Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk

Curry Chicken in the Kitchen! 

Hello!! Today I felt like adding a little spice to my life. I was in the mood to cook, and I know I made curry about two (plus) weeks ago but, everyone loved it so much that I had to make it again. And, this time it came along with a blog post. 

I am going to do my best at writing up a proper "recipe". But, unless I've looked up the recipe online or following it from a cookbook I don't use measuring cups. I am apologizing in advance because, you will see the phrase "season to taste" a few times on here. 

One of my Jamaican college friends taught me how to cook curry chicken. And, I am adding the fact that they are Jamaican for authenticity- my curry skills came from the source! And, it's really a lot simpler than what you may think; you make it with curry powder (which can be bought at West Indian stores however, I am using a curry paste in this recipe), you add curry to taste, lots of onions, peppers, potatoes, and your choice of seasonings. Wallah! You have curry on your table. 

Lets get on with the steps to this dish: 

I make chicken curry with two big, thick pieces of chicken breast. If they are frozen, leave in a pot of warm water to thaw out. 

Cut up the chicken breasts into medium cubes. After rising place in a bowl big enough to toss around the chicken while seasoning it. Make sure all excess water is removed after rising. 

These are the essentials I use to season the meat; Adobo, paprika, and oregano. Now, if any of you know about Adobo you know that every Hispanic person has that in their kitchen. It's an all purpose seasoning. I use the one with added pepper (for added taste) but, there are some varieties without. 

Everything is added to taste (sorry for lacking in measurements!). I always start out adding a good amount of Adobo seasoning and mixing and tossing the chicken with my hands. Then I add some more Adobo and toss again. I only add a pinch or oregano. And the paprika is for spiciness. So, if you like it hot add some more. If you are using curry powder you mix that into the chicken first. I advice to use gloves* if mixing in the chicken with your hands or a large mixing spoon. 

*Curry powder leaves stains so be careful from getting it on your clothes and counters. 

It's a must for me to always add garlic to my dishes. I minced 3 garlic cloves, half a chicken bouillon cube, and a pinch of salt- mixing them all together into a paste. 

This is what the paste looked like. I then mixed this into the already seasoned chicken. If you are the type to marinade your meats overnight for extra flavor, now is the time. Leave the chicken in the mixing bowl, cover in plastic wrapping paper, and place in refrigerator over night. 

 

Milk is used in this "recipe" to make the curry paste creamy. You can use regular milk. I prefer coconut milk because it's richer in taste. You will need 1 1/2 cans. Take 1/2 of one can and pour into a cooking pot over medium heat. Put the rest of the coconut milk aside for later. 

Okay, so 99% of the time I use curry powder for this dish. But, I saw a curry paste at a store that contained lemongrass and I decided to get it because A) I haven't mastered how to cook with the plant itself, B) I can't find the herb in my neighborhood, and C) it gives a distinct smell and taste to the dish.  

Pour the contents of the paste into the coconut milk. Mix well. 

You will let the paste cook a bit over medium heat until the oil rises on top of the milk. Now you can add the seasoned chicken. Stir well so that the chicken is covered in the sauce. Add a cup of water and cover. 

You will need to mince and entire large onion. I like using red onions.

Mince a whole pepper. Here, I am using green peppers. But, also adding red and yellow peppers gives the curry a slight sweetness.

Add everything into the pot. Add the remainder of the coconut milk. Cover pot and turn the heat to low/medium. Leave to boil. At this point the sauce is very watery; liquid. 

Add potatoes if you want a thicker broth. Peel and cut them, throw them in the pot. Potatoes cook very easily so this is always done at the end. The longer you leave the potatoes cooking, the thicker the broth will be. By this point you can turn down the heat to low.

I know my "recipe" was not quite an exact nor traditional recipe but, more of like a list of ingredients and directions (no measurements nor time requirements- yikes!). But, hopefully that will be enough! Haha. Again, sorry!

In the end you can serve the curry chicken with steamed white rice and enjoy every flavor blast on your taste buds. Remember, this is a spicy dish!



Hope you had fun in the kitchen,
Mariela