January 12: Curried Chicken Day

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Kaeng Paa Kai (Jungle Curry w/Chicken)
Categories: Oriental, Chilies, Poultry, Herbs, Curry
Yield: 4 Servings

MMMMM------------------------CURRY PASTE-----------------------------
2 tb Takrai (lemon grass);
- bruised, thin sliced
3 tb Shallots; coarse chopped
2 tb Kratiem (garlic); chopped
1/4 c Kachai (lesser ginger);
- peeled, chopped
8 Prik chee fa daegn haeng
- (dried red Thai crushed
- jalapenos)
1 ts Green peppercorns
1 ts Kapi (fermented shrimp
- paste)
ds Fish sauce

MMMMM---------------------------CURRY--------------------------------
4 c Chicken; in 1" pieces
1/4 c Nam pla (fish sauce)
3 c Chicken stock or water
1/2 c Makhua pro (Thai eggplant)
1/4 c Prik che fa (Thai jalaenos);
- julienned
1/2 c Bai maenglak (kaffir lime
- leaves); shredded
+=OR=+
1 ts Lime zest

A recent trip to Bangkok resulted in our eating at a nice
little restaurant in a back alley near the airport. This
dish is quite common, but both my wife and I were taken by
the presentation described here (the rest of the recipe is
however my wife's).

Of course before you rush out to try this, I have to say
that you need a heavy, and very sharp knife - a machete or a
survivalist’s Bowie might be suitable - and a degree of
skill in its use if you are not to have a messy accident -
spilling the contents of the coconuts all over the kitchen
may well be the least of your problems. So of course I point
out that you can open the coconuts some other way, and serve
the dish in more conventional tableware!

Preparation:

First prepare the curry paste by grinding the ingredients to
a fine paste in a mortar and pestle or food processor.

Pierce the coconuts and drain the juice into a picher. Then
using a machete chop off the top of each coconut, just above
the mid-point, to leave four serving bowls.

Using a spoon scoop out the coconut 'meat' in leaf shaped
pieces with a spoon (or use a melon baller). Add about half
a cup of coconut to the juice for every two cups of juice,
and refrigerate.

Reserve half a cup of coconut meat, and reserve the rest to
make coconut milk for other recipes.

Heat a wok or large sautee pan over medium high heat, and
then add a little oil and stir fry the curry paste until
aromatic. add the chicken, and stir fry briefly and then add
the remaining ingredients, except the lime leaves and the
chicken stock, and stir fry until the chicken begins to
change colour. Add the stock, and cover, simmering until the
chicken and the eggplant is cooked through.

Now serve the curry in the four large coconut shell bowls,
garnished with the lime leaves, and accompanied by rice in
the tops of the coconut shells, bring the chilled coconut
nectar to the table as a refreshing cool drink, and don't
forget the usual condiments (nam pla prik (chilies in fish
sauce), dried ground chilies, and sugar).

Colonel Ian F. Khuntilanont-Philpott; Systems Engineering,
Vongchavalitkul University, Korat 30000, Thailand

NOTES:

Kachai is a relative of ginger, known as Lesser Ginger in
some parts of the world (though I am reminded that in other
places this appelation is used for galangal). For those of a
botanical bent its latin name is Kaempferia Panduratum.

The prik chee fa are a mild chile, about 6 centimetres long
and 1 cm thick. They are known as Thai jalapenos, and if
unavailable the Mexican variety could be substituted. If
dried red jalapenas are not available, deseed, and devein
fresh jalapenos, and use them instead.

Makheua pro are a Thai variety of eggplant, about the size
and shape of a green golfball. If unavailable you can use
normal aubergine, but will need to adjust the cooking time.

Bai maenglak is a sweet Thai basil. If unavailable normal
European basil may be used.

Recipe By: Colonel I.F.K. Philpott

From: http://www.recipesource.com

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