Thai Tacos with Green Curry Chicken (Grain-free)
Just in time for Cinco de Mayo! I know my California and Texas friends are heading for the nearest taqueria today. Admittedly I'm slightly envious, but very pleased with my new Thai Taco! As we strolled the main strip of Patong Beach, comically amused with all the shops and restaurants for tourists, I saw a sign for Thai Tacos. I thought to myself Now, that is brilliant! Two of my favorite cuisines blended in one meal--I love it. We did not end up eating a Thai taco there so I have no idea how they tied the two together, but was totally inspired to create my own. I've included avocado to the taco with the green curry chicken as I feel that no taco is complete without some avo. And, it works here. Am I right? I will let you be the judge.
I've adapted the grain-free coconut tortillas from AskGeorgie, making only a few minor changes that you will see below. They are strong enough to hold the goods of the taco and don't taste too coconutty. I highly recommend them. Making green curry paste from scratch (as I experienced in the Thai cooking class) is a labor of love. If you are short on time or it seems like too much work, you can just buy green curry paste. Thai Kitchen makes a good one that you can find at most markets. You can add some water and melted coconut oil to the paste to get it to a marinade consistency for the chicken. I hope you enjoy!
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Green curry chicken
8 ounces chicken breast, sliced into strips
2 heaping teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon galangal or ginger, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons lemongrass, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh coriander/cilantro root, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kaffir or Thai lime peel
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (or 2 teaspoons fish sauce)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 thai chili, crushed (these are super hot so you might omit or only do half)
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 Tablespoons water or coconut milk
1. Key here is to seriously finely chop (super fine) the curry ingredients (hold the wet ingredients-fish sauce if using, coconut oil and water until the end) then pound in a mortar and pestle for several minutes. This takes some time and arm strength. I was starving and lost patience pounding so ended up transferring to a blender, adding the coconut oil and water, and blending until smooth. :) You want to create a marinade consistency that is thick but wet.
2. Stir chicken into curry paste concoction until thoroughly coated and allow to marinade for a 5-15 minutes. Great time to cook the tortillas!
Coconut tortillas (makes 6 tortillas)
1 cup of eggs (about 5 whole eggs)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1. Blend ingredients until batter is smooth. Let sit for 10 minutes to hydrate the coconut.
2. Heat skillet on medium heat and lightly oil. When the skillet is hot, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and spread it out so that it creates a 6-8" round tortilla.
3. Allow it to cook until the top doesn't look shiny and it feels solid enough to flip without breaking. Don't rush it! If it needs another minute, let it happen so you have a successful flip over. Flip and cook another minute or two on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and go on to the next tortilla. You might need to butter/oil up pan a little between torts if you are not using a nonstick pan.
Yummy additions
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
coconut oil for cooking
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced
chopped cilantro/coriander for garnish
fried shallots to garnish ( a must! You can purchase in Asian section at markets)
extra lime for squeezing
1. Saute zucchini, mushrooms and garlic until cooked.
2. Slather tortilla with avocado, curried chicken and veggies. Top with fried shallots and drizzle with Thai sauce!
Thai sauce
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar or honey
2-3 teaspoons Thai lime juice
Thai chili, diced
1. Mix ingredients and taste. There should be equal parts sweet, sour and salty. You might need to change amounts depending on type of sweetener you use. Add diced chili for heat. Drizzle on tacos and devour.
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