Assam Chicken Curry
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
2 ½ serves per portion
Recipe courtesy of the Country Kitchens team
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, mashed
- 500 g chicken thigh, sliced into 2 cm strips
- 50 g of tamarind paste
- 2 chicken stock cubes, reduced salt
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup pineapple, diced, fresh or tinned
- 4 tomatoes, quartered
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 cup green beans, halved
Spice paste:
- 3 red chillies, deseeded
- 10 shallots, peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 cm knob of turmeric, sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
Method:
- MAKE a spice paste by grinding all the spice mix ingredients in a mortar and pestle or a high-speed blender. Set aside.
- HEAT oil in a large saucepan. Fry lemongrass for 10-20 seconds then add the spice paste. Fry over medium-low heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- ADD chicken slices to the saucepan and cook to seal.
- MEANWHILE mix the tamarind paste and stock cube with the water.
- POUR the tamarind mixture over the sealed chicken and bring to the boil.
- ADD pineapple, tomato, carrot and green beans and cook until chicken is cooked through and the green beans are tender (5-6 minutes).
- SERVE with rice.
What's Great About It:
Assam curry has a signature sour and spicy flavour. Tamarind and tomato contribute the sourness, while pineapple adds some sweetness back into the dish. If you are sensitive to spicy food, try halving the amount of chilli used in the spice paste. This curry is most popular to have with fish. If you would like to substitute the chicken for fish, add the fish in at the same time as you add the pineapple and vegetables.
