Thai-Style Coconut Chicken Curry
October 21, 2015 By Cathy — No CommentsShredded chicken and vegetables in a creamy coconut curry sauce.
Spicy, satisfying, yet surprisingly quick. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m talking about dinner.
My husband puts in a long day. Usually out the door before I haul my miserable self out of bed, he doesn’t walk back in until sometime around 7:30 or 8pm….long after my boys have completed homework, afterschool activities and eaten dinner. In a perfect world when daddy gets home, they’ve showered, managed to pull on their pj’s and are settled down on the couch watching the umpteenth episode of Impractical Jokers.
In that same perfect world, as soon as Steve has said his hellos, he and I are sitting down to a well-balanced meal at the table and chatting about our day.
It’s rarely a perfect world.
More often than not, the boys are still fighting about whose turn it is to shower first and I’ve barely started dinner when that door opens and in walks a hangry man. Time to pick up the pace.
This is a great dinner for those not so perfect nights. I often poach and shred some boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs on Sunday to be used in soups or stews mid-week. This makes quick work of a weeknight meal and really cuts down on the cooking and prep time.
My Thai-style coconut chicken curry is a stick-to-your-ribs bowl of goodness that is the perfect fall meal and a cinch to make thanks to that prepped chicken. I serve it over a scoop of brown basmati rice and top it with a sprinkling of sliced scallions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a pop of brightness.
And since we’re having one of those not so perfect nights, we grab our bowls from the dining table, pop open a couple of Stellas and head into the living room. We skip the daily recap in favor a DVR’d Ray Donovan and settle into a perfectly imperfect night.
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, poached and shredded*
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. finely minced ginger
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp green curry paste usually found in the Asian food section of your market
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp dry sherry
- 1 1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 yellow pepper thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- zest and juice of one lime
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sliced scallions chopped cilantro and lime wedges for serving
- Cooked brown basmati rice to serve**
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Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat
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Add onion and saute 3 minutes
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Add garlic and ginger and saute 2 minutes
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Add flour, stirring to combine and cook 1 minute
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Add curry paste, stirring well
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Gradually pour in the soy sauce and sherry using a whisk to mix well
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Continue to whisk and add in sugar, then coconut milk and stock
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Increase the heat to med/high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer
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Add the shredded chicken and peppers, season with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer over low heat until peppers soften, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally
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Remove lid and cook over med/low heat until sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes
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Add cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and peas, cook 3-4 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste
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Serve over a scoop of rice and sprinkle with scallions, cilantro and a lime wedge
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*To poach chicken: place chicken in a large pot with aromatics (sliced onion, garlic cloves or herbs - use whatever is handy and in keeping with the flavor profile of the dish you're going to make), cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Let stand about 15 minutes or until cooked through). Remove chicken and discard the rest. Allow chicken to cool slightly and shred. I keep mine for a few days in a large ziploc bag in the frig.
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**Cook rice according to package directions - I love the nutty flavor of brown basmati rice, but you can serve with your favorite rice
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