Quick Coconut Curry

Phewf, we've had a long dry spell but we have still been cooking and are ready to rev things up. This proved to be a quick and tasty after-work-meal. That means little prep and a short cook time!

This mild coconut curry with just a very small kick of spice will please a crowd.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves approximately 4 adults

Ingredients

Combine a mix of your favorite veggies. To keep it quick, we used a frozen mix that included a few of our favorites:

Broccoli
Carrots
Green beans
Sugar snap peas
Water Chesnuts
Bell Pepper
Celery
Onion

We also quickly fried up and added a few mini sweet peppers to beef it up a bit.

Optional: Thai green basil


For the Curry:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil (can sub olive oil)
6 garlic cloves, diced
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
1 pinch Cayenne or 1 dried red chili pepper, diced (can add more if you want more heat)
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cans coconut milk (can use Light for thinner curry)
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste (can use black pepper too)
Coconut, shredded
Cilantro, to garnish


Coconut Rice:
1 cup rice, white or brown
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

*you can also use quinoa instead of rice


Directions

Add coconut oil and garlic to pan over medium heat. Once oil is melted add mixed veggies and fry for 2-3 minutes. You might need to fry for a few more minutes if veggies are frozen. Add ginger, curry powder, Cayenne, vegetable stock, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat slightly and cook for 10-15 minutes or until curry is hot and vegetables are tender.

Once the curry is simmering, add all coconut rice ingredients to a rice cooker (making sure to rinse your rice first). For more details about how to make coconut rice without a rice cooker see our post here - however, a rice cooker is totally worth it, especially if you are looking to make quick meals!

Serve curry over coconut rice (or quinoa) and top with coconut flakes and fresh cilantro.

Curry Chicken and Orzo Soup

We love curry at our house so we think this soup is yummy. It does have a little kick to it so if you don't like spicy, go easy on the cayenne pepper. And I always like to add a little sour cream to mine.



1 TBsp vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken breasts, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 TBsp curry powder
1 TBsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 quart (32 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple juice
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 large granny smith apples, peeled and diced (I left unpeeled this time)
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice like pasta)
1/2 cup craisins

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, bell pepper, curry powder, ginger, pepper, and salt. Saute until the chicken is no longer pink and the onion is tender.

Stir in the chicken broth, apple juice, and undrained tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then add apples, orzo, and craisins. Reduce heat and simmer until the orzo is al dente. Serve.

Coconut Chicken Curry

We found this recipe in "The Joy of Cooking" cook book. We made it last night and loved it so I thought I would pass it along. I like to add potatoes and a bit of shredded coconut too.

4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 TBsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions
1 large carrot, sliced
1/2 cup peas, thawed
2 scallions, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 TBsp chopped, peeled fresh ginger (can subst. with dried)
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 TBsp curry powder
1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 TBsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides.

Remove from pan, then add: onions, carrots, peas, scallions, jalepeno, ginger, and garlic.


Cook until veggies are soft (about 5 minutes).

Add coconut milk, raisins, curry pouwder, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, add chicken, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20-25 minutes (until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked).

Serve with cooked rice.

Chicken Papadoris

While driving through Indiana, we made a stop off @ my sister-in-law's house. She had made this delicious coco-nutty curry dish for us and I fell in love! It was so tasty, that when we got to our destination in South Carolina, I made it for my family. They loved it {or they were lying to me}. It is a pretty mild dish, so {some peoples} kids {not mine!} will eat it as well {she's picky}.

It is great served with Naan bread, which you can find in most grocery stores these days. One of these times I will make my own, but for now its just too easy to go to Trader Joes! So, thank you Alli for this delicious dish! We are big fans!

Chicken Papadoris

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted

1/8 Cup Butter

4 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 of an Onion, chopped (use the whole onion if its small)

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 TBSP Soy sauce

1 (14 oz.) can Coconut Milk

1 1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Curry Powder (I did a little bit more)

2 tsp. Cornstarch + 1/4 Cup Cold Water {combine and add last to thicken sauce}

1. Cook Chicken in butter until juices run clear.

2. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender

3. Add remaining ingredients and heat. Add the cornstarch mixture last and stir through. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over your favorite rice. I prefer Basmati or Jasmine, and Alli suggests Sticky White. Top with coconut flakes if desired. Delish!

Coconut Indian Curry with Coconut Rice

Coconut Curry

1 (16 oz) bottle Calcutta Masala (Tai Ethnic Gourmet Brand. You can purchase this item at the Whole Foods/Wild Oats Store)

1/2 of a 14 oz can coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar

5 chicken breasts, cut into one-inch pieces

According to your taste, the following can also be added to the curry:

1 potato, cooked and cubed

1-2 carrots, sliced

1/2 red or green pepper

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cool on LOW for 3 hours (or until chicken is cooked thoroughly). We make this with less chicken and more potatos & Veggies. DELICIOUS!

Coconut Rice

2 cups water

1/2 can of coconut milk

1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice

1/4 cup coconut flakes

Put the first three ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add rice, cover the pan, and turn down the heat. Simmer on LOW for 20 minutes (or until liquid is absorbed). Stir in the coconut flakes and serve hot with curry sauce over the rice.


*You can also make in a rice cooker.