Delicious, Warming, Red Thai Curry. Good For What Ails You!

Now that we are in the thick of winter, everyone is in need of a nutritious, hearty, warming, one pot meal. Not only is this one of my all time favorite go-to recipes when I want something easy and super yummy, it’s absolutely awesome when you are just starting to feel a cold coming on.

You’ve just started experiencing chills, slight fever, running nose and your feeling lousy. Now is the time to whip up this quick curry. Many of the ingredients like ginger, garlic, scallions, pepper and cilantro are really good for dispersing a cold in the early stages. Here we are trying to open up the pores and produce a sweat in order to release the cold invasion. This recipe I make with chicken, but if your vegan or vegetarian, feel free to omit.

The key is to have as many of the staple ingredients on hand so you don’t have to go hunting around at the store when you feel lousy. Ingredients like the red curry paste can easily be found in most grocery stores. Lemon grass is usually avail at Wholefoods in the fresh herb section (I typically use what I need and freeze the rest in a ziplock bag so I have is on hand for next time)

INGREDIENTS

(Total Time 1 1/4 Hours. Serves 4)

• 6-8 Skinless Chicken Thighs (Bone in = better flavour)
• 2.5 tsp Sea Salt (Adjust amount to your liking)
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup thinly Sliced Scallions (White and green parts)
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Minced Ginger (Fresh is best, but I usually reach for a jar of minced ginger I always have on hand)
• 4 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers finely chopped (I tend to use 1 whole pepper seeds and all, and 1 pepper de-seeded, but if you want more heat, leave in the seeds on both)
• 2 Tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
• 1 Can (13.5 oz) Full Fat Coconut Milk
• 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes cubed (1 inch aprox) (Cut equally-sized cubes to speed up cook time)
• 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro (Cilantro is also great for detoxing mercury)
• 2 (2 inch pieces) of lemongrass smacked with the side of knife to open a little
• 1 Fresh Lime (cut into 4 wedges for serving)

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 375 Degrees
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large dutch oven over med-high heat. When hot add the oil. Once oil is hot, add the scallions, ginger, garlic and chiles to the dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring until soft, 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir in the Red Curry paste and cook for 1 minute.
5. Then stir in the Coconut milk and add the sweet potatoes.
6. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the sweet potatoes. Pour in enough water for the liquid to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken (Approx. 1/2 cup water)
7. Add chopped Cilantro (Medium chop) No stems.
8. Raise heat and bring to a slight boil.
9. Place in the oven for about 40 Minutes or until chicken and sweet potatoes are cooked through.
10. Using a stick blender/Immersion blender right in the pot and blend half of the sweet potatoes, leaving the rest intact for texture.
11. When serving, after dishing out individual bowls, you absolutely MUST squeeze a nice juicy wedge of lime over the bowl. This REALLY wakes up the dish and takes it to another level!

Since we are on the topic of food, be sure to read my recent blog post with 3 easy tips to ignite your digestion!

If pain, poor digestion, stress or something else is interfering with your quality of life, don’t hesitate to call, email or book an appointment online. Humanity Acupuncture is here to help you get you back on track, so you can get back to living!

Many Blessings,

Stephen Longo LAc. Dipl. Ac.
Humanity Acupuncture
Stony Brook, NY
631-686-4001
stephen@humanityacupuncture.com
www.humanityacupuncture.com