Curried Chicken & Rice

Curry is one of those things that’s incredibly tasty when prepared by a restaurant, but really hard to make yourself. It’s like chefs really hit the sweet spot of just the right amount of spice, sweetness, and tang.

I’ve tried to make curries many times in the past and it has never turned out just right. Not thick enough. Not sweet enough. Not curry enough.

I found this recipe and decided to test out my curry skills (or lack thereof) and gave it a whirl. No harm in trying again, right? I refuse to let a food hold power over me. If at first you don’t succeed, fry, fry again is what I say.

I once made gummy gnocchi and it still haunts me to this day. I’ll try and make my own gnocchi again and hope it’s a success. That’s exactly how curry is, but I think this time I’ve really hit that sweet spot. The curry was perfection! It hit every single note. Not only that, but it was crave-worthy. Whether it was the coconut basmati rice, or the delectable chicken thighs, or savory chickpeas…everything in this casserole is sublime.

Even though I used chicken thighs in this recipe, I thought it would also be a good one to use up some of that leftover turkey you may have laying around from Thanksgiving. I say just slather it in the green curry sauce like the uncooked thighs, and go about the recipe the same as below. It may turn into a post-Thanksgiving tradition!

This recipe is kind of complicated, but the end result is worth it.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Roughly chop veggie ingredients. Make the rice: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the rice, coconut water, 1/2 cup water, and a dash of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool about 4 minutes. Stir in butter and coconut. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine green onions, cilantro, thyme, garlic, habanero and 1/2 cup water. Pulse to make a smooth paste. Transfer 1 tablespoon to a small bowl; stir in the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, pepper and 1/4 cup water. Transfer remaining paste to a large bowl and add chicken thighs. Toss to coat. Season with salt.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add the curry-green onion paste and cook, stirring, until paste darkens and starts to separate, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the pot, with cilantro paste. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high. Stir in in 1 1/2 cups water, the carrots, chickpeas, and spinach. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is tender.

Transfer chicken mixture to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Top with rice mixture, spreading out so it covers chicken. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Top with golden raisins.