Thai Pineapple Yellow Curry

I LOVE ASIAN FOOD!  If you've perused my other posts, or if you've ever eaten out with me more than once, you can't miss this fact.  It just feels like home to me.

I have several Thai restaurants that I love, each of them for different reasons (or actually dishes).  One of them makes a delicious yellow pineapple curry.  It's a little sweet, has plenty of heat (without burning off your taste buds) and make the most satisfying meal!

Here is my attempt at copying it.  I came really close and this is really easy to make.

2 Medium sized Chicken Breasts (sliced as thinly as you can)
One yellow onion (cut into 1 or 11/2 inch chunks)1 Cup of Bamboo shoots (or one can, I think they're all the same size)
Half of a yellow Bell Pepper (cut into 1 inch chunks)
Half of a red Bell Pepper (cut into 1 inch chunks

2 cans of coconut milk
2 Tbs Oil
2 Tbs Thai Yellow Curry Paste
1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar (Palm if you have it, but who keeps that on hand?)
3-4 Kaffir Lime leaves (I know who keeps these either?  Go to your local Asian food store and ask for them.  They are usually kept in the freezer or refrigerator section)
1 tsp. of Lemon grass powder (also at the Asian food store)
Juice of two limes
1 Cup of pineapple chunks
1 Cup of frozen peas
8 large leaves of basil, chiffonade (or cut into ribbons)
Salt to taste

Start out this recipe by preparing all of your ingredients.  This dish goes pretty quickly, and it's important not to overcook the vegetables in this dish.  If you have all of your items washed, cut, measure and lined up, you will find that you are much more successful.

Start with your chicken:  I find it easier to get a really nice thin slice on the chicken meat if I cut it when it is slightly frozen still.  It's not so squirmy that way and tends to stay in one place easier and enables you to get a nice thin slice.  It's also important to get thin uniform slices, as your cooking time on the chicken is dependent on it.  One of the secrets to a good curry is to have tender moist chicken, and the technique I describe later is important to this dish.

Cut the remaining items and place in separate bowls for one by one addition to the pan.

In a large saute pan (or wok) over high heat, combine the oil, curry paste and Kaffir lime leaves.  Stir fry until the paste is starting to bubble and become fragrant.  It's ok if it doesn't actually bubble, you just want to make sure to toast all of the spices in the curry paste and open up their flavor a bit.  As soon as you can smell a pungent aroma of curry and lime, you are ready for the next step.

Stir in the onion and let cook for one minute.  Add the two cans of coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Add your bell peppers, and all of the seasonings.  Stir well and bring back to a boil.  Stir in the chicken and the remaining ingredients (except the pineapple, peas and basil).  Cook until the chicken is cooked through.  This will not take long, as the chicken will cook fairly fast, depending on how thin you cut the meat.  Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the pineapple, peas and basil.

Check the flavor your curry and adjust the seasonings.  If you like it a little sweeter, you might want to add more sugar.  If you like it saltier, add more soy or salt.  If it tastes dull and heavy, add more lime.

Serve over steamed white rice and enjoy!

There are a lot of ingredients you can put in this dish.  Just remember that the more ingredients you add, the more sauce you will need to make.  If you simply substitute ingredients (I.E. baby corn instead of bamboo shoots) you should be fine with the recipe as is.
Some good additions are: baby corn, potato chunks, snow peas.

P.S.  I'll add pics to this later.

I think I might actually be asian.

Ignore the pasty white skin and strawberry blonde hair...Since I was born in Indonesia, I grew up with a great love and respect for all things asian.  Obviously there is quite a variety from Vietnamese to Thai to Chinese to Indonesian, but the spices and techniques are so similar.  Not to mention the types of vegetables available in those countries does differ a decent amount to what we naturally have here in the US.  Fortunately, I am not alone, and we can really find relatively decent substitutes here in the US for those foreign ingredients.  This recipe is one that I came up with in an attempt to copy a Vietnamese dish at a wonderful restaurant in Portand Oregan called Pho Van.  While this is not the same as thier delicious dish, it is really good.  And since I'm asian at heart, I will say that this recipe can definitley compete.

Stef's Pho Vietnamese lemongrass chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Large cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bullion paste
2 stalks of lemon grass, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
juice of one lime

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl and stire to combine well.  Place the chicken breasts in a large zip loc bag and pound each one out so that it is equal thickness all the way across the piece (about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch).  I use my rolling pin to achieve this, but you could also use a can of soup, a heavy metal bowl or a small fry pan.  Once you have pounded out your chicken, place your marinade in the bag along with the chicken.  Squeeze out all of the excess air and seal your bag.  Let marinade for at least one hour, and preferably 4-6.

Preheat your bbq grill to medium high heat and place each chicken breast on the grill.  Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, basting with reserved marinade every few minutes.  Once chicken is cooked through, remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  This ensures that the chicken retain it's juicyness.

Serve over steamed white rice

Tom Kha Gai...I don't speak Thai..

But I sure do like their food. Haha!  Tom Kha Gai is that delicious Thai soup with coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms and as my friend calls them "leaves and twigs".  Don't eat the leaves and twigs, but they sure make the soup taste good.  I was astonished when I found out how easy this soup was to make.  It does require a few special ingredients, but most are available at your local grocer.  However, I would encourage you to venture into your local Asian food markets.  The items (specifically produce) that they sell are usually less expensive, and much better quality than what you find at your grocer.  Kaffir lime leaves really make a difference in this recipe, and you will most definitely not be able to get those at your regular grocer. Don't be intimidated!  Go in there and ask questions if you don't know what things are.  I have never been to an Asian market where they were not more than happy to help me identify things.  Please note that the chili paste in this recipe is similar to Sriracha, but a little thicker and spicier.  If you choose to use the sriracha, you will want to use a little bit more than what is called for.

Tom Kha Gai
Chicken Coconut soup with lemongrass

Ingredients:

Lemon Grass, Galangal Root, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Ginger Root

1 Tablespoon of red chili paste
2 shallots finely chopped
1 Tbs vegetable oil
4 cups chicken broth
8 large slices of peeled fresh galangal or 4 slices of fresh ginger (slices should be about 1/2 inch thick)
1 large lemongrass stalk.  One large stalk is equal to about 4 of the little ones found in most grocery stores or about 16 inches long.  Crush each piece with a hammer or the backside of a knife to release more flavor.
16 kaffir lime leaves or the grated zest of 1 large lime
2 14 ounce cans of coconut milk
1/4 cup of lime juice
2 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 Tbs light brown sugar
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin slices
1/2 pound of fresh white mushrooms sliced
Fresh cilantro for garnish

In a large soup pot over medium heat, place the oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the chili paste and shallots and stir until fragrant and shallots are slightly softened.  Add the broth, galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minute.

Reduce heat to low and add in the coconut milk.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.  Add the lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the chicken pieces and simmer until tender.  The thinner your slices, the quicker they will cook, so keep an eye out so you do not over cook your chicken.  Add the mushrooms and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Serve piping hot, with extra Sriracha for those who like extra heat.

enJoy!