Coconut-chicken curry

This coconut chicken curry recipe is great for a quick mid-week dinner. If you like your curry on the milder side, add a little less red curry paste. Other popular incarnations of this dish include Burmese chicken curry; Vietnamese chicken curry; and Sri Lankan chicken curry. For similar meal ideas, browse our curry recipes.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 750 g chicken thigh fillets 
• 1 onion, sliced into thin wedges 
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• 2 tbsp red curry paste 
• 1 small chilli (red or green)
• 400 ml can coconut milk 
• ½ cup chopped basil leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves 
• ½ lime, juiced 
• steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• coriander sprigs, to serve
• lime wedges, to serve

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally, for 3–4 minutes or until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. 

Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining oil to wok. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 3–4 minutes. Add turmeric, curry paste and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Stir in coconut milk and basil. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stir in coriander and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Spoon the curry over rice and top with coriander sprigs. Serve with lime wedges.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.