I am truly having a hard time coming up with a dish that I’d rather eat than Thai Coconut Curry.   It is sitting very comfortably way up high on my favorite list.  I think what I love most about it is it’s multiple personalities:  sweet, salty, rich, light, fresh, comforting, spicy and oh so savory.  Coconut curry is my go-to when it comes to take out food, this one being my very favorite one to order.  So here is an at home version and I tell you, you’d think you were eating at an authentic Thai restaurant.  The first time I made this recipe was last night and the reviews were off the charts by the entire family.  Putting it on “repeat” mode for sure.  If you haven’t tried thai coconut curry before I really REALLY encourage you to move outside your comfort zone and give this recipe a whirl.  It’s so healthy, simple and quick to prepare…like dinner-on-the-table-in-under-25-minutes-quick!  It will make you a believer, I promise.  

Thai Chicken Coconut Curry 

Notes:  In our opinion the amount of curry paste used in my version was far from overly spicy; there was a little heat but it was completely mild enough for my 19 month old to enjoy.  If you like the heat turned up a bit you could add an extra couple teaspoons of curry paste.  We enjoy more heat but I didn’t want to go overboard because of my daughter so my husband and I ended up adding crushed red pepper flakes to our individual plates at the end.  Red curry paste is available at your local grocery store in the Asian section. Also, I’ve opted to use the juice from the fresh pineapple as a sweetener instead of sugar and it works beautifully here.  Slicing your pineapple inside of a bowl will allow you to catch all of the juices and utilize them for this recipe.

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 Small Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 Pound Fresh Green Beans

3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger

1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste

1 15 Ounce Can Coconut Milk, unsweetened and full fat

1/3 Cup Chicken Stock

2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced

3/4 Cup Fresh Pineapple Cubes

1 Tablespoon Fresh Pineapple Juice

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, for garnishing

Directions

Preheat a large wok or deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add sesame oil, peppers and beans and saute for 1 minute.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for another 30 seconds.  Add curry paste and coconut milk and whisk until the coconut milk is smooth and incorporated.  Add chicken stock, fish sauce and salt and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer over medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken, pineapple and pineapple juice and simmer over medium heat until chicken is completely cooked through, 8-10 minutes.  Top with cilantro and serve immediately over brown rice, if desired.