Simple Chicken Curry with Pineapple and Lychee Recipe

Koh Samui Press Trip Part 5

Michael Taylor asks for the recipe of a yummy dish he tries at a hotel he stays at in Koh Samui. He tries making it for friends at home. Will it taste as good at home as it did in the restaurant?

While staying at the Ozo Chaweng Samui in Koh Samui, Michael Taylor particularly likes one of the dishes – Duck with Pineapple and Lychee Curry. He asks for the recipe and tries making it at home.

Following our arrival at Koh Samui International Airport, we are driven to Ozo Chaweng Samui, where signature cocktails and a yummy welcome dinner await.

I particularly like the Duck with Pineapple and Lychee Curry so I ask for the recipe – modified for home cooks (in other words using volume rather than weight measurements) so I can try making it at home.

Duck is not readily available where I live so I decide to substitute chicken. I’m sure the recipe would work equally well with beef, pork, fish, or prawns.

I can’t find Aromat at the market so I substitute corn starch. I also substitute mixed red rice for jasmine white rice.

Western foodies that have never been to Thailand might be surprised to learn this, but most Thais don’t like red rice. They consider it to be animal feed, preferring white rice for themselves – and red rice for their farm animals.

Since the recipe makes enough for 4 people, I invite 3 friends over for lunch. I am also hoping to get their feedback.

One final word: this is a SWEET curry and not a HOT curry. It is fruity and light – more like the curries of Cambodia and Nepal than the fiery curries of India.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 – 2 tablespoons of red curry paste;
• 2 cups of salt-reduced chicken stock;
• Slightly more than 1 cup of coconut cream;
• 1 small red pepper, seeded, and roughly chopped;
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4 of an inch pieces;
• 1/2 cup fresh or canned lychees, cut in half;
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes;
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce;
• 2 tablespoons white sugar;
• 1 teaspoon Aromat powder;
• 2 teaspoons of lime juice;
• 4 duck (or chicken) breasts trimmed
• 2 tablespoons whole sweet basil leaves.

METHOD

1. Heat a little oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the chicken stock and coconut cream.
4. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
5. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the pineapple, cherry tomatoes, and lychees and cook, stiring, for 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside and cover.
7. Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
8. Cook the duck or chicken breasts in batches, if necessary, for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked to your liking.
9. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel and let cool for a few moments
10. Thickly slice the duck or chicken.
11. Stir lime juice through red curry mxiture and divide among serving bowls.
12. Top with duck or chicken and sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve immediately.

 

RESULTS

I was a bit conservative with the curry paste and the fish sauce. The next time I try making this dish, I’ll put in the full amount (in other words, when the recipe calls for 1 – 2 tablespoons of red curry paste, I’ll put in 2 tablespoons.

I put in 1 and 1/2 tablespoons, and everyone agrees that it should be a bit spicier. I think I would also throw in 2 or 3 more chillies, and I wouldn’t bother removing the seeds.

This dish is easy to prepare. I think that a well organized cook could, in fact, cook the chicken or duck and the sauce at the same time on different burners,

Over all, the results are quite tasty, and everyone seems to enjoy it. The recipe produces a great deal of sauce. It almost seems like a soup. It goes very nicely with the rice.

I have enough left-over sauce, in fact, to make another meal for myself tonight. I’m eager to try making it with a different kind of meat.

This conclude a 5 part series.

Where

Ozo Chaweng Samui, Chaweng Beach, Bophut, Koh Samui, Surathani, Thailand. Telephone: +66 (0) 7733 4300. Website: Ozo Chaweng Samui

The hotel is located on Chaweng Beach. It is a 15 minute drive from Samui International Airport.

There are numerous other hotels, food and beverage outlets, day spas, souvenir shops, and boutiques within walking distance of the hotel. A couple of convenience stores are located right across the street.