Green Chicken Curry (Low Fat)

I first started using Thai Curry Paste, after attending a Thai Cookery Course at Ballyknocken Cookery School in Wicklow. At this particular class we used Red Curry Paste. After this class I purchased several different brands of curry paste and my favorite curry paste is the Mae Ploy Brand.

This is a lovely recipe which I got from A year at Avoca cook book. I've tried it several times and it definately quick, easy, tasty. You can either use a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or Chicken Thighs like I used. I find that meat cooked on the bone has much more flavor.

Ingredients
Serve 4

1 large chicken / chicken pieces
1 tblsp sunflower oil
1 large onion sliced
5cm fresh root ginger peeled and grated (You can use ginger paste, it will still taste good, but fresh will give a fresher taste)
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1/2 green chilli de seeded and chopped.
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp green curry paste
350ml chicken stock
200g fine French Beans, cut into 2cm lengths
30g coriander chopped
100ml low fat greek yoghurt or creme fraiche (optional)

Method

Score each piece of chicken with a sharp knife, cutting through the skin - this helps the flavours to penetrate and reduces the cooking time.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large saute pan, approx 10cm deep. Add the chiccken pieces and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a warm plate.

Add the sliced onion to the pan, lower the heat and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to soften. Then add the ginger, garlic, chilli, lime leaves and curry paste and cook for a minute or two until the aromas from the spices are released.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, cover with the stock and simmer gently, covered with a tight fitting lid, for 25 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes uncovered until the beans are tender. Finally, remove from the heat stir in the yoghurt and fresh corriander.

To Serve

Serve with steamed Thai Jasmine rice (remember to rinse thoroughly before steaming as it is super-starchy) and some Asian greens that have been stir-fried in a couple of drops of toasted sesame oil and a dessertspoon of oyster sauce. Add chutney and good naan bread.

Bon Appetite x x x