Recipes

Papi’s Red Curry Chicken

Posted by daniel sinclair on

It took me many tries to get this to the point where I like it. I don’t have access to Thai chilies, so a jalapeño will do. There are a lot of ingredients, but they are all necessary if you want it to taste close to authentic. I do not use canned bamboo because if you don’t wash it, it smells awful. So no risk taking for me in that arena.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 large boneless chicken breasts, cut up into 1 inch strips
  • 2 t black pepper
  • 1 t salt
  • 4 T olive oil (or coconut oil)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, sliced into thin circles (or a couple Thai chiles if you can find them)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 t minced fresh ginger (about 1/2 inch of small root)
  • 2 T (4 oz) red curry paste (I prefer Thai Kitchen, but for spicier, you can try Mae Ploy)
  • 2  cans coconut milk (c. 13.6 oz each)
  • 16-32 oz chicken broth (depending on desired thickness)
  • 2 bell peppers of any color (green, red, orange, yellow), julienned into 1 inch slices
  • 2-3 carrots, julienned into 1 inch slices
  • 1T dried lemongrass, steeped for 5 minutes in 4 oz boiling water (you can microwave it for 2 min)
  • 1 T fish sauce (or to taste)
  • 3 c fresh or frozen string beans
  • 6 fresh basil leaves (chopped if you desire)
  • 2 T chicken bullion (preferably Knorr Caldo de Pollo)
  • 1 lime, squeezed (juice)
  • 2 c white rice, cooked

Instructions

  1. Prepare all of your ingredients before cooking, including cutting the chicken, add salt and pepper and let cure in the fridge at least 20 minutes
  2. In a hot wok or pan, add 2 T olive oil and sauté the chicken in small batches, then remove it.
  3. Add 2 more T of olive oil, and sauté onions and jalapeño, adding the garlic and ginger about 2 minutes in. Sautee 1 more minute.
  4. Add the curry paste to the pan and sauté for 1 minute
  5. Add the chicken back in and sauté 1 minute
  6. Add the coconut milk and mix in
  7. Add chicken broth to desired consistency, at least 16 oz, scrape any yumminess off the bottom of the pan
  8. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 30 minutes (don’t add the rice!)
  9. Serve over white rice.

Hints

  1. Red Curry Paste: You can buy the little jars, it takes one 4 oz jar to make a batch. Don’t skimp on this or it won’t taste right. If you buy one of the tubs I have linked to above, do this:
    1. put it into a 1 gallon ziploc freezer  bag, and flatten it out to fill the bag. Then use a chopstick or the back of a chef’s knife and press into the paste to make squares – either make a 3 x 3 grid, or a 3/4 grid. Then freeze it.
    2. After it’s frozen, take it out and break it up into squares. Then pull out a square each time you make this dish.
  2. Vegetable Substitutions: I think the bell peppers are required for the right taste, but the others can be replaced by any veggies you like, including bamboo, broccoli, squash (put in at the end so not overcooked), even sliced onions. Have fun!