Surprise Me | Curry Dusted Crispy Chicken and Taters

Surprise me!

These are two words that my husband loves to say, when he calls me from work, and I ask him  "What do you want for dinner?"  It's also code for "make me something special" or "I would like to grab some beer and watch the game before dinner." And if you have been married like me for almost 25 years, you know how to read those cryptic messages like clues written in an easy crossword puzzle.

When I hear these words, I dart to my kitchen, and tweak the original plan of what's for dinner.  Just like tonight, I was going to make Chicken Curry, but his statement "surprise me" challenges me to make something "fun".  Something out of the ordinary yet recognizable.

"Hmm  deconstructed chicken curry?"  he infers while nibbling his first bite.

"You recognize the flavors" I triumphantly replied.

And you bet when I saw the tapping of his fingers and nodding of the head... these were clear signals that I succeeded in bringing something new to our dinner table. Enjoy!

Curry Dusted Crispy Chicken and Taters

Ingredients:
6 pcs chicken thigh fillets (you may use chicken breast)

2 medium potatoes, quartered

1 medium carrots, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

For breading:

1 c flour
salt &pepper
2 tbsp curry powder  (well adjust this according to your preference)
salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken fillets, potatoes and carrots with salt and pepper. Set aside

Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about half full with vegetable oil. Heat the oil at 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, roll the chicken pieces into the breading. Shake off excess flour. Drop 5-6 pieces into the hot oil. Make sure there's enough space to stir the chicken. Deep fry it until golden brown. Drain the fried chicken. It should be crispy goden brown.

Repeat the above procedure for the potatoes and carrots.

For the gravy:

1 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cloves of garlic
1 small onions, chopped
1 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 c chicken stock
1-2 tbsps curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 c coconut milk
1/2 inch ginger/garlic paste


In a pan, saute onions until golden brown.  Add tomatoes  and saute until oil separates. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir.  Spice up using the curry powder; I like to make my curry rich and flavorful so I used around 1 1/2 table spoons.  You may want to add 1 table spoon first and adjust according to your taste. Add coconut milk and let it boil and util ir's reduced. Add coriander leaves. Season with salt. The sauce shoud be thick and creamy.

To add more "fun", I sliced the chicken fillets and skewered them in a bamboo stick.