Tender and succulent salmon fillets covered with delicious, velvety Thai red curry, served over white jasmine rice. Add a green mango salad and you will have an unforgettable meal.
I tried several curry dishes in the past but never felt like it was something I wanted to try again. It all changed when I made this Thai-style red curry with coconut cream and milk. The curry was delightfully spicy, with a touch of sweetness, plenty of savory notes and a velvety texture. I've paired it with many things, chicken meatballs, shrimp, and even roasted vegetables. It makes everything taste better.
But what tasted exceptionally good with this curry was salmon. I don't think I've enjoyed eating salmon this much in a long, long while. It was delightful. Tender, moist fish covered in brightly colored, delicious curry sauce. This curry is hard not to like. It has a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, salty and savory. It's not the kind that you need to have a taste for, it will appeal to just about anyone.
Without a doubt, the best side dish for this curry salmon is jasmine rice. Put some red curry sauce on it and it alone will make a delightful meal. I added my favorite green mango salad to go along. It felt like I was in Thailand, in a little mom and pop restaurant where they serve home-style food made with love.
Ingredients
- 24 oz salmon fillet skinless; cut into four 6-oz pieces
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
For the red curry sauce
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp Thai red curry paste plus more to taste (see notes)
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce plus more to taste
- 1 tsp brown sugar packed
For garnish
- 1 red Thai long chile fresh; sliced on the diagonal and seeded; or halved, seeded then cut into long slivers
- 2 kaffir lime leaves fresh; cut lengthwise into very thin strips (optional but highly recommended)
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, combine the oil, curry paste, and coconut cream over medium-high heat and fry until the mixture is fragrant and the coconut fat separates, about 2 minutes.
- Next, stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar, and continue cooking until the curry sauce has thickened a little, about 1-2 minutes. While the curry sauce is cooking, taste for the spiciness and the saltiness. Add more curry paste and fish sauce, if desired.
- Add the fish fillets to the pan in a single layer, leaving space between them. Drizzle with the sauce. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes. Flip the fish and continue simmering, covered, for another 2 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and easily separates with a fork (internal temperature at least 140F).
- Carefully remove the salmon from the pan and plate, over a bed of rice. Drizzle with the curry sauce from the pan. If the curry sauce becomes too thin due to water leaving the fish, simmer it for a few minutes to thicken a little.
- Garnish with the sliced red Thai chiles, lime leaf strips over the top and serve immediately.
Gaylord Rapanot says
Fantastic!! I definitely loved every bit of it.
victor says
Happy to hear it. Enjoy!
Carrie says
Such a simple recipe yet so delicious. This is my first attempt at Thai cuisine and it was a huge success. I feel inspired! This recipe is a definite keeper. Thanks for sharing!
victor says
You are very welcome!
Mirth27 says
Thanks, Victor, for simplifying a recipe I rarely make at home because of the complexity. Some of the depth of the dish is lost but none of the flavour and it can be made mid-week.
Cheers!
victor says
A homemade curry sauce made with quality ingredients would definitely add more depth but making it will certainly add a lot more work. Still, this dish is very, very good with a store-bought red curry sauce. I would just recommend trying a few available and picking that one that tastes best as they may differ quite a bit from one another.