Massaman chicken curry with sweet potato and peanuts

You can never have enough quick and easy chicken recipes, right? Especially when they’re as tasty as this Massaman chicken curry.

I remarked to Mr. Scrummy today that lately my day seems to be mostly centred around trying to invent ways to get things done in the house.

Since the birth of our little monkey in January I’ve spent most of my day (and night!) sitting on the sofa holding him, to the point that there’s a big dip in the middle of it!

The little monkey doesn’t want to be put down – ever. Hmmm. We’ve tried him in the baby rocker, on the baby gym, on the change mat, in the carrycot, in a sling, etc. etc. etc. Each one of these occasionally works for roughly 5 to 15 minutes, and then the whining to be picked up begins again.

Certainly not ideal conditions for getting recipes cooked, or getting ANYTHING done for that matter.

It’s a good thing he’s cute.

Nevertheless, I did manage to pull together a simple and delicious Thai Massaman chicken curry for you this week. If you’re wondering how, in view of what I’ve just said, well… I resorted to dumping the little monkey on Mr. Scrummy’s lap with a dummy (pacifier) in.

That won me the half hour or so I needed to make this.

And then we had dinner ready for two days, as this makes four generous portions. Result!

This recipe was inspired by the Thai Massaman chicken curry served at a local Thai street food restaurant. I love going to this restaurant as it’s set out like a Thai street. You might think this sounds cheesy, but I think it’s been done really well and I really do feel like I’m sitting at a Thai street food stall when I go there. Well, almost 😉

I have no idea how they make their version, but what I love about it is the light coconut flavour, chunks of potato and other veggies and the little scattering of peanuts over the top. It really feels like a nutritious home cooked meal – simple and yet really tasty – and this is what I wanted to try and recreate at home.

My version is little more than chicken, coconut milk, stock, curry paste, and vegetables. There are a few other ingredients in there, but essentially that’s it. It’s a mild curry, as curries go, so you don’t need to worry about the spice blowing your head off!

I decided to use a premade Massaman curry paste to make things easy, but of course if you’re feeling brave (and you’ve got more time than I have!) then by all means make your own.

I hope you give this a go some time. In the meantime, what are your tips for getting things done in the house when you’ve got a new born? All tips gratefully received!

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Massaman chicken curry with sweet potato and peanuts

A simple and mild chicken curry that takes hardly any time to make but has great flavours. Perfect for a weeknight meal!

Course Main meal

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 497 kcal

Author Helen

Ingredients

• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves crushed
• 7 ounces sweet potato I used 1 smallish, peeled and cubed (about 1cm)
• 9 ounces potato I used 2 smallish, peeled and cubed (about 1cm)
• 14 ounces coconut milk mixed with 3 tablespoons Massaman curry paste (1 can)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 2 bell peppers I used one green one red
• 3.5 ounces baby corn
• 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with a little water.
• salt and pepper to taste

To Serve

• one handful of peanuts per person
• a handful of fresh coriander
• lime wedges
• rice and / or naan bread we used flatbreads instead which are cheaper, or you can even make your own!

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Pan fry the onion for a few minutes in a little vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan with a lid.
2. Add the chicken and stir until starting to cook. Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then add the sweet potato and potato cubes.
3. Add the coconut milk and curry paste, stock and fish sauce.
4. Stir in the bell peppers and baby corn and push everything down so that it’s covered by the liquid.
5. Bring to the boil with the lid on, then reduce to a medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the corn starch mixture and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer with the lid off until the curry sauce has thickened a little and the vegetables are cooked through.
6. Grind in salt and pepper to taste, then serve garnished with coriander and peanuts over rice (and with naan or flatbread if you like).

Recipe Notes

The 30 minutes cooking time is approximate. I find it’s done when the sweet potato is soft enough. Just keep checking!

By all means use different vegetables if you like. I think carrots, squash and frozen peas would work particularly well.

Nutrition Facts

Massaman chicken curry with sweet potato and peanuts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 497 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 27g 42%

Saturated Fat 20g 100%

Cholesterol 109mg 36%

Sodium 944mg 39%

Potassium 1235mg 35%

Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 8g

Protein 30g 60%

Vitamin A 179.9%

Vitamin C 108.2%

Calcium 7.9%

Iron 39.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Why not save this to your chicken or easy meals board for later? 🙂

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