I tasted Thai food for the first time when I was in college. I remember having Thai iced tea and loving how sweet and refreshing it was. Then I had tom kha gai and thought how unusual (and delightful!) it was to be sipping a spicy, tangy, coconut milk based soup. And I finished the meal with a bowl of yellow curry with chicken, which was so similar in some ways to stews that I had growing up, but was really so different.
The similarities were in the ingredients - chicken, potatoes, and onions - that form the base of a lot of western-style stews. The thickness of the curry is also similar to many stews and the spiciness of yellow curry is more subdued than many other Thai curries. I think this is why some Thai people say that yellow curry with chicken is a good dish for "farang" (the Thai word for foreigners) to start with.
Yellow curry is made in the same way that many other Thai curries are made. You start with thick coconut cream and heat it until the oil starts to separate from the milk. Then you add the curry paste and cook until it's nice and aromatic. You cook the chicken in this curry paste, then add more coconut milk, water, and the vegetables, and adjust the seasonings.
You're welcome to make your own curry paste, but the boyfriend and I have found that pre-made pastes generally work pretty well. Just be sure that you get a brand that's made in Thailand (our current favorite is Mae Anong, but you can see the full curry paste taste comparison here!). With a good paste like this, you should be able to produce a respectable restaurant-quality bowl of yellow curry.
I imagine that many "farang" are introduced to Thai food with yellow curry like I was. And it's a great place to start. It can open the doors to many other types of curries - some fragrant, some peanuty, some sour, all spicy - and from there to other combinations of flavors that Thai food is so famous for. So if you haven't made Thai yellow curry with chicken at home before, I hope you give it a try!
For some other great Thai curries, check out these recipes:
- Yellow curry with fried tofu and vegetables
- Green curry with chicken and eggplant
- Green curry with fish, eggplant, and green peppercorns
- Red curry with pumpkin
- Red curry with pork belly and water spinach
- Panang curry with thinly-sliced beef
And lastly, here is a simple tutorial for how to make Thai curries that covers everything from the most basic to the more complex. Happy curry making!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 14- ounce can of coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry paste
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1-2 cups water
- 2 medium potatoes
- ½ of a large onion
- 1 cup baby corn
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients. Slice the onion, baby corn, and chicken into bite-sized pieces. Peel, cut, and parboil the potatoes for ~5 minutes. Set aside.
- Open the can of coconut milk and scoop the top thicker cream part into a pan (approximately ½ cup). Heat this cream over medium heat until the oil just starts to separate from the milk. Then add the yellow curry paste and saute with the cream until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the chicken, coat in the curry paste, and cook until it's done. Then add the rest of the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil. Let cook until the consistency of the curry is what you prefer. You can use less water if you want a shorter cooking time.
- Add the potatoes, onions, and baby corn and cook until just done, but still firm. Adjust seasonings with fish sauce and sugar to taste. Some curry pastes will not need any sugar or fish sauce, and others will need more than the amounts specified here.
- Garnish with thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves and red peppers, if you like. Serve with jasmine rice.
Mamma
Hi,
thank you for sharing this stew recipe! I was sad to see that it didn't show how to make the curry though.
syndee
Such an easy recipe, and it was pretty Ok on my first attempt but it felt led me something was missing and I could not quite pinpoint it. The color wasnt as yellow as I was expecting (like at my local Thai restaurant), it was more a pale yellow. Is that the normal color with this brand of paste? (Mae Ploy)
Also, when you say take the top layer of cream from coconut milk, is this literally just the small amount stuck on the lid and maybe a small layer right on the top? Its a very minimal amount and I watched for the oil to separate but didn't get that reaction over med heat. Instead it bubbled over and so I threw the chicken in and it just slightly coated it. I hope that made sense lol hard to explain but I want to get the technique right. Thanks.. I will surely try it again though 🙂
Rachel
Hi Syndee, the color does really depend on the brand of paste, as well as how much coconut milk you use. If you want a more yellow color and flavor, I'd suggest cutting back on the coconut milk a bit. It does take some practice to get the cream to break. I typically use about a 1/2 cup from the top of the can, and heat it very gently until it breaks. Another option is to heat the paste in oil first, and then add the coconut milk afterwards. Best of luck!
Mamalala
I seem to remember that the reduced fat coconut milks have little to no amount of cream in the can. Full fat will have that dreamy paste! Check to be sure it is full fat and not fat or reduced fat canned coconut milk. I made the mistake once and it too ruined a recipe.
Ricardo
Can I substitute the yellow curry paste for green paste or yellow curry sauce? I can't find yellow curry paste at my local grocers.
Rachel
Hi Ricardo, "yellow curry sauce" sounds like it might already be a yellow curry that's ready to add meat and vegetables to and heat up, so it wouldn't be the best to use in this recipe. Green curry is made in a slightly different manner, with the addition of kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil: https://www.rachelcooksthai.com/green-curry/.
Joy
I made the dish without meat, just added lots of veggies. It was decent, but tasted a little bland. Any tips for how to season up the dish? Thanks Rachel!
Rachel
Hi Joy, you could add more curry paste next time for additional yellow curry flavor. Or, if you're wanting a more flavorful curry in general, try making a red or green Thai curry instead. The addition of Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves in these curries really makes them stand out. Best of luck!
Joy
I'll try that Rachel. Thanks for the tip 🙂
Michael
Hi Rachel- I was thinking about using fresh asparagus in this Thai yellow curry dish (along with the other ingredients of course..) do you think the strong flavor of asparagus would enhance this dish- or overpower it?
Rachel
Asparagus wouldn't be my first choice in this dish. Carrots, broccoli, baby corn, and/or green beans might be better choices flavor wise.
Susie Lee
Thanks for the recipe, Rachel. I am so excited to try this. I have just starting eating Thai food and I wanted to try making yellow curry at home, but I was nervous it would be hard. You make it look simple, especially if buying the curry paste is acceptable.
By the way, a local restaurant makes this with chunks of cooked pumpkin. It is so creamy and delicious in the curry. I am going to try adding it to mine.
Susie Lee
I just wanted to post an update since I made the recipe. I purchased the curry paste you recommended through Amazon. It was great.
I didn't add fish sauce because I forgot to buy it. I added salt, thinking fish sauce is probably salty like soy sauce..? I also added a little minced ginger since I happened to have a bit of a root left in my fridge. It was a great addition. I added it with the chicken, so it would cook with it. I didn't add much.
Next time I might try chicken stock in place of the water. I found the flavor a little bland, though spicy, if that makes sense. I didn't dare add more curry paste since I didn't want it too spicy for my kids. Maybe I just needed the fish sauce.
I will make this again, I just need to play with it to get it perfect for my family.
Rachel
Great, thanks for the update! Fish sauce definitely adds a lot of flavor!
Day
I just wanna say that yours is the simplest, easiest Curry recipe and instructions I have ever seen.....
and I Thank You for that .....
❤️
Danielle
When I went to Thailand I had a similar curry that included pineapple. It was so tasty. It was kind of a bit between this and massaman. Perhaps I just don't remember! Do you have any ideas? I'd love to try and find an authentic recipe.
Rachel
Hi Danielle! I wonder if you had gaeng kua sapparod? That's a common Thai curry that includes pineapple, although pineapple can be added to others as well... I don't have a recipe for it yet, but it looks like there are a few online if you search Google. Best of luck!
Jakki
Hi Rachel, I made this for my husband the other night and was surprised that it didn't seem as sweet as the yellow curry we've had at our local Thai restaurant. We used the yellow curry paste and fish sauce you recommended but bought Thai Kitchen-brand coconut milk. Just wondering if you've noticed a big difference in the flavor of coconut milks depending on the brand, and would that affect the taste? Or do Thai restaurants in the U.S. generally add a lot of sugar to their recipes (or something else?), while what you've posted here is an authentic (non-Westernized) recipe? Thanks!
Rachel
Hi Jakki, I don't think the brand of coconut milk would affect the sweetness of the curry significantly. It's more likely that your local Thai restaurant adds more sugar to their curry 🙂
Shelci
So how about the recipe for the iced Thai tea? I can never find the right tea or maybe I'm just not making it right.
Rachel
Hi Shelci, the recipe for Thai tea (with a link to the right tea mix) is here: https://www.rachelcooksthai.com/thai-iced-tea/
Best of luck!
josh
Excellent recipe, the fiancee loved it 🙂
Ketan
Hi,
I have a question. I recently bought Mae Anong green curry paste (http://www.amazon.com/Mae-Anong-Green-Curry-16-Ounce/dp/B006VD15F4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410195067&sr=8-1&keywords=mae+anong+green+curry+paste).
Since I am a vegetarian, I wanted to know if the green curry paste contains shrimp paste,fish sauce and oyster sauce ?
Thanks,
+Ketan
Rachel
Hi Ketan, many curry pastes contain shrimp paste as a base ingredient; however, this one doesn't have it listed on its ingredients section. Fish sauce is typically used more for seasoning while cooking, and oyster sauce usually isn't used in curries. You could substitute salt for the fish sauce when making your curry. Best of luck!
Kt b
It bloody split and now looks terrible. 🙁
Back to the drawing board!
Marina Wong
This came out mad delicious. Thank you!
Karen
Wonderful recipe! I had been craving this dish and thanks to you, I can make it at home! Thanks for the great instructions too.
A.G.
I've been craving Yellow Curry for weeks and landed on your recipe. I used your technique and changed it greatly but it still came out great. Had no paste so I used spices to make my own and used some raw Soyu instead of fish sauce as I'm vegetarian. I do have a Kafir tree so was able to add that. Mine was potatoes, onions, garlic. I used Aritisana Cocunut Butter mixed with a little Ancient Organics Ghee to get the coconut base and cooked the spices in that for a bit before moving on. I reserved some of the coconut butter and mixed it with water to get it to the right consistency. I never follow recipes to the letter, guess I'm just wired to be creative and not follow directions 🙂 My highly improvised curry came out great. Can't believe how easy this way. The photo is mouthwatering.
Sunny
great recipe! thanks so much for sharing. Your photos are beautiful too!
Andy
Also great with Brussel Sprouts in it!
Karla
When I first found your recipe I thought you were Rachel Ray and was so surprised that you were so chatty! I soon figured out there was no connection! I made your Chicken Yellow Curry last night and it was wonderful! My family liked it too! I have never cooked Thai before so didn't know just what to expect, but your instructions were perfect and the dish is simple and something I would make again. The only substitutions I made were fresh green beans and snow peas in place of the baby corn. I also added diced red pepper with my onion! I skipped the fish sauce since I have someone on a low salt diet in my family and I still think it was delicious. Next time I may add just a little more of the curry! Thank you Rachel! I plan to try more of your recipes soon!
Sarah
How long approximately do you let the curry and chicken boil before adding the vegetables? How long to the vegetables take to cook? Do they need to be boiled?
Thanks 🙂
Rachel
Hi Sarah, I tend to let my curries simmer for ~10-20 minutes once the meat is cooked through. Because the potatoes in this curry are already par-boiled and the onions and baby corn don't need much time to cook, I add them close to the end of this time, with ~2-5 minutes left for them to cook. The best way to know when the veggies are done is to test their firmness with a fork, or better yet, to have a taste 🙂 Best of luck!