Southeast Asian Red Curry w/ Chicken
This is (hopefully) the first of many guest recipes from my dear friend, Judah Legge. We have been cooking together for nearly a decade now. We’ve both traveled extensively, so we love creating dishes that are inspired from cultures all over the world. Judah is from Nova Scotia, Canada and is an incredible cook, artist, writer, musician and all around wonderful human. Whenever we cook together, Judah whips up the most delicious, comforting foods.
This Southeast Asian-inspired red curry is no exception - it is the ideal comfort food and will warm you up from the inside out. This is one of his family recipes, and he has graciously agreed to let me share it with you. Do yourself a favor and make this delicious curry - you’ll thank me later. Thank you, Judah, for sharing this recipe with us and for the years of friendship spent cooking together and doing life around the table.
INGREDIENTS: Serves 6+
Coconut Oil
1/2 Red onion, cut into strips
4 Large garlic cloves, minced
Salt & white pepper
3 Chicken breasts, cut into cubes and seasoned with salt & pepper
Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
1/2 Small can tomato paste
Pinch of saffron
2 Bay leaves
1 Tbs Sriracha
2 Tbs Soy sauce
1/2 Box of chicken broth
2 Cans coconut milk (unsweetened)
2 Sweet potatoes, diced (skin on)
4-5 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Bell peppers, diced
5-6 Fresh basil leaves, whole
4 Tbs Honey
2 Limes, juiced
2 tsp Fish sauce
1 Bag of white rice
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prep your fresh ingredients ahead of time: wash and chop your produce, cut and season the chicken with salt and pepper, open cans.
In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil on medium high heat. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the chicken, Thai red curry paste, tomato paste, saffron, bay leaves, sriracha, and soy sauce. Stir well and let the chicken cook. Once the chicken is cooked, add about 1/2 the box of chicken stock, stir and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, add the cans of unsweetened coconut milk and stir. When it starts to boil, add the sweet potatoes, carrots, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. When the carrots and sweet potatoes are fully cooked, add the bell peppers, basil leaves and honey. Lower the heat to medium and let it simmer.
While the curry is simmering, cook the white rice. (I use the instructions on the packaging and add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to the water!) When the rice has finished cooking, set it aside and add the juice of 2 limes and the fish sauce to the curry. Taste and adjust the flavor accordingly, adding more salt, soy sauce, and/or sriracha to taste.
To serve, spoon some of the rice into a bowl and ladle the curry over it. Garnish with fresh basil if you’d like, and enjoy! Pairs well with naan!