My seven-year-old was researching Micronesia for a school project, and, much to my delight, was required to bring a dish to share. After pulling her away from the cakes and desserts she found after a quick Internet search, I convinced my little sweet-toothed daughter that some curry and jasmine rice would be fun to bring instead. (She’s obsessed with rice.) After doing a little research of my own, I came up with this gem of a curry. It’s a little Indian, with aromatic spices, and a little Thai, with a touch of lemongrass and fish sauce.
Prep time 20 minutes
Serves 6
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
11/2 tablespoons good-quality curry powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemongrass, finely grated (or 1 tablespoon [17 g] lemongrass paste)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, halved and cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) half-moons
2 cups (140 g) thinly sliced baby portobello mushrooms
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch (5 mm) pieces
1 Thai chilli or jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 cup (160 g) chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup (120 ml) Simple Chicken Stock
3 tablespoons (57 g) fish sauce
1 13.5-ounce (398 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
Cauliflower Rice (shown here and here), limes, and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
1 Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the salt, curry powder, garlic, lemongrass, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well, and rub the seasoning blend into the chicken.
2 Place the bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, chilli, onion, stock, and fish sauce in a 4-quart (3.8 liter) slow cooker. Add the chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (or on high for 3 to 4 hours). Stir halfway through to break up the chicken if it has clumped together.
3 Stir coconut milk into the curry, and cook for another 15 minutes.
4 Taste, and add more salt or lime juice if necessary.
5 Serve with Cauliflower Rice, cilantro, and limes
