Pineapple and potato Thai Yellow Curry

Pineapple and Potato Thai Yellow Curry with Cashews: A Sweet, Spicy, and Easy Meat-Free Meal

If you’re looking for a dish that combines sweetness, spice, and the satisfying bite of roasted nuts, Pineapple and Potato Thai Yellow Curry with cashews is the perfect choice. This vibrant, meat-free dish comes together quickly and delivers a delightful contrast of flavors and textures that will please your taste buds. The sweet, juicy pineapple and the mild, creamy potatoes balance the heat of the Thai yellow curry paste, while cashew nuts add a crunchy texture that elevates the dish.

The combination of sweet and spicy is a hallmark of Thai cuisine, and this recipe showcases how well fruit can complement the robust flavors of a curry. If you're looking to explore new ways to make curries exciting and fresh, this dish is an ideal introduction to the world of fruit in savoury cooking. Let’s take a closer look at how you can create this vibrant and satisfying meal at home.

Why Pineapple Works in Savoury Dishes

Pineapple is often associated with sweet dishes or eaten fresh as a snack, but it can also be a versatile addition to savoury recipes. In Thai cuisine, fruit is commonly incorporated into dishes to provide contrast to spicy or salty flavors. Pineapple, with its natural sweetness and slight acidity, brings a burst of freshness to any meal. When cooked, the pineapple’s juices are released, sweetening and adding depth to the curry sauce.

In this recipe, the pineapple works as a key element that balances the heat from the Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste, creating a curry that’s bold in flavor without overwhelming the palate. The acidity of the fruit also helps to cut through the richness of the coconut milk, lightening the overall dish and making it more refreshing.

This isn’t the first time fruit has been used in a Thai curry—jackfruit, mango, and green papaya are also popular additions to curries, helping to balance the spice while adding different textures.

The Role of Potatoes in Thai Curry

Potatoes are a staple in many curry recipes due to their ability to absorb the flavors of the sauce and their creamy, starchy texture. New potatoes are ideal for this dish as they cook quickly and provide a slight sweetness that works well with the pineapple and curry. The key to making this dish quickly is cutting the potatoes into small, uniform chunks. Smaller pieces reduce the cooking time significantly, which means you can have this meal on the table in around 30 minutes—perfect for a midweek dinner.

Pro Tip: Peeling the potatoes before cooking can speed up the process even more. Without the skin, the potatoes absorb the curry sauce faster, making them more flavorful in a shorter amount of time.

The Magic of Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste

The secret to any great curry is in the curry paste, and Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste is packed with traditional Thai ingredients that deliver a beautifully fragrant and spicy dish. Most people are more familiar with the mild yellow curry but Mae Jum's yellow curry is in the Southern style which is spicy, more spicier than red or green curry, making it a great base for incorporating other sour and sweet flavors like pineapple.

Turmeric, one of the main ingredients in yellow curry, gives the dish its vibrant golden color while adding a warm, earthy flavor. When frying the curry paste, it’s important to allow the paste to develop its aroma before adding other ingredients. This step brings out the essential oils from the spices and herbs in the paste, creating a more intense and well-rounded flavor in the final dish.

Cooking the Pineapple and Potato Thai Yellow Curry

Let’s walk through the process of cooking this delicious Pineapple and Potato Thai Yellow Curry step by step. This recipe is quick, easy, and requires minimal preparation, making it perfect for a busy weekday or a relaxed weekend meal.

Ingredients:

• 225g fresh pineapple (cut into bite-size pieces)

• 300g new potatoes (peeled and cut into small chunks)

• Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste

• 400ml coconut milk

• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar as a substitute)

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or vegan fish sauce)

• Cavolo nero (optional, for added greens)

• Handful of cashew nuts (optional, for added crunch)

• Steamed Thai jasmine rice (to serve)

Method:

1. Prepare the Ingredients: If using fresh pineapple, cut the fruit in half lengthwise and carefully remove the inside, reserving about 225g for the curry. You can even save the hollowed-out pineapple to use as a serving bowl for a fun presentation. Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks, ideally cutting each new potato into 6 pieces.

2. Cook the Curry Paste: Heat a wok or saucepan over medium heat and fry the Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste for about 2 minutes until it becomes fragrant.

3. Add Coconut Milk: Scoop out the thick layer of coconut milk from an unshaken can and add it to the wok, breaking down the curry paste to form a smooth sauce.

4. Season the Sauce: Add palm sugar and light soy sauce to the curry and blend well. If you don’t have palm sugar on hand, brown sugar is a suitable substitute, though it’s slightly sweeter.

5. Simmer the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. This step is crucial, as it allows the oils to rise to the surface, creating a rich and deep-colored sauce. Rushing this step could result in a pale, underdeveloped curry.

6. Add Potatoes: Once the sauce has thickened, add the chopped potatoes and 100ml of water to the wok. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid doesn’t reduce too quickly. If it does, cover the wok with a lid to retain moisture.

7. Add Pineapple and Cashews: After the potatoes have softened, stir in the pineapple chunks, cavolo nero, and cashew nuts. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the pineapple is heated through and the greens are wilted.

8. Serve: Serve the curry hot with freshly steamed Thai jasmine rice. For an extra burst of flavor, you can garnish with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of fresh herbs like Thai basil.

Pineapple and potato Thai Yellow Curry

Course

Thai Yellow Curry

Cuisine

Thai

Season / Occasion

Entertaining / Dinner Party

Quick Weeknight

Calories

285.3

A recipe by Jatuporn (Jum) ★★★★☆ 4.0· 4veganvegetariangluten-freedairy-free

Serves − 4 +

Metric Imperial

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Difficulty

Easy

Cooking times shown are for the base recipe — allow extra time when making larger quantities

Sweet pineapple, tender potatoes, and vibrant curry paste come together in this easy 35-minute vegan Thai curry. Stone-ground, authentic, and made to share.

Ingredients

• 35 g Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste
• 225 g Pineapple
• 400 g New potato
• 70 g Cavolo Nero or Kale
• 400 ml Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp Light soya sauce
• — Cashew nuts

Method

Preparation

1

Peel new potatoes and chop them into 4-6 pieces each. Try to keep the pieces roughly equal so they cook evenly. New potatoes hold their shape well and absorb the curry sauce without breaking down.

2

Cut pineapple into bite-size pieces. Fresh pineapple works best here, its natural sweetness and acidity balance the heat of the curry paste beautifully. If using tinned pineapple, drain well before adding.

3

Rinse cavolo nero under cold water, then fold in half to cut the lower thicker part of the stem off. Then roughly chop into small pieces. Don't discard the stems, if not too tough, finely chop and add them to the curry a few minutes before the leaves.

Cooking Method

4

Fry curry paste in coconut oil on med/high heat for 2 minutes until broken down. Stir constantly to prevent the paste from burning, you want it to become fragrant and for the oil to begin separating from the paste before moving on.

5

Add the thick layer of coconut milk with palm sugar and light soya sauce, mix well. Bring to a light boil for 10 minutes so let the oils rise to the surface. Using the thick layer of coconut milk rather than the full tin at this stage helps to build a richer, more concentrated sauce base.

6

Add potatoes and cashew nuts, bring back to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes with a lid. The lid traps steam and helps the potatoes cook through evenly without reducing the sauce, the starch from the potatoes will help thicken up the sauce. Potatoes should be just tender before moving on.

7

Add pineapple and covolo nero or kale, simmer for a further 5 minutes. The cavolo nero or kale will wilt quite quickly but retains a pleasant bite, avoid overcooking it or it will lose both its color and its texture.

8

Serve up with some freshly made Thai jasmine rice

Nutrition per serving

285.3kcal

Calories

16.8g

Fat

26.4g

Carbs

6.3g

Protein

3.3g

Fibre

412.5mg

Sodium