Yellow curry is probably my favorite of the Thai restaurant stoplight-colored curry array (red, green, yellow). I think I might be alone in this? Usually people go for the red or the green. Not me.
I love the subtle flavors of yellow curry. It is comforting – which is maybe why I love it so much. Food and comfort. We are moving this week, and have hit peak busy season for the semester, so its no wonder I am cooking comfort food. Also, the curry paste recipe makes enough for 4-5 curries, so this stuff is money in the future-food bank.
The paste is based off of a recipe from Pinch of Yum. I liked it a lot – roasting the aromatics before blending them with the spices is a great idea, and not one I’ve tried before. Next time, I’ll improvise my own version – less salt, less turmeric, change up the spice blend – but it is a great base for exploration. And once you have the curry paste, you are very close to having an easy Thai curry: just sauté the ingredients in a bit of oil, coat with paste, add coconut milk, and simmer. The aromatics in the curry paste are already cooked, so most of your work is done.
Speaking from recent experience, busy days and nights are made much better by this recipe. You can come home to a really good meal with little thought or effort, which is what I need right now. And with an even busier semester coming up in the Spring, I’ll definitely be doing more with curry pastes soon.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 jalapeño pepper, slices with seeds in (optional, if you are looking for a bit of heat)
- a couple of handfuls, or about 10 oz baby potatoes, cubed
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- a heaping ¼ cup of curry paste (see link above for Pinch of Yum recipe)
- 14 oz can coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- juice of 1 lime
- cilantro, to garnish
- Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add the chicken and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes and searing the edges.
- Add the veggies and curry paste and stir to coat.
- Add the coconut milk and water, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes.
- Before serving, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Taste, and add a squeeze of lime juice if necessary. Otherwise, serve over rice with lime wedges and cilantro to garnish.
K
December 14, 2017 at 6:21 pmOh wow, WHY HAVE I NEVER MADE CURRY PASTE? This looks amazing!
Laura
December 17, 2017 at 2:56 pmThanks!