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For the last couple of years, I’ve gone on a what I’d call a winter curry kick. It’s typically triggered in late-January when I’m getting sick of winter. By this point, I’ve usually gone though all my favorite cold weather classics and I feel little enthusiasm for the rest of the season. I long for spring but I know it’s still 2 months away. That’s when my curry kick starts – I resolve to chase away my January blues with spicy colorful dishes from the world’s more exotic places. This year I kicked-off my curry kick with a Burmese Coconut Chicken Curry adapted from the Burma Superstar cookbook. It’s actually a pretty simple recipe that doesn’t require a dizzying list of spices (as some curries do). I highly recommend it for an exotic weeknight meal!
Want to Plan Your Own Curry Kick?
First, you will need to collect a few recipes. The internet is obviously a great place to find recipes but I recommend picking up an exotic cookbook or two. Flipping through cookbooks is a great way to draw inspiration and learn more about a foreign cuisine. This year, I’m armed with 3 new exotic cookbooks – one Burmese, one Indian, and one Thai.
Hint: I picked up these cookbooks at the public library. Libraries have huge cookbooks selections – I probably spent at least an hour flipping through different exotic cookbooks before making my selection. You can save money and shelf space by using the library as your primary cookbook source.
Next, I recommend you take a trip to an Asian supermarket where you can find some of the more exotic ingredients that your usual supermarket may not stock (e.g., green papaya, lemongrass, curry leaves, different chilies, whole spices, etc.). Asian markets often have really great prices and I think it’s fun to shop for a few new ingredients. If you don’t want to make your own curry pastes, these markets will have a large selection of pre-made pastes too.
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Coconut Chicken Curry
Description
This recipe is adapted form Burma Superstar.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 tsp madras curry powder
- ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne (depending on your heat preference)
- 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss together. Let the chicken marinate with the spices as you prepare the other ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or casserole pot. Add the onions and cook 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook 5 minutes more.
- Add the chicken and stir to release the spices. Cook 1 to 2 minutes and then add the coconut milk. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a near boil and let it simmer at this heat for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the fish sauce and stir in the water. Increase the heat and bring the mixture back to a near boil.
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the curry powder and cayenne pepper and simmer 5 more minutes.
- Remove curry from heat. It’s best to let the curry stand for 20 minutes before serving. The chicken will soak in more flavor as the curry cools.
- Reheat the curry and serve with rice, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
This dish is traditionally served with white rice but we like to pair it with quinoa and cauliflower.
