Yellow Chicken Curry

Cooking with friends is so so satisfying & that's just what I got to do last night! Laura came over and after sipping up a few mugs of almond tea we made a batch of creamy yellow curry. Chopping up almost all the veggies I had on hand, we tossed them in a giant pot & left them to simmer in the kitchen. Knowing there's something cooking away on the stove is oddly comforting to me. Especially if it's a big pot of spicy, sweet curry!

The only thing better than cooking with friends is cozying up around the dinner table & having a meal with them. It's not often enough that we (as a generation, as Americans) spend time in one another's homes. When traveling after college I was lucky enough to spend a month in Amsterdam with some dear friends. Several nights a week, without fail, they went to each others' apartments & made a meal together. Then curled up on the floor, around coffee tables, or at the kitchen counter they tucked into their homemade goods & hashed out the day. It was so simple & so humanizing. Not a bad way to end the day, I'd say.

Yellow Chicken Curry - serves 4 - 6
2 boneless & skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. yukon gold potatoes, sliced in 1/4" pieces
1 dzn. baby bell peppers, chopped coarsely
1 yellow onion, chopped coarsely
1/2 red onion, chopped coarsely
1 large zucchini, chopped in 3/4" - 1" chunks
2 cans coconut milk
4 - 5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. fresh basil minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. yellow curry paste
salt to taste
pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil & boil the chicken breasts until cooked through (about 25 minutes). In the last 7 minutes or so, toss in the potatoes to soften them. Drain the chicken & potatoes, then set aside.

Drizzle the bottom of a large pot with olive oil & saute the yellow onion until translucent - salt them a bit to help sweat out the liquids (about 6 minutes). After the onion has cooked through, toss in the garlic cloves & bell pepper. Saute for 6 - 8 more minutes until the peppers are soft. Finally, toss in the zucchini and saute for another 6 minutes or so until the have begun to soften.

While the vegetables are cooking through, shred the chicken with a fork. Once all of the veggies have softened a bit, toss in the chicken & potatoes. Pour in both cans of coconut milk the add the curry paste, red onion & basil. Stir to incorporate. The milk should turn a rich ocher-y shade. Let simmer very slowly for another 20 minutes (at least!) for the flavors to fully blossom (so to speak).

Serve over basmati or jasmine rice.