Yellow Curry Chicken with Basmati Rice

I haven’t always had an adventurous palette, and I actually spent many of my childhood years poking the crab meat out of sushi rolls and dining on plain white rice any time my parents took (and by took, I mean dragged) me to dinner at their favorite Indian restaurant. But the more I was exposed to different cuisines, the more adventurous I became. Now, I can’t go a week without sampling my favorite curry dish from a nearby Indian restaurant. I’ve created this basic yellow curry recipe from a blend of traditional Indian spices and served it over basmati rice, a lightly seasoned perfect complement to the dish.

Shopping List

For the curry chicken:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 (14-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1½ cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

For the basmati rice:

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1¾ cup water
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Recipe

For the curry chicken:

Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Place the chicken and ¼ teaspoon salt in the pan and saute until golden brown.

Remove the browned chicken and set it aside.

Coat the pan with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and reduce the heat to low.

Add the cumin seeds, onion, garlic and ginger. Saute for 3 minutes.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the coconut milk to the saucepan then whisk in the curry powder and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

Let the curry simmer and thicken for 3 minutes.

Stir in the peas and green beans then bring the saucepan to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium, return the browned chicken to the saucepan and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve the curry over basmati rice (recipe below) and garnish with fresh cilantro.

For the basmati rice:

Combine the rice and water in a saucepan. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes.

Bring the mixture to a boil then cover.

Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cumin seeds while fluffing with a fork and serve.