Not in a million years would I ever imagine making curry in the oven, but when a client asked if there is a way to shortcut curry making, I was willing to put my experimenting hat on.
The most arduous task of making curry is the curry paste. That step is eliminated as you can readily purchase good imported pastes at most grocery stores. While not all curries are meant to be quick and simple, I rely on a recipe that can easily be converted to a different technique that is a breeze to put together without losing the integrity of the dish.
Here is how I shortcut this recipe: instead of cutting the chicken into bite-sized slices, I simply leave the pieces whole. The hardest part is cutting up a Kobocha squash, a very buttery golden variety with very tough skin. I cut them into larger chunks then peel them .You can substitute with butternut squash as well.
Red Chicken Curry with Kobacha Squash
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts 3 cups Kobacha squash, cut into 2-inch chunks (about a quarter of squash) 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk 6 tablespoons red curry paste 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 10 kaffir lime leaves plus 4 more, chiffonaded
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chicken and squash pieces in a 13x9 baking dish. In a medium size bowl, whisk coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce and sugar together. Pour the mixture over chicken and squash. Tuck kaffir limes leaves between pieces of chicken. Cover with aluminum foil and place the dish on a baking sheet.
Bake for an hour or until chicken is tender with no trace of pink and squash is tender. Discard the whole kaffir leaves. Sprinkle with chiffonaded leaves over curry. Serve with Jasmine rice.
Servings: 4-6
