Red Curry with Chicken

Red Curry with Chicken

Over the past two months I’ve had some sort of Thai food more times than I care to admit.

I’ve dined on the ever popular Pad Thai (with Shrimp).  I sampled its wider noodle cousin but very different tasting (in a good way), Pad See Eaw (with chicken).  I’ve tasted Spicy Noodles (with beef and again with shrimp).  I even tried something new, Lhad Nha (hard to eat and not one of my favorites).  And of course, I’ve tried curry, which, besides Pad Thai, is probably the most recognized of all Thai dishes. (I’ve had red and green, the former with seafood and the later with chicken both with added fruit, mango and pineapple respectfully).  

Nicky’s Pad Thai

I order all of my Thai with a spice level 5 — I like it hot, but not too hot so middle of the road seems about right.

Ok, so clearly, I have an addiction (or at the very least, a current food obsession).  Although, I must mention that while I’ve sampled all of these dishes, some have been in the form of sharing.  I love food, I’m not quite a glutton (quite).

For my money, the best places in Pittsburgh to enjoy Thai is either Nicky’s Thai Kitchen on the Northside of town, or Smiling Banana Leaf in the Highland Park area of the city.  There is debate as to which is better, but honestly, you can’t go wrong with either.

IF I had to choose one over the other, I would choose Nicky’s simply for convenience purposes.  Plus, I love their outside dining area.  When the weather is nice, request to sit outside and you’ll be delighted by the experience.  Very tranquil.

The outdoor seating area at Nicky’s Thai Kitchen, Pittsburgh

Since dining out enough to satisfy my Thai cravings was starting to add up, I figured I better start doing some research so I can begin to recreate these dishes at home.

I found all sorts of recipes — they range from complex (Pad See Eew) to simple (Curry).

Since it was my first attempt at homemade Thai, I thought I’d keep it simple and start with the curry.

I think the flavor for my first attempt came out good, but admittedly I need to add a bit more curry to get it to the right spice level (the recipe below will have it mild for the whole family to enjoy).

Feel free to substitute any of the vegetables or protein. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from bevcooks.com

Ingredients: Serves 2-4 3 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste (or more if you like it spicy) 1 can coconut milk (14oz), divided, (do not shake – fat from top will be used) 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Stock (homemade if possible) 2 teaspoons fish sauce 1/2 cup snow peas 1/2 cup peas (frozen) 1/4 cup carrots (julienne) 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced Juice of half of lime 1-2 scallions, chopped for garnish Olive Oil Heat large, deep, saute pan over medium heat. Add one drizzle olive oil and a tablespoon of fat skimmed from the top of the coconut milk. Add curry paste and 1/4 can of the coconut milk.  Whisk to combine until lumps from paste are gone. Add remaining coconut milk, chicken stock, and fish sauce. Stir to combine. Add all vegetables (except peas) and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until carrots soft but not mushy) Add peas and chicken and cook for approximately 3 minutes to heat through. Squeeze lime juice in to pan. Ladle in to a bowl and serve with rice on the side.