Ingredients:

÷ 1-2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thigh

÷ 1 large green pepper

÷ 2 jalapeños

÷ 1 Poblano pepper

÷ 1 large sweet onion

÷ 1 medium Russet potato

÷ 1 bunch of fresh basil

÷ 2 Roma tomatoes

÷ 1 tablespoon kosher salt

÷ 1 tablespoon sugar

÷ 3 tablespoons curry

÷ 1 tablespoon peanut oil

÷ 5 cloves fresh minced garlic

÷ 12 ounces light coconut milk

÷ 12 ounces of chicken broth

Broken-hearted since Mandalay Cafe left for Silver Spring? Have you been craving Chicken #11? To the few of you out there who remember and miss this fantastic restaurant, I bring you the cure to your woes. To the rest of you, the following is an amazing dish filled with a brilliant fire stoked by jalapeño and Pablano peppers, settled by the soothing relief of coconut milk. In the words of Lavar Burton, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” Try it, and let the recipe speak for itself.

In this recipe, we use chicken thigh for two reasons: flavor and texture. Chicken thigh is more flavorful than other cuts and we need it to stand up to the heat and robust flavors that comprise the dish. Later in the recipe we will add the liquids, and as it comes to a boil, the dark meat will maintain its succulent texture. Chop the green peppers, onions and chicken into large square pieces, roughly three to four cm. Skin the potato and chop it into slightly smaller pieces. Before chopping the tomatoes, slice them in half and remove their seeds. Put a large, deep sauce pan over medium to high heat with about a tablespoon of peanut oil. Once it heats up, add onions and garlic. You’ll want to move the onions around when you first put them in so they absorb the oil, but after this, leave them alone. We want them to caramelize just a little, so once the edges start to brown, add potato and mix thoroughly. Add about a tablespoon of curry powder and one of the jalapeños, which should be de-seeded and finely chopped. Turn the heat to low and occasionally stir. In another sautee pan placed over medium high heat, sear the chicken and add a jalapeño and a tablespoon of curry. Cook the chicken until it is almost done, then add the vegetables. Add the remaining curry, jalapeño and Poblano peppers. Turn the heat to medium and slowly add the coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring the dish to a simmer and add the basil. Finally, add just a little sugar and salt to taste.

Let me know if there are leftovers.

The Hotplate is a bi-weekly cooking column running on Wednesdays. Nathan Orloff is a graduate physics student and can be reached at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.