Stir Fry Clams In Red Curry Paste With Basil

I was lucky to be born in such a beautiful land, abundance and diverse. Nam Phong River slithered through the countryside where every life surrounding it could never be more treasure. Everywhere it flowed, the cold, crystal moistures wetted the muddy soil allowing lives to sprout from the ground. The extraordinary beauty swept the heart of a famous songwriter/ singer, Yard Napalai and inspired him to produce lyrical masterpiece that forever linger in the cold currents.

I live barely a few miles from Nam Phong River that responsible to my amazing childhood. A walkable distant from the river made my friends and I spend days after days swimming otherwise browsing through the trees and bushes on both banks or watching fishermen toss their nets in the water.

A friends said “Could you ever feel so much love from nature?” while diving down the sparkling stream and gathered handfuls of coarsely sand in our hands up to the surface. We opened our palms revealing few clams hidden in the sand. We were less than 10 but “clam diving” seemed to be a born-instinct that never required adult supervision. By the time our mouths turned purple and hands became wrinkle, we would have our buckets fill with clams. Living the calm, peach, beach and the elucidated river, we returned home fulfilled our promise to bring something for dinner.

Stir Fry Clams with Red Curry Paste and Basil

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 kg Clams- washed

1 tbsp Thai red curry paste

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp fish sauce or to taste

A handful fresh basil

1 1/2 tbsp oil

Preparation

1. Bring large pot of water to boil and blanch clam in the boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minutes or until the clams slightly open the shells.
2. Remove the clams from the water immediately. Quickly rinse them in the running water to ensure all sand is washed away.
3. Heat oil in the large wok over the medium- high heat.
4. Add Thai red curry paste and stir fry until fragrant.
5. Add clam, sugar, and fish sauce. Toss well together, add about 1/2 cup of water if required.
6. Throw in some fresh basil, check the seasoning and serve hot with some rice.

These clams were not from my Nam Phong River, but a backwater beach somewhere in India. The smell and taste of them gave me a clear flashback to my old paradise with my childhood friends jumping in the river one by one. It was so real that I could almost felt the wet sand down my feet.

The clams revealed juicy fresh dripping in glistening, red curry sauce. It smelled like a beach, salty and aromatic. Basil has done a beautiful job covering the whole dish with earthy fragrant and sweet aroma. We couldn’t help licking our fingers in nearly every bite.

Have a beautiful day,