Recipe: Chicken & Taro Burmese Curry

by Yunanda wilson

We hosted a Taro Pop-up and invited chefs to incorporate taro into a couple of dishes. We had griddle fried taro slices, taro hand-pies, creamy taro and ube dessert, and this delicious recipe from Yunanda Wilson. Yunanda celebrates her Burmese roots through cooking. In this recipe she took a traditional chicken and potato dish and substituted taro.

“It wont be the last time!”

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• Chicken thigh 3.5 lbs, boneless, skinless

• Plain yogurt 1 cup

• Yellow onion 2 large, small dice

• Garlic 6 cloves

• Ginger 2 Tbsp, peeled, chopped

• Bird-eye chili pepper 2, stemmed, de-seeded, sliced

• Taro 1 lb, rinse, peel, large dice

• Coriander seeds 1 Tbsp, crushed

• Smoked paprika 2 Tbsp

• Turmeric powder 1 Tbsp

• Masala powder 2 Tbsp

• Cinnamon stick 1

• Bay leaf 2

• Chicken stock 6 cups

• Fish sauce to taste

• Cilantro 1⁄2 bunch, Rinsed, chopped

Recipe notes

1. Marinate the thighs with yogurt, fish sauce, salt, crushed black pepper, and coriander seeds. Cover for at least 3 hours, refrigerated.

2. Take the chicken out of the marinade, remove any excess marinade, and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

3. Make a paste with the garlic, chili pepper, and ginger using a mortar and pestle (a food processor is a good substitute as well).

4. In a large saucepan, cook the onions with 1⁄4 cup of olive oil over low heat until the onions become translucent.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the smoked paprika and turmeric powder.

6. Mix in the garlic, chili pepper, and ginger paste and stir until fragrant.

7. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Add chicken stock, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and taro. Bring to a low simmer for 20-25 minutes.

9. Turn off the heat and finish the curry with masala.

10. Serve the chicken curry over white rice and garnish with cilantro.