Thai Yellow Curry

Hey there Ormond! Remember that awesome yellow curry I had at the Kojin Noodle Shop in Key West?  Well, after some experimentation I finally devised a worthy replica.

I know that you're a purist -- totally devoted to the Hairy Bikers' Great Curries cookbook -- so you'll scoff at my shortcut of using green curry paste.  The flavor was perfectly balanced though, and the jarred paste makes a great substitute when you don't feel like spending all that prep time. One day I'll make Yellow Curry using the Bikers' green curry paste, just to compare.

My Yellow Curry calls for a nice variety of vegetables.

Thai Yellow Curry

Course: Main Dish
Categories: Curry
Source: Bonnie Doty

Serving size: 4 bowlfuls with no seconds or leftovers

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 can coconut milk (not crème de cacao)
2 tablespoons green curry paste
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/4 cup water [Optional: to thicken soup]
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, julienned
1 stalk celery, julienned
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 servings cooked jasmine rice (2 bags Boil-in-Bag)
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)


Directions
1. Cut up chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks, about 1" square.  Heat a big heavy skillet on medium high; when hot (lick finger and touch surface; if it sizzles and burns, it's ready), add the oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the chicken and turn heat down to medium.  Sauté chicken 10 minutes until no longer pink, stirring frequently and keeping in a single layer.  With a slotted spoon remove the chicken and set heavy pan aside (do not drain).

2. In a small saucepan add coconut milk, green curry paste, sugar and fish sauce.  Slowly heat until simmering.  Reduce heat and let stand, or remove from burner and keep warm. Cut up vegetables while sauce is cooking.

3. After vegetables are prepared, start the rice. To make the rice, follow the package directions.

4.  While the rice is cooking, add prepared carrot, bell pepper, cabbage, onion and garlic to the chicken-cooking pan and sauté  gently about 5 minutes.  When cooked to taste add chicken.

5.  [OPTIONAL] Stir 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water in a small dish until well combined. Ladle a bit of coconut milk mixture into the dish and stir.  Add the contents of the dish to the coconut milk mixture, sitting on the stove, and stir to combine.  Add the mixture to the chicken-vegetable sauté pan.

6. Heat to simmer.  The liquid should not be too runny but should also be thin enough to provide a thick soup when combined with the rice.

7. Ladle 1/4 rice into big bowls; ladle 1/4 curry mixture over the rice.  Top with fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes

Normally curry calls for basmati rice but this jasmine rice made my Yellow Curry sensational.

Can use brown sugar instead of demerara if that's what you have.

If you are really aiming for serving four people you should double the recipe.  I don't know too many people who wouldn't ask for seconds of this!