Chicken in Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

For the past three years, we lived in a part of Arlington, Virginia called Crystal City. Crystal City is situated directly across the Potomac from Washington D.C. and is home to many businesses and residences in high rise buildings. One perk to living in Crystal City is all of the restaurants to accommodate people living and working in the high rises. With Virginia being the melting pot that it is, we had easy access to pretty much any cuisine imaginable: Ethiopian, Afghan, Italian, Brazilian, Indian, Peruvian, Mexican, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Greek, Thai, etc.  Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines ever, and we had three Thai restaurants within walking distance of where we lived. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same here in Arizona, but it did lead to me trying this deliciously spicy recipe! This dish goes great with Thai Peanut Slaw in Won Ton Cups.

Chicken in Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

2 T canola oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 T garam masala seasoning

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, diced

2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 T Thai red curry paste

1 1/2 C light coconut milk

1/2 C chicken broth

1/2 C peanut butter

1 T Thai fish sauce

2 T lime juice (about the juice of one lime)

chopped cilantro and a few chopped peanuts for garnish

Directions:

Toss the chicken and garam masala in a bowl and let sit for a few minutes while the oil heats up in a heavy frying pan over medium heat. 

Sauté the chicken until cooked through and nicely browned – about 4 minutes per side.  Remove the chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Sauté the garlic, onion, and green onions until tender – about another 5 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Turn the heat up under the skillet and add the Thai red chili paste, coconut milk, and the chicken broth, stir and bring to a low boil. Add peanut butter, stirring until lumps are gone.

Finally add the fish sauce, the lime juice, and stir well, then return the chicken and onion/garlic/shallot mixture to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together.

Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

Source: Adapted from Kara Cooks