Curried Chicken With Apples, Carrots, & Yams

This is my own original recipe. If you share it, please give me full credit. I use light-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams), not the darker, purplish ones.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 5  lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in cubes
• 2  apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2  cups  yams, peeled and diced
• 2  cups  baby carrots, cut in half diagonally
• 1  medium onion, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 4  tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 4  tablespoons flour
• 2  tablespoons curry powder
• 1  tablespoon  coriander
• 1  teaspoon turmeric
• 2  cups hot chicken broth
• 2  cups milk
• 3  tablespoons marsala
• 4  ounces  fat free Greek yogurt

• Serve with

• 6  cups rice, hot cooked

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Sprinkle coriander over cut chicken; mix it well so that all the chicken surfaces have some coriander on them. Set aside to rest.
3. In large skillet or dutch oven, heat ghee (butter) and 2T olive oil. Add onions to pan; sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and remaining vegetables; sauté five minutes. Sprinkle in curry powder and turmeric and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and milk; cook, stirring, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Pour into large mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Using the same skillet, add 2 T olive oil and return to med-high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken pieces in smallish batches so that you sear them, but you do not need to cook them through. Remove each batch from the heat and stir into waiting veggie/broth mixture. Repeat until all chicken pieces are nicely seared.
5. With skillet still on the heat, pour in Marsala to deglaze the pan. You may also add a little cold water if needed to loosen all the little tasty bits of veggies and chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is reduced to half (it should appear creamy) then pour the "pot liquor" into the bowl with the chicken and veggies. Stir well.
6. Pour the entire bowl into greased casserole dish (I used a 10x15 4qt pyrex baking dish).
7. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes.
8. Serve with steamed rice or prepared couscous and Naan bread.