A 6-ingredient Thai Autumn Curry Recipe I’ve been waiting for

I enjoy cooking with seasonal produce because it tastes the best when you need. Squash is one of my favorite vegetables (or fruit?) I like to eat in Fall, and I come up with Chicken Yellow Curry With Kabocha Squash as a quick, easy and tasty recipe.

Kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkins is a winter squash growing in Fall season when the temperature starts cooling down. It has a buttery feeling, natural sweetness, and a hint of unexplainable sourness.

And that’s why I want it in my yellow curry and it blends perfectly well.

The simplicity is king. I only gather 6 ingredients and create a plate of curry within a half an hour.

Let’s see what 6 matters I use:

1.Kabocha Squash

Between September to November, I can’t resist myself not to look for a winter squash to cook and eat,  and there’re many of them!

Unlike, any other squashes, I choose Kabocha Squash because of its texture and taste. The buttery feel is melting in the curry along with the sweetness and a bit of sourness.

2.Coconut Cream

As I explain how to cook a coconut-based curry in my ebook on Thai cooking 101 page, coconut milk(cream) can be cracked to separation. And, when it’s separated, it creates an extra smooth texture and the flavor from the spices is enhanced.

Using the head of the coconut cream blending with the yellow curry paste first is making the curry thick, smooth, and flavorful

I’ve been using a couple of coconut milk brands over the past 10 years both in my kitchen and restaurants; Mae Ploy and Chaokoh. They’re working excellent on making curry and dessert but I give it a try with Aroy-D brand.

 

All of the coconut milk and cream of Aroy-D have 100% coconut milk, no water added, and the smell is sooo real. Also, it comes with a choice of cream and milk. Now, I literally prefer Aroy-D over those brands I’ve used.

Download the ebook to see how to work with coconut milk here.

After that, add chicken and the rest of coconut cream and let it cooked.

3.Yellow Curry Paste

I used to pound myself spices into a chili paste when I lived in a countryside of Thailand. You need to have a free 2-3 hours prior to even get to cook.

The result of pounding it yourself is outstanding, and you will smell the freshly crushed herbs and aromatic spices.

However, when you don’t stay in South-East Asia where the plants grow well and fresh and you will need to get frozen herbs and imported spices from a local grocery, you end up wasting time pounding them.

So, I rather purchase a premade package and I know I need to face some preservatives and uncontrollable flavors, but well, it’s all right.

“Namprik Mae Anong” is one of the import brands I choose. It has an authentic flavor and less on MSG. The paste is unsalted and I think it’s good. That’s why I choose this over other brands.

 

You can also check out: Mae Ploy, Maesri, Geo organic, Lobo, and Roi Thai. These are the competitors amongst Thai chili paste and they work well enough on making curries.

4.Chicken Thigh

There are no restrictions on selecting a choice of protein. I prefer chicken thighs because it’s easy to digest, no need to prepare, and it absorbs the flavor so well when you simmer in spicy coconut cream.

5.Fish Sauce

In the recipe, I don’t care much about fish sauce selection because the “Mae Anong yellow curry paste carries 50% of the salty part. I add 3 tbsp fish sauce to balance out the flavors.

6.Brown Sugar

Brown sugar does a powerful job of balancing the 3-flavor dish. It has a savory taste behind the sweetness. But, if you prefer, you can use any sweetener such as granulated sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, or honey.

Secret Ingredient

I add tamarind paste just a teaspoon to create a bit of sourness. It’s optional because your squash might have more own sourness or less.

However, if you can’t find a tamarind paste, just skip it; don’t use any other juices or vinegar.

Follow the recipe card below. Print it out or share it if you’d like 😉