Red Curry Bowls with Chicken & Veggies

Are you nuts for coconut? Enjoy this recipe from The Whole Coconut Cookbook by Nathalie Fraise. These easy curry bowls feature tender chicken and fresh veggies, in a comforting simmer sauce made from coconut milk.

Photograph copyright © 2015 by Erin Scott

Red Curry Bowls with Chicken & Veggies

When we think of coconut-based main dishes, we often think of curries, and for good reason. Creamy coconut milk blended with any type of curry blend yields a perfectly spiced and flavored sauce or soup that is difficult to resist. Kaffir lime leaves can be found in well stocked grocery stores or Asian grocers. To keep this dish vegetarian, replace the chicken with your vegetarian protein of choice, and replace the fish sauce with coconut aminos (though do be aware that fish sauce gives Thai dishes a unique taste that is difficult to replicate).

1 tablespoon coconut oil*
½ yellow onion, diced
Sea salt
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3½ cups coconut milk*
¼ cup red curry paste
¼ cup lime juice
½ lemongrass stalk, cut diagonally in 2 or 3 pieces and bruised with a mallet
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons coconut aminos**
1 tablespoon fish sauce**
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
½ head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
½ head broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 large carrots, unpeeled, sliced into bite-size pieces
½ cup peas
¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish
Cooked brown rice noodles or brown rice, to serve

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Melt the coconut oil, and add the onion and a pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until thickened and reduced by one third, 12 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the coconut aminos and fish sauce.

Add the chicken, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. Cook until the chicken is cooked through but not dry and the vegetables are just tender but still brightly colored, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas, chopped cilantro, and chopped basil. Using tongs, fish out the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and discard. Taste and add more coconut aminos or fish sauce if you’d like a saltier taste.

Serve immediately over the noodles or rice.

Serves 4 to 6

Notes from the editor:

* If you have concerns about saturated fat, substitute extra-virgin olive oil and lite coconut milk.

** Coconut aminos is a dark and salty sauce made from coconut sap. If you’re watching your sodium intake, replace the coconut aminos and fish sauce with reduced-sodium soy sauce.

 

Reprinted with permission from The Whole Coconut Cookbook by Nathalie Fraise, copyright © 2015. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Nutrition Facts
per serving

Calories 451
Protein 25 g
Total fat 14 g
Saturated fat 8 g
Carbs 64 g
Fiber 10 g
Sugar 9 g
Sodium 718 mg
* Using extra-virgin olive oil, lite coconut, and reduced-sodium soy sauce.