Yellow Curry

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Servings:

4 servings

The Muslim cooking tradition traveled from India, Malaysia, and Indonesia to Thailand via merchants and people who traveled through the area to find work. Its influence on Thai cooking is most evident in this particular recipe, which gets its vibrant yellow hue from the generous amounts of turmeric, and a mild kick from the chiles, tempered by the coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and peanuts. Contemporary versions of this curry come from southern Thailand, this curry. In its traditional preparation, spices and aromatics including cumin, coriander, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, and chiles combine for its rich flavor. This version, adapted for home cooking, uses a combination of chicken, sweet potatoes, and Yukon potatoes to make it a hearty and comforting meal. But feel free to get creative with your vegetables and proteins.

Yellow curry, otherwise known as kaeng kari, is considered to be the most complex Thai curry, even if it is less spicy than its red or green counterparts. Its relatively mild heat is why it is often called the “training curry” or “introduction curry” by Thai parents who want to encourage their children to eat traditional dishes. Its mild flavor and creamy texture makes it an approachable entry point into the world of Thai cuisine. That being said, if you want to boost the heat, add more chiles.

This curry starts with a spice paste, prepared by grinding spices and aromatics into a paste in a mortar and pestle. The effort to make the paste is worth it for the deep, fresh flavors, but use store-bought yellow curry paste if you are in a rush. Stir-frying the paste helps it release some of the oils before the coconut milk or water is added. Afterwards, meat and vegetables are simmered in the sauce. This curry is typically served with rice to balance its rich, bold flavors. — Alexandra Domrongchai

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Ingredients

Yellow Curry Paste

2 cups water
4 (2- to 3-inch) dried red Thai spur chiles (about 1/16 ounces total), unseeded and stemmed (if you want a hotter paste, add more chiles)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 medium (about 2 3/4 ounces total) shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 (16-inch) stalks fresh lemongrass (about 4 1/2 ounces total), tender white inner bulbs only, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)
1 (1-inch) piece fresh galangal (about 3/4 ounce), peeled and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (such as Pantai)
1 teaspoon grated lime zest (from 1 medium [3-ounce] lime)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
5 medium garlic cloves

Curry

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3 to 4 chicken breasts), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup yellow curry paste
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, well shaken and stirred
2 medium-size (10 ounces total) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large (8-ounce) sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium-size (about 7-ounce) yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons palm sugar or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons tamarind paste, or more for a more tart curry

Additional ingredients

Lime wedges
Cooked white jasmine rice

Directions

Prepare the Yellow Curry Paste

Place water and Thai chiles in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high. Remove from heat, and let steep, uncovered, 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove chiles, and place in a food processor. Reserve soaking water.
Cook coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer coriander seeds to a small heatproof bowl, and let cool completely, 5 to 10 minutes. Finely grind toasted seeds using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Add shallots, lemongrass, galangal, curry powder, shrimp paste, lime zest, turmeric, garlic, ground coriander, and 1/4 cup reserved chile soaking water to chiles in food processor. Process until mixture forms a just slightly chunky paste, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. (If the mixture is too thick to blend well, add more reserved soaking water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) Store Yellow Curry Paste in an airtight container refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Prepare the Curry

Sprinkle chicken all over with salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1/2 cup Yellow Curry Paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, potatoes, sweet potato, onion, sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste until well combined. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer; simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through (it will be firmer in texture and no longer pink) and sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and rice.

Note

To grind this paste by hand, you will need a solid stone mortar and pestle. Remove stems from chiles, place in a bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside to soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Rinse softened chiles and pat dry. Toast coriander seeds for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Shake pan and stir coriander constantly to ensure seeds toast evenly. Transfer seeds to a bowl to cool until just warm, about 5 to 10 minutes. Place chiles in a stone mortar. Start pounding in an up-and-down motion with a pestle until chiles are smooth. Add toasted coriander, and pound until smooth. Add lemongrass and galangal, and pound until smooth. Add shallots, garlic, and lime zest and pound until smooth. Add curry powder, shrimp paste, and ground turmeric; pound until smooth.

To make ahead

The paste can be made ahead and stored in an airtight glass jar or container in refrigerator up to 14 days, or in the freezer up to 4 months.