BAM! Curry!

I have always admired Thai cuisine.  I'm intrigued by the culture's ability to incorporate a cornucopia of flavors while still maintaining a balance for the palate.  Throughout the past few years I have had the pleasure of trying many different Thai dishes but my staple is definitely chicken in a red curry sauce.  Luckily for me, my lovely boyfriend shares the same affinity so tonight I decided to recreate the dish we both so adore.  After perusing the internet I found a recipe that seemed to resemble what I have previously ordered and didn't look too "Americanized."  Thankfully I was able to find all the necessary ingredients at the grocery store and didn't have to make a separate trip to the Asian market (that adventure will be for another day).  Once I arrived home I eagerly started my trial run with Thai cooking.

First I cored and thinly sliced about 3/4 of a red bell pepper.  I also drained 1-8oz can of pineapple chunks and 1-8oz can of bamboo shoots.

Next I cut a little less than a pound of chicken breast into 1 inch pieces.

Then I brought 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to a boil, added the chicken, and let them par boil for about 2 minutes.  I then removed them with a slotted spoon, set them aside, and set the broth aside.

For the curry I put 1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, 1 1/4 teaspoons fish sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 cup coconut milk into a nonstick skillet.

I then brought the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  I reduced the heat to medium and continued stirring for approximately 10 minutes until the sauce became darker and thicker.

Once the sauce reduced I added the remaining 3/4 cups of coconut milk and 1/4 cup of the reserved chicken broth.  I made sure they were incorporated then added the chicken and cooked the mixture for a few more minutes, ensuring the chicken finished cooking all the way through.

I then added the pineapple, bamboo shoots, and red bell pepper.  I cooked it a few more minutes in order to warm the pineapple and shoots, and to soften the peppers.

I then removed the skillet from the heat and added approximately 1 cup of basil.  I stirred the curry until the basil was wilted.

I scooped generous servings of Jasmine rice onto our plates.  I had made the rice earlier and just followed the instructions on the package.

I topped the rice with the curry and voila!  Yummy, yummy, chicken curry!

I was extremely impressed AND got the boyfriend's stamp of approval!  Other than wishing it was a little spicier (which could easily be fixed with more paste next time) it was perfection.  I hope my little adventure in Thai cooking inspires you to try something new!  And if your tummy has been rumbling while reading this post here is the chicken curry recipe:

Serves 2 hungry bellies (with a little left over)

1 lb chicken breast
1 1/4 cups chicken stock/broth
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 cup basil (Thai basil is best but I used plain)
1 red bell pepper
1-8oz can pineapple chunks
1-8oz can bamboo shoots
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 1/4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Follow steps above.