Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

Yum. Yum. Yum. That's my thoughts about Thai Coconut Chicken Curry... A.K.A. the latest creation to come from my kitchen. I'm all about trying recipes from other cultures, and I'm lucky to have an adventurous husband who is as excited and willing to try new flavors and foods as I am. So far, we haven't had to resort to any take-out, so I count that as a success! It's so interesting to see and taste how the rest of the world (outside the midwest United States) eats. Luckily most of my adventures into international cooking have concluded with positive results.

Recipe adapted from recipris

Step 1: Gather the ingredients. Coconut milk and Thai curry can be found in the Asian or international food sections of most grocery stores.

I just love wok cooking! Woks are one of those kitchen items that takes up a great amount of room, but are worth keeping around for a quick stir fry or more adventurous meal like this one.

THAI COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY | Yield: 4-6 Servings | Prep: 15 min. | Total Time: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 C chicken, diced into 1-inch cubes (3 breasts)
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 Cans light coconut milk (13.5 oz. each)
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1 C sliced mushrooms
1 C chopped white/yellow onion
1 C broccoli florets
1 C chopped red bell pepper
20 snap peas
4 Thai basil leaves
1/4 C chopped unsalted cashews

NOTE: If you'd like to kick up the heat a notch to balance out the sweetness of the coconut milk, add 3-4 tsp red pepper when adding coconut milk.

DIRECTIONS:

In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium heat. Lightly season diced chicken with salt and pepper and saute until golden. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a wok, heat 2 Tbsp oil on medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, cooking until light brown (about 30 seconds). Stir in curry paste.

Whisk in coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. Turn heat to medium-high and add veggies, cooked chicken, and basil leaves.

To serve, garnish with chopped cashews and basil leaves.

Serving suggestions: Serve with a side of couscous or a bowl of rice.

Have you tried cooking any international dishes in your kitchen?