Yellow Curry Chicken

I had a great dish of vegetarian chicken yellow curry (or yellow chicken curry) at Hunan Delights in Park Slope yesterday. I told my roommate she could have the leftovers because she'd been terribly sick all weekend and couldn't leave the apartment to get food. But then all morning I thought about this curry and went to the co-op to get the ingredients in this recipe I found that looked very authentic. I made it tonight. Not far off at all. I'm upping the curry powder a bit --

1 lb bnls, skinless chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces (I tore apart the meat from 4 roasted chicken drumsticks but I think a tub of seitan sliced thin would do, too -- and using roasted salted meat keeps the curry from being too bland).

2-3 c fresh veggies: mushrooms, asparagus, onions, zuccini
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in pieces, pre-cooked
1-2 carrots, cut in bite-size pieces, pre-cooked
1/2 c or so frozen peas

(for veggies I used fresh green beans, frozen peas, a zucchini and about 1/8th of a yellow onion)

1-2 T veg. oil
1 T red curry paste
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
3-4 T fish sauce
dash salt
1-2 T sugar
1.5 T yellow curry powder
1/2 c water or chicken stock
1/2 bay leaf

Instructions:
-------------
1A. Pre-cook potatoes and carrots. Don't cook them too done, since
they will simmer with the main dish later. (See, this is why I didn't use potatoes or carrots).

1. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-size pieces.

2. Wash and cut fresh vegetables into bite-size pieces.

3. In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, heat the veg. oil, red curry
paste, and about one third of the coconut milk. Heat 5-10 minutes,
stirring, until it forms a thin gravy.

4. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken, and cook until the chicken
is half cooked, maybe five minutes.

5. Add the fish sauce, sugar, salt, and rest of the coconut milk, and
mix well.

6. Stir in the curry powder, potatoes, carrots, and water/stock. If
desired, add 1/s bay leaf. Let simmer just a minute or two.

7. Add the fresh vegetables and the frozen peas, and let simmer for 3
to 5 minutes, until fresh veggies are just done.

8. Serve (with jasmine rice...). (Or brown rice).