This Thai Chicken and Prawn Curry is a vibrant, aromatic dish bursting with the bold flavors of Thailand. Featuring a fragrant homemade curry paste, tender chicken, succulent prawns, and colourful vegetables, it strikes a perfect balance of spicy, tangy, and sweet. Whether prepared over an open fire for a rustic touch or on your stovetop, this hearty curry is sure to delight. Serve with jasmine rice for a comforting meal.
Serves 4.
This recipe uses Nagi’s Thai Red Curry Paste. We also used this curry paste recipe in a previous blog: Nagi’s Red and Green Thai Curry Shootout. This dish can be prepared over an open fire or on a stovetop.
Ingredients
For the Curry Paste:
- 16 dried chilies (12 deseeded), cut into 1 cm pieces
- 2 lemongrass stalks, outer skin removed, cut into 1 cm pieces
- 2 cm piece of galangal, peeled and grated (or 1 ½ tsp galangal powder)
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
- 1 Tbsp chopped coriander stems and roots (thoroughly cleaned, sand removed)
- 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp grated lime zest
- 75 ml water (reserved from soaking chilies)
For the Dish:
- 8 chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or a combination)
- 12 medium prawns, heads and shells on, deveined
- 4 courgettes, cleaned and cut into 2 cm pieces
- ½ red bell pepper, cleaned and cut into 2 cm x 2 cm pieces
- ½ butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm x 2 cm pieces
- 500 ml high-quality chicken stock
- 400ml coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- Juice of 2 limes (keep the juiced limes)
- 1 Tbsp grated palm sugar
- 3 Tbsp oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh, chopped coriander and quartered limes for garnish
Method
Prepare curry paste: Soak the dried chilies in 75 ml water for 10 minutes, reserving the water. Blend all curry paste ingredients, including the reserved chili water, with a stick blender until smooth.
Brown the chicken: Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and black pepper. Heat a large, heavy pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and brown the chicken on all sides (in batches if necessary). Set aside.
Fry paste: In the same pot, add the curry paste and fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add stock: Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, coconut milk, half of the lime juice, the juiced limes, kaffir lime leaves and palm sugar. Stir and bring to a boil.
Cook chicken: Return the chicken (with all the juices) to the pot along with the butternut squash. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the butternut squash begins to soften (about 15–20 minutes).
Add other vegs: Add the courgettes, red bell pepper, and remaining lime juice. Simmer, covered, until the courgettes are cooked but still al dente (about 5–7 minutes).
Add prawns: Add the prawns and cook for 5 minutes, until just cooked through.
Serve: Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve on top of jasmine rice and garnish with coriander and limes.
