Tag Archives: curry

Chicken Curry

How do you feel about take-out? When someone says “take-out” to me, my mouth waters. Take-out for me is typically Chinese food but in my head, it’s anything satisfying, flavorful, and non-American. When I was in London a few weeks ago, I had dinner at an Indian restaurant and we ordered a bunch of dishes for the table. Every single dish was so insanely good, I was in heaven. Since I wasn’t aware of any really good Indian restaurants nearby, I decided to make this Chicken Curry at home.

Chicken and bell peppers are sautéed before being mixed with a mixture of coconut milk, red curry paste, lime juice and soy sauce which is cooked until thick and bubbly. The result is a lively yet mellow chicken curry that really hit the spot. Red curry paste has a mellower flavor (in my opinion) than curry powder and isn’t as overwhelming on the senses. The coconut milk is creamy and subtle and makes for a perfect base for this sauce. This dish is an ideal example of something I would want for take-out. Luckily, a new Indian restaurant opened up right next door to my Chinese go-to. I stopped to look at the menu last time I was there and I’m pretty sure I know where my next take-out order is coming from.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes or until browned, turning once.

Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove chicken mixture from pan. Combine juice, soy sauce, curry paste, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture and coconut milk to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick. Return chicken mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Serve over rice.

Additions:

Red bell pepper

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Bombay Chicken Salad

March 11, 2014
Shannon
2 comments
almonds, chicken, couscous, curry, food, mango

I have friends in Tampa who I go visit often and on a trip several month ago, one of my friends picked up some food from the local grocery store for us to snack on. Along with the hummus, veggies and crackers, she also brought home a curried chicken salad, called Bombay Chicken, that was so good, I wanted to rub my face in it. I can pretty much count on her picking up this salad now whenever I’m there and it’s just addicting. The last time I was there in January, I sat down and actually dissected the salad trying to figure out what was in it. I haven’t tried to recreate the salad myself yet but it reminded me that I had the recipe for this Bombay Chicken Salad that was just waiting to be made which has similar flavors and is, no doubt, much healthier.

Chicken grilled with curry powder and cumin is diced and added to quinoa (or couscous as the recipe calls for) and mixed with mango, golden raisins, scallions, and almonds. The whole mixture is tossed with a light dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, honey and more curry powder. The warm flavors of the curry and cumin contrast perfectly with the sweet creaminess of the mango and raisins while the scallions and almonds both provide their own unique crunch. While I made this with quinoa, this would be delicious with couscous as the recipe indicates, or even whatever your favorite rice is. The Bombay Chicken from the grocery store in Tampa is a mayonnaise-y calorie bomb so at least I know that when I have that craving, I have this healthier dish to turn to that is just as satisfying.

In a small bowl, combine curry powder, salt, sugar, ground cumin and black pepper. Rub onto chicken. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add couscous and cook for 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, salt, curry powder and pepper. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream.

Place couscous in a large bowl. Add mango, raisins, scallions, almonds and cubed chicken.

Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Refrigerate unless serving immediately.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Family Circle magazine

Fried Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Almond

January 16, 2014
Shannon
1 comment
almonds, curry, food, peppers, rice, vegetarian

I’m not the biggest fast food fan. We ate fast food here and there when I was a kid but for the most part, my mom usually cooked each night. Considering she worked a full time job and then came home to make us dinner, I can understand why we had fast food every so often. But I don’t really have a palette for fast food anymore (unless I’m on a road trip when all I want is French fries and a milkshake) but instead, when I don’t feel like cooking, I instinctively call the Chinese food restaurant for takeout. My guilty pleasure go-to dish is vegetable fried rice which is probably one of the worst things a) on the menu and b) ever. Since homemade fried rice dishes are never as good as the real thing, I’m hoping I’ll find a homemade recipe that I like enough to keep me from picking up that phone. A girl can hope. This time, I tried Fried Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Almond.

Onion, garlic, red pepper, and sliced almonds are sautéed in peanut oil briefly before adding in precooked rice (a HUGE time saver). Fresh lime juice, curry paste, and cilantro leaves are adding such unique flavors that you don’t even realize that there isn’t a lick of soy sauce anywhere. The curry paste is mild and has a very subtle flavor, much different than curry powder, so don’t be scared of it and don’t leave it out. It really adds a great bold flavor to this rice. The peppers and onions are sweet and the lime juice really gives this a vibrant flavor boost. This vegetarian dish comes together quickly so you don’t have to spend much time over the stove after a long day. Still not your cup of tea? Try one of the other fried rice recipes in the link. You just might find one you like that will keep you from order Chinese food or hitting that fast food restaurant.