Lighter coconut chicken curry

I love a good curry - the spice, the burst of flavors, and the sauce that goes so well with a bowl of rice.  It is pure comfort food for me and I like to eat it all year round.

Spicy with a bit of sweetness from light coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and peas

In the past, we'd head to a restaurant for our curry fix, but now, I mainly make it at home.  You don't need me to tout the benefits of cooking and eating at home.  This recipe is an example of that.  It's lighter than your typical takeout curry and still packed with flavor.  This particular curry is spicy but also a little sweet thanks to not only coconut milk but the sweet potatoes in it.  I am a certified sweet potato fanatic so I love using them in just about anything.  I'd never had curry with sweet potatoes before this and I've discovered that I really enjoy it so I have yet another way to eat sweet potatoes now!

For me, eating a bowl of curry always feels a little decadent but I can readily enjoy this lighter version.  The use of light coconut milk in this recipe cuts down on the fat significantly.  I absolutely adore coconut milk and I really like using the lighter variety.  While it may not be as rich and thick, it still provides plenty of that amazingly aromatic coconut flavor so it's a compromise I'm more than willing to make.  And letting the light coconut milk cook and reduce makes for a thicker sauce and intensifies the flavors in the finished curry.

Of course, this is easy to make!  Ninety percent of the time, I'm all about quick-and-easy cooking! So while it's summer and hot out, this doesn't require a lot of time standing over the stove.  You can make this in under half an hour and serve it right up with some rice for a satisfying dinner.  As with all curries, the other benefit is how great it is as a make-ahead.  The flavors get a chance to meld and intensify and leftovers are all the better.


This is a recipe I adapted from the May 2014 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray.  Thanks to a little menu planning I've been doing this year, I'm actually cooking a lot of the recipes that catch my eye.  There have been some delicious rewards at the dinner table because of it and this is surely one example.  This curry is easy to make and exceeded my expectations. 

I used skinless chunks of dark meat chicken in this curry.  You could go with chicken breast per the recipe, or I often like to use a mix if you have both on hand.  Use a hot curry powder, or Madras style curry powder.  The kick of a hot curry powder holds up against sweetness from the light coconut milk, sweet potatoes, onion, peas, as well as a touch of brown sugar.  Finishing it with basil also adds a lovely layer of fragrance on top.

This made a very satisfying dinner recently!  I am craving it right now despite the hot temperatures.  My cravings aren't always seasonal.

Have a great 4th of July weekend!  I know you might be thinking more along the lines of barbecue, cool drinks, and ice cream right now instead of curry chicken but hopefully, this might come to mind the next time you crave an easy, tasty curry.
  

Recipe:

Lighter Coconut Chicken Curry
Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray, May 2014 issue

- Approximately 4 servings - 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breast), cut into bite-size cubes
2 tablespoons Madras (or hot) curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into about 1/2-inch pieces
1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/3 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

In a bowl, stir the chicken with 1 teaspoon of curry powder and the salt and pepper.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining oil into the same skillet.  Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add sweet potatoes and cook 3 minutes.  Add remaining curry powder, cooking and stirring ingredients together for about 30 seconds.  Add coconut milk and brown sugar.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.  

Stir in peas and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 additional minutes.  Taste, and season with salt if necessary.  Remove curry from the heat, stir in basil.  Serve with rice and enjoy.