Description
Thai Jungle Curry with Chicken is a fiery, coconut-free Thai curry packed with herbs, vegetables, and bold spices. This authentic recipe highlights the rustic flavors of northern Thailand and is perfect with jasmine rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–5 tablespoon red curry paste
- 3–5 green Thai chilies, or as many as you can take
- 2 tablespoon fingerroot (grachai), chopped
- 2 tablespoon lemongrass, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 12 oz boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into strips
- 2½ cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1–2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped palm sugar
- 4.2 oz long beans, 2-inch pieces
- 8 baby corn, bite-sized pieces
- 4 Thai eggplant, cut into 4 or 6 wedges
- 2 stems young green peppercorns (optional)
- ¼ cup julienned fingerroot (grachai, optional)
- 4–5 makrut lime leaves
- 2 spur chilies, julienned
- 1 cup holy basil leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoon toasted rice powder
- 0.7 oz mild dried chilies (guajillo or puya)
- 3–5 green Thai chilies
- 1 teaspoon coarse grain salt
- ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon galangal, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fingerroot (grachai), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon makrut lime zest, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cilantro roots or stems, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (gapi)
Instructions
- If making quick-fix paste: deseed chilies if desired and pound them in a mortar until fine. Add grachai and lemongrass, pounding into a paste. Mix in red curry paste.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the curry paste and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add chicken strips and stir to coat in the paste.
- Pour in chicken stock, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add long beans, baby corn, eggplant, peppercorns, grachai, and lime leaves. Simmer until vegetables are just tender.
- Turn off heat. Stir in spur chilies, holy basil, and toasted rice powder. Residual heat will wilt the basil.
- Adjust seasoning with more fish sauce if needed. Serve hot with jasmine rice.
- If making paste from scratch: grind dried chilies into powder. In a mortar, pound green chilies, salt, and peppercorns into a fine paste.
- Add lemongrass, galangal, grachai, lime zest, and cilantro roots. Pound smooth.
- Mix in ground dried chilies, then add shallots and garlic. Pound to paste.
- Finally, mix in shrimp paste until well combined.
Notes
- Adjust the number of chilies based on spice tolerance.
- Chicken thighs are preferred for tenderness; chicken breast can dry out.
- Young peppercorns and fingerroot are optional but add authentic flavor.
- Toasted rice powder adds a nutty aroma—don’t skip it if possible.
- The curry paste can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (with rice)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 880mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
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