Sambal and Red Curry Chicken

The Expat Daddy arrived home yesterday with a sour face, dumping his bag on the dining table he complained that he just couldn't eat his packed lunch to the office anymore. Of course I understood what he's complaining about. Since the girls arrived back in Qatar, I had been so busy with my mommy duties that I did not anymore have time to cook for his packed lunch which I used to do daily when it was just us and the youngest here. Now, I had just left the cooking of his food to the nanny who of course tries her best to prepare a decent food, it's just that, maybe the Expat Daddy is just so used to my cooking that anything else just doesn't taste right. So guilty I was that I told him that I would go back to cooking his packed lunches. And to start it off, I have thought of making him this original dish with red curry and sambal. The Expat Daddy's taste buds are partial to Indian, Thai and Malaysian and Mediterranean cuisine, he just loves the flavors the spices bring to any meat. 
Which reminds me, I still have to learn making biryani, very extraordinary and I'm thinking would be a hit when served in the Philippines. :)

Ingredients:
500gms Chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1 gabi (taro), sliced
1 tomato, deseeded and cut to wedges
1 eggplant, cut to wedges
3 stalks spring onion, sliced
1 bird's eye chili, finely chopped
1 tbs sambal oelek (bottled)
1 tbs red curry paste (bottled)
1/4 tsp tamarind broth powder 
1 cup water
1/4 cup turmeric powder
salt and pepper to taste


Method:
Chop chicken to serving pieces, rinse and pat dry with paper towel. 
In a small bowl, season with salt and pepper. Add turmeric powder and toss to coat chicken evenly.
Heat oil in a pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic saute and cook for about 2 minutes then add the onions, cook until onions are limp and translucent. 
Add the gabi (taro), cook for about 5-8 minutes then add the chicken . Saute for 5 minutes or until chicken changes color. Add the sambal, curry paste, tamarind powder and 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the rest of vegetables except the spring onions and the rest of the water. Simmer until desired consistency of sauce is achieved.
Adjust taste with salt.  
Turn off heat and toss in the spring onions. 
Transfer into a serving plate and serve with hot rice. Enjoy!




P.S. This is an original recipe, but trust me, it's surprisingly good! The Expat Daddy just loves it! :)