Curry is an Indian dish by origin but the dish spread its popularity in Asia, the UK, South Africa, and the West Indies. There are also various curry spices – red, green, and yellow – which are a mixture of up to 20 different spices. This chicken curry is a very popular dish that is requested by friends and family and always a hit on potluck parties.
I decided to share with you my version of the Asian Chicken Curry. We are a family of 6 – with 4 boys! – so, 6 lbs of chicken is good for one dinner. I always purchase the poultry from Sam’s Club or Costco as they are fresh and affordable. This quick and easy chicken curry can be prepared in just a few minutes. Yeah, already mastered it as I have some HANGRY mouths to feed!
Different Ways of Cooking Chicken Curry
We got a chance to visit the Philippines and taste their version of chicken curry. They’re fortunate to have access to fresh coconut milk so the dish tasted creamier. Since it is difficult or almost impossible to obtain fresh coconut milk in the US, I opted for the canned variety from the Asian market in our area. I prefer the brands Arroy or Chaokoh because they are both thick and creamy.
For the curry powder, I use whatever is available in the Asian market or supermarket. You can use any type of curry and adjust according to spiciness. In this recipe, I mixed Indian Curry and the Vietnamese Curry powder I got from the Asian Market. To improve the taste, I seasoned the curry with Morton salt.
I remember the first time I cooked curry at home. One of my sons mentioned that the kitchen smelled like an Indian. They were wondering what I was cooking. Of course, their initial reaction was “yuck!” But hey, you know what happens when they taste what I cooked. My eldest just remarked that I should open all the windows and turn the exhaust on full blast when I cook it LOL.
So, here’s the recipe…
Don’t forget to share this recipe with your friends so they can enjoy this delicious Asian dish, too!
Check out another easy Asian dish — Low Carb Asian-style Tofu.
Asian Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 6 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 2 inches minced ginger
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 whole onion chopped
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 3 pieces potatoes peeled and sliced into chunks
- 1 cup sweet green peas
- salt and black pepper to taste
- chili pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp yellow curry powder
- 1 tbsp hot Indian curry
Optional:
- sliced mushrooms
- Thai basil leaves
- peas
- eggplant
- bamboo shoots
Instructions
- Wash and cut the chicken into small pieces, remove skin. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan, pour a little oil and sauté the ginger, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken for about 10-20 minutes or until the water has evaporated and chicken is turning light brown. You could also puncture the chicken pieces to make sure the insides are cooked through.
- Add the curry powder. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the chicken absorbs the curry powder.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add two cans of coconut milk.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally to prevent the coconut milk from burning. Once the coconut milk boils, add the potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender.
- Add the carrots and peas. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Adjust heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally so the coconut milk doesn’t get burned.
- To add more spice, add dried chili pepper flakes according to taste.If you want it super spicy, use 1-2 sliced jalapeno peppers instead of chili flakes.
- Serve with hot jasmine rice.
Notes
- The Kitchenatics cooling rack is also useful for washing and draining chicken pieces and vegetables.
- The low heat will cook the coconut milk and will add more aroma to your dish. You will see your curry turn into a very creamy dish.
2 thoughts on “Asian Chicken Curry at its Best”
My husband loves this Asian curry. I followed the recipe and it came out so good..
So flavorful and delicious. Very tasty! Used the veggies I had on hand.