Thai Chicken Curry

​My husband had found this recipe on IG from @GimmeSomeOven and asked me to give it a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen. On the surface it met all of my requirements:  it was a dinner I could make after work, and in under 30 minutes. Plus being yummy and healthy. The bonus is that it is pretty. And it was pretty fantastic!  We are definitely adding this one to the regular rotation!

Thai Chicken Curry
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 bell peppers, cored and thinly sliced (I used one red and one yellow)
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced into coins
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons grated or minced fresh ginger*
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste  (or more/less, to taste)
• 2 (14-ounce) cans full fat coconut milk
• juice of 1 to 2 limes, to taste
• toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, fresh Thai basil, extra lime wedges

Preparation:

1. Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken generously with a few pinches of salt and pepper, then add it to the stockpot and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set aside. (I recommend prepping the other veggies while the chicken cooks, to save time.)
2. Sauté the veggies. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the stockpot.  Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened.  (I prefer my veggies to stay slightly crispy, but you can cook yours longer if desired.)  Add the garlic, ginger and Thai curry paste and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Simmer. Add in the coconut milk and stir until the curry paste has evenly dissolved in the broth.  Continue cooking until the curry just barely reaches a simmer. Lower heat to medium-lower to maintain the simmer, then cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the veggies reach your desired level of softness.
4. Season. Add in the cooked chicken and the juice of one lime.  Then give the curry a taste and season with extra salt, pepper, curry paste and/or lime juice, if needed.
5. Serve. Serve warm with rice, rice noodles, bread, or on its own.  Garnish with lots of chopped fresh herbs on top plus extra lime wedges if desired.  Enjoy!