Slow-Cooker Thai Red Curry with Chicken

Red curry is my go-to Thai dish. I order it almost every time we eat at a Thai restaurant. It is spicy with a little bit of sweetness. It’s wonderful!! This version has lovely color from the carrots and red bell pepper as well as a textural contrast from the potatoes. This recipe was adapted from Frontier Natural and The Wanderlust Kitchen. I added more vegetables to the dish, used light coconut milk, and used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts- just my personal preference. We ate it over an organic quinoa and rice blend with warm naan and green salad. Potatoes, rice, AND naan… my starch-loving husband was thrilled! A slow-cooker meal ready after two after-school piano lessons… I was thrilled! 🙂 GREAT!

I have been looking forward to bringing this dish to Fiesta Friday #9 over at The Novice Gardener– she knows how to throw a wonderful party! 🙂

For the red curry sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 2 large shallots or ½ a red onion
• 1 tablespoon curry powder blend (I used Penzey’s Maharajah Curry Powder)
• 2-3 dried red chilies (I used 2 dried Guajillo chilies), stemmed, crumbled with seeds intact
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 2 cups light coconut milk

To complete the dish:

• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Basic red curry sauce (recipe above)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving, optional
• 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/8 cup Scallions, chopped
• rice, for serving
• naan, for serving, if desired

Make the basic red curry sauce:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a 2-quart sauce pan.
2. Finely chop garlic, ginger, shallots and bell pepper in a mini-food processor.
3. Sauté garlic, ginger, diced shallots or onion, and red bell pepper in oil or ghee until tender.
4. Sprinkle in curry powder, crumbled dried red chilies, lime juice and zest. Stir in coconut milk and puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth.
5. Remove from heat and pour into your slow cooker.

Finish the dish:

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the grape seed oil in a skillet over very high heat. Once hot, brown half of the chicken pieces for about 30 seconds per side. Transfer browned chicken pieces to the slow cooker, with the curry sauce. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
2. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and pan drippings to the slow cooker.
3. Stir in the turmeric, coriander, fish sauce, and sugar.
4. Cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 5 hours.
5. Add the bell pepper, carrots and potatoes. Cook another 30 minutes on high, or for an hour on low. (I cooked it on low for 3 1/2 hours, added the vegetables, and then cooked it on high for 1 hour.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
6. Serve over rice with lime wedges for squeezing, if desired. Garnish with cilantro and scallions.

One Year Ago:

• Pastitsio