This easy curry recipe is a great way to use leftover roasted chicken, turkey, or duck, and it only takes 1/2 an hour to make (including cooking time)! Add your own selection of vegetables - whatever is fresh and in season - such as sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and yams or sweet potatoes. Makes a healthy one-pot dinner for everyday weekday meals, but can also be served at a party or potluck where its fragrance and color will be sure to steal the show.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3-4 portions of leftover roasted chicken or duck (to serve 3-4 people)
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 sweet red pepper, or 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green or yellow bell pepper
- 10-15 cherry tomatoes left whole (or 3-4 regular tomatoes, sliced)
- Optional: 1 small Japanese eggplant, sliced
- Optional: 1 cup sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
- approximately 1 cup fresh sweet basil
- CURRY PASTE:
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass (see instructions below) or 2 Tbsp. prepared lemongrass (buy it frozen at Asian grocers)
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced
- 1-2 red chillies, minced (OR 2 tsp. Thai red chilli sauce, OR 1-2 tsp. chilli flakes)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian food stores)
- 1 Tbsp. ground coriander (grind coriander seeds yourself in a coffee grinder for the freshest taste)
- 2 Tbsp. chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric
- 1 cup fresh coriander, including the stems
- 1 to 1 1/2 cans coconut milk
Preparation:
- For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass: Your Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with Lemongrass.
- Place all curry paste ingredients in a food processor together with 1/2 can of the coconut milk. Process well.
- Add another 1/2 can of coconut milk and process to make the curry sauce.
- Pour curry sauce into a cassarole dish. Add the roasted poultry plus the lime leaves and vegetables. Also add leftover lemongrass stalk. Stir well. (Note: If you'd like more sauce, add up to 1/2 can more coconut milk.)
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the curry is bubbling and vegetables are cooked.
- Remove from oven and do a taste test. If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce. If too salty, add 1-2 Tbsp. lime juice. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk (or a few Tbsp. yogurt). If not spicy enough, add more fresh or dried chilli OR chilli sauce.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve with Thai jasmine-scented rice.
