It is too easy to buy a ready-made curry paste for that Thai evening you and your friends have been planning now for a while. A perfect paste is the most important ingredient for any good curry and if you buy the paste you are not actually making the curry yourself.
What is the difference between a green and yellow curry paste?
- I called this particular paste yellow as I happened to have too many yellow pepper chilies in my fridge. So the chili type will definitely affect your curry color and taste.
- The only other difference from a normal green curry paste and a yellow curry paste is the fact that you add turmeric to a yellow curry.
- You can use the recipe below for a green curry paste as well. Just remember to use a green chili and to leave out the turmeric.
Why is turmeric one of my favorite ingredients?
Turmeric has natural anti-inflammatory effects, so it is perfect for cold winter muscles after a good workout session. It is also a very strong antioxidant.
A few tips;
- The paste recipe below can be used for a beef, venison, fish or chicken curry.
- You can also use it for a stew and you can mix it with mince when you are making Boboti.
- Make the curry paste in bulk, this way you save on money and you always have a paste ready to use.
- This paste will last up to 10 days in your fridge and you can definitely freeze the paste if you want to.
Key ingredients every good curry insists on;
- An obvious good quality pepper chili (I prefer a medium hot chili type, which is also usually a medium size)
- Fresh garlic gloves
- Fresh squeezed lime juice
- Coconut palm sugar
- Lemongrass – this is by far my favorite ingredient when it comes to any curry paste
Ingredients and recipe;
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 2 small / 1 large yellow chili pepper
- 2 large garlic gloves
- 1 lemongrass stick, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ginger (fresh or ground)
- 1 fresh squeezed lime
- 1 tsp coconut palm sugar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil / coconut oil
Directions to make the paste;
It is as easy as placing all the ingredients in a blender and then to blend and mix it until it is a smooth paste. If you are going to use the paste immediately or if the mixture is not blending well you can add a bit of water to get the blending going. Don’t add more than ¼ cup of water to this particular recipe.
THAI YELLOW CHICKEN CURRY RECIPE;
Serving 4-6 people
You will need;
- The above curry paste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil / coconut oil
- Fresh red onion, sliced
- 8 chicken pieces, +- 600 grams (boneless or not)
- 1 can / 250ml coconut milk
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Fresh coriander leaves and plain Greek yogurt to serve with
Directions;
Heat the oil in a pot or in a stir-fry pan. Add the onions and stir for 30 seconds. Firstly add the paste to the onions and stir well until it becomes a thick mixture. On a medium heat add the chicken to the mixture and cook it until it is light brown. Lastly add the coconut milk and the fish sauce. Heat for 5-10 minutes and then simmer it for 15 – 20 minutes.
Serve it with rice, fresh coriander leaves and original plain Greek yogurt – ENJOY!