Authentic Thai Red Curry with Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Servings
4
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Thai
Authentic Thai Red Curry with Chicken
Description
This recipe for Authentic Thai Red Curry with Chicken highlights fresh kabocha squash combined with boneless, skinless chicken thighs cooked in a sauce of coconut milk and a homemade red curry paste. The curry paste is made from dried chilies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots, kaffir lime zest, and shrimp paste, producing a flavorful base when cooked with coconut milk until the oils separate. The curry is then simmered with chicken, chicken stock, fish sauce, and palm sugar to balance heat and sweetness.
The kabocha squash adds sweetness and body to the dish, softening but maintaining shape if carefully cooked. The addition of Thai basil and optional red pepper adds freshness and color at the end. The resulting curry is creamy and mildly spicy with herbal, citrusy, and umami notes from the paste and seasonings. It can be served with steamed rice to soak up the sauce.
The notes suggest adjusting curry paste quantity based on heat preference and substituting kaffir lime zest with torn kaffir lime leaves to add citrus aroma. Removing seeds from chilies moderates spiciness. This curry embodies a balance of flavors and a rich texture achieved through slow simmering.
Ingredients
- 2 cups kabocha squash bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- 3½-5 tablespoon red curry paste store gouth, or recipe below (see note 1)
- 1 lb chicken thigh boneless, skinless, 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2-3 tablespoon palm sugar chopped
- 1 cup Thai basil
- ¼ red pepper julienned (optional for colour)
Red Curry Paste
- 0.4 oz dried chili see note 2, mild, large
- 0.2 oz dried chili see note 2, spicy, small
- 1 teaspoon sea salt coarse
- ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns
- ¼ cup shallot chopped
- 3 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoon lemongrass chopped
- 1 tablespoon galangal chopped
- 2 Cilantro roots or about 6 cilantro stems
- 1 teaspoon kaffir lime zest see note 3, chopped
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
Instructions
- Wash the kabocha squash and slice off any part of the skin that has blemishes, otherwise the skin can be left on. Remove the seeds by scraping off with a spoon and cut into bite-sized cubes. If you have leftover squash, try using it in this stir-fry recipe!
- Bring ½ cup of coconut milk to a boil, add curry paste and stir to break up lumps. Continue cooking and reducing over medium high heat until it is very thick and the coconut oil starts separating from the curry paste (if the paste is very thick but no oil is separating, don't worry, just proceed with the recipe).
- Add the chicken and toss to mix with the paste. Add the remaining coconut milk and the chicken stock. Season with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the fish sauce and the palm sugar, then simmer for about 8 minutes.
- Add the kabocha squash and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked and can easily be pierced through with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the squash or it’ll turn to mush.
- Remove from heat and adjust seasoning with the remaining fish sauce as needed; different brands of curry pastes have different amounts of salt, so it is important to taste and adjust. Stir in Thai basil and red pepper, if using. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.
Red Curry Paste
- Cut chilies into chunks, remove the seeds, then grind in a coffee grinder until fine.
- In a heavy-duty mortar and pestle, add lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots, kaffir lime zest, white peppercorns and salt. Pound until fine.
- Add ground chilies and pound to mix.
- Add garlic and shallots, pound until fine.
- Add shrimp paste, pound to mix.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of red curry paste to control the spice level according to your preference.
- Use mild dried chilies for color and flavor; add spicy chilies with seeds removed to customize heat.
- If kaffir lime zest is unavailable, use torn kaffir lime leaves added towards the end of cooking or substitute with regular lime zest in the paste.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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