Chicken Coconut Curry
Chicken Coconut Curry
Serves 4.
1 (3 by 1 inch) piece of ginger
4 large garlic cloves
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or firm tofu), cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons garam masala powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup raw unsalted cashews (raw unsalted peanuts can be used in place of cashews)
1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
2 tablespoons butter
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
3/4 cup unsweetened whole coconut milk
2 cups packed baby spinach (about 2 ounces)
1. Peel and finely grate the ginger and garlic cloves (you want about 1 tablespoon of ginger and 2 teaspoon garlic) but you don’t have to measure them out. Place the chicken or tofu pieces in a large bowl and season them generously on both sides with salt. Add the grated ginger and garlic, garam masala powder, turmeric and lemon juice to the chicken and massage it into the meat. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
2. Place the cashews (or peanuts) in a small skillet and toast, uncovered, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Add the coconut to the same skillet and toast, shaking the pot constantly, until lightly browned, about 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to the other side of the cutting board. Let cool.
3. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle (a blender or food processor work, too), grind the coconut with 1/4 cup of the cashews into a fine powder. Roughly chop the remaining 1/2 cup of cashews and place them in a small bowl for the garnish.
4. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Pull the chicken pieces from the marinade, and add them to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a total of 5 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to a medium bowl. To the pot, add the butter and let it melt. Then add the onions, and season them generously with salt. Cook onions, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes, lowering the heat as needed so as not to burn them. Add the tomato paste and let it sizzle for 1 minute, then mix it into the onions, along with the ground cashew powder. Add the stock or broth and bring it to a gentle boil, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up any caramelized bits from the pot. Add the chicken and any of their cooked juices to the pot, and bring it back to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes more. Add the spinach and let it wilt. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped cashews. Serve with rice. Loosely adapted from David Tanis in “The New York Times”.
Steamed White Rice
Serves 3 to 4.
1 1/2 cup long-grained white rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati
2 2/3 cups cold water
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1. Rinse the rice: place the rice in a medium bowl and cover the bowl with (unmeasured) water, enough to cover it well. Swish the rice with your hands a few times to release the starches. Quickly pour out the water, keeping the rice behind in the bowl. Repeat this two more times, straining the final water bath through a strainer to fully drain the rice.
2. Combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups cold water, salt and butter or olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Set it over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat as much as possible and cover with the lid. Let steam for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let sit, covered, for at least 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.