© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Colonel Ian F. Khuntilanont-Philpott
Chuchi is a quick curry style that can be made with more or less whatever is on hand. Certainly this recipe could equally well be prepared with obvious minor variations, with jumbo shrimp or lobster tails. My wife tells me that it can be made with pork or beef, and indeed it can be made with snake meat or crocodile (not to mention frogs and a number of exotica that I won't go into here lest I put people off their food)!
2 pound catfish, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon red curry paste
1-2 tablespoon finely sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chilis)
1 tablespoon shredded bai makrut (lime leaves)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
palm sugar, to taste
In hot oil, stir fry the fish chunks until crispy. Drain and set aside. Heat a little of the coconut milk, but don't allow it to boil, stir in the curry paste, and continue to stir until a thin film of oil forms on the surface of the milk. Skim off, and discard the oil. Add the fish, chili, and lime leaves, and a little more of the milk, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until reduced, and add more of the milk, continuing until all the milk has been added and reduced to a thick sauce. Taste, and add sugar to balance, stir until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved in the sauce, and then turn the heat to high and reduce the sauce until it is almost dry. Serve with steamed white [jasmine] rice, and garnish with bai chi (coriander leaves), lemon and lime wedges, and red chilis cut into thin strips. Add a plate of cucumber slices and tomato wedges, and the usual table condiments (prik phon [powdered red chili], prik nam pla [chilis in fish sauce] and sugar.