Thai Steamed Red Curry (haw mok)
Thai coconut red curry with fish, steamed into a soft and silky custard. It's an elegant way to serve Thai curry and my favourite way to eat it!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 large eggs
- 3 makrut lime leaves, finely julienned
- 5.6 oz any kind of fish filet, ¼-inch sliced (see note 2)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cabbage and/or kale
- 8-12 leaves Thai basil
- Banana leaves, optional
- Jasmine rice, for serving
Garnish
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- sliced red chilies or julienned red bell pepper
- Cilantro leaves
Notes
- You can steam haw mok in anything as long as it's heatproof. The larger the container, the longer it will take to steam, so I recommend using smaller ramekins for a shorter cooking time, but you can also make one large one for a more elegant presentation.
- You can use any type of fish you want for this dish or substitute other seafood such as shrimp, squid, or even mussels (without shell!). If you choose a tender fish like sole, basa, or barramundi, you will get a soft, melt-in-your-mouth custard, while firmer fish like halibut or swordfish will add a slight chew. If you don't eat fish, I recommend chicken cut into bite sized pieces.
Instructions
- Preheat the steamer on medium heat.
- In a mixing bowl, add curry paste and just enough coconut milk to dissolve the paste, whisk until smooth. Add the remaining coconut milk, eggs, palm sugar, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves; whisk in the same direction without lifting the whisk (this is to avoid whisking in too much air) until the eggs are well combined with the liquid. Add the fish into the custard.At this point, if it's your first time you want to check the seasoning as different brands of curry paste are not equally salty. Put a small amount of the liquid into a heatproof bowl and steam or microwave briefly until cooked. Taste and add more fish sauce if needed.3 tablespoon red curry paste, 1 ¼ cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, 2 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 large eggs, 3 makrut lime leaves, 5.6 oz any kind of fish filet
- Prep the ramekins: If using banana leaves, measure the length of your ramekin from one edge to the other, and cut a strip of banana leaf along the grain to that length, and make strips just wide enough that it sits flat on the bottom. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Line the ramekin with one strip, and place the other perpendicular to the first strip.Banana leaves
- Place the cabbage and/or kale into a heatproof bowl and steam it for 3-5 minutes until wilted. Divide the cabbage amongst the ramekins, then add 2-3 Thai basil leaves to each ramekin.1 ½ cups shredded cabbage and/or kale, 8-12 leaves Thai basil
- Distribute the fish evenly into each ramekin, then fill the ramekin with the custard, leaving about ½ inch of headroom.
- Place the ramekins into the steamer and steam over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until set. The larger your ramekin, the longer it will take.
- While the custard steams, make the garnish. Put cornstarch into a small pot then add a splash of water and stir just until it's all dissolved. Add the coconut milk and stir to mix. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until it boils and is thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl; it'll thicken further as it cools½ teaspoon cornstarch, ¼ cup coconut milk
- When the custard is done, it will be puffed up and will not jiggle much when shaken. To serve, spoon a little of the thickened coconut on top, then garnish with cilantro leaves and red chilies. Serve with jasmine rice.sliced red chilies or julienned red bell pepper, Cilantro leaves, Jasmine rice
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