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Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

I bought some Jamaican sweet potatoes last weekend from an asian grocery store so thought I'd put them to use in a curry. I searched the web for an appropriate recipe and found this below:

Ingredients:

45ml Indian curry powder or garam masala
15ml ground turmeric
500g skinless chicken thighs or chicken portions
25ml raw cane sugar
30ml sesame oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
4cm galangal, peeled and chopped (or ginger)
2 stalks lemon grass, chopped
10ml Chili paste or dried chili flakes
1-2 medium wweet potatoes, peeled and cubes
45 ml Nuoc cham (recipe for this to follow)
1 sml bunch of basil and coriander (cilantro), stalks removes
600ml can coconut milk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste


Method:

In a small bowl, mix together the curry powder or garam masala and the turmeric. Put the chicken thighs in a bowl and coat with half of the spice. Set aside.

To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar in a small pan with 7.5 ml water, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup turns golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat a wok or wide heavy pan and add the oil. Stir-fry the shallots, garlic, galangal and lemon grass until they begin to smell fragrant. Stir in the rest of the turmeric and curry powder with the chili paste or chili flakes, followed by the chicken, moving it around the wok for 2-3 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, then the nuoc mam, caramel sauce, coconut milk and 150 ml water. Stir well to combine the flavors. Bring the liquid to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Season with salt and pepper and stir half the basil and coriander through the curry.

Garnish with the remaining herbs.


Now to make the nuoc mam:

Nuoc Cham

ingredients

1 clove garlic
2 to 3 chillies, cored, seeded, and minced (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground chilli paste; more or less to taste
2/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. shredded carrots (optional)


Method

In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and fresh chillies to a paste, (or mince them together with a knife.) In a small bowl, combine this garlic and chilli mixture with the chilli paste, hot water, and sugar. Stir well. Add the fish sauce and lime juice and combine. Float the carrots on top. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before using.


It turned out absolutely yummy. It's a more complicated curry than I've made before and it took me a while, but it was well worth it. We have a lot left over and each time I open the fridge door I get this waft of garlic and ginger. Yum.

posted by Melissa @ 1:26 AM