This is a recipe I found online some years ago, but it was a low fat recipe, and its technique wasn't optimal. Then, it went away - online, anyway. So, here is my interpretation of it. It is super quick to make, and if you have a food processor or good blender and manage your time well, you can start it and have a full meal ready within about half an hour. (Though, I will say that we cut up the chicken in advance, so it was in the fridge in pieces, ready for me to use). It's highly customizeable, but is really wonderful as it is. We double this recipe, but this will serve six to eight people as it is written, which makes it quite economical, as well.

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed (save those stems to make stock!)
3 jalapeños (if you are concerned about heat, you can seed them and remove the membranes - you can see from my photo that we don't)
2 tablespoons Garlic Ginger Paste
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 small eggplant, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick crosswise
20 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (plus or minus, depending on your tastes)
3 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 - 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I prefer thighs, but you can use breasts), cut in 1/2 inch thick chunks or strips
cooked jasmine rice to serve (cook while you prepare these ingredients)

Here is where your kitchen management comes into play. Rinse and drain your rice, until the water runs mostly clear. Refill the pot with cold water, salt and a little oil, and start it cooking while you prepare the ingredients for the chicken.

Heat a skillet over high heat. Pour in 3 tablespoons of the sunflower oil and the chicken pieces in the pan. Put the jalapeños, cilantro, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoons of salt, and remaining tablespoon of sunflower oil in a food processor and whir it around occasionally until it is a wet paste, while the chicken is browning. Turn the chicken pieces over to brown on the other side and toss in the onion and eggplant to start them browning and softening, also. Give them a stir every now and then so they don't stick, and brown on all sides.

Pour in the puréed sauce to cook it a little bit, add the coconut milk (I rinse out the food processor with some coconut milk to get the last bits from that into the pan) and soy sauce, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer while the rice finishes cooking. Taste for salt and adjust if you think it is necessary, but we think this is plenty enough salt.

While both the chicken and rice are finishing up, start marinating some slices of cucumber with minced garlic, salt, roasted chile powder, black sesame oil, and a little bit of rice wine vinegar, and now you have an entire meal with the chicken and eggplant, the rice, and the cucumbers. We served oranges as a dessert.

Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 2:33 PM