Umi Recipe: Ai’s Chicken Red Curry

Ingredients

Paste:

11 dried long red chilies (deseeded, soaked and drained)

pinch of salt

1 Tsp galangal

2 Tbsp lemongrass

1 Tsp kaffir lime zest

1 Tsp coriander root

4 Tbsp asian shallot

6 Tbsp garlic

1 Tsp Thai shrimp paste

2 Tsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground

1 Tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground

1 Tsp white peppercorns

Curry:

1.5 cups coconut cream

1 Tbsp palm sugar

2 Tbsp fish sauce

8 oz chicken thighs, cut into bite size

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup boiled bamboo shoots

Handful kaffir lime leaves, destemmed

1–2 Thai red chilies, cut lengthwise

Handful of Thai basil leaves

Making Paste:

1. Grind each ingredient into a paste, adding one at a time in the above order.

Making Curry:

1. Simmer coconut cream over medium heat until it “cracks”, losing its liquid form and gaining a thin film of oil.
2. Work in 5 tablespoons of curry paste and fry over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until very fragrant.
3. Season with palm sugar and stir for a minute until the paste darkens.
4. Add fish sauce, stir for another minute as the fish sauce evaporates.
5. Add kaffir lime leaves, stir for another minute.
6. Add chicken and coconut milk, bring to a boil then slightly lower heat to let simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Add remainder of ingredients and let simmer for a few more minutes before turning off the heat.