Thai Yellow Curry (Kaeng Ka Ri)

🧾 Ingredients

Protein — pick one:

• 250 g chicken (sliced thin or bite-size)

• 250 g firm or extra-firm tofu

• 50 g yellow curry paste

• 1 tbsp neutral oil

• 240 ml coconut milk (1 small can)

• 1 cup water (240 ml) or milk

• 1–2 potatoes (peeled, cut into chunks)

• 1 onion (cut into wedges or slices)

• 1–2 tbsp fish sauce (to taste)

Optional (recommended):

• 1–2 tsp sugar or palm sugar
• handful Thai basil or cilantro (garnish)
• sliced red chili (garnish)
• 1 carrot (chunks)

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🍚 Rice

Cook jasmine rice separately in rice cooker.

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🔥 Instructions

1. Fry the curry paste

• Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a pot over medium heat
• Add yellow curry paste
• Stir and fry 1–2 minutes until fragrant

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2. Add chicken (or pan-fry tofu)

If chicken:

• Add sliced chicken
• Stir to coat with the curry paste
• Cook 2–3 minutes until chicken is mostly done on the outside

If tofu:

• Pat the tofu dry with paper towels (for a chewier, meatier bite, press it first: wrap in a clean towel and weigh down 10–15 min — optional)
• Cut into bite-size cubes
• Heat 1–2 tbsp neutral oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat and fry the cubes until golden on all sides, about 5–7 min
• Set aside — the tofu goes in at the end of the simmer (step 6), not here

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3. Add coconut milk

• Pour in coconut milk
• Stir well so the paste dissolves into the liquid
• Bring to a gentle bubble

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4. Add liquid

• Pour in water (or milk)
• Stir well to combine
• Bring to a gentle boil

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5. Add potatoes (and onion)

• Add potato chunks
• Add onion wedges
• (Add carrot now if using)

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6. Simmer

• Reduce heat to medium-low
• Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes
• Check potatoes with a fork — they should be soft but not falling apart
• Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom
• If using tofu, add the fried cubes in the last 5 minutes so they heat through and soak up the curry

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7. Season

• Add fish sauce — start with 1 tbsp, taste, add more if needed
• Add sugar if using — just a little to balance the salt
• Stir and taste again

👉 The curry should be savory with a mild, slightly sweet warmth.

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8. Finish

• Turn off heat
• Let rest 5 minutes
• Garnish with Thai basil or cilantro if you have it

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🍽️ Serve

• Ladle curry over jasmine rice
• Or serve rice on the side

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⚠️ Key Tips

• Yellow curry is milder and more comforting than red/green — no need for heavy spice
• Don’t skip the potato — it thickens the curry naturally as it cooks
• Add fish sauce gradually — easy to over-salt
• Milk instead of water = creamier, milder result

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🌱 Vegetarian Variation (Pulses instead of meat)

Replace the chicken with 200 g (drained weight) of any of these:

Pulse	Form	Prep	Notes
Mung beans	Dry (cheap)	Simmer 20–30 min in water first, then add to curry	Blends into the sauce, makes it creamy
Red kidney beans	Canned	Drain and rinse, add at step 2 instead of chicken	Works great with yellow curry’s mild warmth
Cannellini beans	Canned	Drain and rinse, add at step 2 instead of chicken	Very creamy, almost melts into the sauce
Chickpeas	Canned	Drain and rinse, add at step 2 instead of chicken	Firm bite, satisfying

For dry mung beans: simmer in water 20–30 min until just tender before starting the curry, then use in place of chicken at step 2.

For canned beans: drain, rinse, and add at step 2. Stir gently to avoid breaking them.

Optional: add 100–150 g chicken (or tofu) alongside the beans for a meat+bean version.

Yellow curry is already mild and comforting — pulses fit naturally. Mung beans and cannellini will make the curry extra creamy. Kidney beans or chickpeas give more bite.

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👍 Result

With chicken: Warm, golden, mildly spiced curry with tender chicken and soft potatoes.

With tofu: Golden pan-fried cubes with a chewy edge that soak up the curry — every bite is saucy and satisfying, and the curry stays rich since the tofu doesn’t water it down.

With pulses: Creamy, hearty, and filling — the beans soak up the golden curry flavor. Comforting and mild, great with rice.