How lucky are we to have Chef John Castro’s Yang Kee Noodle serving a mix of traditional and pan-Asian dishes in the middle of Oxmoor Mall? Cooked to order lettuce wraps and Firecracker chicken absolutely make a Saturday night, in my book. I’m not sure the restaurant has gotten the attention it deserves recently, but given a rising interest in noodle shops and Asian flavors, that attention may be right around the corner. And when you check out this recipe that Yang Kee scaled down and shared with me, you’ll start to understand what you’re getting. The restaurant is casual and comfortable, and the prices are extremely reasonable, but locals know the food is more sophisticated than you might expect on first glance.
This is one of those types of recipes that you’ll need to plan ahead – I don’t generally have Kaffir lime leaves on hand, for instance. Once you gather your ingredients, the stir fry, featuring Kabocha pumpkin, comes together quickly – or you can let Chef make it for you – for eat in or take out. Enjoy!
Green Curry Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables
Servings: 4
Curry Paste
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp black peppercorns
¼ Cup coriander stems, chopped
1 ½ tsp salt
½ Cup lemongrass, peeled and minced
¼ Cup garlic cloves, chopped
¼ Cup shallots, chopped
2 TBL galangal, peeled and chopped
2 tsp Kaffir lime leaves, minced
¼ Cup green bird’s eye chilies, stems removed
1 TBL shrimp paste, toasted (in foil)
Curry Sauce
6 TBL Curry Paste
2 Cups chicken broth
5 OZ. coconut milk
Green Curry Chicken
2 TBL grapeseed or canola oil
1 LB. boneless chicken breast, sliced in thin strips
1 ½ Cups Chinese long beans, sliced in 3” lengths
1 ½ Cups Kabocha pumpkin, ½” diced cubes
½ Cup red bell peppers, julienned
2 sprigs peppermint
1 lime, cut in wedges
2 Cups Curry Sauce
4 Cups Jasmine rice, steamed
To Make Curry Paste: Mash all ingredients with mortar and pestle until paste is formed.
To Make Curry Sauce: Combine Curry Paste and chicken broth. Bring to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat and slowly add coconut milk. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve for stir-fry.
To Make Green Curry Chicken: Heat oil in wok and cook chicken until opaque. Add long beans and stir-fry 1 minute. Add pumpkin and stir-fry 1 minute. Add bell peppers and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add Curry Sauce and bring to low boil. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Serve in bowl with steamed rice on side. Garnish with mint, and lime wedge.
(Please note, at the time of the photo shoot, long beans were not available (as listed in the recipe) so they were substituted for broccoli. Order it either way!)
Yang Kee Noodle is located at Oxmoor Mall, 7900 Shelbyville Road.
Photo: Courtesy Yang Kee Noodle
