Hurry Curry

I was supposed to go to the store this morning, but since I am a highly-skilled procrastinator, by the middle of the afternoon all I had managed to do was make a few pancakes and lay around the house reading a book.  Finally my husband called my attention to the fact that we were under a Severe Weather Warning, that included torrential down-pouring rain, major flash-flooding, high winds and Tornados.   The point he was trying to make was: "Go to the store and buy food.   Go right now."  Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I went so quickly that I didn't have time to make a list of what I needed.  They say you should never go to the store without a list and they are right.  You will end up wandering around the bakery department, picking up things like boxes of apple fritters and glazed donuts and wondering, "Do we need this?"  Only you won't be able to remember because you don't have a list, so you'll decide you'd better get it anyway just in case.   And that's exactly what happened.  I bought fritters and Fudge Nuts and ice cream and cookie dough and basically every other thing my children threw into the cart, and in all our hurry to beat the rain, I nearly forgot to buy something for dinner.  Luckily, I finally remembered what I had come there for in the first place, and I grabbed a few things for the following menu:

Chicken Korma
Rice
Steamed Green Peas

Chicken Korma is an Indian dish of sauteed chicken simmered in a creamy coconut curry sauce.  The recipe below was adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Make Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals by Jamie Oliver.   However, if you're in a really big hurry, like say because there's a tornado coming, or if you've forgotten to make a list, you can simply pick up a jar of Korma sauce at the grocery store. (Patak's makes one, and so does the Target brand, Archer Foods.)

Chicken Korma

1-3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large onion

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger

½ cup Patak’s Korma curry paste (or other mild curry paste)

14-ounce can light coconut milk

2 Tablespoons unsweetened, shredded coconut

¼ cup sliced almonds

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnishes: plain Greek-style yogurt, sliced almonds, cilantro leaves, lemon wedges

1. Cut the chicken into 1" cubes.  Peel, halve, and thinly slice the onion.

2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium- high heat.  Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned on all sides.   Remove chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add the butter, onion, and ginger to the pan, and cook, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes or until golden.

3. Add the curry paste, coconut milk, half of the almonds, shredded coconut, cilantro, and chicken to the pan.  Stir in about ¾ cup of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.  Check and stir occasionally (if it seems to be drying out, add a little extra water).  Before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over hot cooked rice.  If desired, top with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, additional sliced almonds, fresh cilantro leaves, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.   Serves 6.