Chicken Curry 1 - my first try is a success!

 

It was only a couple years ago that I discovered that I absolutely love curry. It doesn't have to be really spicy--although I do enjoy a bit of spice. I just love the full, sweet flavor. But (surprise!) I've actually never cooked with curry before a couple days ago. I was looking through this small Thai cookbook that I have, browsing all the different curry recipes. This meal is very loosely based off of one of them, and though it's not authentic Thai cuisine, it did turn out delicious. (Paul said that it was like being at a restaurant!)

Obviously, I cook for two, so this recipe is adjusted for two people (plus leftovers that Paul can take to lunch.)

For the curry: (while this was cooking, I put on a pot of rice. I made 6 cups, but I think 4 would have been plenty.)

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 small onions
about 6 oz of mushrooms (fresh produce)
a handful of fresh chives
handful of fresh cilantro
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbs curry powder
3-4 cloves of fresh garlic
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
1/2 tsp chili powder

The cooking goes in about 3 different stages. The first is just browning the chicken for a bit. For this, I put some vegetable oil in a deep sided skillet (use a wok if you have one) and melted about a tablespoon of peanut butter in the oil. Once it was starting to bubble, I tossed in the chicken and let it brown for 3-4 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to take the chicken out and put it aside for a little bit.

The next stage is dicing the garlic and onions and sauteing them in the oil. After they start getting soft and fragrant, add the mushrooms.

Once these cook together for a couple minutes, add the chicken back in. Then add a half a can (3/4 cup) of coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of curry powder, the can of green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. After this cooks together for a few minutes, add a handful of chopped chives and a handful of chopped cilantro (be generous!)

As I often do, I just let this sit on the stove for a bit to let all the flavors mix. But it would be ready to serve any time after you add the chives and cilantro. (The chives will soften nicely if you let them cook for a few minutes.)