Delicious Thai recipe based on fragrant spices
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless diced
- 3 tablespoons oil i used coconut oil
- 200 grams fresh mushrooms i used button mushrooms
- 1 aubergine diced and kept marinating in salty cold water
- 1 can bamboo shoots
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass bashed
- 1 small fresh ginger grated
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cube chicken stock dissolved in 150 ml hot water
- 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste i used mae ploy red curry paste
- 4 teaspoons palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander dice some and leave rest for garnish
- Carbohydrate 18.9071602278371 g
- Cholesterol 547.676 mg
- Fat 80.2439401654834 g
- Fiber 5.33612509988248 g
- Protein 222.840424014341 g
- Saturated Fat 32.9142275939693 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1294g)
- Sodium 1270.74435625933 mg
- Sugar 13.5710351279546 g
- Trans Fat 6.86050939977675 g
- Calories 1718 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the chicken. Cook over a medium-high heat for 4-5mins, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is sealed and browned. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 2mins.
- Add all remaining ingredients in the pot.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25mins, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced a little. Remove the lemongrass.
- Serve, garnished with more fresh coriander and accompanied by boiled or steamed rice or noodles. If you like things a bit spicier, you could add some sliced red chilli when serving.
Commercial spice jars hide the true labor behind traditional Thai curry pastes. Historically, cooks ground fresh shallots, galangal, dried red spur chilies, and shrimp paste together in heavy granite mortars until the mixture formed a completely smooth, fragrant paste. Modern prepared pastes capture this complex foundation efficiently, but they still require frying in fat to release their fat-soluble aromatic compounds before adding any liquid. Skipping this high-heat frying step leaves the spices tasting raw and muddy.
Thai culinary traditions rely on the heavy separation of coconut cream and oil during the early stages of cooking, though westernized adaptations often simplify this by combining coconut milk directly with the base. Dicing vegetables uniformly ensures even cooking times across dense ingredients like aubergine and fibrous bamboo shoots. Aubergine requires a brief soak in salted water to halt enzymatic browning and minimize how much oil the spongy flesh absorbs later. Bruising the lemongrass stalk with the back of a cleaver or knife breaks open the internal pockets of essential oils, releasing citrusy aromatics into the simmering broth that mere slicing cannot achieve.
Simmering the curry uncovered for twenty to twenty-five minutes allows excess moisture to evaporate, concentrating the coconut milk and reducing the sauce just enough to cling properly to the protein. Boiling the mixture too aggressively after adding coconut milk causes the fats to break and separate into an oily sheen, so maintaining a gentle simmer is crucial for a smooth sauce texture. Palm sugar balances the fiery heat of the chilies and the sharp salinity of the fish sauce, grounding the flavor profile. Discarding the lemongrass stalk before serving prevents unpleasant fibrous bites. Fresh coriander added at the very end provides a clean, herbaceous contrast to the rich, spiced sauce.
