Two of my pantry ‘must haves:’ lots of varieties of Thai curry pastes, and, of course, coconut milk. A stash of that good stuff takes care of the rainy days. Red, yellow and green curry pastes are my staples (Massaman is pretty yum too). Yellow is mellow and gets its liquid gold color from turmeric; green is perky and bright from green chillies and lots of pounded cilantro root; red gets that fiery amber hue from dried chillies.

I use Maesri for all my pastes— a Thai curry with an unabashedly bold taste. The red curry paste is especially flavorful with Kaffir lime, smoky red chilies, galangal and some warming spices such as coriander, cumin and cardamom. I also suggest buying the small single-use cans. One can of paste is sufficient for one can of coconut milk, so one and done. No need for extra things lurking around in the fridge after.

I often make red curry exclusively with vegetables because they do a gorgeous balance act with this full-bodied gravy. Pumpkin adds a delicate sweetness, cauliflower adds texture and lightness and tofu creates a grounding satiation. There are a couple of small steps which enhance the color, but no spoiler alerts here: see the recipe below for details. If you’d like to try my green curry next, check out my post!