Yellow Thai chicken curry

Some weeks are busier than others. This happens to be one of those weeks. A ready made curry paste (Woolies stocks a really good brand), is my go-to ingredient for a simple yet tasty supper. A spicy curry  with ginger and lemon grass, the quintessential Thai flavours. Tonight we’re making a yellow Thai curry with succulent chicken and a luscious coconut cream sauce. I like to serve it with steamed vegetables and basmati rice. If you’re Banting, omit the rice and corn and replacing it with maybe cauli-rice.

I’ve used chicken thighs with the bone-in and skin-on for extra depth of flavour. I leave the skin on to prevent the meat from drying out when browning and then discard it just before serving. Chicken thighs have a higher fat content, so swap it for fillets if you prefer. Remember to then also reduce the cooking time by about 10-15 minutes. Traditional Thai curry pastes are fiery hot and if you follow the manufactures instructions of using the full 50g, be warned. It’s fiery hot, so proceed cautiously. I find one  generously heaped tablespoon is more than enough for four servings.

Yellow Thai chicken curry

Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on
1 generous tablespoon yellow Thai curry paste
3cm stem ginger, finely grated
300ml weak chicken stock
400g tin coconut milk
1 stem lemon grass, split in half
a spritz of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh red chilli, optional

In a large pan, heat the vegetable and sesame oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, skin side down first. Turn over and brown on the other side as well. Drain off most of the rendered down oil. Add the curry paste and grated ginger. Pour in the stock and coconut cream. Add the lemon grass, cover with a lid or foil and simmer for 35 – 40 minutes on a low heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and check that the seasoning is well balanced.

Serve with steamed basmati rice, blanched sugar snaps and baby corn. If you like a bit heat, scatter over some extra chilli.