Chicken Coconut Curry

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 pounds chicken pieces, skin and visible fat removed (legs & thighs are fine)
• 14 oz can coconut milk or 1-2/3 cup homemade coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 oz can water chestnuts or bamboo shoots (drained)
• 1 cup frozen peas or peas and carrots or French style green beans
• Cooked Rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the curry powder and red pepper flakes. Stir the seasonings about for a moment or two in the oil. This step brings out the full flavor of the seasonings. Add the chicken pieces and brown them lightly on each side. Be careful not to burn the curry while you are browning the chicken. Pour in the coconut milk. You can use homemade or store-bought from a can. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir gently to dissolve the sugar and blend in the other additions. Cover the skillet and simmer the chicken for about 45 minutes. It should be well cooked and very tender. While the chicken is cooking, keep an eye on it. Add a little water if the sauce gets too thick. You want it to thicken up some, but not too much. Stir in the water chestnuts and peas or green beans. Cover the skillet and steam for about 5 minutes to briefly cook the vegetables. Serve hot over steaming piles of rice. This is quite delicious. It isn't exactly an authentic coconut curry because it doesn't use expensive, hard-to-find curry paste. It is a close copy though, and I bet you'll be wowed by how good and how cheap it is.