Curry Paste to Coconut Milk Calculator

How the calculator works

The calculator is built on two recipes that Thai Kitchen publishes for its own red curry paste. Both start with one 13.66 ounce can of coconut milk and 1 pound of meat, and both serve four. They differ in the paste:

• Red Curry Chicken: 2 tablespoons of paste to one can.
• Thai Red Curry: 1 tablespoon of paste to one can, with 1/2 cup of chicken stock added.

So one can serves 4, and everything scales from that:

cans of coconut milk = servings / 4

curry paste in tablespoons = cans x 1 or 2

Meat scales at 1 pound per can, and brown sugar at 1 tablespoon per can. Fish sauce is 1 to 2 tablespoons per can, added to taste at the end.

The calculator shows the exact amount of coconut milk the recipe needs, and the whole number of cans to buy. For 6 servings that is 1.5 cans, so you buy 2 and have half a can left.

Worked example

You are cooking for 6 and want the fuller flavor.

1. Cans: 6 / 4 = 1.5 cans of coconut milk, which is 20.5 fluid ounces. Buy 2.
2. Paste: 1.5 x 2 = 3 tablespoons.
3. Meat: 1.5 x 1 = 1 1/2 pounds.
4. Brown sugar: 1.5 x 1 = 1 1/2 tablespoons.
5. Fish sauce: 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons.

At the milder setting, the same 6 servings take 1 1/2 tablespoons of paste.

For 8 servings: 2 cans, 2 to 4 tablespoons of paste, and 2 pounds of meat. Four tablespoons is 1/4 cup. A 4 ounce jar of paste is enough either way.

Why there are two amounts

One tablespoon and two tablespoons per can are both the manufacturer’s figures. It is the same paste and the same can. The difference is how strong you want the result, and what else is in the pot.

The 1 tablespoon recipe is thinned with 1/2 cup of chicken stock and carries 3 cups of vegetables, so it makes a lighter, looser curry. The 2 tablespoon recipe has no stock and only about a cup of vegetables, and it is richer and hotter.

If you have not cooked with a particular paste before, start at 1 tablespoon per can. You can stir more in at the end and simmer it for a few minutes. You cannot take it out.

The two methods

The recipes also differ in how the paste goes in.

Paste into the coconut milk (Red Curry Chicken):

1. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Stir in the curry paste and brown sugar until blended. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken, cut into 1 inch chunks, and the vegetables. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp.
5. Stir in the basil and fish sauce.

Paste fried first (Thai Red Curry):

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
4. Stir in the brown sugar and fish sauce.
5. Add the meat and vegetables. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp.
6. Take off the heat and stir in the basil.

Both are served over jasmine rice. If you are cooking rice alongside, the rice to water ratio calculator on this site gives the water for jasmine.

Meat, vegetables and the rest

The second recipe is written for 1 pound of boneless chicken, beef, pork or duck, cut into bite-size pieces. Thai Kitchen’s shrimp version uses the same can and the same 2 tablespoons of paste with 1 pound of large shrimp.

Vegetables are where the recipes are loosest. One uses a third of a cup each of snap peas, bamboo shoots and sliced red bell pepper. The other calls for 3 cups of assorted cut-up vegetables, such as bell peppers, onions, carrots and sugar snap peas. The calculator leaves vegetables out for that reason.

Thai basil is the usual finish. It has dark green leaves, purple stems and a licorice flavor. The source says Italian basil works as a substitute.

Tips and common mistakes

Measure the paste with a measuring spoon. A heaped dinner spoon can hold twice a level tablespoon, and in a one can curry that doubles the heat.

Check the can size. The recipes use a 13.66 ounce can. Larger and smaller cans are sold, and the ratio is per 13.66 ounces, not per can of any size.

Cut the meat small and even. The cooking times of 3 to 7 minutes only work for 1 inch chunks or bite-size pieces.

Add the fish sauce last and in stages. It is the salt in the dish, and the range in the recipe is wide for a reason.

Keep the sugar. One tablespoon per can sounds unnecessary in a savory dish, and both recipes include it.

Scale the pan with the batch. Two cans and 2 pounds of meat need a wide pan or a pot, not the same skillet.