One of the best curries I have ever had is at Chow restaurant, in Wellington. It is a yellow curry and the flavours are absolutely to die for. So I could not believe my luck the day that Stuff posted Chow’s Yellow Curry recipe on its website, in a column where you can request a recipe from a particular restaurant to be posted (and cross your fingers that the restaurant is willing). Let the fun begin! To note: it is necessary to prepare the chicken in its marinade either the night before (preferable) or the morning of.

Collect for the Chicken Marinade – prepare the night before

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 t five spice
• 1 T oyster sauce
• salt and pepper
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 T oil

Collect for the Yellow Curry Paste

• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced (or 2 – 3 T);
• 2 chillis, ribbed and deseeded
• 1 shallots
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, grated
• 4 garlic
• 2 t coriander seeds
• 2 t cumin seeds
• 1 t cinnamon
• 2 t fish sauce
• 1 t turmeric
• pepper
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 T tomato puree

Collect for the Curry

• 2 T canola oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 425 ml coconut cream
• 2 T yellow curry paste (I usually use half from the recipe above and then freeze the other half for next time)
• 1 t turmeric
• 2 T brown sugar
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 1 T fish sauce
• 2.5 c vegetables (Chow uses cherry tomatoes, peas and beans, but I tend to use whatever I have available including carrot, capsicum, broccoli and potato)
• Coriander, for garnish
  

Create

1. Marinate the chicken 6 – 12 hours before cooking it.
2. Cook the chicken separately to everything else so as to lock in that flavour.
3. In a large pan, heat oil, add shallots and cook until golden brown.
4. Add half the coconut cream and cook on high.
5. Lower the heat and add the curry paste followed by the brown sugar and cook until caramelised.
6. Next stir in the fish sauce and turmeric.
7. Pour in rest of coconut cream and bring to the boil.
8. Add chicken stock and boil for two minutes.
9. Reduce heat, add veges and chicken – simmer until the veges are cooked through.
10. Serve with rice and garnish with coriander.