Coconut Chicken Curry & Our Sweet Basil Kitchen Cookbook |Cooking With Amanda

The contributor received a copy of the cookbook for review. No compensation was provided, and all opinions are her own.

You may or may not know (my last name might give you some indication), but my husband is British. And there's one meal an English bloke will always gravitate towards – curry.

It's true. Curry is the national dish of England. I myself had never had Indian food in my life until I started dating him, and he insisted I try some on one of my trips to London. I started with Tandoori Chicken – I mean, how dangerous can clay-oven-baked chicken be?

Turns out, it IS dangerous. In a oh-my-gosh-why-have-I-never-eaten-this-before?! way. Since that fateful first encounter, Indian food has become a mainstay of our family diet. Up until our three-year-old became opinionated about his food (why must they always have opinions!), he was all about the curry.

We're raising the 7-month-old up right as well, with little tastes of tikka masala and korma sauces. Poor chunkster LOVES to eat, but he has no teeth. Recipes with sauces are a good compromise for him to try new foods without having to chew.

This recipe comes from the new book, Our Sweet Basil Kitchen, by Cade and Carrian Cheney. We received the book from our dear friends for review, and as my husband and I flipped through it, there were lots of meals that called out to me personally.

I LOVE a good one-pot-meal as much as the next busy mom, and there are great options here, like the Garden Skillet, and Braised Dijon Chicken and Potatoes. Both have graced our dinner table since receiving the book.

But it's the Coconut Curry Chicken that we've made more than once, because what can I say? We're a curry household. As soon as my husband spotted it, there was no making any other recipe before that one.

That's why dinners like this easy coconut curry chicken are a total win for everyone in the family. The little one can taste the sauce. The big one can eat the chicken sans sauce ("Sauces are yucky, Mama"), since it's grilled separately before being combined.

(Oy, how did I get a kid that won't even dip things in ranch dressing or KETCHUP, I ask you!).

The whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes, and I'm here to tell you that the leftovers are triple times better the next day. Just like a good chili or chicken soup, a little melding of flavor time in the fridge makes this meal even better the second time around.

We love to add okra to curries and keep a bag of frozen chopped okra on hand at all times for just that reason, so I've added it here. It's a great way to hide green veggies in a flavorful sauce and get your kids trying new things. But if okra's not your jam, feel free to leave it out, or add par-boiled potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower instead.

There are lots of other recipes in the book we cannot wait to try, from Heirloom Apple Rolls to Tailgater Nachos and Churro-Style Bread Pudding (WUT!).

If you're looking for a new book that'll get you out of that meal-rotation rut, this is a great book to have on hand. There are recipes for every course, and they're very reflective of the more international-embracing kitchen we try to keep in our house.

I loved seeing every kind of flavor profile here, from Indian and Mexican to Southern (Cade is a good Southern boy, after all) and Italian.

There are delicious looking sides and salads, starters and mains, breakfasts and desserts. Had I not had a Brit guiding the way, I would have had a seriously difficult time deciding what to make first. Thank goodness for his British-y ways, right?

I've shared the recipe for Coconut Curry Chicken below, but make sure you pick up a copy of Cade and Carrian's book for yourself. It's a keeper.

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Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe

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Ingredients

pinch of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Curry Powder, divided
1 tablespoon Garam Masala, divided
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, diced into 1" chunks
2 tablespoons Oil
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, smashed
1 14-ounce can Sweetened Coconut Milk, full fat
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon Salt
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1 cup Frozen Okra Pieces
2 tablespoons Water
1 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 cups Cooked White Rice, for serving
Fresh Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

In a small bowl, combine divided curry powder, divided garam masala, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine evenly.
Dice chicken breasts into small chunks, then toss in the spice mixture, coating evenly.
Place the chicken chunks onto the skewers, making sure not to crowd so that they cook evenly.
Heat grill or grill pan – make sure it's up to temperature before adding chicken.
Grill chicken for 6-8 minutes, turning every 1-2 minutes to grill on all sides.
When chicken is fully cooked, remove to a plate and finish the sauce.
Add oil to a large skillet or sauté pan, heating it over medium heat until shimmering. Add the remaining curry and garam masala, stirring to mix well, for 1 minute.
Add chopped onion to the pan, and a little more oil if needed. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is tender.
Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
Stir in coconut milk, tomato paste, sugar, and more salt and pepper. Make sure it is well combined.
Add frozen okra to the sauce, and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Mix water and cornstarch together in a small bowl or mug, making sure to fully combine (with no lumps!) before adding to the sauce.
Simmer 15 minutes on low heat, stirring often to make sure it doesn't burn.
Add grilled chicken pieces to the sauce, allowing to simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
Serve over freshly cooked basmati rice and garnished with fresh cilantro.