Thai Red Curry with Chicken & Zucchini
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings:
Ingredients
- 300 g zucchini, bite-sized pieces
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 3½–5 tbsp red curry paste (store-bought or homemade)
- 500 g chicken thigh, boneless & skinless, cut into ~3–4 cm cubes
- 200 ml chicken stock, unsalted or low sodium
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (split into half + half for seasoning)
- 25–40 g palm sugar (2–3 tbsp), finely chopped
- ¼ red bell pepper, julienned (optional, for color)
- 1 lime, squeezed / “squished” — added at the end
Instructions
1. Prepare the curry base
Heat a large pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Add about 120 ml of the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
Stir in the red curry paste until smooth, cooking until fragrant and the coconut oil begins to separate — this deepens the flavour. 
2. Cook the chicken
Add the chicken cubes to the curry paste mixture and coat well.
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and chicken stock.
Add half the fish sauce and all the palm sugar.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 8 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through. 
3. Add zucchini (and pepper)
Stir in the zucchini pieces (and optional red pepper).
Continue to simmer on low heat for about 6–8 minutes until the zucchini is tender but still holds shape. 
4. Season & finish with lime
Taste the sauce and add the remaining fish sauce as needed — Thai curries should be well-seasoned, especially if served with plain rice. 
Remove from heat and stir in the juice of 1 squeezed lime. This brightens and balances the rich curry.
5. Serve
Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice or rice noodles. Enjoy your aromatic Thai red curry!