Major rich delicious takeout vibes but you made it your very own self and it is absolutely craveable.
Super creamy and lush, thanks to the coconut cream, level the spice just where you want it and then let your Thai-inspired yellow curry dreams come true. Impeccably savory with a teensy bit of sweet, scooped over a bed of steamy rice. Yes, yes please right now.
Okay, so, there is a tiny 45-minute detour TOTALLY WORTH TAKING here, to make your own yellow curry paste first. Please trust us. Don’t run away! Because here is the thing, it will freeze beautifully and then be ready for you for the next, like, five times you want to make this super easy creamy, silky bowl of yellow chicken curry comfort. And you’re going to want to make it. Like, a lot.
You can find everything needed to whip up your very own homemade batch golden yellow curry paste here [link]. After that, the ingredient list is beautifully short! Like, aaaalmost 5-ingredient short.
curry paste
boneless skinless chicken breasts (chicken thighs can also work)
golden potatoes
onion
coconut cream
fish sauce & brown sugar (optional but SO good!) and rice & cilantro for serving! (We just made this all one point so you could see we were *so close* to 5-ingredients)
Simmer, Stir, and Get Ready To Fall In Love with This Curry Dish
Once you’re in curry paste business, this lil’ treasure is so so easy to make. Like, weeknight dinner easy. Yes please, here for it.
Sauté. Grab a skillet or a large pot and get your onions going first over medium heat until nice and fragrant. Then, toss in your chicken and curry paste and let that do it’s thing. Finally, toss the potatoes in there.
Simmer. Pour that luscious coconut cream in there with a bit of water and let it simmer away until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.
Stir. Add in a little splish splash of fish sauce and a sprinkle of brown sugar to really make it sing.
Serve. On a pile ofsteamy rice. Fall in love forever.
Big Flavors From The Curry Paste
We don’t know about you, but sometimes that yellow curry paste is hard to find in our go-to stores. Green, red, yep yep…but that beautiful golden deliciousness, where art thou?! Well, homemade yellow curry paste it is then. It takes a little time to come together, but it’s a big batch and then that is on hand for the next time your yellow curry craving strikes. Like, maybe tomorrow for breakfast? (Seriously, don’t knock it until you try it. We’ve been known to scrape a pan or two of cold curry in the morning as, like, a pre-breakfast. Worth it, every time.)
You’ll roast up some aromatics first, like a whole bunch of garlic, some ginger and some shallot. You’ll rehydrate some Thai chilis, you decide on the spice level. And then it’s just blend up and store in a jar and ta-da, curry paste at the ready!
We love that this recipe is also pretty flexible. The chicken/potato combo is such a delicious win but you could absolutely sub tofu or throw in any other veg you might have hanging out in the fridge. And if you only have coconut milk on hand, that can totally work, you’ll just adjust the liquid amounts accordingly to get the right consistency. But if you are ready to swim in a sea of lush, rich, unbelievably smooth creaminess – then coconut cream it simply must be! You will not regret it.
Such a beautiful bit of rich, creamy, surprisingly easy, takeout-vibe comfort food which we can get behind any day of the week. Yum.
Coconut milk would work fine in this recipe, if you just adjust the amount of water based on the consistency you want for the sauce. But if you can find it, coconut cream will make this REALLY delicious.
What other protein options would work well here?
This beef curry recipe is similar and beef would be great! For a vegetarian-friendly option, you could use tofu or chickpeas.
What can I serve with this?
This is really filling as-is, but some type of flatbread (like naan) would be delicious to soak up the curry sauce.
Source notes: Kaeng Kari is the yellow curry dish commonly found in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. It usually incorporates the use of yellow curry powder (“kari” referencing “curry powder”), which came to Thailand via the spice route. It is the result of British military presence bringing the Indian powder spices like turmeric and, according to Wiki, the “Anglo-Indian invention, curry powder.” It’s usually milder and less oily than traditional Thai curries. The bones of this recipe came from The Saveur New Classics Cookbook(affiliate link). The recipe in the book was created and contributed by chef Andy Ricker, who owns the Thai restaurant PokPok in Portland. This version has some adjustments to taste and for some more readily available ingredients for the paste! You can do so many things with this curry paste / method – like the chicken and potatoes that you see here, but the beef version is also super delicious!
10baby golden yukon potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
one 14-ounce can coconut cream (it’s like coconut milk, but even more luscious)
1/2 – 1cupwater
2 teaspoonsfish sauce (optional)
1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
cilantro and rice for serving
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes until the onions are fragrant and softened. Add the chicken and curry paste; saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the curry paste.
Add the coconut cream and 1/2 cup water to the pot – simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked, adding more water depending on the consistency you want for the sauce.
Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar to really take it up a notch. Seriously – so good. Serve over rice.