Spaghetti Rigati with Mixed Veggies & Paneer in Thai Red curry sauce

We usually go to a thai-chinese restaurant in our neighborhood where I always, always order their stir-fry noodles with Thai yellow or green curry sauce. Its my absolute favorite and I have never ordered anything other than that when I go there.
First there is the fact that I can fill up my bowl with whichever veggies from their 'veggies for stir-fry' counter and then there is the option of whether I want noodles, rice or fried rice and next is which protein I'd like, where I always end up ordering their noodles and grilled chicken respectively. :-)

Now last night we had been planning on going out and eating , but the climate wasn't so great and my
6.5 month old keeps me busy , so instead I thought of making a similar version of the stir-fry with whatever I had at home.
I had some Spaghetti Rigati , which is a sophisticated version of the actual spaghetti in the sense that it has grooves on its sides, which perfectly helps in coating the sauce better on the pasta. Then I had all the good veggies and for my protein I used Paneer ( Indian Cottage cheese), which is my favorite...yumm!!
I had Thai Red curry paste brought from the store and coconut milk and Thats all you need!!!

This recipe makes enough pasta for 2-3 people.

Spaghetti Rigati with Mixed Veggies & Paneer in Thai Red curry sauce Recipe
You'll need
Spaghetti Rigati - 1/2 lb ( I used Barilla) - You can use any pasta you like
Hot boiling water - to cook the pasta
Mixed Veggies - 2-3 cups ( I used frozen mixed veggies containing - Brocolli, Baby corn, Carrots, Red peppers, Onion, Beans, Sugar snap peas, Mushroom and Water chestnuts)
Paneer - 1 cup (cubed into small pieces)
Thai Red Curry paste- 2 tblsp
Coconut milk - whole 14oz container ( I used Aroy-D brand)
Oil - 1 tblsp ( to mildly fry the paneer cubes)
Salt - as needed for the pasta and for the thai red curry sauce
Red chilli flakes - a pinch or 1/2 tsp ( optional )
Minced Ginger - 1 tsp (optional)

Directions
1. In a large pot keep some water to boil and when it starts bubbling add enough salt to season the spaghetti and add the Spaghetti. (Cook the pasta as per packet instructions.)
2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick kadai or skillet on medium heat and add the 1tblsp of oil. When it gets hot add the cubed Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and saute until it gets mildly browned on both sides or atleast on one side.
3. Keep the Paneer aside in a bowl and add the mixed veggies to the skillet and saute for just 1-2 minutes. Keep the veggies aside. (You do not want the veggies to be over cooked, it should still be crunchy)
4. Now reduce the heat, and add the coconut milk and the Thai Red curry paste and stir for a while until the sauce thickens. Season with salt as needed. [You may also add some red chilli flakes and minced ginger at this point. I did not add both but I wish I had, it would definitely elevate the taste].
5. Toss in the veggies and paneer and stir well.
6. By now the pasta should be done, when its al dente , drain away the pasta water and add the pasta directly to the Thai red curry sauce and veggies. Coat the pasta well with the sauce and cover and cook for  2-3 minutes. Serve hot!

Suggestions:
a. Like I mentioned some red chilli flakes and ginger would add some spice to the dish for those who like a bit of spice.
b. If you want  the sauce to get dried up with the pasta, keep cooking the pasta in the sauce till the pasta drinks up or coats up all the sauce on the pasta. [ This is how I have prepared here ]
c. If you'd like some sauce with the pasta ( like a soggy pasta) , just cook the pasta with the sauce for few minutes and turn off the heat and serve immediately. The more time the pasta sits in the sauce the more it gets absorbed into the pasta. [ I would have preferred this , as it would make the pasta more juicy :-) ]
d. You can use Chicken , Beef , Egg , Tofu etc for the protein instead of Paneer if you'd like.

The pasta turned out absolutely great and my hus was asking for seconds and thirds. :-) It was creamy and had a perfect Thai Red curry taste and had all the veggies to make u feel like we ate something healthy, the Paneer was a real treat.
Now I have my own little restaurant style dish with my own unique taste. I added lots of veggies and less pasta to make it more healthy and it was just perfect!

And while I was wrapping up my  photo session of the spaghetti, look whats happening in the background. :-)
The pic isn't so clear as my camera shook, obviously, as he just grabbed on to the bowl with lightning speed and I had to grab the bowl myself to stop him from dropping the pasta all over the place...aaaah Babies!! ;-)



Have a great day people...
Are you all waiting for Valentines Day? :-)








Linking this post to:
1. Valentines Day event hosted by Anzz @ AnzzCafe

-Manju