Low-Calorie Thai Chicken Curry Recipe

Redolent of ginger and lemongrass, chiles and coconut milk, Thai curry brings all of the classic flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine—salty, sour, bitter, hot—together in one dish. What's more, it derives all of its flavor from ingredients packed with powerful antioxidants. Even coconut milk contains lauric acid, among the healthiest forms of fat you can consume. The flavors may be exotic, but the tender chicken, the bouquet of vegetables, and the rich coconut milk will all taste wonderfully familiar in this Thai chicken curry recipe.

Nutrition: 340 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated), 400 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

1 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 can (14 oz) light coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
8 oz green beans
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1⁄4"-thick pieces
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp fish sauce (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro or basil, for garnish6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

How to Make It

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the curry paste, cook for a few minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Add the sweet potato and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the green beans and chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and the chicken is cooked through.
6. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce, if using. Serve over steamed brown rice, garnished with cilantro or basil, if you like.

Eat This Tip

Available in Asian markets and the international sections of large grocers, red curry paste is a potent blend of chiles, herbs, and spices that can be used to ratchet up both the flavor and the nutritional profile of common dishes. Try it rubbed on pork or chicken as a pre-grill marinade, stirred into Greek yogurt and lime juice as a dipping sauce for fish, or blended with peanut butter, lime, and coconut milk to make a satay sauce, the Asian-style barbecue sauce of unrivaled depth and complexity.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!