Red Peanut Curry

So my friend Layla, who brought us these awesome cupcakes, and her husband Brock came to visit us in DC this past weekend. We had a marvelous time romping around the city, packing in as much as humanly possible in 2 short days. We saw most of the monuments (sorry, Jefferson, we didn't make it to you), gawked at the fading Declaration, admired the dresses of the First Ladies and Julia Child's kitchen (of course!), ate some of the tastiest Lebanese food ever, walked and walked and walked, and managed to squeeze in a little cooking. It was a busy weekend.

This curry is a concoction based on several different recipes. It's part Thai, part Indian, and a large part us. And it is dang tasty. The peanut butter adds a creaminess that makes it irresistible, while the red curry paste gives just enough kick to keep things interesting. We made this in my crock pot, but it would work equally well on the stove top; just adjust the cooking time to make sure the chicken is cooked through. I wish I still had some left to eat for lunch tomorrow, which is a rare wish because I don't love leftovers. Maybe I'll have to make it again for dinner tonight...

Red Peanut Curry

Recipe by Kelly and Layla

Pictures by Brock from The Grass is Greener

4 small chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk*

1/2 cup peanut butter**

1/2 small can tomato paste (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon red curry paste

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1. In a food processor (or chopper or blender), combine onion, peanut butter, coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, red curry paste, salt, garam masala, curry powder, and 1/4 cup cilantro. Blend together until mostly smooth (my chopper can't puree anything, so my sauce was a bit lumpy. I liked it that way).
2. Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce over the top of the chicken and turn slow cooker on low. Cook about 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through (time will vary depending on your slow cooker). Serve over rice and top with remaining cilantro.

*Because of the high fat content of the peanut butter, you may want to use light coconut milk.

**Natural peanut butter is preferred because it doesn't contain any extra sugar or oil, but regular will do.