Well, I’ve never actually had Malaysian curry before, so I have no idea how authentic it is — but this turned out pretty damn well. We had some frozen chicken breasts, coconut milk, potatoes, an onion, tomato paste, and a lot of spices. I knew I should be able to throw something tasty together. A quick search yielded this yummy-looking recipe, which I used to base this dinner on.

INGREDIENTS

3 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large clove garlic, smashed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ lb. potatoes (I used 2 small purple ones and one medium red one), cut into uniform bite-sized pieces
3 oz. tomato paste (about ½ of one of those little cans)
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 ½ cups water or chicken stock
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (¼ cup fresh would be way better)

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop up your potatoes, onions, and chicken.
2. Mix all spices and sugar together in a small bowl. If you’re using fresh cilantro, leave it out till the end; otherwise, add it now.
3. Whisk together the coconut milk, water or chicken broth, and tomato paste in a bowl.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee until translucent.
5. Add chicken and cook it a little, a minute or two.
6. Add spices, liquids, and potatoes. Mix well.
7. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Taste and adjust spices as necessary. If you’re using fresh cilantro, add it just before serving.

Serve over brown rice. Yum yum!