The Ultimate Makeover Thai Green Chicken Curry Recipes

THAI GREEN CURRY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toss chicken first in 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, then in the flour, coating pieces evenly. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken in the skillet, cook and stir chicken until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in curry paste. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in green onions, garlic, and ginger; cook an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, stirring to coat with the curry mixture. Stir the coconut milk, fish sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and sugar into the chicken-curry mixture. Allow to simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

THAI GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and curry paste; stir until shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to boil. Add chicken and bell pepper; stir until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in chopped basil and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide curry among bowls. Garnish with basil sprigs and lime wedges.
• * Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: THAI GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• For the curry paste, finely chop the coriander stalks and put them into a mini food blender or small food processor with the shallots, lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Pulse until as smooth as you can get it. Add the chillies, basil, threequarters of the coriander leaves, the ground cumin, coriander, pepper, lime leaves and lime juice, then pulse again. Mix in the oil and set aside. You will only be using half of this paste, the rest can be chilled for a couple of days, or frozen for up to a month.
• For the curry, heat the oil in a non-stick wok or deep sauté pan, stir in half the curry paste, then stir-fry for 1 min. Shake the coconut milk in its can, open, then pour two-thirds into the pan. Let it bubble away for 4-5 mins, stirring now and then, until reduced and thickened slightly.
• Tip in the chicken, then stir-fry for 1-2 mins until no longer pink. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then pour in the rest of the coconut milk to give a thinnish, creamy sauce. Lower the heat, add the lime leaves, then simmer for 5 mins to gently finish cooking the chicken. Can be frozen at this point for up to 1 month.
• While the chicken simmers, steam the mangetout and beans for a couple of mins. Serve the curry in bowls with some of the veg piled on top (serve the rest separately) along with the spring onions and the rest of the coriander leaves. Serve with a bowl of Thai fragrant rice and lime wedges for squeezing over.

NEXT LEVEL THAI GREEN CURRY

Steps:

• Heat a dry frying pan and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Toast until they begin to colour and release their aromas. Remove from the heat, then grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar. Wrap the shrimp paste in foil and in the same dry pan, 'toast' the foil package for 2 mins on each side.
• Pound the garlic using a pestle and mortar, then add the shallots, coriander, chillies, galangal, turmeric and lemongrass. Finally, add the shrimp paste and ground spices and pound to a smoothish paste. Alternatively, whizz everything in a small blender or mini chopper in the same order or, for the best and easiest results, half pound in a pestle and mortar, then finish in the chopper. The recipe makes double so save half, but you can also make a much bigger batch if you want.
• To make the curry, open the cans of coconut milk, carefully remove the thick cream and spoon it into a warm wok or large frying pan. Cook it slowly, stirring all the time, until it reduces to a thick paste and the oil starts to separate. Add the sugar, let it dissolve then cook until caramelised and smoking. Stir in the green curry paste and cook for 1-2 mins. Add the chicken and stir well to coat in the paste.
• Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, scatter in the lime leaves and splash in half the fish sauce. Let the sauce bubble for about 10 mins until the oil in the coconut milk starts to come through to the surface and the chicken is cooked. Add the green beans and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Taste the sauce - you are after a hit of salt (from the fish sauce) sweet, (from the sugar) and sour (lime juice) - and adjust accordingly. Simmer everything for 5 mins more until the beans are just cooked. Scatter over the Thai basil and red chilli, then bring to the table in the cooking dish and serve with jasmine rice.