Chicken Curry - My Nanay's Favorite Chicken Dish

Losing someone we love is really very painful...and though I always knew that it’s something all of us will experience at some point in our lives, I never realized how hard it would be to lose my own mother. It's exactly four years since I lost my mother from gastric cancer, but everything still seems so fresh in my mind…from the day my father told me that she would be admitted to the hospital for a complete check-up which led to the diagnosis of her stage IV gastric cancer, up to the time she left…

The passing away of my mother in July 19, 2007 is really heartbreaking for my whole family. Though it may seem like a blessing because it ended her pain, losing a loving & kindhearted mother --- a wonderful woman who touched every life she came in contact with, is truly a big loss for us. Personally, losing her meant losing not just my mother but my best friend --- my greatest phone pal, my best shopping & movie buddy, the only person who knows me inside out, the only woman I’m most comfortable to confide to, the only friend who accepts me and keeps on loving me despite all my flaws, the woman I owe my life to, the wind beneath my wings.

Just as always, so many wonderful thoughts of her linger in my mind today. We're still here in Kansas, but I want to take the time remember and honor her by sharing with you her favorite chicken dish. She used to cook chicken curry a lot when I was little using the curry powder that is available in the Philippines. When I first cooked chicken curry for her using the curry roux Ryan brought home from Japan, she loved it and said that it's a lot better that her version. Since then, she never used curry powder again. And whenever we visit them in Batangas, she would request me to cook chicken curry for her. If she's still here with us, I'm sure she'll still be requesting for my chicken curry over and over again...

 Ingredients:

• 6 pcs. chicken legs, chopped into 3 pcs.
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, quartered
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into triangles ( I used ½ green and ½ orange bell pepper to add more color)
• 2 pcs. carrots cut into ½ " thick
• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 2 cubes Golden Curry Sauce Mix
• ½ 14-oz. can coconut cream
• 3 Tbsp light olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, fry chicken in olive oil until light brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside. 

2. In the same skillet, saute garlic and ginger until light brown.

3. Add onion and curry cubes. Sauté until curry cubes are melted. Mix well.

4. Add chicken. Mix with sauted ingredients in skillet.

5. Pour in coconut milk. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Lower heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

6. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Add potatoes and bell peppers. Simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are almost cooked.

7. Add carrots. Simmer for 5 minutes more.

8. Remove from heat. Serve with hot rice!