Coconut Chicken Curry with Wilted Spinach

The key to a delicious curry is creating a perfect balance of flavors. Here, ginger, turmeric, and a hint of cinnamon give the rich coconut broth an undercurrent of spice, while kaffir lime and lemongrass add welcome citrus and sour notes. Served over wilted spinach, it’s intensely satisfying — and Paleo friendly!

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Coconut Curry

1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion (or 2 small), very thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch cardamom
Pinch cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 Chicken Breasts, cut into 1-inch sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
1 3/4 cups coconut milk
3 1/2 cups chicken bone stock
3 stalks lemongrass, bruised
4 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, sliced into sixths
Juice of 2 limes

Wilted Spinach

1 tablespoon coconut oil
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces baby spinach
Chopped cilantro, to garnish

Instructions

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm coconut oil and sauté the onion, stirring often, until it begins to brown and caramelize. Add in minced ginger and garlic, and cook 30 seconds.

Add in the turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and ground ginger, stirring, then add the chicken pieces, generously sprinkled with salt and black pepper. Cook the chicken, stirring to coat the pieces in the onion-spice mixture, until it just begins to brown. Pour in honey and stir. Cook 1 minute. Pour in the coconut milk and bone broth, and stir to evenly distribute.

With the back of a knife, carefully hit the lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves to bruise them and release their essential oils. Place in pan and grate in nutmeg. Let curry simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, then add bell pepper, tomatoes, and lime juice.

Cook five minutes more to reduce slightly and intensify flavors. Check for seasoning before serving.

While the coconut curry is cooking, sauté scallions in coconut oil and salt in a separate pan. Add spinach to pan in batches, and let wilt, taking care not to overcook. Drain of excess released water.

To serve, spoon some wilted spinach onto a plate and top with coconut curry and cilantro.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont