Deconstructed Thai Chicken Curry (Curry de Frango Thai )
Taking recipes apart has an added benefit: my kids can build their own perfect plate.
During fall and winter all I want to do is eat a cozy stew. I dream of one pot hearty meals that make the kitchen smell delightful for hours into the afternoon as I wait for it to be dinnertime. Stews are so easy and they yield portions that last for a couple of days and/or freeze beautifully. It’s a no brainer, really. Except, enter children.
The Perfect Plate strategy did more than help me tackle health issues. It gave me a real solution to how I could feed my family without compromising the food I wanted to eat. My kids are both extremely picky, and unfortunately not about the same things. This means the family Venn diagram of who eats what has a very limited number of foods in the middle. In the day-to-day I gave up on one pot meals and focused on components, knowing that my kids could also pick from the offerings to their liking.
With all this knowledge and practice I decided to create one of my favorite fall recipes in this new method. By keeping this curry deconstructed, I was able to serve it as a family meal. It is also incredibly versatile, and can work with several different options available in your pantry. It also means you don’t need perfect measurements for all ingredients, you can cook extra protein for a later meal.
Learn more about Perfect Plates here or visit this issue of the Perfect Plate Newsletter to build this whole plate here.
Deconstructed Fall Curry
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Olive oil, for sautéing
- 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Salt, to taste
- Olive oil spray
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- ⅓ cup fresh spinach per serving
Instructions
- Cook the squash: Preheat an air fryer to 425°F. Toss the butternut squash with a dash of salt and a light spray of olive oil. Air-fry for 15 minutes, shaking halfway through, until tender and lightly browned.
- Cook the chicken: Season the chicken with the salt and garlic powder. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
- Make the curry sauce: While the chicken cooks, combine the coconut milk and red curry paste in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Assemble the Perfect Plates: For each plate or bowl, layer the ingredients from bottom to top: Fresh spinach, roasted butternut squash, chickpeas, cooked chicken, warm curry sauce, spooned generously over everything, Jasmine rice
- The warm ingredients and curry sauce will gently wilt the spinach, allowing it to blend into the sauce as you eat.
- THE CARIOCA EDIT:
- Protein: Substitute cubed fried tofu or stir-fried steak for the chicken.
- Carb: Brown rice works beautifully, especially if you have leftovers, but jasmine rice is especially good with curry.
- Vegetable: Substitute sweet potato, pumpkin, or another variety of winter squash.
- Sauce shortcut: Use your favorite prepared curry simmer sauce in place of the coconut milk and curry paste.
