July 6, 2018

Lemongrass Curry Chicken

Lemongrass Curry Chicken. Chicken and vegetables cooked in a lemongrass curry sauce with coconut milk. Served with rice and naan. Savory, flavorful, and delicious.

Lemongrass

I lived in Boston for several years, and it rocked my food world. Before living there, I thought Chinese and Italian were pretty exotic. But living in a place where I was surrounded by so many different types of food, my life was changed. As a prime example, I discovered lemongrass. It has now been over ten years since I first tried it, but it has obviously made an impact on me since I’m writing about it on the internet right now.

I still remember when I first tried lemongrass – I was at a cute little place called Elephant Walk that was near Fenway Park at the time. I was there with some friends for my birthday, and ordered their Poulet à la citronnelle (chicken in a lemongrass sauce). No, I didn’t actually remember the exact name, I had to just now look up their menu online. But, as soon as I saw it again, my mouth started watering, even all these years later. I used to order that delicious meal every chance I got. It was so tasty.

In any case, that dish made me fall in love with lemongrass. I now live in an area that doesn’t have a wide variety in terms of produce selection. But, a few months ago I was walking through the produce section at my grocery store and saw that they now carry lemongrass paste. I then wondered, is it the same thing?

Lemongrass Paste versus Fresh Lemongrass

I did a bit of research on fresh lemongrass versus lemongrass paste. Lemongrass paste is fresh lemongrass that is basically pureed with some oil. For most recipes, they can be used interchangeably. For example, if you need 3 tbsp of fresh lemongrass, you can use 3 tbsp of lemongrass paste.

Then, I personally compared fresh lemongrass and lemongrass paste. My verdict:

Lemongrass paste has a smoother, less grainy texture than I’m able to able to achieve processing fresh lemongrass.
On it’s own, I prefer the taste of lemongrass paste, which is likely because it has salt and/or sugar to enhance the flavor. But in a recipe, I can’t tell the difference.

Lemongrass Curry Chicken

The sauce has just a little bit of a kick; enough to give it flavor, but not so much that my kids won’t eat it. Served with a little Naan and Jasmine rice, and you have one fabulous dinner. And to make it even better, it’s super quick and easy to make! Here are a few tips to ensure success:

I like to serve this with my homemade skillet naan recipe
If you do not have Jasmine rice, Basmati rice is a good alternative
Use yellow curry powder, NOT red curry paste

Lemongrass Curry Chicken

Lemongrass Curry Chicken. Chicken and vegetables cooked in a lemongrass, curry sauce with coconut milk, served with rice and naan. Savory, flavorful, and delicious.

4.61 from 23 votes

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Calories: 572

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Ingredients

1.5 pounds chicken breast sliced into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
2 cloves garlic
1 onion diced
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
2.5 tbsp lemongrass paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
1 red pepper cut into thin slices
2 cups cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup snap peas

For Serving

2 cups Jasmine rice cooked according to package instructions
Naan, cilantro, lime juice

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, and onion. Saute until onion has softened, about 4 minutes.
Add in coconut milk, chicken broth, lime juice, lemon juice, lemongrass paste, curry, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Stir in chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Then, stir in red pepper, cauliflower, and snap peas. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes.
Serve over rice and/or with naan. Top with cilantro and lime juice if desired.