Thai yellow chicken curry
A mild, fragrant Thai yellow curry with tender chicken, potatoes and creamy coconut — perfect for a midweek feast.
This Thai yellow chicken curry is a gentler, very moreish curry: mellow turmeric and toasted seeds, creamy coconut and soft potato make it wonderfully moreish without punching your mouth. Its perfect for a cosy midweek dinner or when you want something exotic yet approachable.
Making your own quick paste lifts the dish — its worth the five minutes. If time is tight, a good-quality shop-bought yellow curry paste will still give you a cracking result.
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs — cut into bite-sized pieces
- 400 g potatoes — peeled and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 150 g carrots — peeled and cut into 1 cm coins
- 1 brown onion — sliced
- 3 shallots — peeled
- 4 garlic cloves — peeled
- 25 g fresh ginger — peeled and chopped
- 1 lemongrass stalk — white part only, finely chopped
- 4 dried red chillies — seeds removed for milder curry
- 5 ml coriander seeds
- 5 ml cumin seeds
- 10 ml ground turmeric
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 400 ml coconut milk — one standard tin, full fat
- 300 ml chicken stock — hot
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 15 ml light brown sugar
- 30 ml lime juice — fresh
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
- 5 ml sea salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 3 kaffir lime leaves — optional
Equipment
- blender or mortar and pestle
- large heavy-based saucepan or casserole
- small dry frying pan
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Place the dried red chillies in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes until softened, then drain.
Toast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan over a medium hob for 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Put the drained chillies, toasted coriander and cumin, shallots, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, lemongrass stalk and ground turmeric into a blender or mortar. Add the sea salt and 1–2 tablespoons of water, then blitz or pound to a smooth paste.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or casserole over a medium hob. Add the sliced brown onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the yellow curry paste to the pan with the onion and fry, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until fragrant and the oil starts to separate from the paste.
Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are sealed on the outside but not fully cooked through.
Stir in the potatoes, carrots, coconut milk, hot chicken stock and kaffir lime leaves (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Uncover, stir in the fish sauce, light brown sugar, lime juice and black pepper. Increase the heat slightly and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes to reduce and balance the flavours.
Remove from the heat, discard the kaffir leaves if used, taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt or more fish sauce. Scatter over the chopped fresh coriander and serve immediately.
Tips
- If the curry tastes flat at the end, add a squeeze more lime juice or a teaspoon more fish sauce — acid and salt bring it alive.
- Make the paste in advance: it keeps in the fridge for 3 days or freezes in portions for up to 3 months.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest sauce; if its too thick, loosen with a splash of stock while simmering.
- For an even milder curry, remove all seeds from the dried chillies before soaking.
- If the sauce is too thin at the end, simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce; if its too thick, stir in 2–3 tbsp hot stock.
Substitutions
dried red chillies → 2 tbsp mild curry paste (store-bought) — skip making the paste
Stays closeboneless skinless chicken thighs → firm tofu, pressed and cubed, 400 g
Noticeably differentcoconut milk → coconut cream diluted with 100 ml hot water (makes a richer sauce)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 620
- Calories
- 32 g
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use store-bought yellow curry paste?
Yes — use 3–4 tablespoons of a good-quality paste and skip the paste-making steps. Fry the paste with the onion as directed before adding the chicken and liquids.
How long will leftovers keep?
Cool within two hours and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob; add a splash of stock if the sauce has thickened.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Swap the chicken for 400 g firm tofu or a mix of chestnut mushrooms and extra vegetables, and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce for a vegetarian version (noticeable change in flavour).
Is this curry spicy?
Its mild by Thai standards. Remove chilli seeds to keep it very gentle, or add an extra dried chilli if you want more heat.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!