Me: “Hey what are you making for dinner tonight?”

Ellen: “Coconut chicken curry”

Me: “Oh wow! I’m so impressed… that’s out of my league.”

Ellen: “Uh, are you sure? All you really do is pour and stir… which I know you are capable of.”

For some reason I’ve had a mental block around cooking with coconut milk despite the fact that I have actually made a chicken curry once before.  Opening the can of coconut milk, the consistency always catches me off guard.  I wonder is it a milk or a paste or a juice? Can it boil?

So, after a rejuvenating yoga class I came home with an appetite for something healthy as well as an open mind to try something new.  As I prepared this dish I was using this recipe here at Epicurious. I chose to skip the cashew recommendation but I do think that something like cashews or almonds would add a nice crunch to this dish.

In the end this meal was not perfect. The sauce broke a bit (perhaps over boiled) and I used ground ginger rather than whole, but overall I was impressed with the flavor and reminded that this technique is not one I should be afraid of.  I served the curry over some cooked farro which worked well with the dish.

Question – do others use curry spices or curry paste? What other tips and tricks do you utilize when making dishes like this? [I need to go back and re-read all of my fellow-blogger’s posts on curry with my new open mind.]

Also, somehow in a mere 17 days I will be celebrating the 2 year anniversary of this blog! It is amazing how fast time has passed, how much I have learned, and how many things are still on my ‘to make list!”  

Onward – to the kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion – diced
• 3 carrots – diced
• 2 large chicken breasts -cut into large chunks
• 2.5 teaspoons of sweet curry powder
• 3 large garlic cloves
• Ground ginger (or 2 1/2 inch fresh piece)
• 15 oz can of coconut milk
• Mustard powder – optional
• 3 large handfuls of fresh spinach

Steps and Notes:

1. Combine the curry, salt and pepper to make a simple spice blend.
2. Place the raw chicken into a large bowl and sprinkle the spice blend evenly over the chicken mixing well to ensure even coating
3. In a large sauce pan saute the onions and salt in oil and season with salt. Cook on medium until soft.
4. Add the carrots and continue to mix well and cook on medium heat.
5. In a food processor (or blender) blend the coconut milk, garlic, and ginger
   • Note: I also added a few pinches of mustard powder to this sauce as well
6. Add the chicken to the pan and brown for 1 minute constantly stirring.
7. Then, add the sauce and simmer (don’t boil) for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens
8. Turn the heat to low and add spinach. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until wilted.

Thoughts for next time:

• Add some cracked red pepper for a bit of heat
• Experiment with veggies
• Learn how to make a thicker sauce
• Experiment with curry paste?