This is truly one of my most favorite dishes. The original recipe came from Tyler Florence of Food Network fame, but I have adapted it to my own tastes and cooking style. Every ingredient plays a delicious part in the overall flavor and I can’t imagine leaving any one of them out.
Plan to take a trip down the Asian isle at your grocery store and pick up some red curry paste and Sambal Oelek, also known as Rooster Sauce. I was first introduced to Sambal Oelek by an Indonesian friend at work a few years ago. Eating her amazing food convinced me that Sambal Oelek would be a great way to add some heat to my dishes.
As for the red curry paste, I like it for it’s taste, of course, but I also like it because it gives a pretty color to this curry. I have experimented with garam masala and various types of curry powders; everything tastes wonderful, but slightly different.
You will notice that the first ingredient on the recipe list is ‘Ghee’. Please, please, please take the time to make this. Ghee is simply clarified butter that has been cooked slowly to allow some caramelizing. The butter is then strained through cheesecloth to remove the solids. The flavor that the ghee brings to dishes is unbelievable.
When I make ghee, I use a pound of unsalted butter and store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will keep well this way for a very long time. The instructions that I have included below for making ghee are from Tyler Florence and are well written.
The very best rice over which to serve Chicken Coconut Curry is Jasmine. It is a sweet, nutty aromatic rice that beautifully compliments the coconut and curry flavors.
Try this dish with a side of Naan. You can make it yourself or buy some from larger grocery stores or your favorite Indian restaurant.
Chicken Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Ghee recipe follows in "Notes" or may purchase ghee from grocery store
- 2 medium onions, medium dice
- 1 nub fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ tabelspoons red curry paste
- 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek aka Rooster sauce
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 (14 ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (do NOT use "lite")
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin 1-inch strips
- 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions; cook, stirring as needed for about 10 minutes until the onions begin to soften.
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook slowly for another 10 minutes. Stir as needed to keep from browning. The onions should get very soft. Add the tomato paste, red curry paste, Sambal Oelek, garam masala, and cinnamon; cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, chicken stock, and salt and bring back to a simmer; cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, and pineapple tidbits; continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Serve over Jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over curry as desired.
Notes
(Recipe by Tyler Florence)
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- Heat a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and melt it SLOWLY. It is important that the butter does not sizzle or brown.
- When the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium and bring the butter to a boil.
- The surface will become covered with foam. Stir the butter gently and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, gently, uncovered for 45 minutes. DO NOT STIR during this time.
- After about 45 minutes, the milk solids will be at the bottom of the pan and will have turned golden brown. The butter on top should be transparent.
- Line a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth. Strain the ghee through the prepared sieve into a glass jar. The ghee should be clear and smell nutty. Seal the jar tightly and store the ghee in the refrigerator to use as needed.
- Note: The cold will cause the ghee to solidify. This is not a problem, simply scoop out what you need and put the rest back in the fridge.
I love your mouth-watering pictures of food–and I love a good curry. This recipe looks amazing!
Jenna, thank you so much. ~Terri
Sambal Oelek is not Rooster sauce.
Sambal is sauce typically made from a variety of chili peppers and secondary ingredients such as shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, sugar, lime juice, and rice vinegar or other vinegars.
Rooster Sauce is Sriracha Pepper Sauce…
Sriracha is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. Wikipedia
They are not the same, nor do their packages resemble each other.