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Friday Lunch Recipes

(Curry Chicken Stew) On the first Friday of every month, our very own Chandra T volunteers her time to prepare meals for the Freeport Community Services "First Friday Free Lunch Program."  Her meals are so delicious, that we often receive requests for her recipes.  Please enjoy!

Friday Lunch Recipes

On the first Friday of every month, our very own Chandra T volunteers her time to prepare meals for the Freeport Community Services “First Friday Free Lunch Program.”  Her meals are so delicious, that we often receive requests for her recipes.  Please enjoy!

CURRY CHICKEN STEW

Curry Chicken Stew Recipe (Serves 4-6) Ever get stuck in a dinner rut? I do on occasion, and that’s when I find myself moving between standing in my pantry, staring at the items on the shelves, to standing in front of my refrigerator with the door open for far too long, evaluating what needs to get used up, to eventually tearing apart my spice cupboard, checking labels and caps and wondering why I still have spices that past their best by date in 2017 (don’t judge, you probably have a dusty jar of thyme hanging out somewhere in your kitchen, too). These culinary archeology expeditions almost always lead to a curry dish of some sort. Curries really are another versatile, use-what-you’ve-got-on-hand option that can shake up the monotony of your weekly dinner routine. This recipe will serve 4-6 people and takes about an hour from start to finish, and your whole house will smell amazing in the process.

curry chicken

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (breast, thigh, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1-2 medium carrots, diced (or use canned or frozen)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2-3 medium/large potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I don’t know what kind of potatoes you have on hand, so adjust the quantity as needed. Also, peel or don’t peel, it’s up to you and your energy level.)
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced (or jarlic, or garlic powder)
  • 2-3 tbs cooking oil (olive, vegetable, canola, you get it)
  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (I cannot stress this enough; make sure your coconut milk is unsweetened!)
  • 2 32oz containers of stock (any kind works, or use bullion or water)
  • 2-3 tbs Curry Powder, divided
  • 1 tbs Garam Masala, divided
  • 1 tbs Cumin
  • 1 tbs Coriander
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

    For Serving

    Rice and/or Naan … (I can hear you thinking, “But Chandra, that’s so much starch with both potatoes and rice.” Yeah, I know. I like starch with my starch, but you can leave out the rice or potatoes if you want.)

Method

Heat the cooking oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Toss your chicken pieces in 1 tablespoon of your curry powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, and season with salt and pepper. When hot, add your chicken to the pot and sauté until just cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and set aside. 

Add a little more oil if needed to the pot and chuck in the onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the carrots have begun to soften. Add in your minced garlic and remaining spices. Stir together for about 1 minute, or until the spices have bloomed and are fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic and spices! 

Add in the stock and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of your pot. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, and potatoes. Make sure there is enough liquid in the pot that all ingredients are fully submerged. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Put the lid on and kick back for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Or don’t kick back and go make rice if you’re making rice. I don’t know what kind of rice you have, so follow the directions on your rice bag or box.

Once your potatoes and carrots are fully softened, adjust the seasoning if needed and serve up your curry stew along with the rice or bread item of choice.

Notes

  • You can cut the prep time for this meal in half by using canned or frozen items. Ground chicken, ground turkey, or shredded chicken are also totally usable in this recipe. 
  • If you want a thicker stew but don’t have any coconut milk on hand, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch in a bowl with about a tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Add this to your soup while it’s simmering, and it should thicken up nicely. You could add the rice right into the stew if you wanted, but I prefer to serve it on the side.
  • I like naan bread with my curry. You can make your own from scratch pretty easily (Google naan bread recipe) since it’s an unleavened bread which means it doesn’t require loads of rise time, but I usually just buy naan at the grocery store in the bakery section. 
  • This recipe can easily be adjusted to be vegetarian or vegan. Vegetables like cauliflower, peas, peppers, and corn all work very well with curry flavors. Go veggie wild, I promise it will taste great and you won’t miss the meat.
  • Bloom your spices. Toasting your dry spices in a hot pan draws out the natural oils and elevates your cooking. Just remember there’s a difference between blooming and burning. 
  • I believe in rinsing rice before cooking it. I can’t make you, and who’s going to know if you don’t, but I can try and peer pressure you a little. Rinse your rice, all the cool kids are doing it.