Ingredients:
| Chicken meat, cut into pieces | 500 grams |
|---|---|
| Coconut milk | 2 cups |
| Potatoes | 300 grams |
| Salt | 2 teaspoons |
| Shallots, fried and chopped | 3 tablespoons |
| Cooking oil | ½ cup |
Curry Paste
Ingredients:
| Big dried chilies, seeds removed and soaked in water | 3 each |
|---|---|
| Shallots, grilled or toasted | ¼ cup |
| Garlic, grilled or toasted | 2 tablespoons |
| Galangal, chopped | 1 teaspoon |
| Lemon Grass, finely sliced and toasted | 1 tablespoon |
| Ginger, finely sliced and toasted | 1 teaspoon |
| Coriander seeds, toasted and ground | 1 tablespoon |
| Cumin (Jeera) seeds, fried and ground | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Curry powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Shrimp paste (Kapi) | 1 teaspoon |
Directions:
- Grind dried chilies and salt in a mortar until delicate, add galangal, lemon grass and ginger, and continue grinding. Add shallots, garlic and the rest of the ingredients, and grind all together until delicate and well-blended.
- Pour oil into a pan on a heat. Add chicken meat when the oil is hot, fry the chicken until its color turns golden. Spoon onto a dish. Allow to strain.
- Wash and boil whole potatoes for approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and soak in cold water, peel and cut each potato into four equal pieces.
- Fry the chili paste in fried shallot oil. Lower the heat, and fry until the mixture is fragrant, add 1 cup of coconut cream little by little. Fry the mixture until fragrant, add the chicken meat, and fry until well-blended. Put the mixture in a pot on a heat, add the coconut milk, potatoes and salt.
- Remove from the heat. Top with fried shallots and serve with cucumber relish.
Cucumber Relish
Ingredients:
| Cucumber | 300 grams |
|---|---|
| Shallot, finely sliced | 3 tablespoons |
| Big red spur chili, sliced | 1 chili |
| Vinegar | 1/3 cup |
| Sugar | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
Directions:
- Mix vinegar, sugar and salt, bring to boil and allow to cool.
- Cut cucumber lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick pieces.
Note: Add cucumber shortly before serving.
Correct Characteristics of Chicken Curry:
- The soup must be yellow, fragrant, clear and moderately rich.
- The outstanding taste must be saltiness, not spiciness.
- Chicken meat should be tender and taste sweet from coconut milk.
- Potatoes should be well-cooked and tender.
Cooking Tips:
- Chicken meat must be fried first to prevent it from becoming mushy when cooked in the curry.
- The curry paste should be cooked in the fried shallot oil rather than ordinary cooking oil for pleasant aroma
Eating Culture:
Apart from being eaten with rice with the main meal, Chicken Curry can be eaten with bread and pasta such as spaghetti and macaroni.
How to Serve:
Serve with cucumber relish with the main meal for eating with rice.
Recipe Variations:
Chicken Curry on Pasta
Name Derivative :
Chicken Curry (Kaeng Kary Kai) is named according to its ingredient – curry powder – and its odor.
Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Herbs used in Chicken Curry:
Prik Kee Noo (Fresh hot Chili Peppers)
Use :
Hot chili peppers give the uniquely hot taste and aroma of Thai cooking. It is the star ingredient of most dishes. Almost every dish will taste better with a small addition of these tiny hot chili peppers. Tom Yam and Tom Kha cannot be made without them.
Medicinal properties :
Relieves diarrhea, stimulates digestion and the heat, increases blood flow to taste buds and thus increases appetite, relieves infection, dissolves blood clod, and prevents intestinal cancer.
Jeera (Caraway or Cumin)
Both Caraway and Cumin give slightly sweet tastes and similar aromas, but the seeds of Caraway are bigger in size while Cumin has better and stronger adors and is spicier.
Use :
Add to curry paste and meat dishes such as Satay, roasted chicken, roasted beef, soup, sausages and ham as well as pickles, preserved fruit, cake, cookies and biscuits. Jeera is also used in salad cream and soup in certain countries. American mixed spices called “ Chilli Seasoning ” also contain Jeera.
Medicinal properties :
Stimulant, antispasmodic, carminative
Relieves diabetes, constipation, indigestion, nausea, fatigue and insomnia.
Luk Phakshee (Coriander Seeds)
Coriander seeds are small and white or pale brown and taste fizzy like licorice. Coriander leaves smell and taste better.
Use :
Stir-fried coriander powder is used as spice in clear soup, curries, stew, duck, chicken, pork and goose dishes, or added to apple pies, custard, fruit salad, cream and even in gin.
Medicinal properties :
Relieves swellings, high cholesterol, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, anaemia and kidney problems.
Gratiem (Garlic)
Use :
Almost all Thai dishes - soups, curries, salads, sauces and pan-fried dishes – contain garlic.
Medicinal properties :
Cures and prevents atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, aids digestion, relieves cold symptoms, fights some intestinal parasites, helps heal wounds, fights infections, strengthens heart, and clears chest congestion.
Hua Hom (Shallots)
Use :
Shallots are ingredients of all kinds of curry pastes, hot sauces and salads.
Medicinal properties :
Aids digestion, relieves cold symptoms, increases appetite, and regulates menstruation.
King (Ginger)
Use :
In pan-fried chicken with ginger, finely shredded ginger is added after the chicken is cooked and seasoned. The cooked ginger will give off its flavour and its hot taste will be milder.
In Tomson Pla Too (sweet and spicy mackerel soup). Shredded ginger is an essential ingredient of a tomsom. The ginger covers up the smell of fish with its pleasant taste and smell. The sweetness of the liquid will be less noticeable under the ginger taste. The ginger should be added after the fish and the soup come to a boil to bring out the ginger flavor.
Medicinal properties :
Aids digestion, helps release phlegm, relieves stomachache and nausea, increases perspiration, dilates capillaries, helps cold and sore throats and poor circulation, soothes minor burns, and cures wounds.
Takrai (Lemon grass)
UseLemon grass is an essential ingredient of a Tomyam, a popular Thai dish served in most restaurants around the world. It gives a pleasant flavor and covers up the fish and shrimp smells. :
Medicinal properties :
Aids digestion, relieves stomach pain, increases urine production, and relieves gall stone problems and high blood pressure.
Kha (Mature Galangal)
Use :
Beef and chicken Tom Yams need mature galangal roots to improve the flavor of the beef and chicken. The dishes will have a better aroma and taste.
Medicinal properties :
Relieves skin rash, diarrhea, indigestion and body pain due to crash and fall.
