These are the ingredients I like to use. Aroy-D coconut milk is always good quality and has tons of cream in it giving your curries and soups richness. The curry pastes shown are the best options in my city. I've tried others and have often been disappointed, especially A Taste of Thai in a small jar. Don't do it, it doesn't have the concentrated flavours and is disappointing. There are some I have tried in small "cat food like" cans and they have actually been quite good. This recipe calls for a lot of paste and therefore the paste can make or break the dish. |

4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 package of red curry paste (100g or 3.5 oz)
2 cans of coconut milk
3 cups of chicken broth
2 tbsp of yellow curry powder
1 tbsp of fish sauce
1 tbsp of brown sugar
2 tbsp of oil
400g pack of rice noodles (medium size - phat thai noodles)
sliced shallots
lime wedges
chopped cilantro
oil for frying
Begin by cooking the noodles according to the instructions on the package. After straining them, rinse them with cold water to ensure the cooking has stopped. Remove a handful of them and spread them out on a clean tea towel to dry. Heat a few inches of oil in a pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the noodles that have been dried on the tea towel. Make sure there is no water on them as it will splatter when put in the oil. Cook the noodles until golden brown, turning when necessary. Remove from the oil and place on paper towel.
In a large pan, over medium heat, add the 2 tbsp of oil. Allow this to get hot, then add the full package of red curry paste. Mix this well, and allow it to cook for 3 minutes or so. Watch the temp so that the paste doesn't burn. Add the yellow curry powder. Mix this well and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cook for 5 - 7 minutes, then add the cans of coconut milk. Let cook for a few minutes and add the chicken broth. Turn the heat down and let this simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste test.
To assemble, grab some large soup bowls. Place about a cup of noodles in each bowl. If they are all stuck together, just rinse them in a little water. Pour the chicken curry over the noodles and then top with crispy noodles, sliced shallots, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Make sure to wear a bib, it gets messy.