Red Thai Curry (Gaeng Peht Gai)
Ingredients
- 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk, unshaken
- 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon red curry paste, or to taste
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken*, cut into chunks
- 1 small onion, cut into chunks
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
- Ginger (optional)**
- Garlic (optional)**
- Lemon grass (optional)**
- Bamboo Shoots (optional)***
- Eggplant (optional)***
- Potato (optional)***
- Sweet potato (optional)***
- Green beans (optional)***
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (garnish)
- Fresh lime juice (garnish)
- Jasmine or sticky rice
Instructions
- Carefully open cans of coconut milk, spoon thick coconut cream from top and put into wok, frying pan or medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbly.
- Add curry paste and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until an oily sheen comes to the surface. Optional additions: If adding garlic, ginger, and lemon grass to enhance the curry, add with curry paste.
- Add chicken, stir to coat with curry paste, and fry 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Add remaining coconut milk from cans, along with onion. Optional additions: If adding other vegetables, add with coconut milk.
- Simmer gently 15 minutes or until chicken and onion are cooked.
- Add fish sauce and palm sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Stir in fresh basil leaves and lime juice to taste.
- Serve with jasmine rice or sticky rice.
Yields 4 servings.
* To substitute for chicken use: 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 1 pound pork or beef, cut into thin slices; or 1 pound firm white fish, cut into serving-size pieces.
** Add one or more of the following herbs to curry paste and stir-fry: 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 slices ginger, crushed; 1 stalk lemon grass, peeled and sliced diagonally, using lower third of stalk only. Remove whole spices before serving.
*** Add one or more vegetables to curry with coconut milk just before simmering: One 8-ounce can drained, sliced bamboo shoots; 1 small eggplant, diced; one potato or sweet potato, parboiled and cut into chunks; fresh green beans.
