Honeymoon Inspiration: Coconut Curry Chicken

For our honeymoon, Cody and I went to Maui, Hawaii. Needless to say, it was spectacular. From sunup to sundown, we soaked it all in--sun, fun, and memories. After long days of exploring and snorkeling, we would either cook dinner together in our condo or go to a local place to try new things. Maui had quite a few restaurants that served either freshly caught fish (since we were in the middle of the ocean) or Asian food (because we were quite close to Japan and China). One night we went to Pho Saigon 808, a Thai restaurant that was recommended in our guidebook.

  

When we finally found it, I was afraid they were about to close because it was getting late. I told Cody to ask if they would be mad if we ate there. He said it exactly that way, "Would you be mad if we ate here," and the teenage boy smiled and showed us to a booth. This was the first time I had ever had real Thai food, but it will not be the last. Anyway, we ordered fried calamari, two different types of Pho (Vietnamese or Thai soup), and a Thai iced tea. The most memorable thing was definitely the Coconut Curry Chicken Pho. I could drink the curry broth alone; it was that good. 

Once we got back home to the States I knew I  wanted to find a recipe for the Curry Coconut Chicken. After several hours of searching, I found my first recipe inspiration here. I changed a few things, and I add a lot more vegetables to make it more similar to our experience in Hawaii. View my edited recipe below.   

Unlike the recipe I found, I serve the Coconut Curry Chicken over rice (instead of with noodles) from my rice cooker, one of the best kitchen tools. The rice comes out perfect every time, and I do not have to watch it at all. Starting the rice is always how I begin making this tasty meal.

All of the ingredients (except for the chicken...oops.)

Here is a list of everything that I use:
4 cups cooked rice 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced lemon grass or pale green cilantro roots (optional, definitely optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dark red chili paste (sambal)

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken, thinly sliced 

3 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 cups chicken stock (or water and stock base)

2 tablespoons fish sauce (use soy sauce as alternative)

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste
green bell pepper (I use green because it is cheapest, but red or yellow is nice for color)
1-2 cups carrots, sliced
1-2 cups snap peas
2-3 heads of broccoli


How I do it:

First, I start out by cooking the onions (see before picture) in the hot oil over medium heat until they are soft (see after picture). The most important part of making this dish is making sure the onions are cooked down well enough so that they are not crunchy. 

before

after

Usually while the onions are cooking, I cut up the chicken, carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, and garlic, and I grate the ginger. The fresh ginger adds so much Asian flavor to the curry, so don't leave it out! Once the onion is cooked down, I add the ginger and garlic to cook for about a minute. Then, I turn up the heat to high so that I can add the chicken. 

chicken added

 

Once the chicken is partially cooked, I add the curry powder and paprika. Then, I add the carrots and broccoli. Those vegetables take some extra time to cook, so I add them now, but it would be okay if you added all the vegetables at the end.

  

Then, I add the coconut milk and half-and-half, and I stir until the curry looks evenly distributed.

Finally, I add the chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, bell pepper, and snap peas. Usually, I let it all simmer for about 20 minutes so that all of the vegetables can cook, and then all of the flavors come together. Once it has simmered for a while, I always take a spoon and taste the broth. It is amazing every single time! Yum. 

When I serve the coconut curry chicken, I put about half a cup of rice in the bottom of the bowl, and then I load it up with vegetables and top with broth. It is best in a bowl because it's more like a soup after all. :) Cody and I usually end up eating this for a week. I never get tired of it. Hope you try it and enjoy it!

God bless you and your food!