Curry for Wimps.

So, I came across a can of coconut milk for $.99 a week or so ago and thought - hey, this could be useful for.... something.... Unfortunately, the only somethings it was useful for were

A. High time commitment and calorie-content desserts.
B. Thai and Indian curries. Which, of course, contain curry powder.

Sadly, I did not possess curry powder until this past weekend, when I had an opportunity to be in a local food co-op with some family members. They had bulk spices, and I picked up authentic curry powder for about $16/lb. That sounds ridiculous, but many spices in pre-measured jars can be upwards of $30/lb.

Curry, of course, has a number of health benefits. It has been linked with increasing digestive motility, heightening metabolism, and who hasn't experienced its ability to clear the sinuses? Coconut milk, if it can be found for a reasonable price, represents a nice change from the ordinary flavors of Western food but packs a caloric punch (high in fat). Below is the on-the-cheap recipe I developed to have a delicious Thai Coconut Curry that is not too spicy.

Thai Coconut Curry

1 Chicken breast with ribs cut into small pieces $1.50
1 package frozen "stir fry vegetables" $1
1/2 c coconut milk (a little less than half a can) $.40
2 T lite soy sauce
1 T curry powder
1 tsp dried sweet basil (optional)
Red chili flakes to taste
1/2 c water

1 c rice (jasmine is nice) $.68
Water to make rice

Total Cost: $3.58
Servings: 4 (smallish) or 3 (generous)
Cost per serving: $.89 (for 4) or $1.19 (for 3)

To Make:

Begin by putting on water to boil per your rice instructions. Meanwhile, prep the chicken. I buy chicken breast with the ribs because the price per lb is cheaper than boneless thighs but the ribs don't contribute much to the weight of the meat. At $1.29/lb, it's pretty affordable. Since I am unable to buy organic chicken, I try to use as little of the store brand variety as possible.

When the meat is ready, place a small amount of oil in a frying pan and begin to fry the meat. If you like, you can add a little chopped or crushed garlic at this point. While the meat is browning, mix together 1/2c each water and coconut milk (be sure to shake the can first!). Then stir in curry powder, basil, soy sauce, and red pepper.

By this time the water for rice should be boiling. Add the rice, then dump the frozen veggies into the pan with the chicken. Pour the sauce over the meat/vegetable mixture, and stir well to combine. Wait until the sauce comes to a simmer, then cover the pan and allow it to cook until the thickest frozen veggies are soft. Preparing the vegetables in this way gives them a lot of flavor and ensures you won't loose any nutrients to boiling them separately in water.

To serve: fluff the rice and place a serving on each plate. Top with chicken/veggies and pour a little sauce over the whole thing. Trust me, it's wonderful.



Other Thoughts -

1. What to do with the other coconut milk? You can try replacing half of the water for making rice with it, adding raisins or other dried fruit, 2T of sugar, and you'll have a fabulous vegan rice pudding. You can also add a bit of it to smoothies or oatmeal. And of course- there's always the baked goods (coconut bread is delicious!)

2. Coconut milk hard to find or too expensive? Make the curry sauce without it. Bump the water up to 1 c (make sure it's warm) and stir in 1 T of cornstarch, to help the curry thicken.

Happy Cooking!