Thai Panang Chicken Curry

• Total:90 mins

• Prep:30 mins

• Cook:60 mins

• Yield:3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

• For the Curry Sauce

• 4 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 small onion (quartered)

• 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger, sliced)

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin

• 1 to 2 red chilis (minced; or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili flakes, to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (good-quality)

• For the Chicken

• 1 pound chicken pieces (breast, thighs, or drumsticks)

• 3 tomatoes (cut into wedges)

• 1 red bell pepper (or sweet red pepper, sliced)

• 2 kaffir lime leaves (or substitute bay leaves)

• 1/2 loose cup fresh basil leaves (left whole or roughly chopped if leaves are large)

Make the Curry Sauce

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. To a food processor work bowl or blender, add tomato paste, quartered onion, galangal or ginger, garlic, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, paprika, chili powder, coriander, chiles or cayenne pepper, turmeric cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coconut milk, and lime juice. Process well.

3. Pour sauce into a casserole dish. If you'd like more sauce, add up to 1/2 cup good-tasting chicken stock and stir together.

Cook the Chicken

1. Heat oven to 375 F.

2. Add the chicken pieces to the casserole dish along with the cumin seed and lime leaves or bay leaves. Mix well.

3. Cover casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and add the tomatoes and peppers.

5. Stir well, then return to oven to bake another 15 to 20 minutes, or until both chicken and vegetables are cooked.

6. Taste test and then sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice (white or whole-grain).

7. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• When doing your taste test, add more fish sauce if not salty enough.

• Add more coconut milk or a little yogurt if it is too spicy.

• If it's too salty, add more lime juice.