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Sekai Gohan
Yellow Curry (Kaeng Kari): Thai Coconut Curry with Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-in chicken legs (ไก่) | 2 legs | The body of the curry; the bone deepens the sauce |
| Coconut milk (กะทิ) | About 2 cups (400 ml) | Fat and sweetness that carry the paste and soften its heat |
| Yellow curry paste (พริกแกงกะหรี่) | 2 tbsp | Spice and salt at the center of the flavor |
| Potatoes (มันฝรั่ง) | 2–3 | Starch that gives the sauce body and the bowl its weight |
| Onion, brown or yellow (หอมหัวใหญ่) | ½ | Sweetness and soft bite |
| Baby corn (ข้าวโพดอ่อน) | 1 cup | Crunch and a little sweetness |
| Fish sauce (น้ำปลา) | 1–2 tsp | Salt and savoriness; 1 tsp goes in early, the rest to taste |
| Coconut sugar (น้ำตาลมะพร้าว) | 1–2 tbsp | Rounded sweetness; 1 tbsp goes in early, the rest to taste |
| Water | 1–2 cups (200–400 ml) | Just enough to cover the vegetables |
| Thai long chili (พริกชี้ฟ้า) | ½ | Fragrance and red color at the finish |
| Jasmine rice, steamed (ข้าวหอมมะลิ) | As needed | To soak up the sauce |
| Ajaad, cucumber and shallot relish (อาจาด) | As needed, optional | A sharp, cool contrast on the side |
Steps
1Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces
Set a sturdy board for raw meat on a damp cloth so it cannot slide. Cut each chicken leg into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, leaving the bone in. Cut through the joint where the knife meets the least resistance, and if the bone will not give, stop rather than forcing it. Pat any juices dry with paper towel. The pieces are ready when they are all close to the same size, so they cook at the same pace.
2Prepare the vegetables
Wash the board and knife, or switch to a clean set. Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size chunks. Cut the onion half into wedges, slice the chili on the diagonal, and drain the baby corn. Keep each on its own plate near the stove; the vegetables are ready when the potato chunks are even and the chili is set aside apart from the rest.
3Fry the paste in half the coconut milk
Set the pot over medium heat and add half the coconut milk, about 1 cup (200 ml). When it comes to a boil, add the 2 tbsp of paste and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom. If oil separates very early and the paste starts to catch, lower the heat. Move on when the bubbles have turned small, the mixture is a deep gold and beads of yellow oil float free.
4Season and sear the chicken
Stir in 1 tbsp coconut sugar and 1 tsp fish sauce until they melt into the paste. Lay in the chicken pieces, cover the pot and cook about 5 minutes. Turn each piece and cook the other side, covered, about 5 minutes more. The chicken is ready for the next step when both sides have colored and the outside is opaque; the center finishes cooking in the simmer.
5Add the rest of the coconut milk and the vegetables
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and bring the pot back to a boil. Add the potatoes and onion. Pour in water a little at a time from the 1–2 cups (200–400 ml), stopping when the vegetables are just covered. Turn the heat down to medium-low once the liquid bubbles again around the potatoes.
6Simmer until the potatoes are tender
Simmer about 10 minutes, keeping the bubbles gentle so the sauce does not break. Add the baby corn for the last 5 minutes. Test a potato chunk with a skewer and stop as soon as it slides in with no resistance; potatoes left longer start to dissolve and steal the sauce's gloss. The sauce is right when it is lightly thickened and dotted with yellow oil.
7Add the chili and finish the seasoning
Add the sliced chili and turn off the heat. Taste the sauce with a clean spoon. Add up to 1 tsp more fish sauce for salt and up to 1 tbsp more coconut sugar for sweetness, a little at a time, tasting after each. Stop when the salt and the sweetness meet, with the curry powder still at the front and the chili bright red against the gold.
8Check that the chicken is cooked through
Push a thermometer into the thickest piece of chicken. It must reach 75°C and hold there for at least 1 minute. If it falls short, return the pot to the heat, simmer 5 minutes more and check again. The chicken is done when the juices run clear, the center is white and no pink remains around the bone.
9Serve with jasmine rice
Ladle the curry with plenty of sauce into a deep bowl and serve the rice on a separate plate, so the rice stays fluffy and each person spoons on as much sauce as they like. Set the ajaad beside it. Bring it to the table hot, while steam still rises from the bowl.