Yellow Curry
Out of the common Thai curries found in western countries, yellow curry is probably my favorite. It has a more mild, well-balanced, and creamy flavor. It differentiates itself from other Thai curries with the addition of turmeric (which gives it its characteristic yellow color) and curry powder. It looks and tastes complex but is surprisingly simple if you have yellow curry paste. Really, you could make this with just five essential ingredients: chicken, onion, potato, yellow curry paste, and coconut cream, and it would still turn out wonderful.
Active Time: 25 min
Total Time: 35 min
Ingredients
> chicken thigh (2/3 lb, cubed)
> onion (1/2, thinly sliced)
> Yukon gold potato (2/3 lb, cubed)
> shallots (1, thinly sliced)
> ginger (1 tsp, grated)
> garlic (2 cloves, minced)
> yellow curry paste (1/3 cup)
> coconut cream (14 oz)
> water (1/2 cup)
> fish sauce (1 tbsp)
> sugar (1 tbsp)
> neutral oil
> (optional) cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, Thai basil, cilantro, etc
Instructions
1. In a pot, saute shallots, ginger, garlic, and yellow curry paste over medium heat for several minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add water, and stir to mix everything together. Add coconut cream, fish sauce, sugar, and bring up to a simmer.
3. Add the chicken and potato and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until everything is perfectly cooked. About 5-10 minutes before the end, add in the onion.
4. Remove from the heat and adjust with more fish sauce or sugar if needed. Serve with rice and optionally top with cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> Coconut cream looks unreasonably thick, and might make you wonder how this dish could possibly become fluid. You'd be surprised -- the coconut cream melts and forms a perfect creamy consistency. If you like your curry a bit thinner, consider adding a bit of water. I prefer curry thicker and so I omitted it.
> I prefer boneless chicken thigh, but you can also use other cuts of chicken, other neutral meats (pork also works quite well), or omit the chicken entirely for a vegetarian curry (substitute with other vegetables)
> Feel free to add whatever vegetables your heart desires. Onion and potato are essential, but also consider adding cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, Thai basil, etc. Cauliflower and carrots you can add at the beginning of the cooking process (they take a while to cook), but other vegetables you might need to add later so as to avoid overcooking it.