Chicken Red Curry

Chicken Red Curry

(Gaeng-Gai)

red-chicken-curry-classA nice rich, creamy texture (if done right) and a spicy flavour with coconut and sweet basil.  Lots of tips and instructions for making different versions of this curry including Pineapple, Potato and Pumpkin.

If you do this one right the chicken should just melt in your mouth and hardly require chewing, just suck in that lovely rich flavour! Same goes if you switch Chicken for Pork just cut it smaller!

Khwanjai’s Red Chicken Curries are famous amongst the locals for her ability to balance the power of the chillies with the more subtle ingredients so you get to enjoy every flavour with every mouthful, without losing the power of speech. Follow along with this tutorial and you’ll soon be doing the same!

How To Make Thai Chicken Red Curry

Ingredients: red-chicken-curry-class-ingredients
Red Curry for 2 people

1/2kg Chicken breast or leg
4 Eggplants (medium size)
1 3/4 Cups Coconut milk
1-tbs Red curry paste
2 tbs Fish sauce
2-3 Thai Chillies depending on size
1/2 tbs Palm sugar (or Demarara sugar 2nd choice)
1 Chicken stock cube
1 Cup water
3 Lime leaves
15 Thai sweet basil leaves

Preparation:
Cut eggplant into quarters or 6 for larger ones.  If you have never seen one, (photo to your right) Thai eggplants are about the size of a ping pong ball, but can vary a bit.
Cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces, you can use all parts such as breast, wing, legs and thighs, you can even use the bones, it gives the curry more flavour.
Rinse the sweet basil leaves and tear from stem
Rinse Kaffir lime leaves and tear in pieces
Slice chillies lengthwise

Cooking Instructions:
Pour 1 cup of the coconut milk into a hot wok or pan, then simmer 5-7 minutes until it reduces and cracks.
Next add the red curry paste, stir and mix it into the coconut milk, stir constantly until fully dissolved. (lower the heat if it splatters too much) Carry on stirring as it reduces further, you’re looking for a grainy texture, see video tutorial
Now add chicken pieces and kaffir lime leaves to the red curry stir occasionally as you add fish sauce, chicken stock cube and palm sugar, continue stirring until all is mixed
Next add almost 1/2 the remaining coconut milk and 1 cup of water
Bring to boil then back to simmer stirring occasionally as you wait until chicken starts to turn white. About 10-15 minutes
Then- add the eggplants (or potato), stir gently until all is well mixed and leave to simmer until they go soft, about 2-3 minutes, see video tutorial
Add your sweet basil leaves and the last of the coconut milk just before you serve and make sure the leaves are submerged quickly in the curry to preserve the colour.  This little trick will also enhance the coconut flavours when it simmers again its… Done!

Serving Suggestion:
Serve hot with rice or rice noodles.  Also suggest a side dish of fresh salad, such as cabbage, crisp lettuce, cucumber and especially coriander.  A nice delicately flavoured soup to go with this is Lettuce and Pork Soup which will balance out your whole meal and contrast nicely with the rich and spicy flavours of the curry.  If you fancy something more substantial try our Pork Stuffed Cabbage Soup. We often have a sweet contrast to a curry such as our Sweet Chicken Recipe, very nice!

Jules’s Blurb: Well we had some fun getting the video started, Khwanjai being silly, but we turned out a fantastic red curry.  I prattle on as usual and she does the clever stuff.

My reaction (in the vid) appears like it was very spicy. It wasn’t, it was early in the day and the first food that had passed my lips so took me a bit by surprise, needless to say I devoured it and on reflection I am obliged to add this..

Having tried it with bones and skin for a change, it definitely tasted better than if you remove them first, just my opinion

Fancy Red curry with Pineapple?  Khwanjai informs me its exactly the same recipe as this tutorial with one change so not really worth making a new video tutorial.  For the Pineapple version use Pineapple instead of Egg plant which requires no change in cooking time.

Khwanjai’s  Top Tips:
Once you add the 2nd half of coconut milk do not stir again until after it boils!   If you do, it will leave your curry with an unpleasant smell.

Test the eggplants for softness, you’ll know as they change colour and shape slightly,  over-cooking them will spoil their texture and flavour. Potatoes will take longer to cook than egg plants another great alternative is pumpkin, they also take a little longer cook.

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