Chicken Curry

On Monday I cooked Chicken Curry for lunch. I was suprised my wife suggested I make it. Usually she doesn't crave for curries. :/ But this time she did! :)
This variation is a cross between Thai and Vietnamese styles. In that it adds lemongrass and fish sauce (patis/nuoc mam) and sweetened a bit with splenda or sugar. I didn't have coconut milk so I substituted with evaporated milk which turned out fine as always. On the curry powder I used the type that they use in restaurants and food service establishments made by McCormick which I bought at Sam's Club. On the veggies, no eggplant or hot chilis were added. Just potatoes and carrots. I wanted to make it similar to Coco Ichibanya Curry House Japanese curry but my wife doesn't like it spicy or flaming hot. :) Coco's curry is a bit darker and sweeter and they don't use coconut milk in Japanese curries. They make a rich curry roux which can be bought premade packets at the supermarket made by S&B brand. It's quite authentic.

Ingredients:


5 lb Chicken, skinned , cut into pieces

4-5 Tbsp Curry powder

4 inches thin sliced green onions

1 80z can evaporated milk or coconut milk

1 round onion chopped fine

6-8 potaoes, peeled and cut into quarters

4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch parts

4-6 Clove garlic

1 bay leaf, ripped in half

1 stalk lemongrass, leaves removed and bottoms crushed

2-1/4" slices of ginger crushed

1 block Butter

dash cracked blackpepper to taste

dash salt to taste

2-4 Tbsp of patis to taste

dash MSG optional to taste

2-3 Tbsp Corn starch mixed with water for thickening

1-2 Tbsp Canola oil

1-2 Tbsp splenda or sugar to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil and fry crushed garlic, lemongrass, ginger, bay leaf, and onions to release oils and aromatics. Do not burn. Add cut chicken and brown. Add dash salt and pepper to season. Add water to cover chicken after browning. Add evaporated milk, curry power and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer til cooked about 20 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer more until potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Add patis to taste. Add butter to make curry creamy before thickening. Add splenda to sweeten a bit to your taste. Thicken curry sauce with corn starch and water as thick you want the sauce. Sprinkle thin slices of leaf onion over your curry dish before serving. Serve with white or brown rice.

Serves 6