Delicious Thai Yellow Chicken Curry

This recipe was recently featured in one of our online cooking classes hosted by SCI BC Peer, Byron Green. Byron’s tasty dish can be made with or without meat and is a great intermediate recipe for a yummy curry. Take a look at our events calendar to see when the next cooking class will be happening!

Chicken Ingredients

• 1 recipe yellow curry paste see recipe (right) or here (or use 5-6 Tbsp store-bought)
• 4-5 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 ¾ cup coconut milk
• 300 g. waxy potatoes, cut into chunks
• Half a medium onion, 1 cm julienned
  1-1.5 cup water
• 1-2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1.5 Tbsp palm sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp tamarind juice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• Optional garnish: fried shallots (see Hat Yai Fried Chicken for recipe)
• Jasmine rice or quinoa (for serving)

Sauce Ingredients:

• 7 dried chilies, large, seeded
• 1.5 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 1/4 tsp white peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 inches lemongrass, bottom half only, finely chopped
• 3 slices, 1/8-inch thick, galangal, finely chopped
• 1-inch knob turmeric
• 3 slices, 1/8-inch thick, ginger
• 3–4 cloves garlic
• 2 small heads shallots (¼ cup chopped)
• 1 tsp shrimp paste, omit if vegetarian

Chicken Directions

1. Reduce ¾ cup coconut milk over medium heat until thick and the coconut oil separates. If the oil doesn’t
   separate after the coconut milk has reduced until very thick, just proceed with the recipe.
2. Add the curry paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium low heat until the oil starts to separate from the
   paste.
3. Add chicken and toss to coat in the curry paste, then add the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup
   water; stir to mix. Add 1 Tbsp of fish sauce and 1 Tbsp palm sugar, and bring to a simmer. Let chicken
   simmer gently for 30 minutes.
4. Add potatoes, onion, and more water if needed to keep the potatoes mostly submerged. Simmer for another
   15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and the potatoes are fully cooked.
5. While the curry simmers, pierce the cherry tomatoes with the tip of a parting knife, making about a half-inch
   incision.
6. When the curry is done simmering, taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining fish sauce, sugar and
   tamarind juice. Turn off the heat and stir in the pierced cherry tomatoes and let the residual heat of the curry
   gently cook the tomatoes for a few minutes before serving.
7. Sprinkle with fried shallots, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice or quinoa

Sauce Directions:

1. Cut dried chilies into chunks using scissors and remove most of the seeds. Add chilies to a coffee or spice grinder and grind into a powder.
2. In a stone mortar and pestle, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and white peppercorns; grind into a powder. Remove and set aside in a bowl; add curry powder to this bowl.
3. Add lemongrass, galangal, ginger, turmeric and salt to the mortar and pound into a paste. When the mixture feels too wet, add the dry spices to help absorb the liquid and continue to pound into a fine paste.
4. Add ground chilies, shallots, and garlic; pound into a fine paste.
5. Add shrimp paste and pound to mix.