← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 400 ml full-fat coconut milk, unshaken
• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 450 g boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• 400 g kabocha squash or butternut, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 250 ml chicken stock or water
• 5 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn
• 100 g Green beans, cut into 4 cm pieces (optional)
• 1½ tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 handful Thai basil leaves
• 1 long red chilli, sliced (optional)
• 300 g jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Spoon the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk into a wok or wide pan with the oil. Bubble it over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, then add the curry paste and fry for 2–3 minutes more, stirring all the time, until it smells rich and the oil starts to separate.
2. Add the chicken and stir to coat it in the paste. Cook for 2 min.
3. Add the pumpkin, the rest of the coconut milk, the stock and lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12–15 min, until the pumpkin is tender when pierced and the chicken is cooked through (75°C / 165°F).
4. Add the beans for the last 3 min so they stay bright and crisp.
5. Season with fish sauce and sugar, adding a little at a time and tasting: it should be spicy and salty, with sweetness coming from the pumpkin. Splash in water if it is too thick.
6. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil and chilli, and serve with jasmine rice.

Tips

• Kabocha holds its shape best; butternut softens faster, so check it after 10 minutes.
• Most red curry pastes contain shrimp paste. Swap the chicken for tofu and use a vegetarian paste and soy sauce for a meat-free version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rachel Cooks Thai RecipeTin Eats