Traditional Thai Chicken Curry - Hawker Style

Traditional Thai Chicken Curry in Coconut Milk

This wonderful-tasting Thai Coconut Chicken Curry is quick and easy to make owing to the simple substitution of lemon grass is lime or lemon juice, cutting the prep time in half. Don't be put off by the long ingredients list - this is simply because I prefer to make my own paste from scratch rather than using store-bought curry pastes, making for a fresher, superior-tasting curry. Based on Thai street coconut curries, this recipe includes potatoes or pineapple, a common ingredient in street curries, but other vegetables can be added as well according to your preference (zucchini and green beans are two good ones).  It’s unimaginable how good it is, don't even think of skimping on any of the ingredients, you need them all. This chicken curry is best eaten with plain boiled Jasmine rice. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs.(about 1 kg) chicken drumsticks or thighs
• 1 can good-quality coconut milk
• 1/2 cup good-tasting chicken stock
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped into small chunks
• 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seed
• 2 kaffir lime leaves OR 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped small chunks
• 2-3 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
• Handful fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

CURRY PASTE:

• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger
• 3/4 tsp. ground turmeric (or 1 tsp. fresh, minced)
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili
• 1/8 tsp. white or black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice (or lemon juice) -   Substitution for lemon grass
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1 heap Tbsp. brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp. Shrimp paste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all 'curry paste' ingredients in your food processor or blender. Add 3-4 Tbsp. of the coconut milk to help blend ingredients to create a fragrant Thai curry paste.

2. Heat a wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the oil and swirl around, then add the curry paste. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance, then add the chicken pieces. Turn pieces to coat, then add the stock and remaining coconut milk. Also add the potatoes, lime leaves or bay leaves and whole cumin seed. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low, gently simmering 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir, then continue cooking another 15 minutes, or until chicken has achieved desired tenderness.

4. While curry is cooking, prepare the topping. Place shredded coconut in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir until coconut turns light golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

5. When chicken and potatoes are tender, remove from heat. Add 3 / 4 of the toasted coconut and stir in. Taste-test the curry, adding more fish sauce for more salt / flavor. If you find it too salty or sweet, add more lime or lemon juice. Add more chili for more intense spiciness.

6. Portion out curry into bowls or plates. Top each one with fresh basil and a generous sprinkling of the toasted coconut. Serve with plenty of steamed jasmine rice on the side,

7. For a Thicker Curry Sauce: In a cup, simply measure 2 tsp. cornstarch into 3-4 Tbsp. cool water, stirring to dissolve.

Pour this into the hot (finished) curry while stirring over medium heat until sauce thickens.          

Hope to be back with more interesting recipes for you to experiment,  in the meanwhile, try this out, as it is going to be   -    Soooooooooooooo yummy!  ENJOY!

Prep Time: 12 minutes / Cook Time: 40 minutes / Total Time: 52 minutes

SERVES 4-5

Parsan Narang

Kolkata

17th March 2016