泰式咖喱雞 Thai Style Chicken Curry

不知你們會不會有這樣的感覺。有些時候，心裏想要吃某些食物，就不能被其他東西取代。

I don't know if you have these kind of feelings: sometimes when you want to eat a certain type of food, it can't be replaced by anything else.

這幾天氣候反覆變幻，驟風驟雨。奧運結束之後，像是把維持了兩星期的美麗陽光都要一併帶走！

The weather for the last few days had been so unpredictable; wet and windy.  When the Olympics ended, they seemed to have taken the two weeks of beautiful sunshine with them!

在冷濕的這一個八月天，我只想煮一大鍋咖喱，煲一大鍋飯；讓每人盛滿一碟，吃過痛快！

On such a wet and cold August day, I only wanted to make a big pan of curry, cook a big pan of rice; and just let everybody help themselves to a big plateful of dinner, and enjoy it happily! 

我最愛吃咖喱，任何國藉的咖喱都愛。但有一個很大的問題，一開始了就不容易停止。

I love eating curry, doesn't matter if it's a recipe from any country. But I have a downfall: once I start, I can't stop!

餐館的咖喱很多時油份和辛辣程度都太高。年齡漸長，我已很少在外面點的了。要吃的話就在家中自己動手。

Curry dishes in restaurants are often rather oily and spicy. As I get older, I don't order it as much when we dine out.  If I want to have curry, I will make it at home. 

傳統的泰式咖喱通常有三款：紅、綠和黄。所用的材料大致相同，除了不同的咖喱會用上不同顏色的辣椒。隨著時代的轉變，廚師們已陸續介入新或不同的香料或食材，以令每款更具個別的特色和口味。

Traditionally, all Thai curries are made with the same ingredients except for one thing, the chillies.  However, as time went by, other ingredients were added to enhance these curries, making them more distinctive.

今天我要做的是黄咖哩。主要用的香料有三種：黄薑粉 Turmeric,  紅椒粉 Paprika 和 孜然粉 Ground Cumin。 自製咖哩種，只要配上新鮮的蔬菜肉類，一小時之內，一大鍋香噴噴的泰式黄咖哩便可上桌。

This time, I made the Yellow curry.  The main spices are : Turmeric, Paprika and Ground Cumin, just use a food processor or blender to make your own curry paste. With added fresh vegetables and meat, you can have this curry whipped up and serve within an hour.

泰式咖喱雞

( 4 人用 )

材料：

• 雞 1 隻 3 - 4 lb 或雞腿 4 隻，去皮斬件 ( 喜歡的話，可以去骨，切成大塊的雞柳 )。
• Squash 半條, 或同份量任何品種的南瓜 pumpkins 也可以，切大塊
• 小胡瓜 2 條切大角
• 紅蘿蔔 4 條切大段
• 油 1 茶匙
• 椰奶 1 罐
• 魚露 2 湯匙
• 九層塔 1 大把切碎
• 上湯 2 杯 ( 或用上湯塊 stock cube 跟指示開水 )
• 鹽、糖各一茶匙或適量作調味
• 生粉 ( 太白粉 ) 1 湯匙開水備用

咖喱種：

• 小紅辣椒 2 隻切粒 ( 或乾辣椒籽 1 湯匙 )
• 紅洋葱 1 隻切角
• 蒜頭 4 粒去衣拍平
• 香茅 3 枝除去硬皮切小段和用刀背把底段剁平
• 青檸一隻去皮切四角
• 油 1 湯匙
• 黄薑粉 Turmeric 2 茶匙
• 紅椒粉 2 茶匙
• 孜然粉 Ground Cumin 2 茶匙

做法：

1. 先做咖喱種。把所有材料除了三種香粉末外，放進攪拌機內打成醬狀；取出撥進碗內，加入三種香粉拌勻備用。
2. 燒紅大鑄鐵鍋或陶鍋，下油，放入雞塊炒香，下咖喱種兜約數分鐘。注入上湯煮沸蓋鍋然後轉小火煮 20 分鐘 。加入蔬菜和椰奶，大火煮沸後轉小火，蓋鍋煮 20 分鐘左右至雞肉和蔬菜都稔。
3. 下鹽、糖試味，酌量加入生粉水 ( 太白粉水 ) 把咖喱汁煮沸至稀濃合度，收火。洒進九層塔拌勻上桌。 

Thai Style Chicken Curry

( for 4 person )

Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 lb chicken or 4 chicken legs, skinned (or boned if preferred ), chopped into big pieces.
• Half of a squash or equal amount of any type of pumpkins, cut into big chunks.
• 2 courgette cut into big chunks
• 4 carrots cut into big chunks
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• A big bunch Basil 
• 2 cup stock ( or use stock cube to make up )
• 1 teaspoon salt , sugar to taste
• 1 tablespoon corn flour mix with water to use later

Curry Paste:

• 2 small red chillies sliced ( or 1 tablespoon dried chili flakes )
• 1 red onion peeled and chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
• 3 lemongrass peeled, chopped and crushed
• 1 lime peeled and quartered
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 2 teaspoon Paprika
• 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin

Directions:

1. First make the paste. Apart from the three type of spice powders, blend or process all ingredients to form a thick paste consistency. Empty into a bowl, mix with the spice powders and leave to one side.
2. Heat oil in pan, place chicken pieces in to stir - fry till slightly golden, add the curry paste and fry                                       for a few minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 20minutes. Put all the vegetables with the coconut milk in pan, bring back to boil, cover and simmer for further 20 minutes till the meat and vegetables are tender.
3. Seasoned with salt and sugar, stir in the corn flour water mixture to thicken the curry sauce, bring to the boil, stir in the chopped Basil leaves / Corianders then serve.

小小心得：

• 咖喱種可以數天前預做。
• 咖喱雞可以一天前做起，放涼後置冰箱內。

Little tip:

• Curry paste can be made a few days ahead
• Chicken curry can be made a day ahead, keep in the fridge when cooled.

做一鍋少油少鹽，辣道可隨意加減，健康美味的咖喱餐，用了不到一個鐘的時間。讓家人吃得痛快開懷，真是很開心的事。

To make such a big pan of curry for your family, with little added salt and oil,  so healthy and delicious, and it only took under an hours time. Seeing everybody enjoying the hearty meal, is very rewarding.