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Thai Coconut & Peanut Butter Curry

The best thing to come from my kitchen this weekend was not a dessert.

Thai Coconut & Peanut Butter Curry - in a thick and luxurious coconut sauce. https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/03/25/thai-coconut-peanut-butter-curry/

I know a lot of people are interested in the other things that I eat.

You know, the other things besides dessert!

So maybe I will give in and write a day-in-the-life post sometime soon. Until then, I’ll at least make an effort to post “Katie” Meals more often, so that nobody gets confused and thinks I subsist on chocolate alone. Oh, in a perfect world…

Partially due to having grown up all over, and partially due to the fact that many non-American cuisines rely much less on meat and dairy products, I eat so-called “ethnic” foods quite often. Thai, in particular, is one of my favorite cuisines, both in terms of eating out and making it at home. I could eat coconut curry every single night, with coconut sticky rice for dessert, and I would be a happy girl.

Red Curry Paste

Thai Coconut & Peanut Butter Curry

  • 1 cup onion, chopped (90g)
  • 3 small red bell peppers, sliced thin (330g)
  • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (480g)
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk – must be the canned type (for a low-calorie version, see link below.)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (or gf soy sauce) (30g)
  • 1 tsp powdered ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • pinch pure stevia, or 2 tbsp brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 2-3 tbsp red curry paste (30-45g)
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter (can omit for a peanut-free curry) (60g)
  • 4 cups broccoli florets (300g)
  • 4 carrots or 3 small zucchini, in coins (250g)
  • 1 cup pineapple, chopped (140g)
  • 15-20 fresh basil leaves torn (dried basil works, but fresh is much better)
  • optional garnishes: cilantro, chopped peanuts (you can also add sriracha)

Sauté first three ingredients in a large pot, in oil or oil spray, stirring every so often, 8 minutes or until onion begins to look translucent. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine next eight ingredients in a large bowl, and stir until the curry paste and peanut butter are fully incorporated. Now add all remaining ingredients—including the sauce—to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cook on medium, uncovered, for 8-11 minutes (depending on your texture preference for veggies), stirring occasionally. Garnish if desired. Serves 4-5.

Click for a: Lower-Calorie Version

peanut butter curry

Would you consider yourself to be an adventurous eater?

Do you love trying unusual foods, and foods from different cultures? Or do you prefer to stick with familiar foods you already know you like? I really enjoy trying anything and everything new (as long as it’s vegan… frog legs are out!). My favorite non-American cuisines aside from Thai are probably Italian, Indian, and Ethiopian. I also really love Moroccan, such as my dinner from this restaurant, although there sadly aren’t very many Moroccan restaurants in my area.

Link of the Day:

healthy carrot cake

……….Single Serving Carrot Cake

Published on March 25, 2013

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
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Huffington Post, and 
ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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97 Comments

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  1. Jennifer says

    My first time to your blog – found you on BlogLovin – under Vegan 🙂
    I’m now following you on there! Nice place you have here! I’ll be back often! Great photos, too!

  2. Olivia@ OmNom Love says

    Yum! I love Thai! It’s one of my favorite cuisines. Aside from Italian, Indian, and German, that is.
    I like to try new foods, too. I have eaten frog legs before and can personally say they really do taste like chicken! But, just knowing those legs were once attached to frogs makes me squirm, so I’ve only eaten them once. 😉

  3. Tanner says

    I love trying new things, but I’m not so sure I could be called an adventurous eater. My parents would beg to differ, however! They were repulsed by my “Creamy Kale Pudding” (an agar base with frozen kale blended up inside). If adventurous eaters eat things like agar, tofu in smoothies, dips, and sauces, and beans in desserts. count me in! Raw cauliflower is also a great base for smoothies, in my opinion.

    • Tanner says

      Oh, also! Katie, will there be pictures in your book? It’s SO disappointing when you get a new cookbook and there are no pictures of the yummy food!!! Please say there will be LOTS of pictures!!! I would totally buy it even it doesn’t, but I would totally buy a million if it does! One copy for display, one copy for writing notes in, two copies to rip out all the pages and paste them on the walls so I could look at all the yummy food… OK, I think I’ve had WAY too much caffeine this morning. Darn addicting iced tea 🙂 I sound like some sort of nutter :0

    • Maya says

      I’m a very adventurous eater. Though- speaking of frog legs, last week for the first time I splurged and bought kale chips instead of making them…and there was a DEAD DRIED FROG in the bag!!!! And it was marked vegan….I am not quite THAT adventurous to eat surprise frogs…

  4. Heather says

    This sounds great, and might be a good way to use up some of the veggies I just finished oven-roasting 🙂 🙂 A perfect time for you to share!

  5. Joy @ Caspara says

    Mmmmm!! I love curry too! (And I grew up “all over”! We should compare notes!) I always say that when I smell curry cooking, it evokes in me what most people experience when they smell Grandma’s best fried chicken, or whatever. That sort of “Ah, I’m HOME!” Feeling. 🙂 which makes a lot of sense for my life! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love when you post non-dessert recipes almost as much your the chocolate-covered stuff! 🙂

  6. Jade C says

    This looks great!! I must make more savoury recipes soon – loving the veggies that you use 🙂 .
    I love Thai and Moroccan dishes, and Mexican!!

  7. Violet says

    yum this looks good. I do love Thai. Indian cuisine is my favorite but it’s so intimidating to cook – so many spices I don’t know about and can’t find where I live. Mmm I could live off some naan bread though

    • cck says

      That’s so weird! I guess the website is outdated and they changed the formula… My jar specifically says “vegan” and also has no fish sauce in the ingredients. (You can sorta see the “vegan” label in the photo, on the top-left of the jar.)

  8. Jen says

    Katie, please do yourself a huge favor and throw that red curry paste out! 😉 You can go asian grocery stores and pick up a little red can of Mae Sri curry paste. If you can’t find that there is great brand called Mae Ploy . The Thai Kitchen paste pales in comparison in terms of flavor. The only thing I can compare it to is watching black and white TV and then being introduced to color television.

  9. Marisa says

    Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE your blog and your wonderful dessert posts. But whenever you posts non-dessert recipes I immediately have to run to the grocery store and try them right away. You post so few of them that I know the ones that make the cut have to be delicious (and they always are!). Thanks for posting this 🙂

  10. Cardiogirl82 says

    I definitely enjoy the savory dished you post. I am not really a “sweets” person. I love Thai Kitchen products-I use sweet red chili sauce on everything!

  11. Lisa says

    Thai is definitely one of my favorite cuisines! I never make it enough though!
    I’m a sucker for all things coconut.
    Totally not an adventurous eater at all!

  12. Mindi says

    Katie, is the nutritional info that is at the bottom of the low-fat recipe link for the low-fat version or the original?

  13. Casey Graham says

    Made this for supper tonight and it was AMAZING!!!!! Also made your mini chocolate chip breakfast cookies for dessert with pumpkin instead of applesauce. I have a very happy belly. Thanks so much!

  14. Caroline says

    Oh wow…this has so many of my favorite flavors and I love Thai food too. Can’t wait to make this. Your photos are so beautiful too! I’m bookmarking this!

  15. Mary Frances says

    Oh wow … I wish I had a bowl of that right now. I am definitely an adventurous eater. My family isn’t as much, but they put up with it as long as its disguised well;)

  16. Dylan says

    Just as an fyi–this is usually referred to a “massaman curry.” But Thai Kitchen curry paste?! Ugh, that’s bush league!

    • Meghan says

      Man, some of us like Thai Kitchen, okay? I understand that you have evolved tastes or whatever but there’s no need to make other people feel inferior because of their preferences.

  17. Melissa says

    Oooooh that looks good. I love Thai food! Unfortunately we’ve had to ban peanuts from our house since my three-year-old is allergic. 🙁

    I’m definitely an adventurous eater. To a point. I draw the line at bugs. Can’t do it. Nope. Not gonna happen. Ever.

  18. Katy @ KatysKitchen says

    Coconut Curry is so yummy! This one looks so delicious and healthy. I think I am definitely an adventurous eater, I love to try new things. But for daily meals I tend to stick to the easy stuff I know and love. Or, I’ll try something new and have the same thing for three days, then get sick of it and move on!

  19. Suzanne says

    Hi, yes I love trying new food. Recently I tried swede again after years of ignoring it but not just swede on its own. Swede topped with cheese. Oh golly it was lovely and now make it regularly. Love the blog 🙂

  20. Peanut Butter Spread says

    Usually I have tried peanut butter as a part of a dessert or just by itself, but this curry with peanut butter and coconut sounds very interesting and something that I have to try. Thanks a lot for the easy recipe.

  21. Dianne says

    I can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you KT. I had something like this at a cooking demonstration by a vegan chef and actually licked the little paper cup with my finger to get it all it was so good!

  22. carol st says

    I have a request for a copycat recipe – it is the chocolate peppermint stick Luna bar. I have loved all your recipes I’ve tried so far so I’m sure you can do this. Thanks.

  23. Liz says

    I’ll try anything – as a kid, my favorite foods were blue cheese and raw oysters! I must tell you, Katie, I only discovered your blog a few weeks ago and it’s had such a positive impact on my life so far. After a very difficult winter, I had lost my motivation to do pretty much anything, including leaving the house and taking proper care of myself. My first thought when I stumbled upon this blog was that you seem truly healthy and happy. It made me want to get myself back to that place. More so than the recipes themselves, which I love (addicted to your cauliflower nuggets -SO GOOD!), you are a source of inspiration to me, a reminder that life is short and beautiful and meant to be enjoyed. And as someone who suffered from a severe eating disorder in my late teens/early twenties, I think you are a great role model for young girls everywhere. I know I wish I had access to a site like this when I was sick. You have the power to change lives – you’ve already done it for me just by sharing your positive attitude and love for life. So, what I’m trying to say with this novel is thank you! I know it can’t be easy sharing so much of yourself on a daily basis, but it IS making a difference!

      • Liz says

        Christine, if you ever feel the need to chat, I’d be glad to give you my email address (I just don’t know how to do it without broadcasting it to the whole world). I know that it’s sometimes easier to talk about the things that aren’t going well in your life with a faceless stranger than with those who are close to you.

  24. Maya says

    Yay a savory recipe! Looks good. Have you ever used ginger garlic paste? I make a big bottle of it (just fresh ginger, garlic, and some vinegar/salt to preserve it). It’s awesome in Asian food- and fresh ginger trumps the powdered stuff any day 🙂 One of those “takes a little time one day but is so worth it all other days”

  25. Teresa says

    This looks so delicious. I love, love, love peanut sauce! (Sometimes I get spring rolls just as an excuse to eat lots of peanut sauce.)

    I’d consider myself moderately adventurous as an eater. I don’t do anything very spicy, but just about anything else is fair game. My favorite cuisines include most of the Mediterranean areas, such as Greece, Italy, and much of the Middle East (Persian, Moroccan, Turkish, etc.). Oh, and I love most Asian cuisines too. I’m only just starting to find Indian foods that I’ll eat (can’t stand the texture of most curries, that sort of silty, slurry-like sauce). And I’m only so-so on Mexican foods due to the prevalence of cilantro (ugh).

    Thanks again for sharing a main dish recipe. 🙂

  26. Jbenn says

    Mad the curry tonight. Yumm mom nom!! I also made my own curry paste (Jaime Oliver) and my own tomato paste. Cuz I didn’t have any on hand. Now I am pleasantly sleepy.

  27. Amanda Katz says

    Hi Katie – Oh this looks so good! One thing I HATE about store bought curry pastes is how HOT they are! Could you figure out how to make them from scratch so that we can put what spices we want?

  28. Court Star @ StarSystemz says

    I just got back from Thailand + have been craving some homemade Thai food! Thank you so much for this dairy free recipe! I LOVE foods from different cultures right now I am LOVING African Peanut Soup so good + hearty, truly makes a perfect dinner! Love + Shine CourtStar

  29. Anna @ Your Healthy Place says

    I started eating ethnic foods for the same reason as you – when I became vegetarian, there were just far more interesting foods for me to eat under those cuisines then the standard western diet.

    However, I am from the Caribbean and have British family, so I always ate a mixture of tropical and British food anyway, as well as American (my Caribbean island imported a lot of US goods). So I guess some people would have considered my original diet ethnic to start with! But I have definitely started playing more with Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican and Japanese cuisines since going veg 6 years ago!

  30. hannah says

    Totally aweaome!!!! I doubled the recipe and served it with rice. I actually had to cut the mushrooms, ginger, pineapple and basil. Everyone still loved it!!!!!!

  31. Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning says

    The combination of that particular red curry paste and coconut milk is SO good. I feel like you can throw pretty much any veggie/protein into that sauce and let it simmer, and it’s decadent and delicious. I’ve never once thought of adding peanut to the mix though… hmmm…

  32. Ashleysh22 says

    this sounds quite delicious! never occurred to me to add peanut butter to my curry! but maybe I will try that soon! how many people does this recipe feed? it sounds HUGE! I have a crockpot curry recipe and I feel like it is a quarter of this and feeds four easily!

  33. Kim K. says

    I made this tonight … first time I’ve had the energy to cook for myself all week since I started a new job on Monday … and it was PHENOMENAL! Thanks for sharing a great recipe 🙂

  34. Lia says

    I just tried Out this recipe & it tastes like Heaven.. I Mixed it with Rice since i needed some carbs.. & Even my omni boyfriend Fell in Love with this dish..
    Thanks for Sharing, Your Homepage is Def. One of
    My Favorites :))

  35. Brooke says

    I love your blog and all of your healthy dessert recipes! They have really helped me to give up on unhealthy treats. When I saw this recipe I was beyond excited to try it! Thai food is my favorite! I put tofu in it, and not the broccoli (I love broccoli, but only when it’s by itself). I added the maximum amount of curry, so it was pretty spicy. My 3 year old told me it was, ” the greatest dinner ever!” And my 1 year old was shoveling in his mouth so fast, I was worried he would choke. I loved it, my husband loved it, and the only bad thing about this was that I was looking forward to the leftovers for lunch! This will be a regular rotation in our dinner menu, but I will be doubling it! Thank you Katie!

  36. Kim says

    Katie,
    When I saw this posted, I smiled at your comment about eating coconut curry every night as I had never had it. So I tried your Low Cal version and I am now a true believer. It is fabulous!
    I don’t like broccoli, so I added Quorn “Chik’n” tenders and then served it over lo mien noodles. This will be in my rotation for sure. Thanks so much!

  37. Amy says

    Great recipe! I plan to make it when I’m in college, but quick question, how many servings does this make? I wouldn’t want to follow the instructions and have a full weeks worth of curry.

  38. Shanna says

    Have you thought about doing any more curry recipes for your blog? I am interested in making a curry. But…I really don’t like coconut. I’ve tried to like it about a billion times but I just can’t. It’s way to…..coconutty!!

  39. Hazel says

    I had this recipe saved to make since you posted it, but kept forgetting. FINALLY made it and wowwie. Wish I had made it sooner! I had never made any type of curry before so I was happy this was really simple. And it turned out soooooo good. I only used bell pepper, mushrooms and broccoli veggie-wise, but used tons of each. The fresh basil is really what puts it over the top if you ask me! Oh and I used some super fresh, organic pineapple – the sweetness totally hit the spot in this dish. PERFECTIONNNNNN!

    Oh and I love weird foods. I will try tons of different things as long as they are vegan, but I have a hard time making most ethnic dishes at home just due to my lack of knowledge there. There aren’t many places to eat at in my area (due to not having vegan options, or understanding what vegan means!) so I still love all the fun of trying to make it at home.

  40. Dottie says

    I just tried this today and loved it! The sauce is very similar to what I’ve had in local Thai restaurants, but it’s amazing to know what I’m putting in my body! I’m gluten-free, so I used a gluten-free tamari as a substitute for the soy sauce. I also added the juice from half a lemon just to increase the zing factor.
    I served it over brown rice Pad Thai noodles and the whole family loved it! It makes me feel sorry for those poor folks who can’t eat peanuts. And for those who are afraid they won’t like it because they don’t like coconut…. you have no idea the yuminess you’re missing out on here! The flavors all blend together so well there is no “coconutty” flavor.

  41. Cassie says

    Found this on pinterest. Tried it last night. That was amazing. My husband and I were so in love with it, it goes in our favourites to definitely eat again!
    Thanks so much!

  42. Sarah says

    My boyfriend said this was the best meal I’ve made all year. I followed the recipe to a T. I used 3 T of red curry paste and it was perfectly spicy. Thank you, yet again and always, Katie.

  43. John says

    This recipe looks really good, thanks. I think it’s more common to use fish sauce instead of soy sauce, though. We Westerners aren’t that versed in the differences of the various sauces like soy, fish, oyster, hoisin, etc, but apparently they all have a distinct flavor profile. There was an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay where he used soy sauce instead of fish sauce when making pad thai and both of the tasters looked at each other with a bit of a confused look on their faces and said ‘does it taste like soy sauce was used in this to you’?

  44. Lauren says

    This looks delicious. I recently went to buy curry paste like this and bought the red chili paste instead…which has anchovies in it. I didn’t notice it until I had already started whipping up the sauce I was making. I had to dump it all out and start over. >_< I'm a huge fan of the Sweet Red Chili Sauce, though (comes in the larger bottle). I use it to make vegan Pad Thai.

  45. Robin says

    You know what’s even healthier (soy is NOT very healthy stuff!), use Coconut Aminos! A bit sweeter than Soy sauce, and much better for you–and it’s less salty, but tastes very similar. Give it a try!

  46. Elaine says

    Thank you for being the voice of reason on this very important topic. And thank you again for your many great recipes.

  47. Becka says

    We just made this for dinner. AMAZING!!!!! I started the whole vegan thing back in October so I’m still new to it, and it’s always so exciting to be able to find healthy meals that are vegan and delicious!!

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