Thai Seafood Curry

Thai Seafood Curry

The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Two mainstays in Thai cuisine are seafood and curries, and this recipe brings them together beautifully. Salmon, red snapper, scallops, shrimp, and mussels are simmered in a deliciously tart curry sauce made of coconut milk, tamarind paste, and a variety of traditional Thai seasonings. The sauce is heated in a wok or deep frying pan, the seafood and vegetables are added, and the curry is finished with a bit of pineapple for an unexpected hint of sweetness. This healthy, one-pot dish is sure to please and impress your friends and family.

Ingredients

For the Seafood:

  • 1 salmon fillet (fresh or frozen), rinsed and cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 1 large red snapper fillet (fresh or frozen), or other white fish such as halibut (rinsed and cut into 2-inch pieces)

  • 6 to 8 large sea scallops

  • 8 to 10 tiger prawns or jumbo shrimp (shells removed and deveined if necessary)

  • 1 pound mussels or clams (scrubbed and mussels debearded)

For the Vegetables:

  • 2 whole makrut lime leaves

  • 1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 Chinese eggplant (unpeeled and cut into bite-size chunks)

  • 1 green bell pepper (cut into bite-size pieces)

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (or 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges)

  • 1 can pineapple chunks (drained) or 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into cubes

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil

For Thai Curry Sauce:

  • 1 can coconut milk

  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste (or substitute juice of 3/4 lime)

  • 1 shallot (sliced) or 1/4 cup sliced purple onion

  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger (thinly sliced)

  • 2 tablespoons frozen prepared lemongrass or 1 stalk fresh lemongrass

  • 1 to 2 green chilies (jalapeno work fine), chopped, seeds removed if desired

  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Thai Seafood Curry ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Make the curry sauce by placing all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process well to a smooth consistency.

    sauce ingredients in a food processor

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Process well to a smooth consistency.

    curry sauce in a blender

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Pour the sauce into a wok or deep frying pan and add the makrut lime leaves. Set over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sauce begins to bubble.

    curry sauce with makrut lime leaves in a wok

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Add the eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes and stir well.

    Add the eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes to the curry in the wok

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the curry is gently simmering. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant has softened.

    curry and vegetables cooking in a wok

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Add the pieces of fish, stirring gently to incorporate into the sauce. Cook for approximately 2 minutes.

    fish added to the curry mixture in the wok

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  8. Add the remaining seafood and the pineapple, stirring gently to incorporate.

    Add the remaining seafood and the pineapple to the curry mixture in the wok

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  9. Cover and continue simmering until the seafood finishes cooking, about 2 more minutes, or until the prawns have turned pink and plump and the shellfish have opened.

    seafood curry cooking in the wok

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  10. Do a taste-test. If it needs more salt, add 1 to 3 more tablespoons fish sauce according to your taste. If it turns out too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. Add more sugar if too tart, or more fresh green chili (or a sprinkling of dried crushed red chili) if not spicy enough.

    seafood curry cooking in the pot with spices

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  11. Ladle the curry into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the fresh basil over, and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice on the side if desired.

    Thai Seafood Curry served with rice

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Tips

  • Thai curries usually require more fish sauce (instead of salt) to arrive at their peak of flavor.
  • For a less spicy curry, remove the seeds from the green chilies before adding to the blender.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
879 Calories
40g Fat
62g Carbs
74g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 879
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g 51%
Saturated Fat 22g 111%
Cholesterol 178mg 59%
Sodium 2334mg 101%
Total Carbohydrate 62g 22%
Dietary Fiber 9g 32%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 74g
Vitamin C 66mg 331%
Calcium 193mg 15%
Iron 15mg 82%
Potassium 1978mg 42%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)