30 Minute Coconut Chicken Curry

January weather invites slow-cooking and one-pot meals. When it’s crazy cold, icy, and wet outside, it’s a good time to hunker down and make a steaming pot of fragrant, spicy curry. This chicken curry is brimming with vegetables and napped with coconut milk. It’s rich, aromatic, and bright  – a perfect antidote to the winter blues. It’s also  a one-pot wonder, simply prepared in 30 minutes, which is perfect for a weeknight meal or a no-fuss apres-ski (or shoveling!) dinner. Feel free to switch up the vegetables to your taste. Chicken thighs may also be used in place of the breast meat – just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Coconut Chicken Vegetable Curry

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced 1/4–inch thick
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
6 to 8 leaves lacinato or curly green kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 red jalapeño pepper, sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook until the chicken colors on all sides, turning as needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. (It will continue to cook when it’s added back to the stew.)
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot and then add the carrot and onion and sauté until the carrot brightens in color and the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the poblano and sauté until crisp tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spice, about 30 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve the curry in bowls with basmati rice. Garnish with the jalapeño slices and fresh cilantro.