Thai food is vibrant, aromatic and delicious. The essential elements of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy are brought together in perfect harmony. Like the best kind of team, none of the flavors want to jostle for the limelight - it's all about achieving the right result. Tender chicken and the show-stopping sauce are cosseted into piquant perfection by one of the most prized pieces in the foodie cook's kitchen…the slow cooker.
This recipe tweaks the classic combination with the
neat addition of peanut butter, to give a smooth, velvety feel to the sauce. Use whatever combination of vegetables you like in this dish, and feel free to add more red curry paste if you want to crank up the heat!
Ingredients:1 tbsp red curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
1tbs brown sugar
1 tbs smooth peanut butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup each (4 cups in total) of chopped/sliced vegetables (scallion, bell pepper, carrot, broccoli, etc.)
1 tbsp chopped root ginger6 basil leaves, torn
2 kaffir lime leaves (substitute a bay leaf and 1 tsp of lime zest)
1 tbsp Nam pla (fish sauce)
4 chicken breasts, each cut into around 6 pieces
Juice of one lime
Cilantro, to serve
Instructions:1. Spoon the red curry paste into your slow cooker, along with the coconut milk, sugar, and peanut butter, whisking lightly to a smooth consistency, and then pour in the stock and continue whisking until combined.
2. Next, add the vegetables, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, basil and nam pla, and stir gently before cooking on low for 6 hours.
3. After 4 hours, add the chicken and stir again before leaving to cook on low for the remaining 2 hours.
4. At the end of cooking time, check your seasoning, and add a squeeze of fresh lime and a handful of chopped cilantro to garnish, before serving with jasmine or plain cooked rice.
This sensational curry can easily be served as a vegetarian dish simply by using vegetable stock, leaving out the chicken and substituting cubes of fried tofu. Balanced, comforting and zingy, you won't get Thai-ed of this cracking dish easily!
