{"slug":"thai-red-curry-with-roasted-eggplant-and-mushrooms","collection":"recipes","is_recipe":true,"visibility":"public","title":"Thai Red Curry with Roasted Eggplant and Mushrooms","description":"Coconut red curry made with store-bought Thai red curry paste. Eggplant and mushrooms are roasted on a sheet pan and folded into the sauce at the end so they stay browned instead of spongy.","body_md":"1. **Heat the oven and pan:** Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a bare, unlined half-sheet pan (33×46cm / 13×18in) inside.\n\n2. **Roast the eggplant:** In a bowl, toss the eggplant chunks with 2 tbsp (30ml) of the canola oil and 2g (⅔ tsp) of the salt until every face is coated. Spread them cut-side down on the hot pan in a single layer with space between the pieces. Roast for 10 minutes.\n\n3. **Add the mushrooms:** Toss the mushrooms with the remaining 1 tbsp (15ml) canola oil and the remaining 1g (⅓ tsp) salt. Flip the eggplant, add the mushrooms to the pan, and roast for 15 minutes more, until the eggplant is browned and collapsed and the mushrooms have browned.\n\n4. **Fry the paste:** While the vegetables roast, spoon the thick cream from the top of the unshaken can of coconut milk (about 120ml / ½ cup) into a wide pot or deep skillet (3 litres or larger) over medium heat. Add the red curry paste and fry, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until the paste darkens and the oil separates from the cream.\n\n5. **Build the sauce:** Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the vegetable stock, add the yellow onion wedges, and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the onion is tender.\n\n6. **Taste for heat:** Taste the sauce and add the Thai chilies now if you want more heat.\n\n7. **Add the pepper:** Add the green bell pepper strips and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until just tender with some bite left.\n\n8. **Fold in the roasted vegetables:** Add the roasted eggplant and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes.\n\n9. **Season and finish:** Stir in the fish sauce and the brown sugar, taste, and add a little more of either only if it needs it. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the lime juice, and tear in the basil. Serve over steamed jasmine rice.\n\n## Notes\n\n- **Cooked on 2026-10-06** and very well received. The curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime amounts are what was actually used that night; the lime juice was not measured. Developed the same day around ingredients on hand.\n- **Servings is an estimate** — 4 over rice.\n- **Roast the eggplant, never simmer it raw.** Globe eggplant simmered in the sauce goes grey and spongy. Oil and salt it right before it goes on the pan; salted eggplant left to sit weeps, and the surface water steams it. A bare pan browns better than parchment, and foil sticks.\n- **Curry paste strength varies widely by brand.** This was cooked with 3 tbsp of \"Bright\" brand paste from Thai Agri Foods. At that amount one diner said it could be a bit hotter, so use the Thai chilies if you want more heat. With a different brand, start at 2 tbsp and taste.\n- **Salt weights assume Diamond Crystal kosher (3g/tsp).**\n- **Green bell pepper is what was on hand;** red is more usual and less bitter. The sugar and lime balance the green.\n- **Italian basil stands in for Thai basil.** Add it off the heat; it blackens if simmered.\n- **Light coconut milk** will not separate when the paste is fried in it. Fry the paste in 2 tbsp oil instead.\n- **Using two eggplants** (about 900g) works if you skip the mushrooms or want a fuller pot; add a splash more stock.\n- **Not vegetarian as written** because of the fish sauce. Substitute soy sauce for a vegan version.\n- **Fish sauce is 1 tsp because that is what worked.** A pre-cook estimate put the dish under-salted and suggested 1–2 tbsp; in practice 1 tsp was enough with 3 tbsp of this paste. A less salty paste may want more.\n- **Doubling** needs two sheet pans; crowded eggplant steams.\n- `cook_time` does not include cooking the rice.\n","draft":false,"servings":"4","prep_time":"15 minutes","cook_time":"30 minutes","total_time":"45 minutes","times":{"prep":{"minutes":15},"cook":{"minutes":30},"total":{"minutes":45}},"source_name":"Original","created_at":"2026-10-06T23:06:56.458749Z","updated_at":"2026-10-07T01:01:23.127432Z","categories":["Main"],"tags":["Coconut","Curry","Eggplant","Mushrooms","Peppers","Spicy"],"methods":["Roasted","Stove-Top"],"themes":["Thai","Vegan Adaptable"],"ingredients":[{"section":"For the Roasted Vegetables","items":["450g (about 1 medium) globe eggplant, cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) chunks","225g (8 oz) mushrooms, halved or quartered","3 tbsp (45ml) canola oil, divided","3g (1 tsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided"],"parsed":[{"raw":"450g (about 1 medium) globe eggplant, cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) chunks","qty":450,"unit":"g","item":"globe eggplant","prep":"cut into 2.5cm chunks"},{"raw":"225g (8 oz) mushrooms, halved or quartered","qty":225,"unit":"g","item":"mushrooms","prep":"halved or quartered"},{"raw":"3 tbsp (45ml) canola oil, divided","qty":3,"unit":"tbsp","item":"canola oil","prep":"divided"},{"raw":"3g (1 tsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided","qty":3,"unit":"g","item":"Diamond Crystal kosher salt","prep":"divided"}]},{"section":"For the Curry","items":["400ml (1 can) full-fat coconut milk","3 tbsp Thai red curry paste","3 shallots, thinly sliced","3 cloves garlic, minced","180ml (¾ cup) vegetable stock","200g (1 medium) yellow onion, cut into wedges","150g (1 medium) green bell pepper, cut into strips","1–2 fresh red Thai chilies, thinly sliced, optional"],"parsed":[{"raw":"400ml (1 can) full-fat coconut milk","qty":400,"unit":"ml","item":"full-fat coconut milk"},{"raw":"3 tbsp Thai red curry paste","qty":3,"unit":"tbsp","item":"Thai red curry paste"},{"raw":"3 shallots, thinly sliced","qty":3,"item":"shallots","prep":"thinly sliced"},{"raw":"3 cloves garlic, minced","qty":3,"unit":"clove","item":"garlic","prep":"minced"},{"raw":"180ml (¾ cup) vegetable stock","qty":180,"unit":"ml","item":"vegetable stock"},{"raw":"200g (1 medium) yellow onion, cut into wedges","qty":200,"unit":"g","item":"yellow onion","prep":"cut into wedges"},{"raw":"150g (1 medium) green bell pepper, cut into strips","qty":150,"unit":"g","item":"green bell pepper","prep":"cut into strips"},{"raw":"1–2 fresh red Thai chilies, thinly sliced, optional","qty":1,"qty_max":2,"item":"fresh red Thai chilies","prep":"thinly sliced, optional"}]},{"section":"To Finish","items":["1 tsp fish sauce","1 tsp brown sugar","1 lime, juiced","10g (a small handful) basil leaves, torn","Steamed jasmine rice, for serving"],"parsed":[{"raw":"1 tsp fish sauce","qty":1,"unit":"tsp","item":"fish sauce"},{"raw":"1 tsp brown sugar","qty":1,"unit":"tsp","item":"brown sugar"},{"raw":"1 lime, juiced","qty":1,"item":"lime","prep":"juiced"},{"raw":"10g (a small handful) basil leaves, torn","qty":10,"unit":"g","item":"basil leaves","prep":"torn"},{"raw":"Steamed jasmine rice, for serving","item":"Steamed jasmine rice","prep":"for serving"}]}],"servings_int":4,"qc":{"status":"passed","last_checked_at":"2026-10-07T01:01:45.678191Z","checked_by":"claude-code","standard_version":"2026-09-06","findings_count":0,"stale":false,"completeness_gaps":[]},"mine":false}