Thai Red Chicken and Pumpkin Curry (In the Billyboil Thermal Cooker)
This Thai Red Chicken Curry with Pumpkin, cooked in the Billyboil, was an absolute winner! Creamy, rich, and packed with flavour. I used chicken leg fillets (a budget-friendly pick from Coles with the thigh attached), but thigh or breast fillets work just as well. This version is on the milder side since Rob isn’t a fan of too much heat, but you can easily dial up the spice by adding more curry paste. Feel free to swap in whatever veggies you have on hand or even try it with green or yellow curry paste—it’s a super adaptable dish!
Thai Red Chicken and Pumpkin Curry (In the Billyboil Thermal Cooker)
This Thai Red Chicken Curry with Pumpkin, cooked in the Billyboil, was an absolute winner! Creamy, rich, and packed with flavour. I used chicken leg fillets (a budget-friendly pick from Coles with the thigh attached), but thigh or breast fillets work just as well. Feel free to swap in whatever veggies you have on hand or even try it with green or yellow curry paste—it’s a super adaptable dish!
Equipment
- Thermal cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons Maesri red curry paste (available from Woolworths – See Notes below)
- 400ml can coconut cream (Use a good quality one such as Ayam)
- 1 long red chilli, cut into 1cm pieces (deseed for less heat if desired)
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (can add a little extra for more sweetness if desired)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 750g chicken leg fillets, cut into 2-3cm cubes (you can also use just thighs or breast)
- 1 ½ cups diced pumpkin (approx 2cm cubes)
- 1 zucchini, halved lengthways and cut into thick slices
- 1 cup green beans, cut into 4cm lengths
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Sliced red chilli
- Store-bought fried Asian shallots
- Fresh coriander or Thai basil
- Very finely shredded kaffir lime leaves
Instructions
- Heat the Billyboil inner pot over medium heat on the stove top until hot. Once hot, add the oil and curry paste, cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes to help cook the rawness out of it.
- Add the coconut cream, stir to combine, then add the red chilli, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken and stir until well combined then return to a simmer, stirring often.
- Add the pumpkin, zucchini and beans and stir through. Bring the mixture to the boil. Once boiling, cover with the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Stir quickly to combine, then cover and boil for a further 5 minutes. Transfer the inner pot to the outer pot, close the lid and turn the handle to lock in place. Set aside to cook for at least 2-3 hours or longer. (I had mine cooking for 6 hours before dinner and the temp was sitting at 70C – I like my food hot super so I did pop back on the stove for 5 minutes before serving)
- Serve the curry with steamed rice and garnish as desired.
Notes
- CURRY PASTE: Maesri is the only store-bought curry paste I like to use; it definitely stands out as the best and happens to be the most affordable. Available at Woolworths, you can get small 114g cans for approximately $2.10, making it an absolute bargain. Any leftover curry paste freezes well – simply spoon into a small zip-lock bags and flatten, freeze for future use.
- COCONUT CREAM: I opt for a high-quality coconut cream such as Ayam, known for its notably thick consistency and superior flavour compared to other brands. While alternative brands are ok, I tend to steer clear of ‘Homebrand’ coconut creams or milk due to their poor quality and very thin texture.