Gaeng Garee แกงกะหรี่ Thai Yellow Curry
The kitchen smelled like turmeric and coconut milk before my mother ever said a word about what was for dinner. That was how Gaeng Garee announced itself. Warm and golden and already there before you walked in. The potatoes soaking up the sauce. The chicken giving itself over to it. Nothing sharp. Nothing competing. Just the kind of food that sits down with you and stays. Make this when you want that. It will not let you down.
Equipment
- Wok or large heavy pot
- Wooden spoon or spatula,
- Ladle
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces (or beef, tofu, or mixed vegetables)
- 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste store-bought or homemade
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1.5 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium white onion cut into wedges
- 1 medium carrot sliced into coins
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 kaffir lime leaves torn
- 1 stalk lemongrass bruised and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 fresh red chilies sliced diagonally, to garnish
- 4 fresh cilantro sprigs to garnish
- 2 cups steamed jasmine rice to serve
Instructions
- Bloom the curry paste: Add the yellow curry paste and stir constantly for two to three minutes until the paste is fragrant and slightly darker. Add the ground turmeric and curry powder and stir for another thirty seconds. Then pour in the coconut cream gradually, stirring as you go, until fully combined with the paste. Cook for another minute until the oil visibly separates around the edges of the paste.
- Add and coat the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the bloomed paste and toss well to coat every piece thoroughly. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and aromatics: Pour in the remaining coconut milk gradually, stirring as you go. Add the lemongrass and torn kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add vegetables and simmer: Add the potato chunks, onion wedges, and carrot coins. Stir to submerge everything in the golden sauce. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender.
- Season and taste: Taste. Adjust fish sauce for salt, palm sugar if the spice feels sharp.
- Serve: Ladle generously into serving bowls over steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with sliced fresh red chilies and fresh cilantro sprigs.
Notes
Bloom the paste. Heat the oil, add the paste dry, and stir for two to three minutes until fragrant and slightly darker before the coconut cream goes in. Add the ground turmeric and curry powder at the same time. This step builds the entire flavor foundation of the curry and cannot be skipped.
The potatoes. Cut them into even one-inch chunks so they cook at the same rate and do not fall apart before the chicken is done. They absorb the golden coconut sauce as they simmer and become the best thing in the bowl.
Low and slow after the paste is bloomed. Once the coconut milk goes in, bring the curry to a gentle simmer and keep it there. A hard boil breaks down the coconut milk and makes the sauce oily and grainy. Patience here is rewarded with a silky, gorgeous curry.
Leftovers. Gaeng Garee is one of those rare curries that improves overnight as the potatoes fully absorb the sauce and the spices deepen and mellow. Make a large batch, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently the next day. It will be even better.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowlCalories: 510kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 36gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 820mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8g
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