Baked Curry Chicken, Vegetables, and Rice

CROSS CULTURAL RECIPES #1

BAKED CURRIED CHICKEN, VEGETABLES, AND RICE

 

Dear faithful readers, I apologize for being away so long.  I’ve been concentrating most of my spare time working on a novel (or series of novels) which is progressing at a glacial pace but is certainly enjoyable for me.  Unfortunately, that has kept me out of the kitchen and zapped most of my creative juices in 2018.  I don’t intend to be as active on www.dointhatragu.com as I was when I conceived this website but I do promise to post an occasional new creative recipe and commentary a few times per month.

In the meantime, I want to focus on something I really enjoy about cooking and that is to blend different food staples from one country to another.  This first entry for this category is something I whipped up last night that blends a lot of different ideas from Asia into a casserole dish that comes from Europe or the United States.  This is simple to do, and you can certainly substitute beef, lamb, pork, shrimp, or tofu as a protein and use any combination of vegetables you might fancy.

Thank you for understanding and being patient.  If anybody has a suggestion or something, they would like to see on this website please don’t hesitate to write.  I look forward to creating more unusual menu items for you in 2019!

 

 

THE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 TBSP Olive Oil or Canola Oil, divided

 

3 ½ TBSP Basic Curry Powder, divided

1 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, medium diced

Salt, to taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

1 TBSP grated or finely chopped Ginger

1 TBSP grated or finely chopped Garlic

3 Scallions, thinly sliced, white parts and green parts separated

1 Head of Broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

2 medium size Carrots, peeled and medium diced

6 oz. Shiitake, Oyster, or White Button Mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup Water

14 oz. can Unsweetened Coconut Milk

4 cups cooked White or Brown Basmati Rice

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a wok or large frying pan, heat 2 TBSP Olive Oil over medium high heat
3. Add 1 TBSP Curry Powder and fry for 30 seconds
4. Add the diced Chicken Breast and sauté, turning a few times till the Chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove cooked Chicken from wok or pan and place in a large bowl.  Wipe out the wok or pan.
5. Heat 2 TBSP Olive Oil in the same wok or pan over medium heat
6. Add the Ginger, Garlic, white parts of the Scallions, and 1½ TBSP Curry Powder in fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute
7. Add the Broccoli, Carrots, and Mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes. Add the Water and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the wok or pan.  Simmer until water is absorbed and vegetables begin to wilt, about 4 minutes.  Add more water to wok or pan if too dry.  Remove cooked vegetables to bowl with Chicken.
8. Meanwhile, shake the Coconut Milk so it blends, in a bowl or measuring cup add the contents of the can of Coconut Milk and 1 TBSP Curry Powder. Whisk until smooth.
9. In a greased baking pan, add the cooked Rice and the Chicken and vegetables from the bowl and mix together. Add the Coconut Milk and Curry mixture and mix together.
10. Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes then add the green parts of the Scallions as a garnish.  Serve hot in shallow bowls or plates.

 

WINE PAIRING:  There are two types of wine I always feel go best with a curried dish and they are Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.  The latter I think works much better with this recipe especially if you decide to spice up this dish with a little Siracha hot sauce or chili.  If you prefer red to white you can probably get away with a Gamay or Beaujolais.