Chicken Curry with Yam + Green Beans over Rice

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Why we love it:

The combination of garnet yams and onions boiled in coconut milk with curry powder is a simple, gorgeous wonder! Use a high quality curry powder and coconut milk for best results. Served over steamed white rice, this is a bookmark worthy weeknight hit. Add any number of veggies to the steaming sauce during the final moments of cooking to vary the dish.

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Ingredients

1 pound Yam (Ideally the red garnet yams. About 2-3, this doesn’t have to be exact)
¹⁄₂ Yellow Onion
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
1 15-ounce can Coconut Milk
1¹⁄₄ cups Basmati Rice (White)
2¹⁄₄ cups Water
³⁄₄ pound Chicken Thighs, Boneless/Skinless
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Honey (or brown sugar, optional)
¹⁄₂ pound Green Beans
3 Tablespoons Sunflower Seeds (optional as garnish)

Cooking Instructions

1. YAMS

Peel the yams. (Yup, peel it! You won’t hear this often from us, but it’s necessary here. Bonus Points: Toss the peels with oil and salt and roast at 425 until crispy for a chef snack or garnish on the dish!).

Slice into ⅓” thick rounds. If you end up with any rounds that are larger than about 2 inches in diameter, slice those in half.

Place the yams in a medium pot with tall sides.
2. ONION + COCONUT MILK

Cut the onion in half and peel it. (Reserve one half for the stuffed eggplant dish.) Thinly slice in half-moons and add to the pot.

Add the curry powder and half of the salt.

Add the coconut milk. Then fill the can with water and add that too.

Turn burner onto medium high heat and cover the pot. Bring to a simmer, checking every once and awhile to stir. When it’s boiling, you can uncover the pot and perhaps turn the heat down to maintain a steady simmer. Simmer for about 14 minutes.
3. RICE

While the yam and curry sauce starts simmering, boil the rice. In a pot with a tight-fitting lid, add the white basmati rice and water. Stir in the remaining salt. Bring to boil over high heat, then stir well and turn down the heat to low. Place the cover on the pot and time the rice for about 16 minutes.

Once it’s done, turn off the heat but let it rest, covered, for another 4 minutes.
4. CHICKEN

Place the chicken on a clean work surface. Slice each piece into strips, on an angle, and very thinly. Place slices in a bowl.

Check the yams. Try and pierce one with a fork. If the 14 minutes have passed, they should be fairly tender but not falling apart. If they seem quite firm still, replace the lid and return to simmer for another 4-5 minutes.
Otherwise, add the chicken now. Gently stir it into the pot. Add the honey, if using, to the sauce now too. Replace the lid and simmer for about 2 minutes.
5. BEANS

Meanwhile, trim the stem end of the beans and stack them together, then cut in half. Add the beans to the pot, gently stirring to submerge them in the liquid. Cook for about 3 minutes.
6. SERVING

Use large shallow bowls and plate a scoop of rice on the side. Ladle in the curry. Garnish with sunflower seeds.

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Substitutions

PALEO:

serve over cauliflower rice or with a larger chicken portion and no grain underneath
GARNET YAM:

the red ones really are best for color in this dish, but regular white sweet potatoes would be ok. A butternut squash would definitely turn out well but might take longer to cook
CHICKEN THIGHS:

you can use white meat but it will be tougher if overcooked
WHITE RICE:

serve over brown rice, quinoa, or couscous
CURRY POWDER:

make your own combination with a half teaspoon each: cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and a pinch each of cinnamon, ginger and paprika