masaman curry

this was the first curry i ever tried years ago and it has remained my favorite.

1 can of coconut milk (NOT LIGHT)

1 pound of chicken thighs, cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 lg. yellow onion, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1-2 white sweet potatoes (more or less depending on your taste)
1 heaping tablespoon of masaman curry paste
olive oil
salt & pepper (white and black pepper)

saute the bell pepper and onion in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 6-7 minutes. season with salt and pepper. make sure the heat is high enough to get a little bit of color on the vegetables, don't worry about them cooking all the way through, they will be simmering later on. after about 6 minutes, place them in a bowl to the side.



cooked pepper and onions



while your vegetables are cooking, prepare the chicken. cut the thighs into 1-2 inch chunks and season with white pepper and salt. (if you don't have white pepper, black will work too)

when the pepper and onion are done, move them to glass bowl. reduce the heat slightly and brown the chicken in batches.



this was my second batch as you can probably tell by the condition of my pan



as the chicken is cooking, microwave your potato(es) until soft. make sure you stab them pretty good with a fork before you nuke 'em. once cooked, chop into 1-2 inch chunks and set aside.

as soon as your final batch of chicken is cooked, add back the previous batches and the cooked vegetables. now add the masaman curry paste. let it "melt" in a little bit and mix well. next, add the coconut milk and the white sweet potatoes and mix well.



ingredient list for curry paste (click to enlarge)

let this mixture simmer for about 5-7 minutes and serve immediately. in the past i have sprinkled cashews at serivice and it was a nice touch, unfortunately i had none on hand. this would be traditionally served or rice or rice noodles.