Whether you’re a person less gifted in the culinary department and looking to impress that special someone, or an on-the-go student who simply does not have the time to cook, Thai Taste Curry Kits are the ideal solution to all your cuisine needs.
From packet to table in just 15 minutes, you will be able to rustle up a tasty meal for two or three in no time. Unlike your usual ‘pre-made’ meals, which tend to be full of saturated fats and additives, these curries only use natural, fresh ingredients, providing you with a healthy and tasty meal. As someone who religiously makes everything from scratch, I was slightly sceptical, but nonetheless intrigued, about the outcome of this product. However, I can honestly say that myself and my flatmates were more than happy with the final outcome.
In your curry kit you will find a sachet of curry paste (red or green depending on your taste), a packet of dried herbs, and 200ml of coconut milk; these three staple ingredients will be the base for your impending culinary creation. To start, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a deep frying pan. Add the Thai taste curry paste and 1 tbsp of the coconut milk. Mix for about three minutes. Now, this is where you can get creative and show off your own artistic flair by adding in meat, fish or vegetables of your choice. For the green curry, I sliced up a green pepper and added some prawns, however, using any kind of vegetables, such as aubergine or courgette, would also work just as well. For the carnivores amongst you, dicing up some chicken complements a green curry nicely. Coat your accompaniment of choice in the curry paste and cook again for about three minutes. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk and simmer for about five minutes or until your meat, fish, or vegetable is cooked, making sure the sauce doesn’t become too thick. Finally add the sachet of herbs and continue to simmer for a further three minutes. Serve with noodles or rice. For the red curry, a slightly richer, more intense flavour, I replaced the pepper and prawns with beef, cut into strips (sirloin steak is advisable, however on a student budget it is unfortunately not always realistic). Simply because I like my curries to have a bit of a kick, before adding the curry paste to the pan, I quickly fried off some finely chopped fresh chilli.
Thai Taste also offers a range of condiments to complement their curry kits. Of these products, I tried the pea aubergines (£1.50), sriracha sauce (£2.39), and sweet chilli sauce (£2.35). To be completely honest, I was not particularly impressed by any of these products; that may be because my taste buds are not accustomed to the unusual (to say the least) taste of pea aubergines, but I can safely say that jar will probably sit at the back of my cupboard for the rest of this year. With regard to the sauces I feel that you can get better products elsewhere for under two pounds.
As I said before, I am a keen cook, and would always advocate home cooked food over anything from a jar or packet. I also believe that for most home cooked meals, the ingredients you need for one dish will tend to be recycled in other ones, meaning that you should buy fewer ingredients each time. However, for something like Thai curry, a dish that requires unusual and often more expensive ingredients that you are unlikely to use on a daily basis, Thai Taste Curry Kits, priced under £3 each (that’s £1 per person per meal), seem to be a great alternative. They are not only flavoursome and tasty, but they are also cheap and easy to use – ideal for any student or busy person.