Chicken Curry with Papaya Coriander Salsa
  • Chef: Helen Tzouganatos 
  • Serves: 5-6
  • Time: 1 hour cooking + marination (if time allows, for a deeper flavour)

Ingredients:

Curry Paste

  • 1 lemongrass stick, bashed and finely sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, bashed
  • 1 small ginger knob, grated
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce

Chicken

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 1kg chicken skinless thighs, each thigh cut into 2 or 3 pieces
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 270ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp caster sugar

Papaya Coriander Salsa 

  • 1 cup papaya, peeled and diced
  • ½ red onion, finely diced
  • Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp mild red chilli, finely diced, optional 

Jasmine rice, to serve

Method:

To make the curry paste combine all ingredients in a food processor and blitz to form a paste. Marinate chicken in paste for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and cook chicken thighs in batches for a few minutes on each side to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and fry onions for a minute, scraping the bottom of the pan to capture any sticky bits. Add chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan again. Add coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime and sugar and stir to combine. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If sauce requires more thickening simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.

Combine papaya coriander salsa ingredients in a bowl. Serve chicken with rice and salsa.