Make Curry (it's a one pot meal!)

I just discovered making curries at home. Man oh man, it's like the best thing since fried tacos. And tacos are reeeeeeaaaalllyyy good.

So, you know, I'm living in Massachusetts, hanging out with the boyfriend's cool new Massachusetts friends, and what do you know? They love to get together and cook dinner. I crash their study parties, and luckily, they let me hang around to eat.


Well, on more than one occasion, the dinners become chicken curry, and it is always spot on! When those spices, veggies, and coconut milk come together, you can't go wrong. Also rice, who doesn't love rice?

So here I am, trying not to make curry on the daily, but it's cool because, you know... tacos.


Chicken Massaman Curry
adapted from Darlene Schmidt

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  
• 1/2 large onion, sliced thin
• 3 heaping tablespoons curry paste, (or see spice mixture below)
• 2 1/2 cups good-tasting chicken stock
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into small cubes
  
• 2 14 ounce cans coconut milk
• 1 medium crown of broccoli, cut into florets
  
• 1 large red pepper, sliced
  
  Spice Mix (use in place of curry paste)
• 3 thumb pieces of ginger, grated
  
• 5 cloves of garlic
  
• 3 stalks lemongrass
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili pepper flakes
• 3 tsp. turmeric
  
• 3 tsp. ground coriander
• 3 tsp. whole cumin seed
• 1 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
  

Directions

Heat large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and swirl around the pot.

Add onions and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add curry paste, (or spice mixture), and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce and brown sugar, lime juice, and bay leaves, bring to a light boil.

Add the chicken pieces and coat with the stock mixture before adding the sweet potatoes. Add the 2 cans of coconut milk and stir in the broccoli florets. Cover and return to a simmer. Let pot simmer for 15 minutes before adding the red bell pepper.

Once the bell peppers are in, you let the pot simmer for 15 more minutes. If you need a thicker curry the last 15 minutes can be uncovered, if you like your curry with more liquid, feel free to cover through the end.

Season to taste, (chili flakes, fish sauce for saltiness, coconut milk for more mild flavor, etc). Serve over rice and enjoy!