Many years ago, I stayed for a few months at my friend, Rodrigo Otazu’s house in Bali, which is where I first encountered this curry dish, but I like to think that over the years, I’ve made it my own. In this recipe, I call for a whole chicken, cut up. Cooking chicken on the bone gives the sauce such good flavor. I also think it looks better, seeing meat on the bone weather than little cubes of meat in a sauce. Serve it with white rice or bulgur wheat tossed with golden raisins or black currants. The mix of coconut milk and bulgur makes you feel like you’re doing something right for your body. This dish is delicious with lamb or shrimp too!
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 ½ large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon packed light or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons curry powder (preferably hot)
3 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
8 small fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes, halved lengthwise
3 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk, warmed over low heat
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
Steamed white or brown rice for serving
Directions:
1. Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and ½ teaspoons of the paprika.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in the hot oil until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the onions, red and green bell peppers, garlic, and ginger to the pan, season with ½ teaspoon of the salt, and saute for 3 - 4 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Lower the hear to medium, stir in the sugar, and cook the vegetables with the sugar until they are caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder.
4. Add the carrots, potatoes, warmed coconut milk, and lime juice and bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the curry for 10 minutes to begin to thicken the sauce.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and continue to simmer the curry until it is thick and creamy. Add the broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes, until tender. Taste, and add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the steamed rice and chutney.