Golden Curry

Cooking with my boyfriend, Sam, is one of my favorite things we do together. It's been really fun to watch his interest in cooking grow. We've come a long way from the first time we cooked for his family and dropped the lasagna on the floor! Nowadays we turn on some really good music then chop, season, and saute in a perfected rhythm. This week we tackled a cuisine that was especially out of the ordinary for us...curry.


"I don't like Indian food" is something I've thought to myself for years. Two of my best friends love Indian food though and I've tried to like it (I really have!) but curry just never interested me. I LOVE foreign spices though...so how could this be? Well I believe that food preferences are largely in our minds and that we can learn to like anything, so I decided that if I deconstruct curry and make it at home, maybe I'll gain an appreciation for it. And guess what? It worked!!

Curry is like chili; a hundred variations can exist to meet your preferences. The basic structure of Indian spices are curry powder, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek.
And then it's all about finding the right combination for yourself. I added some crushed pineapple for a hint of sweetness and a small chili pepper for heat. Some recipes add raisins while others include stewed tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast
• Cauliflower
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• Curry powder
• Indian spices blend
• S&P
• Oil
• Rice

Method:
1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and cut the pepper and onion lengthwise (julienne).
2. Rub the chicken and vegetables with 2 Tablespoons curry powder, 2 Tablespoons Indian spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Pour 1 Tablespoon oil (I like coconut) into a skillet and turn the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Add the chicken and cauliflower to the pan first because they take the longest to cook.
5. When the chicken and cauliflower are partially cooked, add the bell pepper and onion. Meanwhile, open the can of chickpeas, drain the liquid, and rinse.
6. Saute the mixture for about 5 minutes, then add the chickpeas, coconut milk, crushed pineapple, and cover the pan.
7. Let everything simmer and blend for about 15 minutes.
8. Make the rice. Give the curry a taste, adjust the seasonings, then divide the rice into bowls and spoon the curry over top. Mmmm.