Thai Curried Noodles
Turmeric is the magic spice. I LOVE curries, and am constantly on the lookout for new curry variants that are available to me on a weeknight (because my classic Chicken Korma is a more extensive undertaking). This one makes a spicy, uniquely-flavored curry bowl owing to a few select ingredients. Recipe credit here goes to The Half Baked Harvest with a few slight modifications.
what you need
For the marinade:
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or ground)
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari
1 dollop of honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For the curry:
1 large chicken breast, cut into large chunks
1 package Thai vermicelli rice noodles
2 medium shallots, one sliced in half and one whole
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 bunches baby bok choy, each sliced in half and the interiors washed thoroughly
1/2 lime, juiced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium knob fresh ginger
1/4 fresh chopped cilantro or Thai basil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 16oz can coconut milk (I like to cut the coconut milk with about 1/2 cup cashew or other plant-based milk… cuts down on the fat content of the meal).
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 hot chili pepper, minced
For garnish:
thin red onion slices
fresh coriander or cilantro leaves
Roasted peanuts and/or sesame seeds
how to make it
Whisk all ingredients for marinade together and toss chicken chunks in the mixture. Let stand at least 1 hour.
Using a large cast iron pan or a Dutch oven, heat one tablespoon sesame oil over high heat.
Brown chicken on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate. Place the bok choy bunches and shallot sliced side down in the pan and let cook on high heat for two minutes (do not stir, move, or otherwise disrupt the tiny choy). Flip the boy choy and sliced shallot and cook the other side for an additional 1 minute. The choy should be a caramelized brown color. Remove the choy from the pan and set aside on a plate.
Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, submerge vermicelli noodles in water, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for five minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and place two twists of noodles into two bowls.
Add the remaining one tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Using a hand grater, grate the garlic cloves, the knob of fresh ginger, and the whole shallot over the pan (alternatively, you can mince these ahead of time). Add the fresh cilantro and the chili pepper, and sauté for about two minutes.
Add the tomato paste, turmeric, coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice to the pan and stir to combine. Slide the chicken back in the pan and simmer over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken, about five minutes. Then add bok choy and shallots, and simmer for an additional two minutes.
Remove from heat. Spoon curry over noodles in bowl. Top with a cilantro or Thai basil leaves, sliced red onion, and roasted peanuts and/or sesame seeds.
