Mary Berry's 'foolproof' chicken curry recipe has an extra step for maximum flavour

Mary Berry's 'foolproof' chicken curry recipe has an extra step for maximum flavour (Image: Getty)

Finding a curry recipe that rivals those enjoyed in restaurants is difficult, especially for Thai food.

But cooking extraordinaire Mary Berry has shared a recipe that promises all the best flavours of Thai curry without the hassle.

Debuted in her BBC series Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking, Mary’s recipe for Thai chicken curry is described as “easy” and “foolproof”—perfect for even amateur home cooks.

With a delicious blend of meaty chicken, fragrant Thai curry paste and crunchy vegetables, there’s no need to shy away from Asian-inspired cooking at home.

The dish cooks within one hour, allowing up to 30 minutes for preparation and 10 to 30 minutes for cooking time.

This Thai curry recipe is 'easy' and 'foolproof', according to Mary (Image: Getty)

Ingredients

• Six skinless and boneless chicken breasts
• Three tbsp Thai red curry paste
• Three tbsp sunflower oil
• Two onions, sliced
• 4cm knob of fresh root ginger (peeled and finely grated)
• One tbsp plain flour
• Two 400g tins full-fat coconut milk
• One tbsp Thai fish sauce
• One tbsp light muscovado sugar
• One lemongrass stalk
• Four lime leaves
• 250g sugar-snap peas, cut in half lengthways
• ½ lime, zest and juice
• 225g tin water chestnuts, drained, halved and quartered if large
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Prepare the chicken breasts by slicing them in half into long, thin slices. Add them to a bowl with one tablespoon of the Thai curry paste, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper before mixing them all.

Now heat one tablespoon of sunflower oil in a deep frying pan. Add the chicken slices, and fry over high heat for five minutes until just cooked through.

Depending on the size of your pan, this may need to be done in batches to ensure the chicken cooks in a single layer. Next, transfer the cooked chicken slices to a plate. Then, add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onions for just three minutes.

Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat and cook for another 10 minutes to soften. Increase the heat a little before adding the ginger and the remaining Thai curry paste, then fry for a minute.

Sprinkle in the flour and blend in the coconut milk with the fish sauce and sugar, adding a little at a time, instructs Mary.

Now, stir the mixture and bring the liquid to a boil before preparing the lemongrass.

Mary said: “The flavour of lemongrass is wonderful, but the chopped stalk takes a long time to tenderise. I therefore like to bash it with a rolling pin before adding it to the curry – this allows all the flavours to be absorbed into the sauce.”

Follow the lemongrass with the lime leaves and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil before covering the pan.

Reduce the heat and allow the curry to simmer for about five minutes or until piping hot. Cook the sugar snap peas in boiling salted water for two minutes, then drain and refresh them in cold water.

To finish the curry, remove the lemongrass and lime leaves from the pan and discard them. Add the lime zest and juice, water chestnuts, and sugar snap peas.

Bring the liquid to a boil once more, remove it from the heat and serve with rice.