This is a versatile and extremely flavorful dish that you can adjust in many different ways. Add hot peppers or red bell peppers (we used hot), add peas or potatoes, use chicken, shrimp or nothing at all (we used chicken). It comes from Naz Deravian in NYTimes cooking.
For this you’ll need: 1/2-1 tsp cumin, 1/2-1 tsp coriander, 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts (ground to a powder), 4 Tbsp Thai red curry paste, 1 lb skinless chicken breast, 2-4 tsp fish sauce, x1 13.5 oz can (full fat) coconut milk, 1 lime (for zest), 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 small hot pepper (e.g. Poblano, Anaheim, etc) cut into thin slices, Rice (for serving).
Start your rice cooking at the onset.
In a small bowl combine the ground peanuts, cumin and coriander. Stir in the red curry paste until well combined. Set aside.
Cut the chicken into 1.5″ by 1/2″ long pieces.
In a skillet over medium heat, add x4 Tbsp of the solid fat from the very top of the coconut milk. Let it sizzle and melt. Stir until thickening and bubbling along the outside edges – about 30 sec to 1 min. Add the curry paste/peanut mixture and stir well to combine. Turn down the heat slightly and let the entire mixture simmer until the sauce starts to separate (“breaks”) and red oil begins to form, 2-5 mins.
Add the lime zest and sugar and stir well – about 2 mins – to combine – then add the remaining coconut milk. Increase the heat for a moment to bring the entire sauce back to a simmer and then reduce the heat again to let it cook until thickened (and clings to the back of a spoon) – 4-8 mins.
Add the chicken and stir well to cover all pieces. Cook another 3-5 mins, stirring a few times to ensure the chicken cooks on all sides. Be sure to not let the sauce thicken too much by adjusting the heat downward. Stir in the peppers and turn off the heat.
Serve with rice.
Dinner at Our Place 