"DC." > wrote:
> "Wayne Jones" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I have an excellent Thai red curry beef recipe that I want to make for
> > my brother and his wife but she doesn't like hot food.
> >
> > Can anyone suggest a way for me to remove the hotness without
> > sacrificing the flavour too much?
> > Does the curry have much flavour or does it just contibute the heat?
> > Can I just omit it?
> > Thanks
> > Wayne in Ottawa
> >
> > Here's the recipe
> > Red Curry Beef
>
> <snip>
> > 1/2 T Thai red curry paste
>
> If you can find the following ingredients, i'd suggest you make your own
> red curry paste but without the fresh red chillies, use dried red
> chillies instead & make sure to remove the seeds.
>
> 5-10 dried chillies from Asian supermarkets.
> a couple of galangal finely chopped
> a couple of lemon grass finely chopped
> a couple of kaffir lime leaves
> a couple of shallots finely chopped
> a couple of garlic cloves finely chopped
> a couple of coriander roots (from a whole coriander plant) finely chopped
> 1tbsp. coriander seeds
> 1tsp cumin seeds
> optional black peppercorns
> 1 tsp. shrimp paste/kapi/kapee in Thai.
>
> If you have a mortar & pestle, substitute finely chop with this or use a
> blender but you want a rough blended up paste & not one that is too
> smooth & paste like.
>
> Take the dried red chillies & break them in 1/2, empty out all the seeds
> & any white bits inside then soak them in hot/warm water for 5-10mins
> until soft. Add to the rest & pound or blitz. This will produce a red
> curry paste without the 'heat'. Add blackpepper if you think your Bro.
> can take that heat.
>
> Hope this helps... or else, Ping for Nick Cramer if you're in the States,
> he'll sort it out fer you.
>
Eureka! I'm back! DC's recipe sounds good. You can adjust the heat by your
choice of the type of chiles you use, as well as the quantities. It is a
truism that the main heat resides in in those innocuous membranes inside
(and the seeds - tomorrow). Here's a similar recipe:

Red Curry I (Nam Prik King) Hot, rich and very fragrant (makes ¼ cup or up
to ½ cup if ground with water)

Ingredients (or buy the paste at a Thai-Asian market)

7 small dried red chiles, Thai, Japanese, New Mexican or Californian
2 pieces kah (also called kalangal or lao) - a form of ginger -get them at
a Thai-Asian market
2 pieces Kaffir lime rind -get them at a Thai-Asian market
¼ cup warm water

1 stalk lemon grass, bottom 6 in. Only

¼ cup (1 oz.) finely chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons (1 oz.) finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon shrimp paste -get it at a Thai-Asian market

Remove the stems and the seeds from the chiles. Soak the chiles, kah and
Kaffir lime rind in the warm water for 15 minutes. Drain before using.
Retain the water for grinding (see below) if necessary.

Chop the chiles, kah, Kaffir lime rind and lemon grass finely. Combine the
ingredients and pound or grind in a mortar or blender. If you use a
blender, you may have to add a little water to aid in grinding. This will
last in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

--
Nick. To support severely wounded and disabled War on Terror Veterans and
their families go to: http://saluteheroes.org/

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !