This is the best curry I tried so far!
Trust me on that statement as this concoction is simply phenomenal, the mixture of fruity sweetness, tanginess, savoury and spiciness is a perfect harmony. This is not my creation but I tried to recreate a dish that we tried in a Thai restaurant in Takapuna called Tip Siam. One day we were looking for a place to eat and we decided to go to one of the famous Thai restaurant in Takapuna when we arrived it was closed but that was a blessing because if it was open then we would not discover this Thai restaurant called Tip Siam located several metres away from the restaurant that we are after. My wife chose this dish together with Pad Tou-Ngok which is a stir fried beefwith cashew nuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts, onions, capsicum and celery in oyster sauce and Gang Ka-Min Num-Peung which is a Chicken curry marinated with turmeric powder, potatoes, bananas, eggs and honey in coconut milk, I am glad about the choices as they are all fantastic, it is highly recommended! If you are in Auckland head over there and try it out.
Now that we had tried it, it’s time to recreate it at home basing only on the lingering taste we had on memory and the menu we found online. I am glad to say it tasted nearly similar, I am not sure if this are the exact ingredients and method though but based on my judges the wife and daughter it was bang on! Try this recipe and be my judge as well and tell me if this is the best curry you ever tried.
Ingredients
800g chicken breast, sliced
1 1/2 cups pineapple cubes
1 1/2 cups lychees, pitted
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large red capsicum, sliced
4 cups coconut cream
2-3 tbsp red curry paste (add more if you want it hotter)
2 shallots, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp brown sugar or sweetener of choice
fish sauce or sea salt
coconut oil
coriander
Method
1. In a large wok add coconut oil then sauté shallots.
2. Add red curry paste and stir fry until very fragrant.
3. Add chicken pieces and stir fry for 2 minutes.
4. Pour 3 cups of coconut cream bring it to a boil then simmer in medium to medium-high heat for 15 minutes, liquid should be reduced by half and thicker at this stage.
5. Add the remaining coconut cream, capsicum, pineapple, lychees and grapes simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Add cherry tomatoes then simmer for 2 more minutes.
7. Add sugar/sweetener if sweetness is not enough (the taste you are looking after is sweet, spicy and savoury) then season with fish sauce/sea salt.
8. Serve garnished with coriander.
What a beautifully complex flavoured curry – I love the idea of lychees in a curry – fabulous.
Mandy
Mike has been craving curry lately. He would really enjoy this. (As would the rest of us.) Love all the colors in the photo too.
What an amazing blend of flavors! Adding grapes to the curry certainly caught my attention! Delicious!
This looks delightful, Raymund! A must try indeed! And how artfully you were able to get all that lovely color to “show off” for your photo.
This I have to recreate out of sheer curiosity! Have never had three different fruits in a curry and cooked few Thai inspired chicken curries the ‘red’ way! Looks great, amd looking forward to tasting!!
WOW! What a combination of textures and flavors! I’ve never seen a curry even close this! Gorgeous and curiously delicious!
It’s chilly here this morning and I love a good curry!! I’ve never been very successful making them, they never seem to “hit the mark” like those in a restaurant. I’ll have to try this recipe. Is there a substitute for Lychee?? I’m not sure I could find these here.
Longan or Rambutan are good substitutes
Thanks!!
What a gorgeous curry!! I can already feel the texture….and the flavors jumping right out. Awesome awesome recipe. I MUST try this. Bookmarking.
Wonderful flavors! If this is the best you’ve had, I have to try it – what an endorsement! Thanks for this.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe Raymund
do you think it will work without the lychees? or what would be a good replacement?
YUM! Chicken curry with lychees – what an interesting combo! Though I can tell that this totally works! Amazing stuff!
Pingback: Chicken, Banana, Egg and Honey Curry « Ang Sarap (A Tagalog word for "It's Delicious")
This sounds way too sweet for me, but the tangy lychee aspect might make it worth it. Even though this wouldn’t be considered Filipino food, are grapes used that much in recipes in any part of the Philippines?
That was my first impression as well when I saw this dish but when I tried it, it was different the flavours blend well in a true Thai sense, savoury, hot, sour and hints of sweetness. While we do not use grapes in Filipino cooking we use a llot of raisins.
If you’re this excited then I definitely have to try it! I don’t know where I could get lychees though, I’ll have to check out the Asian market. Putting it on my list.