Filipino Chicken Curry

I love curries and I came across this interesting variety. I suspect what makes it different from Indian or Thai curries is that fish sauce is used; otherwise it is similar to many other golden curries that I have made. Golden curries often have potatoes and other vegetables in them. This dish has celery and bell peppers maybe that too adds to it being a Filipino curry. It is a very tasty and comforting curry - great on cold, rainy days. As a lot of my recipes this is a 'one-pot-dish,' quick, easy to make, and full of flavor. It'll fill your house (or boat) with many wonderful scents and everybody will wonder what's cooking. This curry is a family favorite now.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 T vegetable oil
• 3-4 medium sized Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes, cut up into small pieces
• 3-4 chicken thighs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, cut up
• 1 T fish sauce
• 3 T curry powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 C water
• 1 green, yellow or red bell pepper, cut up
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 can coconut milk
• Optional - fresh cut up basil leaves
• Optional - Sriracha red chili sauce

Instructions:
In a dutch oven or heavy pot using medium high heat, fry potatoes with 2 T of vegetable oil. Potatoes should be partially browned but not too soft. Remove potatoes from pot and set aside.

In the same pot that cooked the potatoes, heat 1 T of vegetable oil to hot, and quickly brown chicken thighs for about 3-5 minutes. Don't worry if bits of chicken stick to the bottom of the pot, this will be part of the flavor. Next add the chopped onions to the chicken, stir to mix and continue cooking until onions are soft and barely starting to brown. Add garlic to chicken and onions, mix well, and cook for another minute. Add the fish sauce and curry powder and cook for another 2 minutes. Next add the cup of water, celery, previously cooked potatoes, and bell pepper. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes until the vegetables are just starting to get soft. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed. Next add the can of coconut milk, stir until mixed well, lower heat and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For additional flavor you can add cut up fresh basil leaves when you add the coconut milk. And, some might like it hotter, so you can serve it with some Sriracha red chili sauce.

Remove from heat and serve hot. Can be served by itself or over some steamed rice. Enjoy.