Ok. I’m going to provide the ingredients and instructions for this yummy (but spicy) red curry dish with BEEF first. It will also be an Instant Pot/pressure cooker recipe. BUT! At the end, I will explain how to do this recipe in the slow cooker (for those of you that don’t have a pressure cooker – again tho, what’s holding you back??), as well as how to swap beef for chicken or shrimp. Whatever type of protein you choose or HOW you choose to cook it, the ingredients are the exact same except for your choice of protein.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole head of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp of ginger, minced
- 1 white or red onion, chopped
- 1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 small-med sweet potato, cut into small 1 inch cubes (optional; I just like to add lots of veggies)
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips (remember – peppers are nightshades but you can eat them if they are pressure cooked!)
- 2 cans full fat organic coconut milk
- 1/2 cup organic chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 small 4 oz can of red curry paste – pick a brand you like; I tend to go with Thai Kitchen
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (plus more to taste)
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (plus more to taste)
- 1 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour (optional; for thickening your sauce if you want)
- juice from 1-2 limes (up to you how much lime you like)
- handful of chopped, fresh cilantro (for garnish)
- handful of chopped, fresh basil (for garnish)
- prepared basmati or cauliflower rice
- 1-2 lbs flat iron stake (or flank or skirt or hangar or chuck – really up to you how much and what cut of meat you want; just try to source grass-fed, organic)
- If you choose to use chicken, buy 8 skinless, boneless thighs (try to source true pasture raised, organic)
- If you want shrimp, get 1 lb de-veined and de-shelled (try to source only wild caught)
DIRECTIONS
Step 1: Prep all your veggies and meat, as well as your rice
- cut your meat into bite size pieces or 1/2 inch strips; sprinkle with salt and pepper
- chop all your veggies and mince your garlic and ginger
- make your rice (basmati or cauliflower rice)
- TIP! I tend to make my rice first (or get it started first) as I find it holds its temperature for a good 30 minutes after cooking if I don’t take the lid off; this way I’m not rushed or trying to make rice at the same time that I’m making the curry and it’s just ready when the curry is ready
- If you make cauliflower rice, you can just leave in the pan and then warm up again just before serving
Step 2: Sauté
- turn your Instant Pot/pressure cooker on in Sauté mode (I find between 202-220 is the ideal temperature so you may need to manually change the temperature; Cosori brand pressure cookers have a set sauté time of 284 and I find this gets WAY too hot, too quickly so I manually adjust to 220 from the get-go)
- add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
- add your onions, garlic and ginger and sauté for a few mins (stirring frequently) until aromatic and onions get a little soft
- once onions are soft, turn off your pressure cooker and unplug it
Step 3: Add your flavours and meat
- add about 1/4 to 1/2 can of coconut milk into the pot
- add in the jar of curry paste (add less, maybe 1/2 jar, if you want it less spicy) and stir until well dissolved with the coconut milk
- add in cumin, coriander, turmeric salt and pepper
- add the beef to the pot and stir to make sure beef evenly coated and mixed around
- add rest of the can of coconut milk (NB! Keep the 2nd can for later)
- add chicken broth
Step 4: Start Pressure Cooking
- plug the pressure cooker back in
- lock the lid
- pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes
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- NB! You will have to manually set the time and temperature of your pressure cooker; then hit start
- ALSO! For those new to pressure cooking, don’t forget that it takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes, after you press Start, for your pressure cooker to get UP TO pressure before the timer kicks in
-
- when finished pressure cooking, quick release the steam (don’t forget to stand back); let all the steam escape before opening the lid
Step 5: Add your veggies and pressure cook AGAIN
- add your red pepper, broccoli and sweet potato to the pot and stir so that veggies well coated and mixed in
- re-lock the lid
- pressure cook on high pressure, this time for 1 minute only
- when done pressure cooking, quick release the steam again; don’t open the lid until all the steam is released
Step 6: Final touches
- add your second can of coconut milk and stir
- NB! Feel free to adjust the amount of coconut milk you want; you may only need 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup, or maybe the whole can – totally up to you and how much extra sauce/liquid you want
- ALSO! If you want to thicken your curry, add 1 tbsp of tapioca flour to the can of coconut milk (mix together in a bowl BEFORE adding to the pot); then add to the pot and stir
- the pressure cooker will be in “Warm” mode once it’s done pressure cooking from before – you can increase the temperature for a few minutes (suggest 240) to allow the sauce to thicken and then turn the cooker off completely once ready
- add in the fish sauce, coconut aminos and fresh lime juice – make sure to taste test your curry at this point and add any extra fish sauce, coconut aminos or lime juice to suit your fancy! I tend to always add more of each 🙂
Step 7: Serve!
- serve over basmati or cauliflower rice
- garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and basil
- if you have time, you can also serve with grain free naan bread (optional; as pictured below) for sopping up the extra curry sauce. Click here for grain free naan bread recipe; “Option 3” in the post
If you have a pressure cooker but want to do this recipe with CHICKEN:
- follow all the same instructions as above EXCEPT that you pressure cook your chicken for 4 minutes the first time (Step 4 above), and then 1 minute the 2nd time (after you add the veggies; Step 5 above)
If you have a pressure cooker but want to do this recipe with SHRIMP:
- I wouldn’t use the pressure cooker at all LOL!
- Follow all the same steps above but over medium heat on the stove top in a large fry pan or pot
- NB! Once you have dissolved the curry paste (Step 3), I would add BOTH cans of coconut milk at this point plus all your seasonings; and remember, if you want a thicker sauce, take one can and mix with 1 tbsp of tapioca FIRST and THEN add to the pot
- bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to low/simmer
- ALSO! The broccoli and sweet potato take about 30 minutes to cook in the sauce so just add them when you are 30 minutes out from serving (bring the pot to a boil you add and then reduce to simmer)
- don’t forget to add your fish sauce, coconut aminos and lime juice!
- Once the sauce is ready:
- heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a fry pan over med-high heat
- add your shrimp (make sure they are rinsed before) and sauté a few mins per side, or until opaque (try not to overcook or shrimp will be chewy)
- add your shrimp to the curry mixture and serve!
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEEF OR CHICKEN CURRY
(See note above if you want to do this recipe with SHRIMP as you don’t need a pressure cooker OR slow cooker; you can make this in a large fry or sauce pan on the stove top)
The process for beef or chicken in the slow cooker is very similar however:
- Instead of sautéing your onions, garlic and ginger in the pressure cooker (Step 2), you will sauté in a fry pan and then transfer to your slow cooker
- NB! You can also choose to quickly sear/brown your beef (in a fry pan on med-high heat, 30-60 seconds per side) before adding to the slow cooker; apparently this helps to improve the flavour and texture of the meat ** but if you’re lazy like me, you can just throw the raw meat into the pot
- if you’re using chicken, don’t brown, just add raw to the slow cooker
- ALSO! Because you are not pressure cooking the peppers, you should technically remove them from the recipe (although…slow cooking for 4 hours will still help to break down many of the lectins in the peppers; it depends how strict you are to your anti-inflammatory diet)
- NB! You can also choose to quickly sear/brown your beef (in a fry pan on med-high heat, 30-60 seconds per side) before adding to the slow cooker; apparently this helps to improve the flavour and texture of the meat ** but if you’re lazy like me, you can just throw the raw meat into the pot
- Then follow the same steps outlined in Step 3 above only set your slow cooker to high for 4 hours
- At the 3.5 hour mark, add the 2nd can of coconut milk, sweet potatoes, red pepper and the broccoli, as well as the fish sauce, coconut aminos and lime juice; stir well and then continue slow cooking for the final 30 minutes.
- NB! If you want a thicker sauce, follow the same steps outlined above where you add tapioca flour to the coconut milk before adding to the pot
I realize that I may have been a little ambitious by adding all these variations and thus creating confusion so don’t hesitate to email me or send me a message via instagram (@karliskitch). As always, would love to know if you make this and if you like it!
Cheers!
Karli
** “Strictly speaking, meat doesn’t need to be browned before it’s added to the slow cooker, but it’s a step we find worth the effort. The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor to the finished dish.”(https://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/slow-cooker-recipes-tips)