Pan-Asian night

So tonight I wanted to cook something a little bit different, so it was coconut-curry chicken and a vegetable stir fry. Yes, I realize that those two really aren't supposed to go together since they're from two different countries, but I needed to vegetables and I wanted an excuse to have baby corn.

This was my first time doing any real (at least from scratch) cooking with curry, and lets just say I had a slight learning curve at the beginning. I was tossing around whether or not to use curry paste or curry powder, and the first time around I made the big mistake of heating the oil BEFORE adding in the curry paste. My white wall next to the stove is now tinged a little bit orange. After sufficiently burning the paste while trying to mix it with the oil, I gave up, washed the pan, and started over... this time heating the oil with the curry powder at the same time. Much better, and virtually no splattering. Unfortunately I found other ways to make a mess, flinging the curry sauce between the crack next to the stove top, and spilling coconut milk everywhere (let it be said, that if you get the Thai Kitchen coconut milk, you're supposed to open it from the bottom end). Otherwise it went seamlessly once everything got added in. I only put in about 1 lb of chicken, and I let it simmer for a little while longer (hourish?) because I prefer a thicker sauce, and the results were pleasing. Even my roommate who tends to prefer bland flavors really enjoyed it. I think the tomatoes created a fantastic bridge between the curry and the coconut flavor.

Next time I make this I will:

1. Open more windows (and subsequently annoy the neighbors in my apartment)
2. Possibly invest in a splatter guard
3. Add some fresh tomatoes and/or add a little more 'kick' to it.
4. MAYBE try again with the curry paste, since word on the street says it makes curry dishes all the more delicious.

As for the stir fry, the consistency and the vegetable flavors were great (carrot, broccoli, green pepper, baby corn, water chestnuts), but I'm starting to realize not owning oyster sauce is going to cause me to run into some problems as I cook some more Asian dishes.  Putting that on the shopping list for next time. Sauce for the stir fry was okay, but without any oyster sauce and using soy sauce and teriyaki sauce as a substitute, it didn't really have much character. Since I didn't really follow a recipe, I won't write one until its a little better tasting. Read More for the recipe!

Curried Coconut Chicken (courtesy of allrecipes.com)
1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I ended up using more, just to make mixing easier)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 oz) can of coconut milk (I went with lite coconut milk and it was still delicious)

1 (14.5 oz) can of stewed, diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper
2. Heat oil and curry powder (at same time!!) in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more.  Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 7 to 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
• ***I allowed the curry powder to develop a little longer in the oil, maybe 5 minutes to really bring the flavor out. If your stove is a little bit hyperactive (like mine), you may want to keep it at a medium for the beginning of this 
3. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30-40 minutes (or longer if desired). Serve with rice and enjoy!