Thai yellow chicken curry is another level of comfort food even if you are not native of Thailand! Thanks to the absolute refreshing flavors, this Thai yellow chicken curry will prove to be a hearty meal to fulfill your body & soul!
My love for Thai food is already well established through my blog! So here I come with another classic Thai favorite of mine – Thai yellow chicken curry!
The vibrant yellow color of Thai yellow curry is a perfect mood boosting recipe which will enlighten any gloomy day and make you happy again with its simplicity and amazing taste!
Thai curries are the ideal examples of the perfect use of sweet, sour, savory and spiciness in the right balance to make something incredibly mouthwatering!
Once you taste this, you will feel how Thai curry brings together all the freshness in one simple curry paste that is power packed with immense flavors!
What is Thai yellow chicken curry?
If you are a foodie like me and love to explore various cuisines, then I am sure you have tasted all of the classic Thai curries – Red, Green and Yellow!
Each of the Thai curries has their distinctive flavors, color and aroma making them equally crave-worthy! Thai yellow chicken curry is made of Thai yellow curry paste which imparts a bright yellow color to the gravy.
This vibrant yellow color of Thai yellow curry comes from turmeric, which is also a widely used spice in Indian cuisine.
Thai yellow chicken curry has the lovely fresh aroma from lemongrass which is the dominant flavor in this Thai curry. The aroma of lemongrass instantly invigorates our senses and brings a happy smile on our face even on the most depressing days.
The gravy is made with creamy coconut milk and has a sweet, savory and tangy taste with a light hint of heat after everything comes together!
Like other Thai curries, Thai yellow chicken curry is also a wholesome meal as it comes with veggies along with chicken. I added cubed potatoes and bamboo shoots which are the most traditionally used veggies.
But you can be creative with vegetables which will load your Thai yellow chicken curry with additional nutrition as well as more crunch. Green peas, green beans, zucchini, assorted bell peppers etc are few other options.
Thai curries are best served with plain white rice and the same goes for Thai yellow chicken curry. This rice-curry meal turned out to be the perfect combo for our hectic weeknight dinner!
Ingredients for Thai Yellow Chicken Curry
Chicken: For Thai yellow chicken curry, ideally you will need boneless and skinless chicken pieces. You may use chicken breast, but I like dark meat i.e. chicken thigh as it retains the juiciness and tenderness thanks to the higher fat content than lean chicken breast.
Thai yellow curry paste: You may choose to prepare the yellow curry paste from scratch at home, but I bought it from the supermarket as we get good quality Thai curry pastes these days which carry authentic flavors; plus it saves a lot of time & effort when you wanna make something delicious in no time!
If you are in India, I recommend Real Thai Yellow curry paste which I have been using for a long time.
Potato: Thai curries are made with veggies along with the protein of your choice. Potatoes are widely used in Thai yellow chicken curry. You can use baby potatoes or large potatoes cut into 2-inch cubes.
Bamboo shoots: I wanted to make an authentic and traditional version of Thai yellow chicken curry which is why I added bamboo shoots which I got in a jar packed in liquid in the supermarkets here in India. If you don’t get your hands on it, you may choose to skip it!
Other veggie alternatives: You can add any other favorite veggie of yours e.g. zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant and more.
Coconut milk: Thick & creamy coconut milk is the base of this Thai yellow chicken curry. You may try to make the freshest coconut milk by pressing the freshly grated coconut in a muslin cloth squeezing out the first pressed coconut milk.
Or if you are making this Thai yellow chicken curry for a hectic weekday dinner just like me, you can get your hands on the Real Thai coconut milk from Amazon.
Fish sauce: This is the primary seasoning ingredient for most of the Thai curries. This not only is a replacement of salt but also adds tons of flavors.
Light soy sauce: Specifically use light soy sauce in this Thai curry recipe as the darker version of soy sauce will alter the color of the yellow curry which you would not want. Light soy will add depth of flavor along with savoriness.
Sugar: As I mentioned above, Thai cuisine is the perfect amalgamation of sweet, savory, sour and spiciness. Traditionally the sweetness is added using palm sugar; but if you don’t have that handy, you may opt for brown sugar.
In case you don’t have brown sugar as well, feel free to add a tablespoon of white sugar (you need to cut down the amount to half as white sugar is much sweeter than brown).
Garlic: Garlic, according to me, is the must-have aromatic for any chicken recipe. It is also extensively used in Thai cooking and this Thai yellow chicken curry is also no exception!
Lime and lime leaves: To add the fresh tangy flavor to your Thai curry, the ideal option is to add kaffir lime leaves which are somewhat difficult to get where I live.
Fortunately, my mom had an Indian lime tree in her kitchen garden and I could reward myself with a bunch of fresh lime leaves when I visited her last time. You can add the shredded fresh lime leaves (even if it is not kaffir lime leaves!) which will make your Thai curry instantly invigorating!
If you can’t get lime leaves, drizzle freshly squeezed lime juice at the very end after shutting the flame off.
Oil: You need just a few tablespoons of oil to sauté your chicken and veggies. Coconut oil is a perfect option but you may use any other vegetable oil of your choice.
How to make Thai Yellow chicken Curry?
Step 1: Wash and cut the chicken thighs into small bite sized pieces, about 2 inches. Peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch cubes; wash and set aside.
Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot and add the chicken cubes and minced garlic. Sauté the chicken until they are golden brown on all sides; this would take about 15 minutes on medium heat.
Step 3: Take the sautéed chicken pieces out on a plate and set aside until needed.
Step 4: In the same pot, add another tablespoon of oil and once oil is hot, add the cubed potatoes.
Step 5: Sauté the potatoes on medium-low heat until they are light golden on all sides. This would take about 15 minutes. Take them out and set aside.
Step 6: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot and once oil is hot, add the yellow curry paste.
Step 7: Start sautéing the curry paste; it will be very sticky. Now add ¼ of the coconut milk to loosen the curry paste. Continue sautéing the curry paste until oil starts to release.
Step 8: Now add the remaining coconut milk and about 1 cup of water. Give a good mix using a spatula and bring it to boil on high heat.
Step 9: Add fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and shredded lime leaves. Stir them in.
Step 10: Now add the sauteed chicken cubes, fried potato cubes and the bamboo shoots. Give a quick stir.
Step 11: Bring the curry to boil again. Then cover the pot and let it simmer on lowest heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 12: Remove the lid from the pot and check if the potatoes & chicken are cooked through and have become fork-tender. If not, put the lid back on and continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
Step 13: Also check the seasoning of the curry at this point; if it tastes bland, add a few more splashes of fish sauce.
Step 14: Once chicken and potatoes are completely cooked, soft and cut easily, switch off the flame. Your Thai yellow chicken curry is ready!
Step 15: Drizzle lime juice over the Thai curry, serve warm with sticky rice and enjoy!
More delicious Thai recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Chicken thighs – 750 gms, boneless & skinless
- Garlic cloves - 7 to 8, minced
- Potatoes – 250 gms (about 4 medium potatoes)
- Bamboo shoots - ½ cup (optional)
- Thai yellow curry paste - 100 gms (about 4 tbsp)
- Coconut milk – 400 ml
- Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
- Fish sauce – 1-2 tbsp
- Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
- Lime leaves - 6 to 7, shredded thinly (optional)
- Lime - 1 to 2 (to drizzle lime juice at the end)
- Vegetable oil – 4 tbsp
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Wash and cut the chicken thighs into small bite sized pieces, about 2 inches. Peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch cubes; wash and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot and add the chicken cubes and minced garlic. Sauté the chicken until they are golden brown on all sides; this would take about 15 minutes on medium heat.
- Take the sautéed chicken pieces out on a plate and set aside until needed.
- In the same pot, add another tablespoon of oil and once oil is hot, add the cubed potatoes.
- Sauté the potatoes on medium-low heat until they are light golden on all sides. This would take about 15 minutes. Take them out and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot and once oil is hot, add the yellow curry paste.
- Start sautéing the curry paste; it will be very sticky. Now add ¼ of the coconut milk to loosen the curry paste. Continue sautéing the curry paste until oil starts to release.
- Now add the remaining coconut milk and about 1 cup of water. Give a good mix using a spatula and bring it to boil on high heat.
- Add fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and shredded lime leaves. Stir them in.
- Now add the sautéed chicken cubes, fried potato cubes and the bamboo shoots. Give a quick stir.
- Bring the curry to boil again. Then cover the pot and let it simmer on lowest heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pot and check if the potatoes & chicken are cooked through and have become fork-tender. If not, put the lid back on and continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
- Also check the seasoning of the curry at this point; if it tastes bland, add a few more splashes of fish sauce.
- Once chicken and potatoes are completely cooked, soft and cut easily, switch off the flame. Your Thai yellow chicken curry is ready!
- Drizzle lime juice over the Thai curry, serve warm with sticky rice and enjoy!
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