Coconut Chicken Curry

I like when Ryan makes dinner requests because a)I like trying new recipes and b) I don't have to decide what to make for dinner. He requested coconut chicken curry around the time Amelia was born, and luckily my mom (who happened to be visiting) had a friend's recipe that she liked. We did modify it a little, and were very pleased with the results. So without any further ado, here is our recipe for coconut chicken curry!

You will need:
Onions
Ginger
Garlic
Red curry paste
Chicken bouillon
Coconut milk
Shredded chicken
Rice

How much of each, you ask? Well, this is one of those recipes that you adjust according to your tastes. I do use one can of coconut milk to about 4 ounces of curry paste, mixed with one chicken breast shredded. If that helps.

Chop the onions

I don't like a lot of onions. If a recipe says to chop one medium onion, I'm more likely to use a quarter of the onion. So you may want more than what I've pictured here.

Next is fresh ginger. This freezes really well, just cut up a large piece of ginger root into smaller pieces, then wrap in tin foil.

I use about 2 "fingers" of ginger. By the way, if you need proof that English is a confusing language, say "I need a finger of ginger" out loud.

I don't like chomping into large pieces of ginger, so I grate it. You could also chop it up. Or, if you are pressed for time...

You can buy a squeezy bottle of ginger paste!

Next, sauté the onions and ginger. I use olive oil, but it really doesn't matter. This will smell awesome, by the way. After the onions and ginger have a few minutes head start, add the garlic. You can chop it yourself, or use the minced garlic you refrigerate that lasts forever. Guess which one I use? Either way, you need the equivalent of about 4 cloves of garlic. Unless you don't like garlic. Then use less. See what I mean?

After those have sautéed for a few minutes, add the curry paste. I like World Foods brand, which I have only found at Albertson's here in Laramie. You might have to try different brands to find your favorite. Like I said, for this amount of onions etc, I use about 4 ounces of curry paste.

Then I add several tablespoons of chicken bouillon (the paste kind, not the cubes).

Stir, and heat for several minutes. According to the jar of curry paste, this allows the full flavor to be released. Fine by me.

Next, add the coconut milk. Save a little bit in the can to taste, because yum.

It should look like this once the coconut milk has completely liquified and mixed with the curry paste etc.

Then add the shredded chicken.

I like to buy a big pack of chicken breasts and cook them in my Crock Pot in advance. Put the chicken in, add water and a couple cubes of chicken bouillon (not the fancy paste, the cubes this time!) I also add garlic. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then pull it out and shred. I put each shredded breast in its own container, then freeze them. It saves a lot of time when I want to make curry! You can use any kind of chicken, turkey, etc that you like. Our family just happens to abhor dark meat.

Okay, that little note aside... after you add the chicken to the curry you just need to heat it until everything is nice and hot. Then you are ready to serve! We like to eat it over sticky rice, but I imagine it would also be good over egg noodles.

Om nom nom.

My kids won't touch it, so this recipe makes enough for me and Ryan to each have dinner, then some leftovers the next day. What do my kids eat on curry night, you ask? 

Chicken nuggets.