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:
Nagi, this was delicious. The recipe was perfect. I am not on a diet, but I wanted to try as I thought this would work and it did. I was able to obtain a large can of pureed mango. It was very reasonably priced and I have plenty left (to my 25 year old daughter’s delight). It was presweetened, but I noted that and there was nothing else as an option. I was missing the lime leaves. The paste we get here is very damp, easy to mix in and very strong and colorful, so even though we added a singnificant amount we cut back as well. Otherwise, it was easy, inexpensive, and really good.
I followed the directions and served with just a nice white rice and was delicious for 4 people!
Thank you!!
Elizabeth
This looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. For the red chilli, you mean a whole red chilli minced, yes. Not chilli powder.
Hi Maria! Yes I mean whole fresh red chilli! 🙂
Hi there! What type of chili did you use? The pictures look like an arbol chili. I attempted to make a panang curry from scratch and it came out way too sweet so I think I’ll try this out!
Cheers
Hi Jennifer! I use birds eye chillies. Thai chillies are also perfect for this. Basically any small red chilli!
Oh wow. I was fully planning on making chicken tikka masala tomorrow, but now this is all i can think about! I have made Thai red curries in the past with the store-bought red curry paste, and although the recipes always call for up to 5 tablespoons of the curry paste, I find one tablespoon to be super spicy! I suppose it depends on the brand, of course, but I’m very limited in what brands I can buy because I live in the middle east. If I only use one or two tablespoons of red curry paste, do you think I will be missing out on other flavors, besides the heat? Would you recommend adding any other spices, or yellow curry paste, or extra ginger, etc. to make up for the lack of red curry paste? Thanks so much!
Hi Jennu! I actually don’t find this spicy at all but as you say, I am sure different brands have different spiciness. If you only use 1 or 2 tbsp then unfortunately yes, the flavour will be less. So is the yellow curry paste that you can get not too spicy? If so, that is a perfect substitute!
Thank you for replying so quickly. I made the curry with 2 tablespoons of red and 2 tablespoons of yellow curry paste, and it was too spicy for us. I guess we are just wimpy. So I added another can of coconut milk and what was left of the mango and some more chicken stock! I probably missed out on a lot of the great curry flavor in order to dilute the heat, but it still ended up tasting very nice. The lime leaves and fish oil add great flavor, as well as some fresh lime. Next time, I will use 90% yellow curry paste 10% red! Obviously, I have lots of sauce leftover to put in the freezer! 🙂
That’s wonderful that you were able to adjust it to your taste Jennie! It does sound like you are very sensitive to spice 🙂 You know what? I think you will really love this recipe -> https://promotown.info/fragrant-coconut-pot-roasted-chicken-feel-good-food-cookbook-by-valli-little/%3C/a%3E It has really lovely flavours that are a milder thai curry flavour and you can leave out the red chilli altogether. N x
I made this again with shrimp and it was even better!!
Oooh…..now you’ve got ME thinking!
Thanks Nagi!
I have a question. If you cannot find fresh mango and you want to make it with the coconut milk only, does that mean I actually need two cans of coconut milk? I see that the recipe has both coconut milk and mango as ingredients. Thanks.
Hi Shantay! yes, double the coconut milk 🙂 I’d actually use one full fat and one low fat coconut milk 🙂
Nagi
Just tried this recipe to the T. Turned out mind blowing. My daughters are raving and swooning. Just brilliant. Thanks for sharing. From my side 5* rating. I have become your fan, tomorrow I will make Satay Chicken curry. Marinated it with Satay seasoning and kept for overnight marination.
Gautam
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Gautam, thank you for letting me know! PS I really hate playing favorites, but I have to say that the Satay Chicken Curry is even BETTER!!!! 😉 N x
Looks Like a Real Winner !
Thanks Kenny! 🙂
Wow! What a great dinner. I added sweet potato + red pepper + steamed broccoli on the side to up the veggies. Great technique to puree the mango. We really enjoyed this, I will definitely be making it again, thank you!
Thank you Ms Fig! I’m so glad you enjoyed this!! N x
Hello! This dish looks decandent! I love red curry but I’m not sure my stomach can tolerate it (the spice). Is there a milder curry that you would recommend for this recipe? Thanks! Wendy
Hi Wendy! This actually isn’t that spicy at all, and you can just leave out all extra spice. 🙂
Perfect. Thank you for your quick response! I thought when I had red curry that the curry itself was spicier than the rest. I am really excited. 🙂
Oooh! I hope you do try it Wendy! 🙂
Wow have just found you and tried this little gem last night. Like many others I was not able to find the leaves either, but last night I gave up and use lime juice and the dish was GREAT! I have some leaves on way from internet and if we loved with juice cannot wait to make again with right stuff.
I made this curry last night and it is fantastic, living in Scotland I am fairly sure we can only get dry lime leaves which I have tried before but don’t feel they give much flavour so I added the zest and juice of a lime. I would definitely recommend using the mango as it adds another dimension. We had it with noodles and I also added spring onions and green beans for a little extra veg, so pleased I made enough for tonight. This will definitely be one of those recipes I use again and again, thank you very much Magi for sharing it with us x
Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed it Fiona!! I’m SO GLAD you liked it! N x
YAY! So glad you loved it Debb, THANK YOU! 🙂
Also, this is a not related comment but I wasn’t sure where to post it. I have been trying to get right a recipe for “stir fried diced chicken with chilli and peanuts” that we get at a restaurant called Dumplings Plus here in Melbourne. I am pretty sure it’s Kung Pao chicken but none of the recipes I have tried taste right. I was wondering if you had a similar recipe or something along those lines you like?
???
OMG!!!! I am sharing it next week!!! Yup it definitely sounds like Kung Pao Chicken if it has peanuts and chilli. Does it have a touch of sour and a bit of spiciness with a dark brown sauce? If so, YES it is definitely Kung Pao Chicken!
Hi Nagi!
Great recipe I will cook it next week. Your pad see ew has been on my weekly rotation for the last three weeks so this will go nicely to make a true Thai feast! by the way your pad see ew sauce is fantastic ?????
Oooh, I do hope you try it! And I’m so glad you love my Pad See Ew, isn’t it da bomb??? 🙂
Hello Nagi,
I happily found your receipe for the Red Thai Curry. My daughter and I are both lovers of Thai food,so we will be making this receipe this week. Can you tell me where I can purchase the lime leaves? Is it possible that an oriental grocery store would have them? If I found them with spices and they are bottled dry, would that be an alternative to fresh?
I look forward to your answer and future receipes. I hope to look and see if any of your receipes are in the archives. We have a lot of cooking to catch up on.
Blessings,Nancy
Hi Nancy! I would be surprised if your Asian store did not have them! Also fruit & veg stores have them, and in fact my supermarkets have them (I’m in Australia). At the Asian store, if they don’t sell them fresh, see if they have them frozen (they freeze brilliantly). Otherwise, dried kaffir lime leaves as a last resort will work 🙂 Hope you love it!
Hi Nagi,
It’s another recipe of yours I’m excited to try! The problem is my kaffir lime leaves have dried up because they’ve been refrigerated for months. Do you think I still can use them without ruining the dish taste?
Hi Vidya! They will just be like using dried ones – I’d throw in an extra one just in case but it should work just fine! 🙂
Surprisingly simple and sooo tasty – will recommend this to all my friends before the mango season is completely over. Thank you and please keep your beautiful recipies coming!!! 🙂
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback Nikki! I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed this!!! PS I went a little mad last week stocking up for winter….I froze so many mangoes!
I absolutely loved this recipe – the mango added a wonderful depth to the curry. Your recipes are great and a huge success at home.
Many thanks
I am SO SO GLAD you enjoyed this Trish! ? Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!!
Anyway, you can just use your imagination and believe me when I tell you that it tastes good and looks good in real life, as they say.
True that! 🙂 N x
Oh, Ms Nagi, stop it. Stop with your amazing recipes and tasty tasty dishes. Stop making me want to eat until I burst. Stop making me want to dive into the glorious golden lake of red curry and drink it all up with a long straw. Stop making me lick my plate clean. Just stop it. You hear me?
On second thought, don’t stop. We’ll starve in this house if you stopped.
I made this red curry last night for dinner, and it was AH-MAH-ZING!!! So rich and creamy with such bold flavours and perfect umami. The mango was a stroke of genius – I loved the sweetness and the thickness the mango purée brought to this dish. The red curry paste and the chilli worked in perfect harmony with the fish sauce, and the squeeze of fresh lime over the curry and rice rounded out this most delectable concoction. Super easy to make and so very very delicious. I added 2 cups of green beans to boost the veg content. Oh. So. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCz0Ug3qyTQ/
YOU TRIED IT! YEE HA!!! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed it Gloria, I was waiting to hear what you thought! Thank you thank! N x
J Daddy and I made piggies of ourselves last night and ate ALL OF THE CURRY between us. All of it. Every last bit. With the exception of about half a cup of sauce. I will definitely be making this one again and again and again!
I have to say this is BETTER than restaurant quality. Truly marvellous. Thank you for gifting me this recipe! x
? Thank you thank you Gloria! I am SO HAPPY you loved this so much!!! N xxx❤️
I normally really dislike fruit in savoury dishes but I was more than happy to give this a try – and the mango is beautiful, definitely not noticeable as a fruit flavour but adding texture and sweetness to balance the curry paste and fish sauce. I threw in sugar snap peas and corn as well to pimp the veggie side of things, and also used 1kg of chicken to get 5-6 servings out of it as there is a stack of sauce. The lime squeezed over the top at the end was the icing on a very tasty Thai cake – thanks for another excellent recipe Nagi!
I’m not big on fruit with meat either! In fact, I generally stay away from it full stop – I don’t even do apples with pork!!! So I totally know what you mean – and probably should have mentioned that in the recipe!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Beck!!!
I made this tonight. So lovely!!! I will be mourning the end of Mango season 🙁 thank you for this recipes! They never fail!
Thank you so much Anne! I will be mourning the end of Mango season too….? I’ve stocked up though!!! I have about 20 bags in the freezer!!!!