Thai Curry Chicken with Fresh Veggies

Much like Brett's love interest in episode 2 of Flight of the Conchords, this dish is flippin' hot, like a curry. In fact, it is a curry - a Thai curry, which is my favorite kind. The main difference I see between Indian and Thai curries, aside from the spelling, is the presence of coconut milk (bwdik?).


It's important to make sure your meat is fresh, which is why I always bite off a giant mouthful of raw chicken before cooking. If you don't need to go to the hospital the next day, your chicken may not be fresh, and you should get rid of it so as not to run any health risks.

The basic ingredients (all quantities approximate):
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I buy the family size packages and freeze the rest)
1 can of coconut milk (you can go with light if you want)
2-3 tomatoes, cored and seeded, diced
1/2 a white onion, chopped
3 white mushrooms, diced
2+ cloves of minced garlic (I love garlic so I used 4-5)
1 lime (or lime juice)
1/4 tsp turmeric (just a dab'll do ya)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger or garam masala
1 tsp paprika (or to taste)
2 tbsp fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

In a ziploc bag, combine coconut milk, spices, and lime juice for marinade. Trim fat from chicken and slice into small pieces. Marinate overnight.

Empty contents into a large sauce pan or pot on high heat (the wider the pan, the quicker it'll cook). Add the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce down to thicken the sauce. The chicken will gradually turn white as it cooks - when it's cooked all the way through, you can begin the editing process.

Most dishes I make go through some significant revisions before I serve it, although that may be because I'm making so much stuff up as I go along. I tried adding some allspice, cayenne pepper, and celery salt, which didn't seem to hurt, and cloves, which did.

You can add other veggies, too. One of the great things about curries is you can put in whatever healthy stuff you want and you'll primarily end up tasting the curry. That and the salmonella.