This heavily seasoned beef stir-fry is one part Thai curry dish, one part taco meat. And entirely delicious.
The trick for getting deep, bold flavours with almost no effort are three key ingredients - Thai red curry paste, coconut milk and freshly squeezed lime juice.
The curry paste, which can be found in grocers' Asian or ethnic aisle, is a thick red seasoning that can be used to add heat to soups, stews, cooked rice and stir-fry dishes.
Unlike hot peppers, the heat of the curry paste won't clear your sinuses. This is more of a lingering, deeper, on-the-tongue heat. If you prefer milder tastes, start with 7 ml ( 1/2 tbsp) and taste your way up.
The coconut milk (usually found in the same section as the curry paste) not only adds lush body to this dish, but the fat also acts as a balance to the heat.
Meanwhile, the lime juice cuts through both the curry paste and coconut milk with refreshing acidity.
Baby spinach and thinly sliced scallions are stirred in and wilted during the final stage of cooking, but any hardy greens would work well, including chopped baby bok choy, thinly sliced green cabbage or kale.
Serve this over rice or paired with fresh vegetables in a wrap.
Red Curry Beef
30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil
22 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) red curry paste
15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce
15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar
500 g (1 lb) lean ground beef
50 ml ( 1/4 cup) coconut milk
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1 bag (140 g/5 oz) baby spinach
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
125 ml ( 1/2 cup) shredded fresh basil
125 ml ( 1/2 cup) crushed unsalted peanuts
In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, combine oil, curry paste, soy sauce and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and saute until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk. Return to a simmer. Mix in scallions and spinach and continue cooking until greens are just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix in lime juice and zest and basil. Serve over rice, garnished with peanuts.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 392 calories, 24 g fat (6 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 6 g fibre, 679 mg sodium.
