Thai Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce

4JRhodes's Note:

This is a family favorite recipe the kids enjoy as well. I grown my own Thai basil, so I have lots of it in the summer. It does give the dish much more flavor. When basil is out of season I use cilantro. I eliminate the jalapenos when serving this to my kids.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 large onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or finely diced
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Thai basil (or cilantro)

Directions:

1. ~Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place in a storage bag and toss with the curry powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. ~In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil at medium-high heat. Add half of chicken and cook 2-3 minutes or till chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken.
3. ~Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same skillet. Add onion and bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and ginger just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. ~Stir cornstarch into coconut milk. Turn heat to low and slowly add milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Turn up the heat to medium if needed. Add chicken and basil just before serving. Sometimes I add more curry if needed. Serve over hot rice and garnish with fresh basil. Steamed cauliflower goes well with this dish.

Reviews

[vivmom]

Very good - we all enjoyed this. I used just 1 jalapeno, and I omitted the ginger altogether because the heat level was perfect... which is to say plenty spicy. I found it easy to mix the coconut milk and cornstarch right in the can with a slim whisk (save washing a bowl). Next time I will add a little more basil to the dish. This is a winner!