chicken curry is one of those go-to meals i {go to} when i've run out of ideas for quick and easy meals involving chicken. i have no fixed recipe and make no exact measurements, so it all depends on what's available, my mood, and how much time i'm willing to spend on preparing the meal. after taking inventory of possible ingredients, i make a quick "paste" in the blender before simmering the (sauteed) chicken and vegetables in it for about 30-45 minutes. sometimes the resulting curry comes out so spicy it is almost difficult to eat (not really), but often times it is surprisingly well balanced and delicious despite the rather casual process involved in making it happen. more often than not we are perfectly satisfied and happyhappy after polishing off the steaming bowl of curry topped with loads of chopped cilantro and a side of fluffy basmati rice (or steamed quinoa if i'm being good). i'm pretty sure if (when) you make this curry and taste the results you'll be {going to it} as often as i do.

quick & easy curry ingredients for 4-6:

• 6-8 organic chicken tenders (or about six-eight pieces of chicken)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 cup (more or less) frozen peas (or fresh)
• 3-4 small young potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 tbs virgin unrefined coconut oil
• 3-4 stalks lemongrass
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• fresh ginger, a good nice chunk (about 1 tbs)
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 tbs good quality curry powder
• 1 cup (or slightly more) coconut milk
• 4-6 lime leaves
• 1-2 tsp raw sugar
• a small bunch of chopped fresh cilantro
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper (to taste)

1. make your paste: add to the blender the softer parts of the lemon grass (peel, trim, cut in smaller pieces), ginger, shallot, garlic, powders (cinnamon, curry, turmeric, cumin), sugar, jalapeño pepper (adjust amount to taste for spiciness), sea salt, pepper, fresh lime juice, and 1/2 of the coconut milk. blend until you have a smooth paste.

2. in a dutch oven or skillet sautee chicken and onions in 1 tbs coconut oil. remove from pot, then heat the remaining coconut oil and add the paste to the hot oil. allow the sauce  to cook and start to thicken slightly (bubbles a bit) while stirring. add the chicken and onions back to the pot with the heated paste, along with the potatoes, lime leaves, and about 1-2 cups water. bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked. make sure to adjust water if necessary.

3. about 15-20 minutes before serving add remaining coconut milk and peas, stir carefully. serve with fresh chopped cilantro on top (or drizzled with this green sauce) and steamed rice on the side. s-p-i-c-y, right?