Coconut and curry

On Saturday evening I had the honor of hosting a party for Julia, one of my best friends, who is getting married in less than a month. We-- her maid of honor (and sister) Angela and I-- decided to go with a Thai theme. Julia loves Thai food, and the bright colors and fresh flavors seemed appropriate for such a happy occasion.

Mind you, my house contains nothing remotely "Asian" in appearance, so we had to do quite a bit of decorating to achieve our theme!

We were pretty pleased with the results, though. :)

For dinner we made vegetable spring rolls with two dipping sauces (spicy peanut and sweet hoisin) along with a scrumptious chicken curry. Wow, this curry is definitely a keeper! I think a lot depends on the quality of your ingredients, so please find as authentic a curry paste and as pure a coconut milk as possible.

In pursuit of those authentic ingredients, this party provided me with an excuse to visit the Asian grocery store in Lancaster, which I've been meaning to do for a while. I felt very . . . white.

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Coconut Chicken Curry
(original recipe from Eclectic Recipes)

2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1 large white onion, diced
2 small russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
4-5 cups chopped cooked chicken*
salt to taste (I used at least 1/2 teaspoon)

1) Heat oil in wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, potatoes, and garlic. Stir for one or two minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook (stirring occasionally) until onions are translucent.
2) Stir in coconut milk and curry paste. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened a bit and potatoes are soft.
3) Stir in chopped chicken and salt to taste (add more curry paste if needed). Let chicken warm through. Serve with rice, Thai basil, cilantro, and green onions. We like brown basmati rice.

*I poached boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It's very easy. Of course, you could also use cubed uncooked chicken, and add it in with the potatoes and onions. I just prefer to cook it first, then chop. And if you try to cook all that stuff at once, it takes longer.