Passport & Plate - Chicken mango curry
Portugal | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
4 large chicken breasts-boneless
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
2 1/4 cup water
150 ml soja cream
1 mango
4 tsp curry powder
100 ml coconut milk
1 tbs olive oil
For seasoning: (as required)
black pepper (I normally use a combination of 5 peppers that is already packed that way, but normally black pepper would work as well)
coarse salt (sea salt is preferable)
Red wine (it can be a non expensive one, is just to flavour the meat)
2 leafs of laurel
5 garlic bulbs
(serves 4)
How to prepare this recipeThis a very simple and super tasty recipe.
You can start by seasoning the chicken, since the longer the meat rests in the marinade, the better. First, slice the chicken into cubes. In a bowl, season it with the coarse salt and the black pepper (the idea is that you can feel the grains of salt when you hold the meat). Add the garlic chopped in fine slices, the laurel leafs, (you can chop it with your hands, and sparse it around the meat). Finally, cover the chicken cubes with the wine, it doesn't need to be completely covered but you have to create a kind of a pool. Set aside.
In a pan, pour some olive oil (just enough to have the bottom of the pan covered) over medium heat. Add the rice with a pinch of salt, and stir it constantly until you see the grains of rice becoming white. At this point add the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, around 18 to 20 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet, pay attention to the quantity of olive oil, don't put too much (1 tbs should work) as it can get greasy. Chop the onion and make it sauté on the olive oil over medium heat (once it starts making a lot of noise, reduce heat), stir occasionally until it gets soft and translucent. Around the same time you can peel the mango and mash it in a blender. When the onion is ready you can add the meat. Cook the chicken cubes until golden, over medium heat, stirring it occasionally to cook through. At this point, add the soy cream, the mango, the coconut milk, and the curry powder. You should taste the cream as you add the new ingredients, until you can notice the mango and the curry well balanced. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for more or less 5 minutes.
Serve over rice and with a good green salad. Enjoy!
The story behind this recipeIn my country people use to say that the easiest way to get a man is through his stomach. Easy! I thought... I've always been a good cook. But, who said it was that easy to actually "put" a boy in your kitchen, eating your food. First, you have to deal with your fears, your shyness and all the pressure of making a good impression (maybe he is allergic to something, maybe he is too picky). And then of course, I guess, he will only came if he is already interested.
Anyway, this recipe doesn't came from a particular country, I guess it could be from India (curry, you know!). My roommate cooked once for her birthday and I just thought "this is amazing!". After all, I always loved curry and I die for a mango. So, I decide to do it on my own, it was so tasty, so easy and so quick to do it! At first, I would follow strictly the "original" recipe, I would use tuna instead of chicken, and for the curry itself, I would only add the mango and the cream (no coconut). But when I did it to my father, one of this nights that my mom was working late (it's safer if my dad doesn't get too close to the kitchen, I mean, if you do wanna have dinner), and I noticed that somehow this recipe would make him remember his country (he is from Mozambique, from a region with a lot of Indian influences). I don't know much about Mozambican food, but I do know they love chicken and coconut milk. So why not change my roommate's recipe, and add some new ingredients? After all it kinda reflects who I am, a daughter of a big big mixture. Over the years I eventually mastered the recipe, I do it once in a while to myself or to friends.
But tonight, is the night (as someone once sang) I decided to test this old expression about food and love, I'm going to cook my mango curry, my special mango curry, to the boy I got to invite to my kitchen. If it's gonna work? I don't know. I guess that we will have to leave that for the next chapter of this story...
