Curry in a Hurry

This is such a favorite fallback of mine, I would never be without the staples I need to make it: coconut milk and green curry paste in the cupboard; various packages of green vegetables in the freezer. Of course, there are the other bits and pieces, too, but these are the main ones. The chicken thigh fillets I buy as and when I need them. If you want to make this with fresh vegetables rather than frozen, then up the water (keeping the amount of stock the same) and indeed I would double it to 2 cups. This is what to cook when you find out midafternoon that you’ve somehow acquired 6 people for dinner.
Serves6
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 30 minutes
One Pot MealYes
OccasionCasual Dinner Party
Recipe Coursemain course
Dietary Considerationegg-free, halal, kosher
Mealdinner, lunch
Moodstressed
Taste and Texturecreamy, hot & spicy, salty
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
- 3–4 tablespoons green Thai curry paste
- 2¼ lbs chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips about 1½ inches by ¾ inch
- 1 14-oz can coconut milk
- 1 cup boiling water
- Enough chicken stock from bouillon or concentrate to make 2 cups
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- 1½ cups frozen soybeans
- 1½ cups frozen slender beans
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked rice or noodles, to serve
- Lime wedges
Instructions
-
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, one that owns a lid, and drop in the scallions. Cook, stirring for a minute or two, and then add the curry paste.
-
Add the chicken pieces and keep turning over heat for 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk, stock (or rather water and chicken bouillon or concentrate), and fish sauce, and then the frozen peas and soybeans.
-
Simmer for 10 minutes covered, then add the frozen beans and cook for another 3–5 minutes.
-
Serve with rice or noodles, as wished, sprinkling over the cilantro as you do so. Put a plate of lime wedges for people to squeeze over as they eat.
Read NextChicken Piccata
2007 Nigella Lawson
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ejj1955 8410994
Jul 28, 2011
The instructions say to use a pan with a lid but never say to cook it covered, so why the lid? Also, the nutritional information is off, unless this really has more than 29K calories per serving and more than 400 carbs per serving? I'm thinking some decimal points are missing.
LG 0853590
Mar 23, 2011
I found the amount of liquid called for in this recipe made a very thin soup-like sauce, even after I reduced it. And I didn't even add the cup of water; with that it would have been even more excessive. I also found the coconut milk flavor almost undetectable; it may be the brand I used. If any one can recommend a brand with intense flavor, I would be interested.

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