This fragrant stew of juicy chicken, green beans and eggplant in a coconut curry sauce is an absolutely marvelous main

This recipe takes advantage of the bounty of fresh in-season vegetables - green beans, eggplant, onion, tomatoes - by joining them with chicken thighs and a slurry of light coconut milk, curry powder, ginger, garlic and tomato paste.

When I made mine, I set the timer for three hours, headed out the door for a leisurely walk in the park and then stopped for an iced coffee with a friend. I returned home to a fragrant stew, full of juicy chicken and softened vegetables in a amber-colored, creamy sauce.

SLOW COOKER CURRIED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

MAKES: 6 servings

You will need a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe.

MAKE AHEAD: The eggplant needs to be salted and drained for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 pounds total)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• One 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk, shaken well

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons mild curry powder

• One 2- to 3-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root, minced (1 tablespoon)

• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half-moons

• 1 pound fresh or frozen/defrosted green beans, trimmed

• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

Steps

Place the eggplant in a colander over a bowl or in the sink and toss with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse the eggplant with cool water, lay it on paper towels and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible.

Whisk together the coconut milk, tomato paste, curry powder, ginger, garlic, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in the slow cooker. Add the chicken, and then the drained eggplant, onion, green b

eans and tomato wedges. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Serve over rice.

Nutrition | Per serving (using 1/2 teaspoon salt): 260 calories, 27 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 340 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar