Basil Chicken and Shrimp Green Curry (咖哩紫蘇蝦鷄, Gaa3 Lei1 Zi2 Sou1 Haa1 Gai1)

The tasty seafood-meat combination common in Chinese dishes also works well in a curry, in this case a green curry. Using a prepared curry paste makes this dish quick cooking and easy to prepare. While this recipe uses shrimp and chicken are marinated beforehand, this step can easily be omitted if time is short and the dish will still be tasty. The spiciness of the dish comes from the red chili peppers and can the quantity can be adjusted to personal taste, or omitted altogether. I like my potatoes a little crunchy, so I add them at the end, but if you like them a little softer, add them in with the chicken at the beginning of cooking.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

½ lb.	250 g.	Prawn or shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa1 jan4)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Tapioca starch (木薯澱粉, muk6 syu4 din6 fan2)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
½ lb.	250 g.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai1 bei2) or breast meat (雞胸肉, gai1 hung1 juk6), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Carrots (紅蘿蔔, hung4 lo4 baak6), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
2-3	2-3	Red potatoes (紅薯, hung4 syu4), halved and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
7.4 oz.	210 g.	One 15 oz. (425 g.) can unpeeled straw mushrooms (草菇, cou2 gu1), drained and cut in half
1	1	Onion (洋蔥, joeng4 cung1), quartered and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
½ cup	125 ml.	Fresh basil leaves (紫蘇, zi2 sou1)
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal
3	3	Red chili peppers (紅番椒, hung4 faan1 ziu1), cut into ¼-inch (7.5 mm.) pieces on the diagonal; optional and to taste
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

4 oz.	114 g	Maesri brand Green Curry Paste (咖哩醬, gaa3 lei1 zoeng3) or equivalent
14 oz.	400 ml.	Coconut milk (椰汁, je4 zap1)
2 oz.	57 ml.	Water to wash out the coconut milk can
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry

 

Equipment

6 qt.

5.7 L.

Dutch oven

 

Maesri Brand Green Curry Paste
(咖哩醬, gaa3 lei1 zoeng3)

Preparation Instructions

1. If using frozen prawn or shrimp, thaw in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Shell and devein the shrimp, and place the shrimp back into the covered container. Submerge the shrimp with water and some ice, and add the baking soda for 30 minutes. Discard the water and wash the baking soda from the shrimp.
2. Marinate the shrimp overnight with the ginger crushed in a garlic press, tapioca starch, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In the USA, the names prawn and shrimp are used interchangeably, with prawn usually meaning a large shrimp; either will work in this dish. Take the shrimp out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any bones, excess fat, and skin. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces. Wet with water and add baking soda to the chicken, allow to tenderize for 15 minutes, and then wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
4. Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
5. Wash and cut the carrots into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal. Make a diagonal cut, rotate the carrot ¼ turn, and make another diagonal cut. Repeat the process until the carrot is cut into pieces.
6. Wash and cut the red potatoes into halves, and then cut ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces from each half.
7. Remove the tough outer skin of the onion and cut into quarters. Cut 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces from each quarter.
8. Open and drain the can of unpeeled straw mushrooms, and cut each mushroom in half.
9. Wash and remove the leaves from the fresh basil stalks.
10. Remove any stems from the red chili peppers and cut into ¼-inch (7.5 mm.) pieces on the diagonal. The amount of red chili peppers to use in this dish depends upon personal taste and is optional, so feel free to reduce or increase the amount.
11. Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
12. Open the cans of the Maesri brand Green Curry Paste or equivalent, and the coconut milk.

Cooking Instructions

1. Add oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium- to medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the Maesri brand Green Curry Paste or equivalent to the Dutch oven and stir fry. Add the coconut milk to the Dutch oven, wash out the coconut milk can with water and Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, and add the liquid to the Dutch oven. Increase the heat to high, bringing the mixture in the Dutch oven to a boil. Don’t use too much liquid or it will dilute the curry-coconut mixture.
2. Add the chicken, straw mushrooms, carrot, and onion to the Dutch oven. When the mixture returns to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Uncover the Dutch oven, and add the basil, green onions, shrimp, red chili peppers, and red potato to the Dutch oven. Increase the heat to high to bring the mixture to a boil and cover before reducing the heat to low to simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Uncover the Dutch oven, turn off the heat, put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with steamed rice.