To celebrate the Thai New Year we have come across a super recipe that is not just pleasing on the eye, but also pleasing in the mouth.
Celebrating the New Year in Thailand is a major event…so much so it takes 3 days! The Songkran festival this year will take place from April 13th-15th. The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. The morning begins with merit-making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks are commonly practiced; however, on this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues is considered an iconic ritual for this holiday – it represents purification and the washing away all of their sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return homes to their loved ones and elder family members. As a way to show respect, younger people often practice water pouring over the palms of elders’ hands. On the same occasion, paying reverence to ancestors is also an important part of Songkran tradition.
Water does feature heavily in the traditions, and the holiday is known for its iconic water festival which is mostly celebrated by young people. Major streets are closed for traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young or old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other. More importantly, traditional parades are held, where cars are decorated with traditional ornaments, and people are clothed in traditional Thai dress.
The event attracts an huge amount of visitors, but if that’s not really an option here is a delicious recipe for a Thai Yellow Curry that is served in coconut bowls.
The tastebud satisfying complexity of the Thai curry isn’t in fact complex at all. In fact the hardest part of this recipe might well be creating your coconut bowl – a saw or extremely sharp knife is required.
Thai Yellow Curry in Coconut Bowls Recipe
Prep time: 10 mins / Cook time: 20 mins / Total time: 30 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 3 Tbsp Yellow Thai Curry Paste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 100g Red Bell Pepper
• 80g Green Beans, ends trimmed and cut into small bite-sized pieces
• Med sized potato (200g), peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 500g Chicken thighs, cut into small chunks
• 400ml Coconut milk
• 8 - 12 cherry tomatoes
• 150 g pineapple, cut into small cubes
• Thai Basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Set a large pan or wok over medium/ high heat. Add the curry paste a cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, until the paste begins to sizzle and becomes fragrant.
2. Add the onions and cook for another minute. Stir in the coconut milk until well combined.
3. Add the bell pepper, green beans, potato, green beans and chicken. Bring to the boil.
4. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Stir through the pineapple and tomatoes and serve with rice.
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