Thai Red Chicken Coconut Curry
I was first introduced to Thai cooking by a friend in Melbourne in the early 1970’s. The cuisine was amazing and different with its emphasis on fresh food, coconut milk, Thai basil, and coriander. The first Thai restaurant in Australia was the Bahn Thai, in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road in June 1976. It was closely followed by the ‘Siam’ in Sydney, and another Thai restaurant in Perth. The Patee Thai restaurant, in Fitzroy, is the oldest Thai Restaurant still operating in Melbourne. It opened in 1983. By the end of the 1980s, Thai cuisine began to rival Chinese as a casual dining choice.
Coming to Melbourne in the mid-1980s. Maggie and I enjoyed cooking and the joys of Melbourne’s hundreds of restaurants. The Patee Thai was one of our favourites. I learned Thai cooking from Charmaine Solomon’s Thai Cookbook (1989).
The leading Thai chef is Australian’s David Thompson’s, who recorded the historic recipes of princesses based on their habit/obligation to write their traditional recipes from their ancestral villages in their midlife. His book “Thai Food” in 2002 was brilliant, if for me a little difficult with the complexity and exotic ingredients.
Thai cuisine at its best is up there with the best foods globally.
This recipe is from Southern Thailand and an adaption of one of Charmaine’s recipe.
Ingredients
300gms chicken thighs
100gms snow peas
100gms of sliced button mushrooms
100gms of sliced red capsicum
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1-2 fresh red chilies
1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
4 kaffir lime leaves
20 sweet Basel leaves
Method
Cut chicken into bite size pieces.
In wok or deep fry pan heat ½ cup of the coconut milk when bubbling, add the red curry paste and stir over medium heat until it is fragrant.
Add chicken pieces, fish sauce, and cook until the chicken is cooked.
Mix remaining coconut milk with ½ cup of water and kaffir lime leaves and chillies and simmer for around 15 minutes.
Stir in snow peas, sliced mushroom, sliced red capsicum and basil leaves and simmer for around 5 minutes.
Serve with steamed rice. Serves 8 Cost 2020 $16 or around $2 per serve
Red Curry Paste
Best and easy to use Mae Ploy red curry paste from Asian shop (about $4). Will last a year or more and provide for up to 40 curries and is less than the cost of one made commercial paste. (10c vs $5) or in blender add 10 red hot chillies, 2 small brown onions, ¼ cup of sliced lemongrass (or thinly cut and peel of one lemon, 1 tablespoon chopped galangal, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander root and stem, 1 teaspoon finely grated kaffir lime, 4 kaffir lime leaves 2 tablespoons of oil. Blend into a puree. In small saucepan toast 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds,2 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns and1 teaspoon ground turmeric. Add to puree and 2 teaspoons of shrimp paste, I teaspoon paprika and blend. Can be stored in fridge for a month or so. (Easier to get the Thai Curry paste)
Hint
It is much cheaper to grow your own kaffir lime and lime trees and coriander and Thai bail.
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