Curry dishes are most often associated with India and Thailand, but Cambodia has their own touch on the dish too. While the curry paste of Cambodia greatly resembles it’s Thai neighbor, it stands out in that it uses turmeric. There’s also no chili, so it’s a tad bit lighter than Thai curries too — meaning it’s not quite as spicy. For this particular recipe — which comes from our Cooking and Culture in Southeast Asia cooking vacation — you’re encouraged to make your own red curry paste… if you can find the ingredients in the States! Curry is important in Cambodia, as it’s used in everything from stir fries to soups. Here’s how to make a red curry chicken.
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Recipe for Red Curry Chicken
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Ingredients
- 120 grams (1/4 lb) chicken, cubed
- 30 ml (1 US fl oz) water
- 10 grams (1/3 oz) Khmer red curry paste (see below)
- 20 grams (3/4 oz) sweet potato, cubed
- 10 grams (1/3 oz) onion, cubed
- 10 grams (1/3 oz) carrot, cubed
- 10 grams long beans
- 100 ml (3 1/3 US fl oz) coconut milk
- 15 grams (1/2 oz) peanut, ground
- 5 grams (1 tsp) chicken powder (or bouillon)
- 5 grams (1 tsp) fish sauce
- 5 grams (1 tsp) shrimp paste
- 5 grams (1 tsp) star anise
- 5 grams (1 tsp) cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp curry seed oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- Curry paste ingredients:
- 2 pieces lemongrass, minced
- 5 grams galangal, minced
- 5 grams turmeric, either fresh or powder
- 2 pieces kaffir lime leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
Instructions
- First make the curry paste by blending all of the ingredients together.
- Start by making the red curry chicken by heating the curry seed oil in a wok until it’s hot. Fry the curry paste along with the shrimp paste for one minute. Then add the chicken.
- Continue to add ingredients one at a time: sugar, fish sauce, chicken broth, and 60 grams of coconut milk. Now allow it to cook for a few minutes over medium heat.
- Add the sweet potato, onion, and carrot, and stir.
- When the dish becomes fragrant, add in the water, coconut milk, star anise, and cinnamon.
- Continue to stir and cook the vegetables until it’s tender, and the chicken is cooked through. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Add the long beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, garnish the dish with the ground peanut and serve with rice.
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