PREP
COOK
INACTIVE
20 min
55 min
0 min
TOTAL TIME
1 hr 15 min
COOKING METHOD(S):
Oven, Stovetop
Rich, Fragrant and Made for Cozy Nights
This is the curry I make when it's cold out and everyone wants something warm and filling. Mae Ploy red curry paste sizzles in the pot until the kitchen smells like lemongrass and chili, then two cans of coconut milk turn it into a rich, glossy sauce. Seared strips of sirloin go back in at the very end so they stay tender, and roasted kabocha blends right into the sauce, making it velvety and a little sweet. A squeeze of lime and a handful of Thai basil wake the whole pot up. Spoon it over fluffy basmati and dinner is ready in about an hour and 15 minutes, with plenty of hands-off time while the squash roasts. Serve it with my Crunchy Sesame-Ginger Cabbage & Carrot Slaw or Cucumber & Radish Rice Vinegar Salad.
Related Recipes
Velvety Kabocha Squash & Coconut Bisque
Beef & Kabocha Coconut Red Curry with Rice
CATEGORY:
Mains
SERVINGS
4
+
-
SERVING SIZE
About 2 1/2 cups curry with 1 1/2 cups rice
INGREDIENTS
For the Curry
1 lb
Beef Top Sirloin (or similar cut)
2 Tbsp
Avocado Oil (divided)
1 cup
Yellow Onions (sliced)
3
Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 Tbsp
Fresh Ginger (grated)
2 Tbsp
Thai Red Curry Paste
1 can (13.5 oz)
Canned Coconut Milk (full-fat)
1 1/2 cups
Water
1 tsp
Beef Bouillon Paste
2 lb
Kabocha Squash (cut in half and seeded)
1
Red Bell Peppers (sliced)
1 cup
Green Beans (trimmed and cut in half)
1 1/2 Tbsp
Fish Sauce
2 tsp
Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp
Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 cup
Thai Basil Leaves (fresh)
1/4 cup
Cilantro (chopped)
1
Limes (cut into wedges)
2
Thai Chili Peppers (optional, thinly sliced, very spicy)
For the Rice
2 cups
Basmati Rice (rinsed)
3 cups
Water
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the steak in the freezer for 30 to 40 minutes, until firm but not frozen solid. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the kabocha squash cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife slides easily through the flesh at the thickest point. It should be very soft, since it's blended into the sauce. Set it aside to cool while you start on the rest.
While the squash roasts, combine the basmati rice and the water for the rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Slice the semi-frozen steak across the grain into razor-thin slices with a sharp knife or a meat slicer.
Heat 1 Tbsp of the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef in two batches for about 30 seconds, until browned at the edges. Thin-sliced steak browns in a flash and finishes cooking in the sauce later. Move it to a plate.
Add 1 tsp of the avocado oil to the pot and turn the heat to high. Add the red bell pepper and green beans and flash-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until blistered in spots and crisp-tender. Move them to a separate plate. Keeping the vegetables separate lets picky eaters skip them or have them on the side.
Once the kabocha is cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes out of the oven, scoop the soft flesh away from the skin with a large spoon. Discard the skin. Letting it cool a bit first keeps you from burning your fingers and makes the flesh easier to scoop cleanly.
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining avocado oil and the onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the Thai red curry paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells toasty.
Pour in the coconut milk and the water for the curry, then add the beef bouillon and the scooped kabocha. Stir until the bouillon dissolves and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, keeping the blade fully under the surface so the hot curry doesn't splatter. No immersion blender? Blend in batches in a regular blender with the lid vented and covered with a towel, then return it to the pot.
Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar. Add the beef with its juices and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the beef is cooked through (145°F). Keep it at a gentle simmer so the beef stays tender. If the sauce is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of water.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice and Thai basil. Taste and add a splash more fish sauce or lime if needed. Stir in the flash-fried bell pepper and green beans, or serve them on the side for picky eaters. Spoon the curry over the basmati rice, top with the cilantro and serve with the lime wedges. For heat lovers, scatter the sliced Thai chilies over the top, but go easy: they're very spicy.
Put the steak in the freezer for 30 to 40 minutes, until firm but not frozen solid. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the kabocha squash cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife slides easily through the flesh at the thickest point. It should be very soft, since it's blended into the sauce. Set it aside to cool while you start on the rest.
While the squash roasts, combine the basmati rice and the water for the rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Slice the semi-frozen steak across the grain into razor-thin slices with a sharp knife or a meat slicer.
Heat 1 Tbsp of the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef in two batches for about 30 seconds, until browned at the edges. Thin-sliced steak browns in a flash and finishes cooking in the sauce later. Move it to a plate.
Add 1 tsp of the avocado oil to the pot and turn the heat to high. Add the red bell pepper and green beans and flash-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until blistered in spots and crisp-tender. Move them to a separate plate. Keeping the vegetables separate lets picky eaters skip them or have them on the side.
Once the kabocha is cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes out of the oven, scoop the soft flesh away from the skin with a large spoon. Discard the skin. Letting it cool a bit first keeps you from burning your fingers and makes the flesh easier to scoop cleanly.
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining avocado oil and the onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the Thai red curry paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells toasty.
Pour in the coconut milk and the water for the curry, then add the beef bouillon and the scooped kabocha. Stir until the bouillon dissolves and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, keeping the blade fully under the surface so the hot curry doesn't splatter. No immersion blender? Blend in batches in a regular blender with the lid vented and covered with a towel, then return it to the pot.
Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar. Add the beef with its juices and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the beef is cooked through (145°F). Keep it at a gentle simmer so the beef stays tender. If the sauce is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of water.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice and Thai basil. Taste and add a splash more fish sauce or lime if needed. Stir in the flash-fried bell pepper and green beans, or serve them on the side for picky eaters. Spoon the curry over the basmati rice, top with the cilantro and serve with the lime wedges. For heat lovers, scatter the sliced Thai chilies over the top, but go easy: they're very spicy.
