Thai Yellow Curry Pulav

I love Thai food! Right from the aroma to the taste, everything about Thai food is so wonderful. Ever since we tried Yellow Curry Fried Rice at a Thai restaurant, I have been wanting to recreate the magical flavors at home. Of course, you could use the packaged Yellow Curry Powder/Paste which you get in Asian grocery stores for a quick fried rice. However, one fine evening, I was craving Yellow Curry Fried Rice and I decided to try it at home. I didn’t have all the required ingredients but I managed to make a Yellow Curry Style Pulav (Pilaf).

A Pulav is a one-pot dish where rice is cooked along with all the other ingredients. If I have cold rice in my fridge, I usually make Fried Rice. If not, I go for Pulavs. For this recipe, I used vegetables since I didn’t have any meat or seafood. I didn’t have Thai ingredients like Kaffir Lime Leaves and Lemongrass but it still tasted yummy.

Ingredients

1. Long grain Basmati rice or any other Long Grain Rice – 2 cups
2. Diced Shallots (Kunjulli)– 1/2 cup
3. Chopped Green Onions – 2 stalks
4. Diced Carrots – 2 medium
5. Diced French Beans – 1 cup
6. Chopped Cilantro Leaves & Stems (Malliyella) – A handful
7. Oil – 3 tbsp
8. Salt – to taste

For the Yellow Curry Paste

1. Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
2. Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
3. Black Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
5. Thai Red Chilly Paste – 2 tsp (Alternatively, you can use Red Chilly Powder)
6. Lime Juice – 1 tbsp
7. Sugar – 1 tsp
8. Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
9. Ginger Paste – 1 tbsp
10. Fish Sauce – 2 tsp (Alternatively, you can use Soy Sauce)
11. Coconut Cream – 3 tbsp (Alternatively, use Thick Coconut Milk)

Preparation Method

1. Soak the Basmati rice for 15-25 minutes. Wash and drain the rice thoroughly.
2. Make a paste using all the ingredients for Yellow Curry Paste along with a few teaspoons of water. Keep it aside.
3. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet and saute the shallots for 2 minutes.
4. Throw in the diced carrots and beans and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro to the pan.
5. Add the yellow curry paste to the pan and stir fry for a few minutes so that the aroma releases.
6. Next, add the drained rice and fry for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Add 3 cups of water to the pan and salt to taste.
8. Bring everything to a boil. Cover and cook the rice for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
9. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes until the rice has been cooked and all water has been absorbed.
10. Open the pan and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with a few more cilantro leaves and spring onion greens.

Note

• For 2 cups of rice, you need to use 3 to 3.5 cups of water depending on the rice.
• Feel fry to add other veggies like Green Peas, Potatoes and so on.