If you’ve been in the club for a while you know I love the peanut butter and curry powder combination. This curry is super creamy thanks to a combination of peanut butter and coconut milk. Tomato paste, ginger, and curry powder add lots of spicy umami-rich flavor. Any veggie or protein can be used here, so it’s a great clean out the fridge recipe as well.
Ingredient Highlight
Coconut milk! Is a wonderful alternative to cream and milk for those of us who are lactose intolerant or vegan. It’s also a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium, and selenium. Don’t fear that saturated fat – it only can become a problem if you’re consuming a ton of it on a regular basis (as with anything else!). In fact, coconut oil is high in medium chain triglycerides, which may improve your GOOD cholesterol levels along with other health benefits.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 2 cups short grain brown rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ red or yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 4 cups chopped veggies*
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Fresh herbs (cilantro or scallions)
- Lime wedges
- *I tested with sweet potato, brussels sprouts, and bell pepper. You could use any combination of veggies: mushroom, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, squash all work. If using a root veggie, be sure to chop it small so it cooks at the same rate as the others.
Instant Pot short grain brown rice instructions (my preferred method!):
- Add 2 cups rice + 2 ¼ cups water + ½ tsp kosher salt to a 6-qt Instant Pot. Set the vent to “sealing”, then pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure by moving the valve to “venting”.
Stove top short grain brown rice instructions:
- In a large pot, add the brown rice and enough water to cover by 3-inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a gentle boil for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Drain thoroughly, then spread out in a bowl or plate to cool/let it steam off.
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice (see instructions below).
- In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the meat and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, breaking up into chunks, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot over medium heat along with the onion and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the tomato paste and ginger and cook for 1 more minute, to caramelize the tomato paste, stirring often. Stir in the curry powder and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for a few seconds, stirring often, just to toast the spices a bit (have your coconut milk and water ready, you don’t want to burn the spices)..
- Stir in the coconut milk, water, soy sauce, and veggies. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium/medium-low to simmer rapidly for 10 minutes or until the veggies are cooked and curry has reduced a bit, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
- Remove about ½ cup of broth and transfer it to a small bowl along with the peanut butter and whisk thoroughly until smooth. Stir back into the pot along with the cooked turkey and lime juice. Taste and add more salt or lime, if needed.
- Serve over warm rice and top with fresh herbs and a wedge of lime to squeeze all over.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 2 cups short grain brown rice
- Chop ½ onion
- Grate 2 tbsp ginger
- Chop 4 cups veggies
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, skip the meat and add about 2 cups cubed tofu or 1 (15 oz) cans (drained and rinsed) chickpeas in with the veggies.
- Use sunflower butter or even tahini to make it nut-free.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Brown rice: up to 6 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Curry: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover curry and rice until warmed through. Top with plenty of fresh herbs and a generous squeeze of lime.
- Serve it with cooked rice noodles instead of rice!
- If too thick, you can easily stir in some water to thin it out.
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