If any dish deserves to be called global, it is curry. From Newfoundland to the Antarctic, from Beijing to Warsaw, there is scarcely a place where curries are not enjoyed. - Colleen Taylor Sen
As someone who loves to cook - and cook often, coupled with a boyfriend and a son who absolutely love hot stuff, curry is something I explore often... and there really IS so much to explore. Definitely one of the most culturally rich as well as versatile dishes - people from around the world have been creating fantastically festive plates of food around this name since forever ago!
Thai curry was not something I became familiar with until about five or six years ago when an Indian friend of mine actually introduced me to it, haha - go figure! Also an avid foodie herself, she was always exploring foods from different parts of the globe - so inspired by her, I gave it a go! Admittedly, I have still not tried a RED curry... but that is definitely still on my list of "to do's". Though this is the "lazy persons version" because I bought a packet sauce - I would still like to try my hand at making my own green curry paste from scratch. I prefer it when the dishes I make are comprised of more "organic" ingredients.
Gorgeous Green Thai Curry
INGREDIENTS
One onion diced
One pack of filleted chicken breast
One can of coconut milk
The packet of dry cook-in sauce
250ml water
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
One can of Bamboo shoots
Fresh Basil Leaves
Basmati rice to serve
Like with many stews, curries and other dishes - they often begin with the process of browning the diced or chopped onion - and for good reason!! The light frying of this incredibly versatile bulb adds a dimension to the flavour profile of any dish it makes an appearance in... and that is precisely where you are going to start this time too...
Once you have sauteed the onions for about 5 minutes, you can add the chicken and continue frying. Note: Always add a little salt to the onions when frying. Salt draws out the moisture in pretty much anything and this not only gives you a better "fry" but it also stops the filleted chicken from sticking to the hot pan. You can add the can of coconut milk and the 250ml water after the chicken has been in the pot or pan for approx. 5 minutes.
Bring it all to a boil after stirring in the package sauce. The bamboo shoots and quartered potatoes can be added once the water has begun to boil. Then comes the addition of one of my favourite parts!!! I have NO idea if this is even common in a Thai green curry lol, but I went to a Thai restaurant many many years ago and I had this really saucy chicken dish which had bamboo shoots in it and I fell in love INSTANTLY!
I don't know how many of you have ever eaten bamboo shoots, but if you can find them where you are, they are absolutely a worthy addition! They have the most incredible crunch factor even after being cooked for a little while as well as holding the most incredibly unique, but not overwhelming flavour!
After allowing it to boil for approximately 5 minutes, you can lower the temperature to a medium simmer, cover the pot, and let the food cook for around 45 minutes. It really is as simple as that. I suppose you could use any rice you prefer - but personally, I LOVE basmati / jasmine rice. Delicious and really easy! Also REALLY super if you steam it over a pot of gently boiling water for a little while before serving it.
I always love to add a little bit of fresh herb garnish and so I added some fresh basil. The flavour profile of the basil was surprisingly complimentary to the curry - which was somewhat of a "hit and miss" angle lol - but hey... that is how we discover new things, is it not?! :)
Despite the "sauce" coming from a packet - I was genuinely impressed with the end result in terms of flavour... and I did not add anything additional! Also, it is not overly HOT... so can be easily enjoyed by everyone, even if they don't really enjoy anything too spicy. I suppose if you wanted to "hot it up" you could just serve it with a little diced fresh chilli on the side. Everything goes well with a bit of chopped chilli :)
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Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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