Red curry is a popular Thai dish that is made with a curry paste and coconut milk. It can be made with various types of protein and vegetables. Red curry is known for its rich, creamy flavor and slight spiciness. While it makes for a delicious meal, many people wonder about the calorie content of this dish. The number of calories in red curry depends on the specific ingredients used in the recipe. By looking at common ingredients and typical portion sizes, we can estimate the calorie count of red curry.
Calories in the Main Ingredients
The main ingredients that impact the calories in red curry are:
Protein
Red curry is often made with chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu. The protein you choose impacts the calorie count:
– 3 ounces of chicken breast: 140 calories
– 3 ounces of lean beef: 150 calories
– 3 ounces of pork tenderloin: 120 calories
– 3 ounces of shrimp: 90 calories
– 3 ounces of firm tofu: 90 calories
So protein can range from 90 to 150 calories per 3 ounce serving.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is the base of the curry sauce. A 1/2 cup serving of full fat coconut milk contains about 450 calories. Reduced fat coconut milk has closer to 400 calories per 1/2 cup.
Vegetables
Common vegetables in red curry include bell peppers, bamboo shoots, eggplant, and basil. Most vegetables provide 30 calories or less per 1/2 cup serving. The veggies do not contribute a significant number of calories.
Rice
Red curry is usually served with a side of jasmine rice. A 1/2 cup of cooked jasmine rice has about 150 calories.
Typical Calorie Count in Restaurant Red Curry
When you order red curry from a Thai restaurant, the total calorie count typically ranges from 500 to 800 calories for the entire dish.
Here are some examples from popular chain restaurants:
| Red Curry Dish | Calories |
|---|---|
| Chicken Red Curry with rice from Pei Wei | 610 |
| Shrimp Red Curry with rice from Noodles & Company | 740 |
| Tofu Red Curry with rice from Vandee Thai Bistro | 550 |
As you can see, calorie counts can vary based on the protein and other ingredients included. But a typical restaurant red curry with rice contains 600-700 calories per serving.
Calories in Homemade Red Curry
Making red curry at home allows you to control the ingredients and portion sizes more carefully. This means you can tweak your recipe to be lower or higher in calories.
Here is an estimate of the calories in a common homemade red curry recipe:
Curry Paste
Many homemade recipes start with 2-3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste. A 2 tablespoon serving of red curry paste has about 60 calories.
Coconut Milk
Homemade recipes use 1 can of coconut milk, or about 1 1/4 cups. A serving this size provides 500 calories.
Protein
Let’s say you choose to use 10 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast. This would add about 230 calories. 10 ounces of shrimp would be about 180 calories instead.
Vegetables
When making curry at home, you’ll likely use 2-3 cups of mixed veggies like peppers, carrots, broccoli, and green beans. For 2 cups of veggies, estimate 60 calories.
Rice
As a side, you may have 1 cup of cooked jasmine rice. This provides about 300 calories.
Total Calories in Homemade Red Curry
If we add up the estimations so far, a homemade red curry with chicken and rice would be around:
– Red curry paste: 60 calories
– Coconut milk: 500 calories
– Chicken: 230 calories
– Vegetables: 60 calories
– Rice: 300 calories
Total: 1,150 calories
The total can range from 900 to 1,300 depending on your specific ingredients and portion sizes. But a typical homemade red curry with rice will be around 1,000 – 1,200 calories.
Here is a quick recap of the estimated calories in a homemade red curry recipe:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| 2 Tbsp red curry paste | 60 |
| 1 can coconut milk | 500 |
| 10 oz chicken | 230 |
| 2 cups mixed veggies | 60 |
| 1 cup rice | 300 |
| Total | 1,150 |
As you can see, the coconut milk contributes the most calories, providing nearly half the calories in a serving of red curry.
Tips for Lightening Up Red Curry
If you want to reduce the calories in homemade red curry, here are some tips:
– Use reduced fat coconut milk – this saves about 100 calories per serving
– Increase the vegetables – bulk it up with cauliflower, mushrooms, snap peas, etc.
– Use leaner proteins like shrimp or tofu instead of chicken. Or use less protein.
– Use brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice.
– Cook with less oil – the curry paste and coconut milk already add plenty of flavor.
– Skip the sides and just enjoy the curry with veggies over cauliflower rice.
With a few simple subs, you can make a tasty red curry that’s around 750-800 calories per serving.
Conclusion
In summary, the number of calories in red curry ranges quite a bit based on the serving size and specific ingredients used in the recipe. Restaurant red curries with rice tend to provide 600-800 calories per serving. Homemade red curry can clock in around 1,000-1,200 calories or higher when served with rice. By choosing lean proteins, increasing non-starchy veggies, and using lighter ingredients, you can reduce the calories in homemade red curry. But in general, red curry is a high calorie dish due to the coconut milk and rice. Portion sizes are important in keeping the calorie count reasonable.