Massaman Curry

(03 August 2014)

This is a Thai style curry with chicken and potatoes and other ingredients that don’t sound like they should go together, but make an amazing combination. I had a friend at work try it before I’d tell him what was in it. He liked it, but agreed that he might not have tried it if I’d told him what’s in it beforehand. Nothing disgusting, just not a combination of ingredients I’d normally think “hmm, I bet that goes well together.”

As usual, we’d like to note that using fresh ingredients makes a big difference in the outcome of the recipe. In particular, in this case, the peanut butter. We’ve used Skippy, Skippy All Natural, Smucker’s All Natural, and real peanut butter we watched them make at the Merc. The more “all natural” you can get the better.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (OPTIONAL. We use Sriracha to personal taste instead)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• 1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk or heavy cream
• 1 pound boiling potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preparation

• Mince onion, garlic, and ginger
• Peel and cube potatoes
• Cube chicken

Instructions

Sautee onion, ginger, and garlic in a deep pot on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add all dry spices and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and coconut milk. Add chicken, potatoes, and peanut butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is done and potatoes are soft. Stir in cilantro. Serve over rice. Garnish with peanuts. Accent with garlic chili sauce or spicy peanut sauce.