There’s something magical about the combination of rich duck meat and Thai red curry! This duck curry recipe features duck breast with golden skin served in a coconut red curry sauce. Add lychees or pineapples for a very special dish that’s to die for!

* THAT IS NOT A PRAWN/SHRIMP in the photo! It’s the hole in a lychee where the seed was removed! 😂 *

Thai red duck curry

I recently enjoyed a beautiful Thai red duck curry at one of my favourite Thai restaurants here in Sydney, Khao Pla in Chatswood, and it inspired me to make my own. The rich flavour of duck meat, with the red curry sauce, the burst of sweet juice from the lychees and freshness from the herbs is one of those eating experiences that I hope everyone tries at least once in their life!

Plus, as much as I love my reliable Chicken Red Curry, duck is special. I’ve always thought of it as a luxury item and I love that duck meat is more readily accessible at grocery store these days. While it is more expensive than chicken, making Duck Curry at home costs, by rough calculations, around 70% cheaper than at a nice Thai restaurant where small bowl can fetch upwards of $30.

Ingredients in Thai Red Duck Curry

Here’s what you need to make duck curry. This recipe calls for 3 duck breasts totalling 500g/1 lb which makes enough curry to serve 4 to 5 people.

1. Duck breast

I’ve eaten and seen duck curry recipes made with all sorts of cuts – whole duck, Marylands (thigh and bone) and breast. Some recipe start with a cooked Chinese BBQ duck while others use a confit method, and some steam/roast/then fry the duck.

I’ve opted for duck breast – easy to cook, relatively easy to get and because I like biting into the rich tender slices of duck smothered in the curry sauce.

Where to find duck breast – These days in Australia it’s fairly common at large grocery stores as well as fresh produce stores and butchers. Look for skin on boneless breast. It costs more than chicken (~$18 for 500g / 1 lb), but it’s special! A luxury product reserved for Thai royalty! (So I’m told by a Thai chef who helped out at RTM a couple of weeks ago 😊)

See FAQ for other duck cuts I have seen used, and why I didn’t opt for them for this recipe.

2. Lychees or pineapples!

To me, lychees are extra special because the season is so fleeting and I love how the pearly white balls look against the red curry. However, I would never hesitate to use pineapple instead – preferably fresh, else canned.

And – tip for you – Asian branded lychees are actually very, very good! I was taken by surprise.

3. thai red curry sauce

You can use homemade red curry paste or store bought, which is what I’ve opted for. If using homemade, you will need a little extra fish sauce (because store bought is well seasoned already).

• Red curry paste – It’s pretty well document on this website: Maesri is my preferred! Cheapest and most authentic flavour of brands you can find at (most) grocery stores without digging in the dark corners of Asian stores. I also like that one can(115g / 1/2 cup) is the perfect amount to make a curry using 1 can of coconut milk.

  Find it at large grocery stores here in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms) and in Asian stores (it’s a staple item).

• Garlic and ginger – Adding these gives the store bought curry paste a freshness boost to make it more like homemade red curry paste. It really makes a difference! (Note: ordinarily I use lemongrass but I didn’t feel it added much in duck curry because duck meat is richer in flavour than chicken. So I ended up taking it out of the ingredients.)

• Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut). Full fat please! Low fat is thinner and has less coconut flavour.

• Makrut lime leaves – For authentic Thai curry flavour! Imparts a special earthy/herby fresh lime flavour into sauces. Fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly which is handy. (Note: formerly known as kaffir lime leaves. The name has been changed due to racial associations.) See FAQ for uses for leftover lime leaves. Can’t find fresh? Still worth making with dried! Though it is worth making a bit of effort to find fresh.

• Fish sauce – This is used as the salt in red curry. More flavour than plain salt!

• Sugar – For the right touch of sweetness you find in red curry sauce.

4. herbs and beans

Thai basil is the classic herb used for Thai cooking, but you can substitute with regular basil. The beans can also be substituted with other vegetables – I chose it for colour and shape.

• Red chilli – For optional garnish. Use large ones for less heat and small Birds Eye or Thai Chillis if you are a spice monster (or claim you are).

• Thai basil – A classic fresh herb used in Thai cooking, it tastes like regular basil with a slightly stronger aniseed and slightly minty flavour. Nowadays it’s fairly widely available in Australia in large grocery stores and green grocers (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms), but much better value in Asian stores! Substitute with regular basil (I have done so and it’s still company worthy).

• Coriander/cilantro – For garnish, Not vital!

• Green beans – I chose this as I thought the green colour would look nice in the red sauce. Snake beans (Asian long beans) are also on point, though actually, you can use any vegetable you want that you think will work with red curry sauce. Cherry tomatoes seems common but I feel like with lychees, it’s a lot of same-same shiny balls floating in one dish!

How to make Thai Red Duck Curry

This duck curry recipe is actually very straightforward and has a nice workflow to it. Once you start cooking, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes:

1. Duck breast – pan seared to render the fat and crisp the skin (10 minutes), finished in the oven (8 minutes) then rested (5 minutes) before slicing.

2. Red curry sauce – prep the ingredients while the duck is in the pan (it’s hands off), then start the sauce and have it simmering while the duck is in the oven.

3. Serve – the sauce and duck should be ready around the same time, ready to plate up and serve!

1. cooking the duck breast

Both duck and chicken are poultry, but duck is structurally different. Because of this, duck breast cooked to medium rare is like a beautiful steak – tender, rich and juicy. On the other hand, we would never eat chicken breast medium rare. Chewy! Rubbery!

Note: full duck breast cooking explanations got lengthy, so I moved it to a separate post. I figure it will be handy for future use! See How to Cook Duck Breast.

1. Slash skin – Use a sharp knife to make 5 to 6 diagonal slashes across the skin of the duck, taking care not to cut into the pink flesh. Don’t cut from edge-to-edge, you want the skin to stay in one piece but just make slashes in the middle.

   Then pat the skin dry with paper towels and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.

2. COLD pan with NO OIL – Don’t turn the stove on yet. Place the duck skin side down in an unheated oven-proof pan without any oil. The pan can be cast iron, non-stick, or a regular pan.

3. Weigh down for flat skin – Place another pan on top of the duck to weigh it down, not a cast iron one though, it’s a little too heavy. This is to prevent the skin from curling and wrinkling.

4. Cook on low 10 minutes – Now you can turn the stove on! Low if it’s a strong stove, or medium low if it’s a weak burner. The more slowly you cook the duck, the more fat you will render out which means crispier skin. It’s low maintenance too, because it’s low heat.

5. Fat starts to render – After a few minutes, take a peek and you’ll see fat has started to melt out of the duck.

6. So much duck fat! At around the 5 to 7 minute mark, the entire pan will be covered in duck fat.

   Keep the pan weight on until around the 7 minute mark when the skin has started to go golden and has “set”. While it is still soft, it can still wrinkle/curl = rubbery patches = 😭

7. Golden crispy skin! Keep cooking until the skin because golden and crispy, around the 10 minute mark, or longer. You can turn the heat up towards the end, once there’s lots of fat in the pan.

8. Finish in oven – When the skin is golden, turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute to seal. Then transfer the pan to at 180°C/350°F oven (160°C fan-forced) and roast for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature is 60°C/140°F which is medium ie. light blush of pink. For medium rare (deep pink, like steak), aim for 54°C/130°F (6 minutes).

   Don’t worry if you go over, duck breast is great even fully cooked to 68°C/154.4°F (ie no pink at all, like chicken breast). Think – Chinese BBQ duck. Fully cooked, and delicious!

9. Rest – Then place the duck on a rack set over a plate, or just a plate, and leave it uncovered to rest for at least 5 minutes while you finish the sauce.

10. Slice the duck breast just shy of 5mm / 0.2″ thick. Do this just before placing it in the curry sauce. It can rest for well beyond 5 minutes because the flesh warms up once placed in the hot sauce.

2. red curry sauce

The key step here is to cook off the curry paste, whether using homemade or store bought. It makes a massive difference to improve flavour. If you just stir it into liquid, the flavour is so unimpressive!

1. Cook off curry paste – Sauté the curry paste with the ginger and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. The curry paste will be quite wet at first but will dry out and deepen in colour which improves the flavour of the curry sauce.

2. Sauce – Add the chicken stock first and simmer to reduce by half. Then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves (crush in hands to release flavour). Stir to combine then simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Green beans (or other veg) – Add the beans and simmer for 3 minutes until they are just about tender. (If using other vegetables, add them in based on the cook time).

4. Lychees or pineapples – Then stir the lychees or pineapple in and simmer for just 1 minute just to warm it though rather than cook it until soft. And just before serving, stir the Thai Basil leaves in (it wilts quickly and, like regular basil, darkens in colour with prolonged exposure to heat).

5. Plating up – Though we’re not aiming for super crispy duck skin in this dish, I still like to serve it with most of the skin above the sauce line because it gets less soggy than stirring it though. Visual purpose as well.

   So I put a bit of sauce in the base of a serving bowl then lay the duck breast on top, fanning the slices out slightly to expose the pretty pink flesh. Then I spoon the rest of the curry sauce, lychees etc around the duck breast. Or, I gently place the sliced duck into the pan with the sauce in it, as pictured below.

6. Garnishes and serve! As with many South East Asian dishes, garnishes not only add lovely colour but also extra flavour! Extra Thai basil, coriander/cilantro and slices of red chilli.

Look at it. It’s so beautiful! A riot of colour, the unmissable pearly balls for lychees, the golden duck skin peeking out above the red coconut curry sauce, and the hint of pink flesh on show which screams “I’m so tender and juicy, no dry duck here!!”.

Take it to the table with pride along with jasmine rice that you steamed earlier (despite a certain food blogger not including that instruction as step 1). Gesture grandly* and stand back for a moment to give your audience time to praise and lavish you with exclamations of appreciation before graciously allowing people to dig in! – Nagi x

* If you are more mature than me, you can skip this part.

PS See FAQ below for suggested sides to complete a Thai menu!

Watch how to make it

Print

Thai red duck curry

Recipe video above. There's something magical about the combination of rich duck meat and Thai red curry! This duck curry recipe features duck breast with golden skin that's thickly sliced and served in a coconut red curry sauce. Add lychees or pineapples for a very special dish that's to die for!

Note: the duck skin doesn't stay super crispy given the saucy environment it ends up in. I like to serve the duck with most of the skin above the sauce line so it doesn't go completely soggy, though if that doesn't bother you it's also nice to stir the duck slices throughout the sauce. Your choice!

Course Main

Cuisine Thai

Keyword duck breast recipe, duck curry, Thai red curry

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5 as a main

Calories 435cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Crispy skin duck:

• 500g/ 1 lb duck breasts , boneless, skin on (3 pieces) (Note 1)
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper (sub finely ground black pepper)

Thai red curry:

• 115g/ 4 oz (1/2 cup) Thai red curry paste (1 can of Maesri, recommended (Note 2) OR 1 batch homemade red curry paste
• 2 large garlic cloves , finely grated (Note 3)
• 2 tsp fresh ginger , finely grated (Note 3)
• 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400ml/ 14 oz coconut milk , full fat (Note 4)
• 6 – 8 makrut lime leaves , crushed in hand (Note 5)
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 120g/ 4oz green beans , trimmed and cut in half
• 1 lightly packed cup Thai basil leaves (sub regular basil, Note 6)

Lychees or pineapple – CHOOSE ONE:

• 8 – 12 lychees , whole, peeled, seed removed. Fresh best, canned ok too! (Note 7)
• 1 1/4 cups pineapple pieces , preferably fresh, canned ok (Note 7)

For serving / garnish:

• Jasmine rice (cook 2 cups of raw rice)
• Thai basil leaves , extra
• Coriander/cilantro leaves/small sprigs , optional
• Large red chilli , finely sliced (optional)
• Lime wedges , recommended

Cups – Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

• Slash duck skin, season. Cold pan, no oil, 10 min medium low (weigh down duck) until golden. Reserve 3 tbsp fat. Finish in oven 8 min (target 60°C/140°F, medium), rest. Sauté curry paste in duck fat with garlic and ginger, add stock, reduce by half, add coconut, fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves, simmer 2 min. Add beans, simmer 3 min, add lychees or pineapple, simmer 2 min. Slice duck, serve!

FULL RECIPE:

Crispy golden duck breast:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
• Score – Sprinkle half the salt and pepper on the flesh of the duck. Turn. Use a sharp knife to make 5 or 6 diagonal scores on the skin of the breast. Don't pierce the flesh and don't cut all the way to the edge of the skin (Note 8). Pat the skin dry with paper towels, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
• Cold pan, no oil – Don't turn the stove on yet. Use an oven-proof pan (any type). Place the duck skin side down in the cold pan, no oil required. Place another pan on top to lightly weigh the duck down (keeps skin flat).
• Cook 10 minutes – Turn the stove onto medium low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Fat will melt out of the duck skin and it will cook in its own fat. (Note 8)
• Reserve duck fat – Pour off 2 to 3 tablespoons of the duck fat into the pan you will use to make the curry sauce.
• Oven 8 minutes – Once the skin is crispy, turn and cook the flesh side for 1 minute. Then transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature is 60°C/140°F (medium, Note 9)
• Rest – Transfer to a rack or plate and rest for 5 minutes until ready to assemble the curry.

Thai red curry sauce:

• Sauté curry paste – Heat the duck fat (from step 6 above) on medium heat in a deep skillet. Cook the curry paste, garlic and ginger for 4 to 5 minutes. It will dry out and darken in colour, and substantially improves the flavour (especially store bought, but even homemade).
• Sauce – Add chicken stock, stir, then simmer rapidly to reduce by half (2 -3 minutes). Stir in coconut milk, hand-crushed kaffir lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer gently on medium for 2 minutes.
• Add ins – Add the beans, simmer for 3 minutes until just cooked. Add the lychees or pineapple, simmer 1 minute. Taste and add a tad extra fish sauce if it needs salt.

Assemble:

• Spoon some sauce in to cover the base of a large deep platter or wide bowl.
• Slice duck breast, just shy of 5mm / 0.2" thick. Place on the sauce, fanning it out slightly to expose the pink flesh.
• Remaining sauce – Spoon the remaining sauce, lychees etc around the duck, avoiding the duck skin.
• Garnish with Thai basil leaves, coriander, chilli and lime wedges.
• Serve – Take to the table with flourish and serve with jasmine rice!

Notes

Recipe based on my Thai Red Curry recipe, inspired by Khao Pla’s Duck Curry and the Thai Red Duck Curry with Lychees in Tony Tan’s beautiful new cookbook Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class.

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1. Duck breast – Fairly readily available at large grocery stores these days, plus butchers. Also see How To Cook Duck Breast for more detailed information on the why of the duck breast cooking method.

I use 3 breasts because 2 is not quite enough meat for the volume of sauce which makes a quantity based on a neat 1 can of coconut milk and 1 can of Maesri curry paste (Note 2).

2. Curry paste – My position on the best store bought Thai red curry is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question, at least, for readily available ones. Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian stores and online (Australia). (Overseas – Amazon and Asian stores).

3. Grating – Use a microplane or similar to grate it finely so it mixes in really well with the curry paste. Spruces up store bought paste to make it taste like homemade.

4. Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut). Full fat please! Low fat is thinner and has less coconut flavour.

5. Makrut lime leaves (see in post for former name) – fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly. See FAQ for uses for leftover lime leaves (I have a fair few!) If you can’t find fresh, still worth making with dried (though please try to get fresh, it imparts special flavour into the sauce!)

6. Thai Basil has a slight aniseed flavour. Signature herb for Thai red curry so try not to skip it. Italian basil can be used as a very respectable substitute – I often do!

7. Canned lychees and pineapples are perfectly acceptable if you get a good brand. Asian canned lychees are quite good, in my opinion.

8. Duck tips – Slashing skin lets fat render out for better crispy skin. Avoid cutting the flesh – if you do, juice will come out and the skin won’t be fully crisp. Don’t slash skin all the way to the edge, keep it in one piece (see photos in post). If your duck has a really thick layer of fat (some American breeds do), score diagonally – extra slashes = more fat comes out.

Cooking on low heat = more fat renders out = crispier skin + less fat in end dish (too much duck fat can be rubbery and too fatty). So don’t rush this step!

9. Duck doneness – Medium is my preferred for curry, light blushing pink, tender and juicy. You can go as low as medium rare (think – steak!) – internal temperature X. Don’t fret if you go over – duck breast is still great even fully cooked at X.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freezes ok! 3 months, thaw, then gently reheat.

Best way to make ahead (intentionally) – Keep duck breast whole, fully cool, put in containers. Make sauce but do NOT put lychees or basil in. Cool, container. Fridge for both. Day of, pull out of fridge, slice due. Warm sauce, add lychees, simmer 1 min. Stir duck slices in, let them warm up gently, stir in basil leaves. SERVE! Doesn’t look the same as in photos as slices are stirred in and skin is not exposed, but all the flavour is there. Some might argue this is even better because every duck slice is coated in sauce. 🙂 In fact, most restaurants serve it this way. 

Leftovers keeps for 3 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months. It doesn’t bother me at all if the duck skin is sauced up. In fact, the sauce protects the meat from drying out. Heat gently so the duck doesn’t get massively overcooked. 

Nutrition assuming 5 servings – calculating now! Calculated making a conservative allowance of 5 tablespoons of duck fat that ends up in the finished dish (ie the fat poured off a used for cooking plus fat remaining under skin). Excludes rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 435cal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3717IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 8mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer and I are doing a fundraiser at the local vet hospital this Sunday! It is at SASH in Ryde (Small Animal Speciality Hospital), and it is the vet that saved Dozer’s life this time last year.

SASH reached out to ask if I’d help raise money for Sophie’s Legacy, a charity that aims to reduce suicide among veterinarians. It’s 4x the national average, among the highest suicide rates of all professions. I was shocked and saddened reading about it and the causes of it – lack of industry mental health support, client abuse, overworked, understaffed and people who just give a damn so much who see and do more things than you or I could ever imagine. Like – putting down healthy dogs because the owner cannot afford a knee surgery (this is a tough one), or is moving away and cannot be “bothered” to re-home their pet, or going on a long trip and doesn’t want to pay for boarding.

Yes, this happens. And I’m told that legally, a vet has to do as asked by the owner because pets are the property of the owner.

As you might have guessed, Sophie’s Legacy is a charity set up by the parents of a young veterinarian who sadly took her own life. Their goal is to provide mental health support for vets to reduce suicide in the profession.

Dozer and I are doing a book signing this weekend where attendees are making a donation for each book signed. Unfortunately, the event filled up too fast before I was able to share it here on my website! However, there is a waiting list (join it here), so I can gauge numbers for alternative options.

If you cannot make the event but would like to donate you can do so here – and Sophie’s family and I thank you for your generosity. You can also sign the petition here to lobby the government for change.

Also, Dozer is donation matching – dollar for dollar, hoping to reach our goal of $20,000 across both the SASH event and through the Sophie’s Legacy donation page. He is using his life savings – almost 13 years! 🥰

Dedicated to Dr. Sophie Putland, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a beloved vet, who tragically took her own life in September 2021, and to all the wonderful dedicated vets of the world who do so much to care for our pets.

The post Thai Red Duck Curry appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a recipe for a succulent fall-apart tender lamb shoulder that is slow cooked in a rich massaman curry sauce, presented in a grand roast lamb centrepiece form. My current most-made lamb shoulder recipe. Got 5 minutes to make it? 🙂

5 Minute Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder

This recipe is going to save you on those occasions when you need to serve a group and are pressed for time, yet still wanting to make something that looks impressive. I mean, we have a reputation to uphold, after all! 🙂

You literally just put everything in a pan, which takes all of 5 minutes, then leave it in the oven to slow roast for 4 hours.

And what comes out is extraordinary. The lamb meat is succulent fall-apart tender, swimming in a to-die-for massaman curry sauce with soft potatoes that literally melt in your mouth.

Plus, it can be made the day before because it reheats 100% perfectly (can’t say that about most roasts!) and it’s kid friendly because Massaman curry isn’t spicy.

Cynical? Don’t blame you!

If it sounds too good to be true – I don’t blame you for being cynical! This recipe works very specifically because it’s slow-roasted (allows time for the sauce and meat to develop flavour), we’re using lamb meat (more flavourful than chicken, pork and beef) and because we’re using a richly flavoured curry sauce as the braising liquid.

Need more proof? Head over to the Massaman Lamb Shanks. Same method. Glowing reviews!

Ingredients in Massaman Lamb Shoulder

A shortcut in this recipe is that we use store bought curry paste. In fact, homemade Massaman Curry paste doesn’t work for this recipe because it’s too fresh! We need the concentrated flavour of store bought.

Also, as mentioned above, using lamb here is a deliberate choice. In fact, traditional Massaman Curry is made with beef but I opt for lamb because it’s a stronger flavoured meat.

1. Lamb shoulder

Lamb shoulder is a cut of lamb that needs to be cooked long and slow to give the tough meat fibres time to break down and become tender. You can’t cook shoulder to blushing pink like a traditional Lamb Leg, it’s just too tough.

• Where to get it – These days, you can find shoulder in regular grocery stores here in Australia. It used to be cheaper than lamb leg but now it’s about the same price. But, it is more succulent and has better flavour than lamb leg!

• Get bone in because the meat is juicier. Trust me on this, I’ve tested bone-in and boneless side by side. The difference is phenomenal! (See FAQ for more information).

• Other lamb cuts – For lamb shanks, use the Massaman Lamb Shanks recipe (it’s slightly different). Boneless lamb shoulder will work but reduce the cooking time by an hour.

• Other proteins – I don’t think beef chuck would add enough flavour into the sauce for this method of cooking (ie no searing meat prior). Beef short ribs do work (reduce bake time by about 1 1/2 hours, it was great). Pork shoulder will also work but I haven’t got my head around how good pork is with massaman curry sauce. Tasty, but perhaps better with beef or lamb? Chicken won’t work because it can’t be cooked long enough to give the sauce sufficient time to develop enough flavour. Bear in mind this recipe is designed with convenience in mind which means we need slow-cooking time for flavour creation!

2. THE CURRY PART

• Massaman Curry paste – Maesri is my preferred brand. Not all curry pastes are made equal! More on this below.

• Cinnamon and star anise – Flavour boost of two dominant spices in Massaman curry paste.

• Coconut milk – As used in traditional Massaman Curry sauce. Look for a coconut milk that is at least 80% coconut! Very economical brands can be as low as 30% which barely taste of coconut. I use Ayam (89%).

• Chicken stock/broth – To create volume to make a braising liquid to mostly submerge the lamb, as well as adding depth of flavour into the sauce. A shortcut – traditional Massaman Curry is made by braising pieces of beef in liquid to make a homemade stock which is used for the sauce.

  Get low-sodium so your sauce doesn’t end up too salty. (Though it won’t be a disaster if you don’t get low sodium as the giant hunk of lamb + potatoes will absorb the salt).

• Potato and onion – traditionally included in traditional Massaman Curry. Use whole baby potatoes, around 3cm/1.2″ wide is ideal, so they hold together and become beautifully soft and creamy inside. ⚠️ Do not use cubes of cut potato as they will disintegrate and make the sauce grainy!

3. Maesri curry paste

Here is the undisputed king of all store bought Thai curry pastes – Maesri. Restaurants use it, chefs use it, and food obsessed people like myself are mad for it.

And it happens to be sold at regular grocery stores and it’s the cheapest (currently ~$2.00).

I use it for all my Thai curries when I don’t have time / ingredients to make the curry paste from scratch – Red, Green and traditional Massaman beef curry. And any other recipe calling for a dollop or two of curry paste, from the peanut dipping sauce for Thai Satay Chicken to Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup to Red Curry Pot Roast Chicken!

• Where to find Maesri curry paste – At your local grocery store! It’s sold at most metropolitan Coles and Woolworths grocery stores in Australia (Asian section), at Harris Farms, practically all Asian stores (it would be un-Asian not to carry it!) and here it is online in the US, Canada* and UK.

• Can’t find it? Use any Massaman Curry paste you can find. My personal order of preference (Aussie brands) – Ayam, Five Tastes and bringing up the rear is Volcom (it’s always too sweet).

* Obscenely expensive, please try to get to an Asian store!

How to make Massaman Lamb Shoulder

2 easy steps -put everything into a pan, bake 4 hours! You can also use your slow cooker – see recipe notes.

1. Sauce – Put the curry, coconut and stock in a roasting pan. Whisk until lump free (including pesky coconut milk lumps).

   💡If making ahead to reheat tomorrow, use a ceramic, glass or enamel coated cast iron baking dish rather than a metal one. I typically try to avoid keeping foods in any type of metal pans overnight. Just to be cautious!

2. Lamb upside down – Put the lamb shoulder in then turn to coat in the sauce. Then arrange it so it is upside down in the sauce. ie fat cap side / meaty side down, red boney side facing up. This way most of the meat is submerged in the liquid so it braises.

   Scatter the onion, cinnamon, star anise and potatoes around the lamb.

3. Slow roast high then low – Cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour 220°C/425°F (200°C fan) to get the heat going inside the pan (it’s a big hunk of meat there, which takes a while to heat up), then 3 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until the meat is fork-tender. This means that you should be able to pry the meat apart with two forks without any effort.

4. Brown it – Remove the foil and carefully turn the lamb over so. Spoon some sauce over then pop it back in the oven for 30 minutes until the surface is a lovely deep golden brown.

   Sauce adjustments – If you don’t have enough sauce when you remove the foil, just add water before browning the lamb. If there’s too much / too thin, just pop the pan back into the oven without the lamb (once browned). It’s so easy to adjust!

   Making ahead? After browning, let it fully cool uncovered then refrigerate overnight. On the day of, just reheat it in the oven covered for 1 hour. See recipe notes for directions!

5. Skim fat – Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Skim off the excess fat from the surface of the sauce using a large spoon. There will be a fair amount – around 1/2 to 3/4 cup (125 – 180 ml). Lamb shoulder is a fatty cut, and that is why it is so tasty! Don’t try to get all the fat because otherwise you’ll lose too much sauce. And remember, fat = flavour!

   💡If you refrigerated overnight, you can lift sheets of the fat off the surface of the sauce but be sure to scrape all the sauce off the underside!

6. Garnish and serve – If you’re posh (I’m not), transfer everything into a serving dish then sprinkle with the red chilli slices and coriander/cilantro. Serve with rice and tongs – no carving knife required here, this is not the carving sort! See the section below for various serving styles.

Serving styles

An odd-sounding heading perhaps, but it will make sense once I explain! Here are the 3 ways I have served this lamb in the past few months (it’s been regularly used since I invented it, so handy for groups):

1. Lazy format for familiar people eg family, casual lunch with the team – Leave the whole lamb shoulder in the roasting pan. It does get a bit messy as the meat-tearing progresses as the bone gets in the way, and also there are pockets of fat that I find people tend to avoid and leave in the pan. But, it’s less work for me to serve, and the whole lamb looks impressive! 🙂 I do this most of the time!

2. Meat fully removed – This one is easy for guests to serve themselves though lacks the visual impact of a whole lamb shoulder. Remove all the meat off the bone and separate into large-ish serving-size chunks. Remove and discard large identifiable pockets of fat. Squidge meat in sauce, garnish, serve with large serving spoon.

3. Bone removed, lamb in-tact – This is a good way to have visual impact of a whole piece of lamb but it’s easier to serve because the bone is removed. You literally just grab the bone and slide it out of the meat, taking care to keep the lamb in tact. Because the meat is so tender, it should slide out effortlessly.

What to serve with Massaman Lamb Shoulder

Rice is essential, for sauce soaking. Jasmine is my first pick (being Thai and all) though basmati is beautiful with it too, given the Indian influence of Massaman curry. They both have a slight perfume of flavour that goes so well with this dish but I’m sure nobody would snob other rice types on offer! 🙂

I’d suggest opting for a light and fresh side salad as this dish is quite rich. It’s pictured above with an Asian Slaw on the side. Some more suggestions: Leafy Asian salad, Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad, Smashed Cucumber Salad, Japanese Slaw, Glass Noodle Salad (skip the chicken), or any fresh vegetables/salady things / blanched greens you want tossed with my simple 4 ingredient Asian Sesame Dressing.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Fall-apart massaman lamb shoulder

Recipe video above. Fall-apart succulent lamb smothered in a rich massaman curry sauce with melt-in-your-mouth potatoes that will take you 5 minutes to prepare.

This larger-format version of Lamb Shanks Massaman Curry is made for groups: make up to 4 shoulders at once (serves 25 – 30!), reheats 110% perfectly (unlike lamb leg!), it looks impressive and a crowd pleaser. Plus it's kid friendly because Massaman Curry isn't spicy!

Course Main

Cuisine Thai-ish

Keyword lamb shoulder, Massaman Curry

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Resting 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8

Calories 478cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2-2.25kg/ 4 – 4.5 lb lamb shoulder , bone in, excess fat trimmed (but leave thin fat layer on (Note 1)
• 114g/ 4oz (1/2 cup) Maesri Massaman curry paste (1 can) , or other brand (Note 2)
• 400g/ 14 oz can coconut milk , full fat (Note 3)
• 3 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1 onion , halved then cut into 1 cm / 1/2″ thick wedges
• 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/2 tsp powder)
• 2 star anise (won’t ruin if you don’t have this)
• 600g/ 1.2 lb small baby potatoes , whole (don’t cut cubes, Note 4)

Garnishes / serving:

• 2 large red chillis , finely sliced diagonally (optional)
• 1 cup (lightly packed) coriander leaves & sprigs (cilantro) , highly recommended
• Jasmine rice (basmati also excellent)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Whisk curry, coconut and stock, put lamb in upside down. Add spices and potatoes, foil cover, roast 1 hour at 220°C/425°F (200°C fan), 3 hours 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until fall-apart. Uncover, turn lamb, 30 minutes. Garnish, serve!

Full recipe steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced).
• Whisk the curry paste, coconut milk and chicken stock in a pan until lump free. Put lamb shoulder in, turn to coat in the sauce then place it so it's upside down (ie meaty / fat side down).
• Place the onion, cinnamon sticks, star anise and potatoes around the lamb. Cover with foil.
• Slow-cook – Roast for 1 hour. LOWER the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) then roast for a further 3 hours. (Note 5)
• Check – Remove foil and use forks to check the meat is virtually “fall-apart-tender”, it should be by this time. If not, cover and keep cooking.
• Brown – Turn the lamb over, spoon over sauce. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until deep golden. (Note 6 for sauce adjustments)
• Serve – Rest for 10 – 15 minutes. Spoon off as much or as little excess fat off surface, discard. Mix sauce well (it's quite runny, if it was thicker it'd be too rich). Transfer to a serving dish, if you like, sprinkle with chilli and coriander. Serve! (Note 7 for serving styles)

Notes

1. Lamb – Small lamb shoulders work too, but then there’s less meat 🙂 There’s enough sauce for a shoulder up to around 2.5kg/5lb, bone-ine. Boneless shoulder also excellent, ~1.75 kg / 3.5lb, it should be fall-apart by about the 3 hour mark. Lamb leg (bone-in) will also work but because it’s leaner, the meat is not as juicy.

Other meat that will work: boneless short rib, whole pork shoulder (bone-in), but please read in post for comments on these cuts. Chicken not recommended!

2. Massaman curry paste – best is Maesri brand, sold at most Woolworths (see here) & Coles in Australia, as well as Harris Farms and Asian stores. Also happens to be the cheapest at ~$2.10 a can. 

Otherwise, use whatever brand you can find (my preferences: Ayam, Five Tastes and lastly Volcom).

3. Coconut milk – not all coconut milk is created equal. Look for brands that are at least 80% coconut for better coconut flavour (check the ingredients), I use Ayam which is 89%.

4. Potatoes – small ones ~3cm / 1.2″ is ideal. Keep them whole or halve, with skin on. Don’t use peeled cubes of potato, they will disintegrate and make the sauce grainy.

5. Oven temps – Initial high temp roasting is to get heat inside the lamb and liquid, cuts down on slow roasting time by an hour. 

Slow cooker – 10 hours on low. Transfer everything to a pan (lamb upside down), 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) 30 minutes, turn lamb, 30 – 45 minutes until nicely coloured and sauce reduced (remove lamb and reduce in oven more if needed). Handy, but, oven roasting is better flavour (better caramelisation). 🙂

6. Sauce amount – If you don’t have enough sauce when you remove the foil (eg foil not on properly, extra large pan, lamb was not as juicy, oven runs hot), just add water before browning the lamb. If there’s too much / too thin, just pop the pan back into the oven without the lamb (once browned). It’s so easy to adjust!

7. Serving style – See in post for suggestions, section above the video. Whole, or boneless whole, or shredded. Different occasions for each!

8. MAKE-AHEAD BRILLIANCE – One of the rare roasts that reheats almost 100% perfectly (in fact, the sauce flavour gets better with time), making it excellent for making ahead for gatherings. Use a ceramic or glass baking dish, fully cool (whole) then refrigerate overnight in the dish. Take out of the fridge a good 2 hours prior, cover loosely with foil, reheat at 180°C/350°F (160°C) for 1 hour (2 shoulders each in separate pans took 1 hour 15 minutes).

Nutrition per serving assuming 8 servings. It will serve 6 comfortably with rice and a single side salad (lamb meat + the sauce is pretty rich), up to 8 if you had a couple of sides.

Nutrition

Calories: 478cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 502mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2250IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 7mg

Lamb shoulder is a firm favourite for entertaining

See?

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Ultimate Roast Lamb: 12-hour lamb shoulder

Middle Eastern Shredded Lamb with Chickpea Pilaf (Rice)

Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma

Roast Lamb

Life of Dozer

If you told me 10 years ago I’d be sitting on the floor of a shopping centre with a dog watching a lightwall until the advert for my book signing came up, I’d have looked at you like I’m crazy.

Instead, people were looking at me like I’m crazy!! 😂

Here’s a fun little video I put together of Dozer’s visit to Warringah Mall yesterday to check out our lightwall! Truthfully, I was a little disappointed. I was secretly hoping for a giant photo of Dozer. I know, I know, I’m such an ungrateful brat! 😈

The post 5 Minute Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Hailing from southern Thailand, Thai Tumeric Chicken (Gai Yang Khamin) is lip-smackingly delicious street food that’s sweet, sticky and savoury. The marinade is unbelievably simple: garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, turmeric powder and sugar. The turmeric really makes it!

Southern Thai Turmeric Chicken (Gai Yang Khamin)

This is a great one to marinade tonight and bake tomorrow, to bring authentic Thai flavours to your dinner table! It’s sweet but has layers of savoury, and is incredibly delicious for something so simple.

With the excellent street food in Thailand, it will come to no surprise that I found this during my travels. It’s a street food that hails from the south called Gai Yang Khamin, and is one of those recipes that tastes like it has way more ingredients in it than it does.

At the time I tried it, I didn’t know what it was called, though the mystery was solved through furious Googling for “yellow Thai grilled chicken” in my determination to replicate it back at home.

Street vendors grill this over smokey coals and use butterflied whole chicken. I bake it in the oven and use chicken thighs instead to make it Monday-night-friendly. This does not, however, compromise flavour – it is still ridiculously delicious!

Ingredients in Thai Turmeric Chicken

This is one of those recipes that tastes like it’s got way more ingredients in it that it does. I get a secret thrill out of finding recipes like this!!

For the juiciest, stickiest chicken with the best glaze, bone-in thighs are best. But I’ve provided directions for breast and other cuts.

• Chicken – As noted above, skin-on, bone-in thighs are best because the time it takes for the skin to go sticky and golden is the same time it takes for the inside to cook through to juicy perfection. Leaner, boneless cuts, like breast and boneless thigh, cook through faster, before the surface has a chance to caramelise. However, I’ve provided directions for these – and you could always pan fry instead! Drumsticks are also an excellent, economical option – these work perfectly as a direct substitute.

• Turmeric powder – Key flavour and colour for this dish. This is what makes this Thai Turmeric chicken!!

• Fish sauce – Secret ingredient! Adds salt with extra layers of flavour so this otherwise simple marinade isn’t bland.

• Oyster sauce – Second secret ingredient! Adds sweetness with savoury undertones.

• Sugar – For extra sweetness.

• Garlic – Quite a decent wack!

• Pepper – I like the flavour white pepper brings to this but you can substitute with black pepper.

How to make Thai Turmeric Chicken

Pop this in the marinade tonight then bake it tomorrow! Marinade for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Then bake and baste until golden and sticky (45 minutes).

1. Mix the marinade in a bowl – garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and turmeric.

2. Marinade the chicken for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

3. Bake on a lined tray for 50 minutes until the surface is sticky and delicious.

4. Baste using the tray juices at the 30 minute mark….

5. Then baste again at the 40 minute mark and pop it back in for a final 10 minutes to caramelise the surface.

6. Garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro leave if you want (it’s just for looks), then serve using the pan juices as a sauce!

What to serve with Thai Turmeric Chicken

Serve this with a pile of steaming jasmine or coconut rice and plain chunks of cucumber and tomato, something you commonly see served as a vegetable side all over Thailand. The fresh crunch of cucumber and juiciness of tomato is a nice contrast to the sweet-savoury-meatiness of the chicken, with the added bonus that you don’t have to bother with a dressing. I’m not going to argue with that!

Though, if you are a better person than me and would like to make more of an effort for your side salad, you could toss any fresh or steamed greens with Asian Sesame Dressing (for a quick option). For a more substantial side salad, try Thai Chicken Salad minus the chicken, or Thai Beef Salad minus the beef (I love the dressing of these salads).

And here are some more options for things to serve on the side:

Suggestions for sides

Coconut Rice (fluffy, not gluey!)

Green Papaya Salad

Thai Fried Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice (Thai)

Thai Prawn, Mango and Avocado Noodle Salad

Supreme Soy Noodles (NEW recipe – finally!)

Garlic rice

Or, eat it street food style – just grab the chicken with your hands and munch it on the go. You know I did! (Though the vision is slightly different – in my kitchen at home in my scruffy apron, rather than the bustling streets of Thailand.😂)

– Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Back to the old-style hands only video for this one! Ran out of time to do the new style with me and Dozer in it. 🙂

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Thai Turmeric Chicken (Gai Yang Khamin)

Recipe video. This is based on a popular southern Thailand street food that's typically made with a butterflied chicken grilled over smokey coals. It's sweet but has complexity owing to the simple but clever marinade.

Here, I'm making a home version using the marinade for bone-in chicken thighs instead and baked it in my boring oven. I miss the charcoal flavour but it's still lip smackingly delicious! The tumeric powder really makes it. 🙂

Course BBQ/Grilling, Dinner

Cuisine Thai

Keyword Thai chicken, thai marinade, turmeric chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Marinade 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 505cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 5 large chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in (~1.2kg/2.4lb) (Note 1)

Marinade

• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced or crushed using garlic press
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper , ground (sub black)
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (tightly packed cup)

Instructions

• Marinade chicken – Mix Marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinade for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
• Prepare – Line a tray with baking paper/parchment paper. Place chicken on the tray, skin side up. Scrape all Marinade out of th bowl and dab onto chicken.
• Bake for 40 minutes, basting at the 30 minute and 40 minute mark using the tray juices to make it golden brown and sticky, and rotate the tray as needed for even colour.
• Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced). Pop the chicken back in for a final 10 minutes to caramelise the skin.
• Rest for 3 minutes before serving with jasmine or coconut rice, and plain chunks of tomato and cucumber the Thai way!

Notes

1. Chicken cuts – For the oven, bone-in thighs are best because they remain juicy with the oven time needed to caramelise the skin nicely. Drumsticks run a close second (use around the same weight).

Next best is boneless thighs, then bringing up the rear is tenderloin and breast (recommend adding 1 tbsp oil into the marinade). Use around 750g/1.5lb for any of these cuts.

2. Cooking methods – This recipe can be cooked on the BBQ, stove or baked. Take care on the stove and BBQ as the sugar burns, so use medium heat.

• Stove – Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place skin side down and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin is dark golden. Then turn and cover with a lid again. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through, basting the skin with the residual marinade in the bowl. 
• BBQ – use medium heat and cook for around 15 minutes in total, basting the skin with the marinade in the bowl).
• Other cuts:
  – Drumsticks: Bake 50 minutes.
  – Skinless boneless thighs: Bake 20 – 25 minutes, or stove/BBQ for 5 minutes each side on medium.
  – Breast: Bake for 20 minutes, or stove/BBQ for around 5 minutes on each side on medium.

3. Recipe source: Slightly adapted from this Tumeric Chicken recipe from Real Thai Recipes.

Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings. This does not take into account the fat that is rendered out when cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 260g | Calories: 505cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 972mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

Originally published November 2015. Updated with sparkling new photos with a recipe video added and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!SaveSaveSaveSave

Life of Dozer

When Dozer sings.

(Aka annoying, persistent bark that he quickly realised is a highly effective way to get me to play with him, on command. #sucker)

The post Thai Turmeric Chicken appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This Golden Coconut Chicken Curry blows me away every time I make it – and I’ve been making it a lot lately! Such a beautiful spice blend, with turmeric making the coconut curry sauce a warm yellow colour. Thai vibes. Easy. Swoon-worthy!

A really great but easy coconut chicken curry

Regular readers know I love my curries. Especially Thai and Indian ones – though the good ole’ retro chicken curry and curried sausages will always have a place in my heart!

But on days when I have a hankering for a really good from-scratch curry but don’t have the time for blitzing fresh curry pastes, this is what I’m making on repeat. It’s got Thai vibes with a hint of Indian undertones, like a less shrimpy version of Thai Yellow Curry with a whisper of Massaman Curry.

It’s very, very good. And though not a traditional Thai curry recipe (as far as I know), it tastes very authentic. (You know what I mean!)

-> If you’re after something similar (ie. still easy) but with more Indian vibes, head straight to my Easy Pumpkin Lentil Coconut Curry!

Ingredients in Golden Coconut Chicken Curry

Don’t skip the star anise and cinnamon stick, and really try to use fresh turmeric rather than dried – for maximum flavour.

aromatics and spices

First up, the sauce flavourings:

• Turmeric – Been a bit of a trendy ingredient in recent years, revered for its nutritional benefits, most notably arthritis relief. It looks like and has the same texture as ginger but is bright orange inside. When cooked, it turns things bright yellow! Stains like buggery so don’t wear white when using it, and grate onto non-porous things (like a plate).

  Turmeric powder – While fresh turmeric will give the best flavour and colour, dried can be used as an easier alternative. I’ve made it with dried turmeric and it’s still delicious!

• Ginger and garlic – Fresh is the only way! The jarred stuff is sour and tastes nothing like the real thing. As with the turmeric, we finely grate them, for maximum flavour extraction.

• Garam masala – Indian spice mix that’s common these days, in the spice aisle of normal grocery stores. It’s got more flavour than basic curry powders. 🙂 But – your everyday curry powder will be an adequate substitute!

• Fennel powder – I know this one isn’t a staple so don’t make a special trip if you don’t have it. Just use more garam masala!

• Cumin and coriander – Staple spices!

Add-ins and sauce

• Chicken – Thigh is best because it stays juicy. Breast and tenderloin will work but won’t be quite as juicy. Prawns/shrimp and fish pieces are GREAT in this curry – plonk them in in the last 3 minutes.

• Broccoli – Cut them into little florets so they are spoon-eating-size. You can also use the stem – just peel and dice.

• Coconut cream is thicker so makes the sauce thicker. Also has stronger coconut flavour. Both good things! If using coconut milk, suggest thickening the sauce slightly. Mix 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch with a small splash of water, then mix in towards the end.

• Chicken stock/broth – Gives the sauce more flavour. If using just water, it’s just a little lacking.

• Onion – For sautéing at the beginning.

Garnishes

I just realised, the coriander / cilantro is not just a garnish. A good handful is mixed into the sauce. Great finishing touch. 🙂

• Coriander / cilantro – As mentioned above, a good handful to mix into the sauce plus extra for sprinkling on top.

  If you’re in the I Hate Coriander club, feel free to skip this. I’d just sprinkle with green onion slices instead.

• Crispy Shallots – Crispy, salty, oily pops of goodness. Find them in the Asian aisle, cheaper at Asian stores. I love them so much and use them so frequently I even wrote about them here.

How to make it

OK! The making part. Nice and straightforward. Just a specific order in which things are toasted / sautéed / simmered / added into the pot. There’s reasons! 🙂

1. Toast the cinnamon stick and star anise for 2 minutes. This really brings out lovely flavour that is then imparted into the sauce, so don’t skip this step!

2. Cook chicken – Next, sauté the onion for 2 minutes to soften, then add the chicken. Cook for 3 minutes or until the outside turns white and you can no longer see pink. The inside will still be raw which is what we want – this ensures the chicken is not overcooked by the time the sauce is finished simmering.

3. Toast spices – Add the grated garlic, ginger and turmeric, and stir for 1 minute. Then add the spice mix and stir for 30 seconds. Toasting the fresh and dried spices is a key step, like with the star anise and cinnamon, to bring out and improve the flavour. So much more flavoursome than just dumpling spices into liquid!

4. Simmer 12 minutes – Stir in the coconut cream and chicken stock/broth, then simmer for 12 minutes. Simmer energetically, not a slow simmer like when making stocks and stew, because we want the sauce to reduce to concentrate the flavour and thicken slightly. And we want this to happen quick – before the chicken is overcooked!

5. Broccoli 3 minutes – Next, stir in the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. That’s all it will take to soften, because you cut the florets into small spoon-size, just as the recipe asks you to do. Right?! 🙂

6. Finish the coconut curry off by stirring in the fresh coriander. Let it cool for 5 minutes or so – there will be a LOT of heat in that pot! Cooling slightly also allows the sauce to thicken a bit.

   Now, the best step – EATING time!

How to serve this curry

Serve over rice with a sprinkle of my favourite crispy fried shallots and some more fresh coriander/cilantro. Jasmine or basmati rice are on point. Otherwise, any other plain rice of choice. Or even cauliflower rice for the low-carbers out there!

Love to know what you think if you make this. Curious to see if it’s just Team RecipeTin that’s madly obsessed with this coconut curry, or if it’s a universal thing. I’m banking on the latter, obviously, which is why I’m sharing this recipe!! 🙂 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Golden coconut chicken curry

Recipe video above. This Golden Coconut Chicken Curry blows me away every time I make it – and I've been making it a lot lately! Such a beautiful spice blend, Thai vibes with a whisper of Indian, like a less shrimpy version of Thai Yellow Curry with a hint of Massaman.

Don't skip the star anise and cinnamon stick, and really try to use fresh turmeric rather than dried, for max flavour and yellow colour. All credit to JB for this one, his invention. 🙂

*UPDATE: If you skip fresh turmeric and sub other spices and you're using rather old spices (which lose flavour), the recipe won't be as good as the rave reviews below and will make me sad*

Course Mains

Cuisine Asian, Indian

Keyword Coconut Curry, turmeric recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5 people

Calories 517cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut oil , vegetable or canola oil (Note 1)
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 onion , finely diced
• 500g / 1lb chicken thigh fillets , cut into small 1cm / 1/3" slices (Note 2 options!)
• 1 tsp garlic , finely grated
• 1 tsp ginger , finely grated
• 3 tsp turmeric , finely grated (sub 1 1/2 tsp powder, Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400g / 14 oz coconut cream , unsweetened (sub coconut milk, Note 4)
• 1 large head broccoli , florets cut small (can use stem too – peel & dice), or other veg (4 heaped cups)
• 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , lightly packed, plus extra for garnish (I'd still make without this)

Spice mix:

• 1 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala (Note 5)
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp fennel powder (sub more garam masala)

Serving

• Crispy fried shallots , store bought, for garnish (Note 6)
• Rice – jasmine or basmati recommended, or other plain rice

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Spice mix – Mix the spices in a small bowl.
• Toast – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat. Toast the star anise and cinnamon for 2 minutes.
• Add onion, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add chicken, cook for 3 minutes or it's no longer pink on the outside (still raw inside).
• Add aromatics – Add garlic, ginger and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add spice mix and stir for 30 seconds.
• Simmer 12 minutes – Add stock and coconut cream. Stir and bring to an energetic simmer. Cook for 12 minutes (no need to stir) so the sauce thickens slightly.
• Add broccoli florets. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until softened.
• Serve – Cool for 5 minutes, this will allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Then stir in coriander and serve with rice (basmati or jasmine especially nice). Garnish with extra coriander and crispy fried shallots.

Notes

1. Coconut oil (the unrefined one that is firm like butter) will add extra coconut flavour into the sauce, if you have it. Recommended! I was out so I didn’t use it in the video.

2. Chicken – Thigh is best because it stays juicy. Breast and tenderloin will work but won’t be quite as juicy. Prawns/shrimp and fish pieces are GREAT in this curry – plonk them in in the last 3 minutes.

3. Turmeric looks like ginger but is bright orange inside, and when cooked it turns things bright yellow. Stains like buggery so don’t wear white when using it, and grate onto non-porous things (like a plate).

4. Coconut cream is thicker so makes the sauce thicker. Also has stronger coconut flavour. Both good things! If using milk, suggest thickening slightly. Mix 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch with a small splash of water, mix in towards the end.

5. Garam masala – Indian spice mix that’s common these days, in the spice aisle of normal grocery stores. It’s got more flavour than basic curry powders. 🙂 But – your everyday curry powder will be an adequate substitute!

6. Crispy Shallots – Crispy, salty, oily pops of goodness. Find them in the Asian aisle, cheaper at Asian stores. I love them so much and use them so frequently I even wrote about them here.

7. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings, curry only (not rice).

Nutrition

Calories: 517cal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 846mg | Potassium: 919mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 686IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

Look who was in the paper on the weekend! And they stuck me in it too. 😂 In case you want to read it, the online version of the article is here.

The post Golden coconut chicken curry appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.