Have you ever heard of the Manitou Springs incline? If you have and/or have ever done it you will understand the pain that my legs are in today. If you have not heard of it, it’s a one mile trail just outside of Colorado Springs. One mile sounds easy until you read a little bit further and see that it gains over 2,000 feet of elevation in that 1 mile. Yesterday I decided to give it a try and today muscles hurt I didn’t even know I had. I recommend doing it to give yourself a challenge but if you do, you are going to need a delicious meal to make you feel better for all the hard work you did.
Thai chicken curry is my kind of comfort meal to make me forget that standing up is a painful task.
I love Thai food. If I am ever getting take out food it is typically one of my first choices. Curry chicken is one of my favorites to order. I love the curry and coconut flavor, it reminds me of Jamaican food in a way (I’ll get into my honorary Jamaican status later). So to feed my soul and my aching muscles, I decided to make my own curry chicken instead of ordering take out.
It turns out that making Thai curry is really easy! I had this recipe done in less than 40 minutes. Not only is it easy but incredibly delicious. I have to say I was pretty impressed with myself after tasting the finished product. Exactly like my favorite take out!
You can make this as spicy as you want as well. I’ve been to plenty of Thai restaurants where the spice levels are either too spicy or too mellow, so it’s nice to be in control of the spice level. Give this recipe a shot and make it your own, it’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
Thai Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 2 ½ inch slices
- 3 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk, divided
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
- zest of about ½ a lime
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
- ½ medium onion, cut into thin slices
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into about 2 ½ inch pieces
- ½ green bell pepper, cut into about 2 ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup (8 ounces) bamboo shoot slices, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- diced jalapeño or red pepper flakes, optional
- cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a large cast iron pan or pot heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove chicken from pan onto a plate and set aside.
- Turn down the heat to medium and add ½ cup of coconut milk with.curry paste and lime zest. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in remaining 3 cups of coconut milk, onion, and basil. Bring to a boil and cook for additional 5 minutes until mixture is slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add bell peppers, bamboo shoots, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add chicken back to pan and heat through for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with jalapeño or red pepper flakes if desired on top of white rice.
