Thai Chicken and Noodle Curry

Thai Chicken and Noodle Curry

The secret ingredient here is the curry paste, originally from Malaysia and now popular all over northern Thailand. It keeps in the fridge for months, and once you have it, you can whip up this recipe any time. Use the larger amount if you like heat.

Ingredients
14 ounce wide dried rice noodles
2 TBS peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup minced shallots
8 ounces boned, skinned chicken breast, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 Lb sugar snap peas, strung
1/2 lb button mushrooms slices
1/8 lb baby carrots, cut in half, microwaved 1 minute
1 1/2 tablespoons panang curry paste, such as Mae Ploy brand*
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
Zest of one lime.
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
1 cup sliced green onions
1 cup cilantro leaves and small sprigs
1 cup Thai basil* leaves and small sprigs
1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside and add a little peanut oil to prevent sticking. Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Stir-fry snap peas, mushroom and carrots until slightly chared, about 2 min. Reomve from pan. Heat 1 tbs oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken, curry paste, and half the coconut milk. Stir well to dissolve paste and boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining coconut milk, chicken broth, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, and fish sauce, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly thicker, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Add noodlesand reserved vegebles, toss to coat, and cook a few minutes until hot, carefully stirring often. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, and basil. and stir. Pour mixture into a serving bowl. Serve with lime wedges.

*Find in grocery stores’ Asian foods aisle, at Asian markets, or on amazon.com. Use regular basil if Thai isn’t available