A fragrant red Thai curry: salmon in a light-coconut-milk sauce with peppers, over cilantro-lime rice. One plate is 26.5g of protein for 431 calories — restaurant flavour, home macros.

Lite coconut milk keeps the creamy curry feel while holding the calories down; regular coconut milk would nearly double the fat.

Ingredients

  • For the cilantro lime rice
  • Brown rice — ½ cup dry [P 7 C 73 F 3]
  • Water — 1 cup
  • Lime — a squeeze (or 2 tbsp juice)
  • Cilantro — ½ cup, chopped
  • Salt — for the rice
  • For the salmon
  • Salmon fillets — 2, ~115 g each [P 46 C 0 F 14]
  • Olive oil — ½ tsp (or spray)
  • Salt, pepper, cayenne — to taste
  • For the thai curry
  • Red curry paste — 2 tbsp (or 3 tsp curry powder)
  • Lite coconut milk — 1 cup, unsweetened [P 2 C 6 F 10]
  • Red bell pepper — 1 medium, sliced [P 1 C 7 F 0]
  • Onion — 1 medium, sliced
  • Minced garlic — 1 tbsp
  • Minced ginger — 1 tbsp (or powder)
  • Salt, turmeric — to taste

Method

  1. Cook the rice. Simmer the rice, lime and cilantro in 1 cup salted water, covered, ~25 minutes.
  2. Cook the salmon. Season with cayenne and pan-cook 3–4 minutes a side; remove.
  3. Build the curry. Soften the onion and pepper 2–3 minutes, add the garlic and curry paste 1 minute, then the coconut milk; simmer 3–4 minutes until it thickens.
  4. Plate. Rice with salmon and curry, extra cilantro on top.

What to eat it with

  • Extra lime and cilantro.
  • Steamed veg stirred into the curry.
  • A pinch of chilli for more heat.

Variations

  • Lower calorie: any milk with 1 tsp flour instead of coconut milk.
  • Shrimp in place of salmon.
  • Sweeter: 1 tbsp brown sugar or a little sweetener.

Honest notes

  • Fibre: about 5g a serving, from the rice and peppers.
  • Fat note: at 15g, the coconut milk and salmon drive it — both are the healthier kind of fat, and lite coconut milk keeps it in check.
  • Macros: reconcile with the per-serving 431 cal / 26.5g protein listed; no correction needed.