This delicious Thai Yellow Curry Chicken with squash is heavenly comfort food. Aromatic, a little exotic, and not too spicy.
With summer almost over, comfort food becomes the name of the game. This Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with squash has it all:
- warm, savory, saucy curry goodness
- a little exotic Thai coconut flavor
- + seasonal yummy squash!
I love how simple Thai curries are to prepare since they are usually based on a curry paste that you can purchase pre-made. While Indian curries with long ingredient lists seem really overwhelming to me.
Of the colored-coded curry pastes (red, yellow, green), yellow curry paste is the mildest. Paired with coconut milk, it nicely balances the chili heat without being too spicy.
Spicy Levels - What Spice Do You Like?
I've been trying to increase my tolerance for Thai spicy food while we are located here in Chiang Mai. But unfortunately, I still end up with dishes that seem to burn out my tongue and whole mouth. So after a few bites, I can't even taste anything but chili heat anymore.
This recipe for Thai Yellow Curry Chicken with squash is NOT like that. The spice level is there, but much milder. Again, the benefit of curry paste is that you can easily use more or less of it according to your tolerance.
Also, squash!! The most common squash variety here in Thailand and all over Southeast Asia is kabocha squash. They actually refer to is as pumpkin. I love how sweet and tender the squash becomes after simmering in the curry broth. Sometimes the flavor actually reminds me of sweet potato.
Add Fish Sauce as the Secret Ingredient
After I finished cooking this delicious recipe, I checked the back of my yellow curry paste package. I realized that their recommended instructions for making yellow curry was super similar to the recipe I had just come up with.
With one exception. As final step they recommend to add fish sauce to taste. I tried it out by drizzling a little over just my serving of the curry. And WOW!! That final step takes the curry from great to awesome! I can't recommend it enough.
Fish sauce adds a salty, savory flavor component that just takes this Thai Yellow Curry Chicken dish over the top! Enjoy!
Recipe
Thai Yellow Coconut Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
Ingredients
- 1 onion large + chopped
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons yellow curry paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can coconut milk
- 5 cups kabocha squash ~1.3 lbs cubed (acorn squash or the like works too)
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the oil on medium and lightly brown the chopped onion. Add curry paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and brown for about 3 minutes, before adding chicken broth and coconut milk to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover to simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Once the chicken is soft and tender, add the squash and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. The squash should be just tender and not too mushy. Stir in fish sauce to taste.
- Serve with rice.
Nutrition
Pin Thai Yellow Coconut Curry recipe for later?
Other Thai Recipes
Check out these other delectable Thai dishes!
- Breakfast Buddha Bowl - Thai Style
- Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
- Thai Spaghetti Squash with Peanut Sauce
- Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
- Thai Peanut Curry
Random Questions
The secret lies in balancing the curry paste to suit your spice tolerance. Additionally, adding fish sauce at the end enhances the flavors, providing a savory and salty taste that takes the dish to the next level.
Thai yellow curry gets its vibrant yellow hue from the use of turmeric in the curry paste. This mild curry paste, paired with creamy coconut milk, creates a flavorful and visually appealing dish.
Thai yellow curry pairs excellently with a variety of sides, such as steamed jasmine rice, naan bread, or even quinoa. The mellow flavors of the curry complement the nuttiness of these accompaniments, creating a satisfying meal.
Thai yellow curry can be a healthy option, especially when incorporating nutritious ingredients like squash and lean proteins. Using moderate amounts of coconut milk and watching the portion sizes can make it a balanced and flavorful dish.
Vicky
Loooove thai curries! Red is my favorite. The level of spice that Thais can handle is insane! I remember when I was taking a series of cooking classes on Koh Lanta the intrusctor was showing us how much spice her 5 year old can handle -- pretty much a standard Westerners level of spice and what she can handle - an entire handful of Thai chilis in her papaya salad. So crazy. She was explaining that they build up the spice level from childhood and increase the number of chilis until the kids get used to it. Love a good yellow curry too : ))
Regina
What a great story! Yeah, Olivia eats pretty much the same spice level as me already 🙂 I guess I am a wimp but I love curry soo! Slowly I'll get there 🙂
anna riemer
das sieht sehr gut aus.
Regina
Danke Mama 🙂