Northern Thai Chicken Curry Recipe with Homemade Spice Mix and Curry Paste

You may aware that I am hosting this month Northern Thai Cuisine for International Food Challenge and today’s post is none other than popular Northern Thai recipe/Gaeng Hang Lay but here instead of pork I used chicken. This Thai chicken chicken curry features warm spices in a fragrant homemade curry sauce. It is usually served with plain jasmine or coconut rice with slices of cucumber on the side as a fresh compliment to
the dish. If you enjoy both Thai and Indian curries, you’ll love this warm and flavorful dish.

Recipe Source :- Adapted from here

Ingredients

500 gms boneless skinless Chicken
10 red Asian eschalots (see Note), peeled
7 cm piece ginger, peeled, cut into julienne (Optional)
2 tbsp tamarind concentrate (see Note), plus extra, to taste
2 tbsp grated palm sugar (Optional, I add only a tsp)
Coconut Milk – 1/4 Cup
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Steamed Jasmine or Glutinous rice, to serve

Spice mix

1 tbsp cumin seeds
2-3 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
½ tbsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
1n1/2 tsp whole cloves
2 cinnamon quills (I  use 2″)
2 curls dried mace (optional)
½ tbsp ground turmeric
½ whole nutmeg, grated

Curry paste

7-8 dried long red chillies
3 lemongrass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 large red Asian eschalots (shallots), chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cm piece galangal(ginger), peeled, chopped
1 tsp dried shrimp paste (Optional)

Method

• To make spice mix, place cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and mace, if using, in a frying pan over low heat.
• Toast, stirring, for 3 minutes or until fragrant; don’t allow spices to turn dark brown or burn.
• Transfer to a plate and cool, then stir in turmeric and nutmeg.
• Grind the mixture to fine powder (Pic 1).
• To make curry paste, soak chillies in 250 ml hot water for 20 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 60ml liquid. Process chillies, lemongrass, eschalots/shallots, garlic, galangal/ginger and 1 tsp salt in a food processor.
• Add enough chilli soaking water to form a smooth paste(Pic 1).
• Cut chicken into 4 cm cubes. Place it in a bowl with curry paste and knead/rub paste into it with your hands.
• Add 1 tsp salt and spice mix, and knead to coat chicken with mixture (Pic 2).
• Leave is as it is for 30 minutes or overnight in refrigerator.

• Place a heavy-based pan over high heat. Add oil and chopped shallots, marinated chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Add 1 litre water, or enough to cover, and bring to the boil, stir in ginger.
• Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours or until meat is meltingly tender.
• Season with 1 tbsp salt, tamarind(Pic 3) and the sugar (Pic 4).
• Adjust spices accordingly.
• Serve with steamed or glutinous rice.