Burma Superstar’s Coconut Curry Chicken

Just what we need, one more “better than takeout” recipe… but there’s no better way to describe this easy, subtle coconut curry chicken. It’s truly better than any takeout I’ve ever had, and let’s just say that I’ve had a lot of takeout.

That turmeric is so hot right now.

Burmese food is the best food you’ve probably never had – unless you live in San Francisco, where Burma Superstar is the restaurant you take all of your out of town guests to show how worldly you are now. As if Thai, Chinese and Indian food had a baby, people line up in droves to get some of that spicy goodness. But I’m not about that 2 hour wait, and use Burma Superstar’s amazing cookbook as the ultimate line-cut.

The cookbook is full of simple, flavorful recipes (more to come), but one of the first that I tackled was the Coconut Curry Chicken. It’s shockingly easy, and if you’ve ever made an Asian dish before, you probably have the majority of the ingredients. The outcome is restaurant-quality curry, without the 2 hour line.

The sauce is addicting and worth sopping, so serve over cauliflower rice if you’re being really good, brown rice if you’re being good-ish, or dip naan if you are foregoing 2018 resolutions.

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Burma Superstar's Coconut Chicken Curry

This simple coconut chicken curry is made with easy-to-find ingredients, and is truly better than takeout. Recipe adapted from the Burma Superstar cookbook.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup oil I used olive, but canola works too
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp ginger I buy ginger paste for ease of use, but fresh ground ginger would also work
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced optional, I don't use garlic due to tummy sensitivity and I don't miss it
• 1 can (13 1/2 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 cup water If you prefer thicker curry, use a bit less water
• 1 tsp red curry paste Madras curry powder also works
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• cilantro for garnish
• lemon or lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. Remove excess fat from the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces.

   In a bowl, mix the chicken with the paprika, turmeric and salt, and allow to marinate while you get everything else ready (or as long as overnight).
   

2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir for a few minutes to cook a bit. Turn down the heat to medium, and stir in the ginger and garlic if using. Continue to stir to prevent burning, until fragrant and lightly cooked (this just takes a few minutes).

3. Add the chicken to the onion mixture and stir to combine.

4. Pour in the coconut milk. Increase the heat to bring to a near boil. Let simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.

5. Reduce the heat, add the fish sauce and water, and increase the heat again to bring back to a boil.

6. Lower the heat to simmer for about 55 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the curry and cayanne at the end of the simmer.

Recipe Notes

If there's time, allow the curry to sit for at least 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Bring it back to temperature before serving with cilantro and lemon or lime wedges.