Thai curry masala - it reminded me of Wagamama's Surendra's curry

Working in the city centre of Amsterdam has its glorious perks - short commute (well, sort of) from home, bustling atmosphere on one's way in & out of work, and a zillion options for a quick meal for the days that tend to be longer than the usual. Weeknight meals at home are generally quick fixes with rewarding flavours, and pretty much the same applies to our weeknight meals out. It is amazing how each cuisine makes its own contribution to the fast food arena - gone are the days of wok, even pastas are prepared while one watches it being made at the other side of the kitchen counter.

Being Indian, my heart & taste buds always favour the Asian fast food chains - they are not the most unhealthy, and definitely the most flavourful. From a good bowl of wok, to a serving of coconut based curry, nothing can not help but elevate one's mood after a day of sedentary focus. Surendra's curry at Wagamama is one such favourite of mine. The spicy coconut milk based chicken curry is full of flavor, and quite unique in the spice combinations it is composed of. I have never made a different order at the restaurant, and was perhaps the most thrilled when my husband gifted me a Wagamama recipe book the other day. As I glanced through the recipes, I failed to find the one of Surendra's curry. I followed up by searching online, and didn't find any hint either. That set me off on a journey to identify what goes into a Surendra's curry. Now I certainly cannot re-create the recipe, but I am happy that I got to a version that was close enough to cater to the weeknight cravings at home.

I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I did, and I hope you do pay a Surendra's curry visit to Wagamama and understand why it holds a special place in my heart. Enjoy!

Serves - 2

Time to prepare - 10 minutes

Time to cook - 20 minutes

Ingredients

1. 2 chicken breasts
2. 2 shallots
3. 1 inch piece of ginger
4. 1 red chilli
5. 2 carrots
6. A handful of coriander stalk
7. 2 tbsp storebought Thai green curry paste
8. 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala
9. 1/2 tsp paprika powder
10. 2 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
11. 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
12. 1 1/2 tbsp onion seeds
13. 250 ml coconut milk
14. Juice of half a lemon
15. 6-7 tbsp cooking oil
16. Salt to taste

Method

1. Clean the chicken and chop into bite sized pieces. Add a teaspoon of salt and turmeric each and set aside for a few minutes
2. Slice the onions and chillies, grate the ginger, roughly dice the carrot, and finely chop the coriander stalk
3. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion seeds, onion sliced, chillies, ginger, carrot, and coriander stalk for about 3-4 minutes. Add the green curry paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and spices (8-11), juice of half a lemon, sugar, and salt to taste and stir well. Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour the coconut milk, and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off.
6. Serve with steamed rice, and garnish with coriander leaves, and some onion seeds.
7. Enjoy!