Authentic Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken and Potatoes
Tender braised chicken in rich and aromatic coconut curry sauce, loaded with spices, yellow curry is easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. It's mildly spiced and keeps well, perfect for meal prep!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 5-6 tablespoons (75-90 ml) store-bought yellow curry paste (note 1), or half of this yellow curry paste recipe
- 2 lb (900 g) bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 cups (480 ml) coconut milk
- 10.5 oz (300 g) waxy potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
- Half a medium onion, cut in 1 cm strips
- 1 cup (240 ml) water, or as needed
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) fish sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons (18 g) palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-20 ml) tamarind paste, store bought or homemade (note 2)
- 1 cup (100 g) cherry or grape tomatoes
- Optional garnish: fried shallots, store bought or homemade
- Jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- 1
In a medium pot, bring ¾ cup (180 ml) of the coconut milk to a boil over medium high heat. Add the curry paste and mix well, then turn the heat down to medium. Keep stirring until the mixture is very thick, and the coconut oil separates from the paste. (The oil may not separate depending on the coconut milk you're using. This is okay, just move on.)
- 2
Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to mix. Then add the chicken, 1 Tbsp of fish sauce, 1 Tbsp palm sugar, 1 Tbsp of tamarind, and just enough water to keep the chicken barely submerged. Bring to a simmer, and let the chicken simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- 3
Meanwhile, pierce the cherry tomatoes with the tip of a parting knife, making about a half-inch incision. This is to create a vent for hot tomato juice to exit, preventing them from exploding in your mouth!
- 4
Once the chicken is done, add the potatoes and onion and simmer for another 15 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and the potatoes are fully cooked. Top it up with more water as needed to keep the potatoes barely submerged.
- 5
Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining fish sauce, sugar and tamarind as needed. Turn off the heat and immediately stir in the pierced cherry tomatoes and let the residual heat of the curry gently cook the tomatoes for a few minutes before serving.
- 6
Sprinkle with fried shallots, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice.