Yellow Curry

When we know we’ve got a crowd to feed, this yellow curry is one of our go-to recipes.

Last year we cooked at a campout for almost 200 people and had made a bunch of curry paste in advance. On the long drive to the campsite, I realized I forgot to pack the curry paste! Initially I panicked, but Mai-Yan calmed me down and reminded me we could just buy some. We used store-bought curry paste, and it turned out great.

I still prefer making curry paste myself (using this recipe), but for a really easy version, the store-bought stuff is fantastic. It can be difficult to find, but a good Asian market usually will stock it. If all else fails, you can find it online. The brand we like is Mae Ploy. It doesn’t have any funny ingredients, and is seafood-free.

My kids love this, especially with toppings. They like it topped with peanuts and fried shallots. I like to add cilantro and hot sauce as well. You can find fried shallots at your Asian market, online, or get real fancy and fry them yourself.

When you’re cooking this, start with just two tablespoons of curry paste, and add more later, to taste. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out!

Yellow Curry

Yield

6 servings

Prep Time / Cook Time

10 minutes / 20-30 minutes

Activity Guide

Car Camping

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or extra-firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2-6 tablespoons yellow curry paste
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 3/4-inch slices
• 13.5 ounce can coconut cream
• 1 cup peas
• water, to thin the curry sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
• rice for serving

Tools

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Large pot
• Stove

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they’re softened and lightly browned.
2. Add the chicken (if you’re using tofu, don’t add it yet so that it doesn’t crumble), potatoes, carrots and 2 tablespoons of the curry paste. Stir until the curry paste evenly coats all the ingredients.
3. Add the coconut cream and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine and then simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken and veggies are cooked through.
4.  If you’re using tofu, add it now. Stir in the peas and brown sugar. Cook for another 5 minutes, until everything is heated through. Taste and add additional curry paste if desired.