 😋
Is this recipe spicy?