Springtime, but still chilly out
Hi all,
So, two forces collided to make me come up with this recipe - the fact that I want fresh-tasting food because it's springtime, but it's still cold enough out that I want hot food with that comfort-food heaviness . . . and also, remembering a sensational thing from the Thai Cafe in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (everything they make there is out of this world good), chicken peanut curry with little kaffir lime leaves hanging out in the sauce and lots of summer squash, etc.
Here's a springtime version I made up with grocery store ingredients - you can soup it up a bit with better stuff from the Asian market near you, etc. This thing throws down in 20 minutes flat, chopping included, so that wins my heart.
Chicken Peanut Curry
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp (mild) to 1 Tbsp Thai Kitchen red curry paste, or just same amount of sambal, or a little chili paste
Paste made of 3 cloves garlic and about a thumbnail-size square of fresh ginger
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb bits of boneless, skinless chicken (thighs are my favorite, breasts are good too)
1 packet of that peanut sauce mix from the grocery store that you just mix with coconut milk and heat, combined with said can of lite coconut milk and a splash of water. Or homemade peanut sauce just thick enough to coat a spoon well
Any combination of baby carrots, snow peas, green beans, summer squash, broccoli
Rice and cilantro bits for serving, a little lime wedge if you're feeling it
Heat a little oil in a wok or deep skillet and when really hot, start adding the ingredients in order and bandy them about. When the chicken is white on the outside, add the peanut sauce. If you're feeling like trying something out, add 2 kaffir lime leaves and simmer at this point for 10 minutes. When you get the peanut sauce up to a simmer, add the veggies until they're just ready to uncrisp. Serve over rice, garnish with the cilantro and lime.
Serves 4 people, but make it anyway, the leftovers are even better
posted by Lori @ 5:38 AM
5 Comments:
Cool recipe.
A couple of things:
1) Thai Kitchen is not a bad product, but it's very overpriced and not as fresh-tasting as, well, fresh-made curry paste. Of course, I am not suggesting that you make your own--it's time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, any Asian market carries curry pastes from Thailand. The two major brands are Mae Ploy and Maesri. They come in a variety of sizes and packaging, but my favorite is the 14 oz tub. That's right--nearly a pound of curry paste. (What does Thai Kitchen give you? 3 ounces?) The price: about two bucks.
2) Peanut Sauce, while delicious, isn't a real component of Thai cuisine. It's more of an American invention (not that there's anything wrong with that). The sort of curry you describe sounds like a Panang curry, which is a red curry base with crushed peanuts and sweet spices added---sort of a cross between a mussaman and a red curry. It's typically served with beef, and should contain slivers of kaffir lime leaf.
i like the little 4 oz cans of Maesri paste. because things are just cuter when they're little. for 75 cents. and it freezes pretty well. any recs on coconut milk? i usually choose Goya, which i'm happy enough with, but don't know very much abt it...but have tried the light Thai Kitchen too. i know, i know, light doesn't taste as good and i don't think abt calories when i'm cooking for others, but when it's just for me...
that dish looks delish, btw, lor. i love your "almost spring but still chilly" approach. if you were competing to be the Next Food Network Star, your unique culinary point of view could be: Cooking in Season's Limbo... or something better than that
bettywheel,
the coconut milk i use is calle Chaokoh. it's available in any asian market. imported from thaiplace.
Cool. The peanut sauce is probably an adaptation that the Thai cooks created for their Brooklyn audience. Regardless, I'm a fan :) I'll definitely take the tip on the curry paste -- I get lost in the aisles at the Asian market and never know what kind to get . . . having some names is a huge help.
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