Like most of us, amidst the mid-week madness of juggling work and family, I need to be able to cook a meal while the kids are temporarily distracted with their TV show, and it needs to please everyone. This recipe is super easy and, by request of my eldest daughter, it makes an appearance at least once a fortnight. If you prefer more chilli in your satay sauce, simply add more red curry paste. The amount here is very mild and kind to little people, they may even ask for more.
What you’ll need:
500gm free range chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon red curry paste
400ml can coconut milk
250ml chicken stock
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons Kecap manis
1 tablespoon honey
Steamed rice, peanuts, fresh coriander and limes to serve
What to do:
Place the chicken in a bowl and add the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, turmeric and salt. Mix everything together and set aside.
Heat a large saucepan on a medium to high temperature. In batches, cook the chicken pieces in a little peanut oil until they are browned, then remove from the pan and set aside. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through at this stage as they will continue to cook in the sauce later.
Add some more oil to the saucepan and lower the heat to medium. Sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent, then add the curry paste and cook for a minute, then return all the chicken. Add the coconut milk and stock. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Add the peanut butter, kecap manis and honey. Stir the sauce until the peanut butter is fully combined.
Serve with steamed rice, peanuts, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.
Serves 4
Recipe, photo and styling by Karen McFarlane
