Way back when I was about to move to Chicago circa 1999, my Mom gave me a book of recipes that were designed to be cooked quickly and easily – a basic entrance to cooking for someone who was about to embark on some simple housekeeping. I did my best to work through most of the recipes, and one of my favorites was an utterly-inaccurately named ‘Chicken Curry in a Hurry’. It was simple as far as ingredients went, but woefully ill-monikered because it took forever to make, what with all the chopping and cutting. I used it as a basis for branching out once I became a little more confident in things, before passing it on to Andy once I introduced him to Thai food. In his capable hands, it was modified and perfected, to the point that it now rivals the chicken yellow curry at House of Siam in Boston. Here’s how he does it:
2-3 lbs chicken of your choice (I’ve used boneless chicken thighs, breasts cut into strips and precut tenders. Also full thighs with bone in.)
4 cans of coconut milk
Package of Campari or cherry tomatoes
1 whole ripe pineapple cored and chopped into chunks
Two “handfuls” snow peas
A mesh bag of mini red or multi colored potatoes
2 cups sliced or mini carrots
1 can whole or half mini corn
2 inches of fresh ginger root peeled and minced (held separately from vegetables)
Optional: a diced onion and a diced bell pepper
Yellow curry paste
Peanut (or olive) oil.
Chop vegetables first and put in one bowl. Set a large Dutch oven on high heat with enough oil to cover bottom. When hot, add chicken and brown it. Add all vegetables to Dutch oven and sauté with chicken for about 5 minutes.
Add fresh ginger. Sauté another 5 minutes. Cover in coconut milk. Add curry paste 1 tablespoon at a time to taste at simmer. Low simmer stir frequently for about 45 minutes until potatoes are cooked. Add tomatoes whole and simmer another 5 minutes.
Serve over jasmine rice.
