Thai Chicken Curry

I think this marks one of the first real Asian dishes that's been made in my kitchen.  Every now and then, I'll scrape together some semblance of a stir fry, but I don't know enough about Asian flavor profiles to really 'wing it' perfectly.

That begins to change now.  A trip down the Asian food aisle while hungry with an even hungrier Stallion, and our pantry is now stocked with Asian condiments and ingredients.

I learned quite a few things about Asian cooking while making dinner this evening, and luckily, this learning experience was successful in producing both knowledge and an edible meal.

First of all, a curry starts with curry paste (red or green) and a little bit of coconut milk.  No oil goes into this dish!  If you are calorie-conscious, use light coconut milk.  It will result in a thinner sauce.  And thinner thighs.  You can make your own decision.

This mixture is what you use to sauté your veggies in.  In this case, I used onion and bell pepper.

Once they're done sweatin' it out, you add in the chicken and the rest of your can of coconut milk, then let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

The ingredients that add the brightness to this dish go in last, so they don't overcook and stay fairly fresh.  At the end I added chopped tomatoes and basil.  I was a little skeptical - my typical encounter with either tomatoes or basil, particularly them together, is in an Italian dish.  Then I added some fresh lime juice and my world completely imploded.

This cooked for just another minute, and then I used it to top some brown rice.

Voila!  Thai Chicken Curry.

Gobbled. It. UP.

If you're doubting the tomatoes (I was), do not leave them out.  They bring everything together.

Had I used white rice instead of brown, this meal would have been ready in under half an hour.  You. Can. Do. It.  Easy, peasy, I tell ya.

UPDATE:  I just went to the fridge and inhaled half of the leftovers.  It's just so damn good.

Thai Chicken Curry
Serves 2

• 1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, shaken to blend
• 2 T Thai curry paste (red or green)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 T ginger, minced
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 T fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 c. chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1/3 c. thinly sliced fresh basil
• Juice of one lime
• 1 cup rice, cooked as directed

1. Bring 1/4 cup coconut milk and curry paste to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. 
2. Add bell pepper, onion, and ginger; sauté 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce. Cook until chicken is cooked through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in remaining 3 ingredients and simmer 1 minute. Season with salt.