The wind was howling in New York City this week. All I wanted was something warm, thick and filling for dinner. This stems from two yellow curry recipes, one with chicken and one with fish balls because who says you can’t have it all? I visited the newly-renovated Asia Market on Mulberry at the corner of Bayard and found everything I needed. Feel free to toss in any hard vegetable you have in the fridge. Just make sure you cook them first before the softer ones. Cauliflower and zucchini would be fun to add, too; perhaps even baby corn. At home, the curry paste cooking in peanut oil will release one of my favorite smells in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
boneless chicken thighs, cut in small pieces
a pack of fish balls, thawed
a pack of cuttlefish balls, thawed
1 cup of coconut cream
1 cup of vegetable stock
a handful of green beans
4 Thai eggplants, sliced in half moons
1 Japanese eggplant, chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
cilantro, roughly choppedFor the yellow curry paste:
2 red chilies
1 tsp black peppercorns
coriander root, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 small knob of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, pounded with a pestle
1 tsp of sambal oelek
shrimp paste, to taste
2 tbsps peanut oil1. In a large wok, heat the peanut oil. Make the curry paste by sautéing all the curry ingredients and cooking them until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the chicken, green beans, pepper and the Thai eggplants with the coconut cream and stock. Cover in medium heat until chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the cilantro and the softer eggplants and cook for a few more minutes. The peanut oil should be separating from the curry paste. Make sure you keep stirring to distribute the heat and add more stock to keep the sauce from drying up. Add shrimp paste to adjust the taste.
Related post/s:
Buy all the ingredients in Chinatown
