I like to believe Thai curries and Indian curries are cousins who don’t necessarily get together much but have a lot in common! (Maybe I am projecting 🙈🙈)

Thai curries are mild and aromatic, and there is absolutely nothing simple about a Thai curry. Here I am trying to butcher a basic Thai curry with store bought paste. This is time saving but one of these days I will get out that pestle and mortar to grind all the spices and herbs myself!

Also, this post was buried amongst a long list of unpublished drafts.. and I am only posting it because someone randomly requested for it on the gram- so the point is the pictures aren’t that great but your curry will be!

What you need:

• 500gm of chicken (chicken with bone for more flavour, or boneless thighs will be fine)
• 3 tbsp sesame oil (or any oil)
• 2 onions roughly cut into squares
• 1 tbsp Ginger paste
• 1 tsp Garlic paste
• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp salt (how you prefer)
• 1 tsp tarmarind sauce
• 1 pepper thinly sliced (any coloured)
• Few sprigs of spring onion
• Green chilli
• Pinch of sesame seeds

Steps:

1. Heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan and the onions.
2. Once onions are translucent, add the ginger and garlic paste. You may want to add some spritz if water at this point as the ginger and garlic paste really like dancing in the pan!
3. Add the salt and Thai curry paste, cook till the oil rises above the sauce. You will need to add water from time to time, to prevent the sauce from burning or drying out.
4. The paste takes about 5-8 minutes to cook down, you can add your chicken at this point. Turn the flame high and coat the chicken pieces well in the sauce. Add the lemon juice and sugar while cooking the chicken in high flame for 10minutes. *
5. Add half a cup of water, turn the flame med-low and let the chicken cook for another 10minutes. Taste for salt and add if needed. Mix in the peppers at this point and cover with lid.
6. In the final couple of minutes, turn the flame high and add the tarmarind sauce and cook down the chicken till it has a thick gravy.
7. Sprinkle the sesame seeds, chopped spring onion and green chillis, turn off the heat and serve with some plain white rice.

* chicken on bone takes more time to cook. If you are using boneless thigh or breast then 15-20 minutes should be enough. Also the size of your chicken will determine cooking time so please note the time in the recipe as for guidance.