Malaysian-Style Chicken Curry
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
6 shallots, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1″ piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. water
3 boneless chicken breasts, halved
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. curry powder
14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1-1/2 cup chicken broth
2 (3″) fresh jalapeno chiles, slit in 4 places
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1 star of anise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
Accompaniment: cooked rice
Instructions:
In a food processor, finely chop the shallots, garlic and ginger root. Add the water and puree into a paste.
Pat the chicken dry with some paper towels and season with salt. In a large heavy casserole, heat the oil over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Brown the chicken evenly and transfer to a large plate.
Reduce the heat to low and add the shallot paste, cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook for another minute, stirring well as you go. Add the chicken with the juices that have accumulated on the plate and all the remaining ingredients except the coriander. Simmer the chicken, covered, turning the meat once, until it is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, while letting the sauce boil gently until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick, clove and star of anise, and season with salt. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice. Cover with the sauce and sprinkle with the chopped coriander leaves.
Serves 6.