Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

On a menu in any restaurant the word "curry" nabs my attention. Usually I end up ordering a curry if it is offered and usually I am perfectly happy about it. So making curries at home is a natural outcome. (The same holds true for "tamale".) This curry has sweet potatoes along with other good for you veggies and spices. Healthy eating is a great adventure!

Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 medium carrots
1 cup snow or snap peas
2 medium stalks celery
1 large orange bell pepper
4 green onions
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped basil
1 lime
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
3 medium chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 teaspoons curry powder
2 cans coconut milk
2 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 cups cooked quinoa or rice for serving
Peel and dice sweet potato. Slice mushrooms. Peel and slice carrots. Rinse peas to clean. Dice celery and pepper. Clean and cut green onions into 1 inch long pieces. Chop basil. Zest lime and cut into 6 segments. Grate ginger.

Cut the chicken meat into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces and sprinkle with the salt. Place a heavy pot over medium high heat. Add coconut oil to hot pan. Saute chicken allowing each side to brown well before turning. When chicken is browned, sprinkle curry powder over the meat and stir so that the curry heats in the coconut oil.

Stir in the ginger and lime zest then add the coconut milk and 1 3/4 cups water. Stir in the sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms and lime wedges. Cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to soften. Remove the lime wedges and discard; add the peas and green onions. Continue to cook while making a slurry with the corn starch and remaining 1/4 cup water. Stir in the slurry and cook curry for another 5 minutes. Add the basil and cook for another minute or two then serve hot with quinoa or rice. Feeds 6 to 8 hungry adults.

Hints: I like to get everything ready before I begin cooking but chopping as you go is fine too. Substitute ( or omit) veggies as you wish. Use what is available and fresh. Freezing ginger root makes it easy to work with, but frozen root won't work for all recipes--this one it does. I use one can of lite coconut milk and one can full fat, but you can use either. The fresh basil is wonderful but can be expensive so dried is OK, just add a bit earlier so that its' flavor will bloom. Cook the quinoa while the curry is cooking so that everything is hot at once. I like to scoop the quinoa on top rather than under the curry for presentation. A one dish meal, this needs nothing to complete it.

Warm and cozy, this meal is a winner for curry fans. An aromatic, pleasant way to eat your veggies with enough protein to keep you satisfied through a long winters' evening. We will be having this again soon at my house. Try these Curried Chicken Spinach Crepes as spring approaches.