Little Thai Prince is a very popular Thai restaurant in Amsterdam near Dam Square; you can’t go wrong with any of the menu items – they’re all good -- but my friend Dionne’s favorite dish is #24, which is a fabulous mild coconut milk red curry with lots of chicken, potatoes, and cashews, served over fragrant jasmine rice.

Obviously, most of us can’t eat at Amsterdam restaurants regularly, but believe it or not, Thai curries are quick and easy to make. The following Thai Red Curry with Potatoes and Cashews is my version of Dionne’s favorite dish; it’s actually really close to the Little Thai Prince version, and can be made in less than 30 minutes. Start the Jasmine rice in the rice cooker or on the stovetop before starting the curry; everything will be finished at about the same time.

The Thai ingredients are readily available at most Asian grocery stores, and even some larger regular grocery stores. If you can’t find the frozen chopped lemongrass (which is a real timesaver, not to mention much easier on your food processor) at your regular store, just purchase 2 stalks of regular lemongrass, pound the white parts with a mallet (referred to as “bruising”), and add them to the coconut milk (remove them from the mixture before serving). Red curry paste and Thai fish sauce keep for months in the refrigerator.

8 Servings

2 14 oz. cans coconut milk
1/2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste (1 tablespoon is perfect for my family – the original contains about 1/2 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
3 tablespoons palm sugar, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons frozen chopped lemongrass
1 large onion, quartered and sliced

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, quartered and sliced
1 green bell pepper, quartered and sliced
1 15 oz. can new potatoes, rinsed and halved
1 cup whole cashews

1. Pour 1 can of the coconut milk into a large, heavy pan; add the curry paste, Thai fish sauce, palm or brown sugar, and lemongrass.


2. Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.


3. Stir well, mashing the curry paste to dissolve; add the remaining can of coconut milk and the onions.


4. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.


5. Add the chicken breast slices and stir until they turn white.


6. Stir in the red and green bell peppers and the potatoes.


7. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in the cashews.


8. Serve immediately over Jasmine rice.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 452 Calories from Fat 373
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 62% Protein 12% Carb. 26%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 31 g
Saturated Fat 21 g
Cholesterol 20 mg
Sodium 482 mg
Total Carbohydrate 29 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 14 g

Vitamin A 12% Vitamin C 62% Calcium 0% Iron 29%