Patchwork Chicken Curry

Sometimes I end up with a pantry brimming with half-portions of ingredients left over from previous cooking endeavours – a cup of tinned tomatoes from a batch of chili, a handful of candied ginger from a cookie recipe I was developing, cashew crumbs from butter tarts. There’s always more in each container than I can bear to toss, but not enough to repeat the original recipe.

Last night, as I rummaged through these culinary scraps, I decided to take a page from quilters and create a new entity out of otherwise useless materials . In this case, necessity was not the mother of invention. Frugality was. The result was a savory-sweet curry with just a hint of spice.

Like all good quilts, there’s a story behind every square. While you’re welcome to follow my recipe with great reverence, feel free to use it as inspiration and fashion a dish that tells the tale of your own gastronomic history.

Patchwork Chicken Curry
Printable recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 chicken pieces, cut in 1″ pieces
• 1 tbsp powdered ginger OR 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup tinned tomatoes, drained
• 1 tin coconut milk (low fat is fine)
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews

Instructions

1. In large skillet, saute garlic and onion and saute until soft. If using fresh ginger, add it now.
2. Add chicken and cook until insides are no longer pink.
3. If using ground ginger, add it now along with crystallized ginger, chili, and tomatoes. Cook 15 minutes on low.
4. Add coconut milk and stir until sauce bubbles.
5. Sprinkle with cashew pieces and serve immediately over rice.

Variations

• Use raisins and/or dried apricots instead of crystallized ginger.

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