Thai yellow curry with chicken

A quick, medium-spiced, creamy Thai yellow curry (“kaeng ka ree kai”), this is tasty but without being too spicy.

Preparation time:  Around 10 minutes

Cooking time:  Around 10 minutes

Another recipe that I picked up in Thailand, this is a quick and easy authentic Thai curry that takes less time to cook than the rice accompaniment!  You can use store-bought Thai yellow curry paste if you’re pressed for time, but if you fancy you can always make your own (see below).  That said, even the locals in Thailand bought their fresh curry pastes from the local market, so don’t feel too bad if you want to cut a few corners!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Thai yellow curry paste – 1.5 tbsp.
• Chicken breasts – 2, sliced thinly
• Chicken stock – 150ml
• Coconut cream – 400ml
• Potatoes – 2, pre-boiled and diced into large cubes
• Brown sugar – 1 tsp.
• Fish sauce – 1 tsp.
• Large red chilli – 1, sliced diagonally for garnish
• Shallots – 4, crispy fried for garnish
• Rice – to serve

Method:

1. Heat some oil in a wok, then add the Thai yellow curry paste and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant, before adding the sliced chicken;
2. Once the chicken has browned, add the chicken stock and all but a spoonful of the coconut cream, then bring to a gentle simmer;
3. Once simmering, add the diced cubes of pre-boiled potato, simmer for 2 minutes, then add the sugar and the fish sauce;
4. Check that the chicken is cooked by cutting a piece in half.  Once cooked, dish up with a side of boiled rice, and garnish by drizzling over the last spoonful of coconut cream, arranging the sliced chillies in a ring, and sprinkling over the crispy fried shallots.

Notes:

• You can serve the curry and rice with a Thai cucumber relish is you fancy.  Stir 4 tbsp. of sugar with 60ml of rice vinegar, 2 tbsp. of water and a pinch of salt, and heat very gently just to dissolve the sugar.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then add 100g of thinly sliced cucumber, 4 thinly sliced shallots, and 1 sliced red chilli.
   
• You can use store-bought Thai yellow curry paste if you’re pressed for time, but if you fancy making the extra effort, you can do your own authentic version by grinding together the following ingredients in a pestle and mortar to make a smooth paste: coriander seeds (1 tbsp.), cumin seeds (1 tsp.), red chillies (5, de-seeded and diced), lemongrass (1 tbsp. of lemongrass paste, or 1 stalk finely chopped), fresh ginger (1 tsp. finely chopped), garlic (4 cloves, finely chopped), shallots (4, finely chopped), salt (pinch), shrimp paste (1 tsp.), and turmeric (2 tsp.).

Thai yellow curry with chicken, cucumber relish and rice