Swimming Rama

The key to making a really fantastic peanut sauce is using real tamarind. I just found a block of fresh tamarind at a nearby store, which is tantamount to winning the lottery.


(Peanut sauce is not very photogenic.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 3/4 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly ground salted, dry-roasted peanuts or peanut butter (I used peanut butter)
• 2 tablespoons tamarind liquid or freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Warm coconut milk in saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Simmer, stirring now and then, until it releases its sweet fragrance and thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, mashing and scraping to dissolve the paste and mix everything well.


Add the vegetable stock and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add the peanuts or peanut butter and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring as needed to dissolve the peanuts butter into the sauce. Remove from the heat and season with the tamarind or citrus juice and salt, stirring to mix well. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

**When using a block of tamarind, cut off a corner, add 1/4 cup of hot water, and blend well.**



Cook rice. Saute chicken pieces in 1/4 cup broth or 2 Tablespoons oil.



Place layer of rice on plate.

Place layer of washed fresh spinach over rice.

Place chicken over spinach.

Pour peanut sauce over chicken.