Coconut Milk Chicken Recipe

Coconut Milk Chicken is a creamy, mild, and sweet Indian dish which is fairly easy to make.  Coconut Milk doesn’t taste like Coconut, so people who dislike Coconut often like this dish. 

 

Tools Needed

 

Knife – (preferably a chef’s knife)

Cutting board

Vegetable peeler or thin spoon

Meat pounder  or can of soup

 

 

 

List of Ingredents to Purchase

 

Grocery store items(by location where I find them)

Meat department

3 boneless chicken breasts  

 

 

 

Produce Department

1 ginger root about 2” wide and 2” high

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Optional Bagged salad for side dish

 

 

 

International/Chinese food section

1 can of lite coconut milk

 

 

 

Spice / sugar/flour section   

3 cinnamon sticks

20 cloves

3 tablespoons of sugar

pinch of turmeric (more information about turmeric)

 

 

 

Other aisles

1 cup dry rice (preferably not instant or quick rick)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream – found in Dairy section

 

 

 

Speciality food store items

( international market, Whole Foods, …)

8 cardamom pods More information about cardamom pods

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe steps:

 

Ingredients needed

3 boneless chicken breasts

 

First cut excess fat off of breasts. Next slice chicken breasts across the grain to make thin slices. To do this, first lay out the chicken breast on a cutting board so that it is longer than tall.  Slice pieces off of the left or right end about ¼ inch thick each.  Continue to cut slices until all of the chicken breast is cut into slices.  Repeat above procedure until all chicken breasts have been sliced.

 

 

 

Next count out

3 cinnamin sticks

20 cloves

8 cardamom pods more information about cardamom pods

 

And place all of these in a bowl.

 

 

 

Next peel

1 ginger root about 2” wide and 2” high

To peel a ginger root, use a vegetable peeler or a spoon. Scrape vegetable peeler or edge of spoon over ginger root and scrape off the outer brown peel.

 

Once the ginger is peeled, place the ginger into a plastic ziptop bag and do not totally close.  Using a meat pounder or can of soup, gently pound  on ginger root (that is covered by the open zip top bag)  just enough to break it into large pieces.  Do not break into really small pieces, or it will be too strong.  Place the ginger in the bowl with the cinnamon sticks and other spices.

 

 

 

Measure out

1 tablespoon minced garlic

And place into a clean bowl

 

Open a can of lite coconut milk.

 

 

Put a 3 tablespoons of sugar, Turmeric , and (ground cardamom if you do not have cardamom pods)  into the coconut milk can  and carefully place on a counter near the stove.

 

 

 

Move bowls of spices and garlic to a counter near the stove.

 

 

In a skillet, place about 3 tablespoons of oil preferably canola oil.  Heat pan on medium heat until you can feel some heat if you hold your hand about 2 inches over the pan, being very careful not to touch the pan.  Then place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and the ginger into the pan.  Stir constantly for about 2 minutes until you can smell them.  Then place the chicken into the pan.  Stir constantly until all of the chicken pieces turn white to indicate that they are almost done.

 

 

 

Once all of the chicken pieces have turned white, pour in the coconut milk and turn heat to low.  Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes on low. 

 

 

While the chicken is cooking, cook rice to go with the chicken.  I recommend either basmati rice or Japanese Kokoho rose rice.  Follow the directions on the rice package.  Make sure to cover the rice when the recipe says to and cook on low as long as it says.  It is important to measure the rice and the water.  Level off the measuring cup of rice.

 

 

After 15 minutes is over, take the lid off and pour in ¼ cup of heavy cream.  Stir well.   The dish is ready to eat.

 

 

I recommend taking out the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and the pieces of ginger root as you find them.  They are edible, but may not taste very good.

 

 

To serve,  spoon a scoop of rice onto each plate, then spoon some of the chicken mixture over the rice.  Serve with a bagged salad.