Ben’s Home Cooking - Thailand Menu

Thailand Menu

Burmese Chicken Curry

Okay, so this isn’t a Thai recipe; however, this Web site doesn’t have a Burma section, and Burmese food uses the same set of ingredients as Thai food. You will also need some medium-hot red pepper, such as degi mirch from India or hot paprika.

Even though there is common agreement on what spices to put in Burmese curry, I have encountered differing opinions on how the ingredients should be prepared. Charmaine Solomon, author of The Complete Asian Cookbook says the onion and spices should be puréed or pounded into a paste, and sautéed before adding the meat or seafood. Most authorities say that the onion, garlic, and ginger should be finely minced, then mixed with the other seasonings. This mixture is then rubbed into the meat or seafood and allowed to marinate. This recipe describes the Charmaine Solomon method.

1 large Red Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped peeled Ginger
1 teaspoon Thai Shrimp Paste
1 teaspoon Turmeric
½ teaspoon Degi Mirch or Hot Paprika
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Black Sesame Oil
1 Chicken or 2 pounds whole cleaned Catfish

Put the onion, garlic, ginger, and shrimp paste in a blender and purée until smooth. You will have to stop the blender from time to time and push the ingredients down the side of the jar. Empty the paste into a small bowl and stir in the turmeric and degi mirch.

Heat the vegetable oil and black sesame oil in a wok until very hot. Stir in the curry paste you just made. Be careful, because the hot oil will spatter when you do this, and droplets of it could get on your hand and burn you. Stir the curry paste frequently and keep the heat adjusted so that it doesn’t scorch. Keep it covered while not stirring. Cook until the curry paste turns red and the oil separates from it.

Cut the chicken or catfish up into small pieces that the spices can easily penetrate. For chicken, separate drumsticks and thighs and cut each thigh in half. Also cut each breast piece in two. This mean cutting through bone. If you don’t have a huge meat cleaver, you can ask your butcher to do this for you. For catfish, cut crosswise into ½ inch thick steaks.

Put the chicken or catfish in the wok and stir well to coat with curry paste. Set the heat at medium-low and allow the flesh to cook. The chicken will take about 30 minutes, and the catfish will take about 10 minutes. The flesh will release some moisture while it’s cooking, so by the time it’s done you will have some sauce.

Burma is truly cosmopolitan in its cuisine, having been a major hub on the Silk Road. Serve this curry with Jasmine rice from Thailand or Basmati rice from India. Either one would be authentic, because Burma is about halfway between these two countries. Serve with Condiment for Rice, the second item on the Thailand Menu.