My husband and I having been to a cooking class since 2015 at Sur La Table in Boca Raton. This was pre-baby number three. West Palm Beach now has it’s own Sur La Table at Rosemary Square and we took a Thai cooking class there recently. We made this Thai red curry with chicken and kabocha squash along with the steamed rice and a pad Thai. There is something very brothy about this meal and nostalgic of my grandmother’s soup’s the way the rice would soak up all of the juices. This Thai red curry with chicken and kabocha squash was our favorite! We highly recommend going to this class with Chris at Sur La Table.
THAI RED CURRY WITH CHICKEN AND KABOCHA SQUASH
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce, plus more as needed
- 3 (1/8 inch thick) slices galangal
- 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, thick white parts only, bruised, and cut into 3 -inch pieces
- 3 lime leaves
- 1 small kabocha squash, peeled, seeded , and cut into large dice
- 1 cup red bell peppers, medium dice
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, loosely packed and roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves, loosely packed and roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- Juice of 1 lime, plus more to taste
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving (see recipe below)
Prepare
- To prepare the curry base: To a large saucepan or wok over medium heat, add oil and curry paste. Using a wooden spoon
to break up the pieces, toast curry until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, broth, sugar, and fish sauce; whisk
ingredients into the broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 8 minutes or until the curry is aromatic and begins to thicken. - To cook the ingredients: Add the squash to the curry and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the bell peppers and
simmer about 3 minutes to soften before adding the mushrooms and sliced chicken. Simmer until the vegetables are tender
and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. - To serve: Remove the curry from the heat. Add cilantro, Thai basil, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with more
sugar, fish sauce, or lime juice if needed to balance the flavors. Remove the galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves and
discard. Transfer to a large warm serving bowl and garnish with additional herbs and Thai chiles; serve with jasmine rice on
the side.
STEAMED JASMINE RICE
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2, 4” lemongrass stalks, smashed
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt
Prepare
- To prepare the rice for cooking: Rinse jasmine rice with cold water until water runs clear and is no longer cloudy.
- To a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid set over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil is shimmering, add lemongrass,
ginger, and garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add rinsed rice and sauté until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. - Add water and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and cook until rice is tender, and
liquid has evaporated. About 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Remove lemongrass before
serving. - To serve: Fluff rice with a fork, taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
