Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry-"Lisa" Masala

I like to try to invent a new dish out of what we have on hand, and I have to admit I was a bit stumped about what to do with chicken and sweet potatoes. But, you have to use the power of Google ! Much as people have found their way to my blog, I find inspiration on other blogs as well. I saw several recipes for curry, so I thought I could try one.

Ray wanted to call the recipe "Lisa Masala". He always wants to do the "punny" names for things. But you also want to be able to google the names, so both are here.

For years I wouldn't eat Indian food, because my idea of curry was the yellow indian spice my mom used in a mayonnaise based dip she served at parties. Let me just say, that is NOT curry. Curry actually means sauce, so a curry can mean any sort of sauce, but generally means a certain flavor profile we come to think of when we eat Indian food. So, I read a few recipes, used what we had on hand, and made this really simple, yummy dish. I am going to modify this recipe, based on what I learned after last night's meal. We will keep this in the permanent recipe file! It was great, and made a massive pile of food...YAY leftovers !

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 small sweet potatoes, diced into small cubes
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chilis
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup water

Saute chicken in a very large pan, until just cooked through. Add sweet potatoes and onions, and cook until sweet potatoes start to turn soft. Add butter, and melt, then lemon juice and add all of the spices and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Add yogurt and water, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Serve over buttered basmati rice.