Curried Chicken With Coconut Pineapple Rice Recipe

Last Friday, Jon and I were introduced to Avenue East, an Asian Fusion Restaurant near to where we both work. Unfamiliar with their menu but delighted by Asian cuisine, Jon chose Thai Pineapple Fried Rice & I opted for Yellow Curry Chicken with Brown Rice. Both dishes were very good!

As I thought about what to eat this week and rummaged through our fridge, I discovered we had a fresh pineapple, ripe for the taking. Remembering fondly our dinner of the other night, I ran the idea of trying to create our own version of the two dishes past Jon. He was all for it.

Unsure how it would turn out as I am not very good at creating my own recipes from scratch, we teamed up and set to work. Jon, a specialist in spice blends and meat preparation, worked on the chicken; I prepared the rice. The end result was supremely satisfying and extremely delicious. Due to our ingredient choices, the various flavors danced with one another in our mouths from sweet to savory to spicy. We were truly thrilled with the results, and I, for one, was quite proud of myself for thinking outside of my recipe box.

Our recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• Jasmine rice
• Coconut water
• 1/2 cup Coconut flakes
• 2 small boxes of Raisins
• 1 cup of pineapple, diced or chunked depending on personal preference (We used fresh, but I'm sure canned would work too if you drained it of its liquid).

Spice Blend for the Chicken:

• 2 tsps of yellow curry  powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1.5 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/2 tsp orange peel
• 1 tsp ginger

Preparation:

1. Cook chicken as you would do for a stir-fry in a skillet, adding 1/2 the spice blend immediately and then the last 1/2 soon before it is fully finished.
2. Prepare the rice as directed on the box for 3-4 servings, replacing regular water with the coconut water. 
3. After rice is fully cooked, add the coconut flakes, raisins, and pineapple. Stir and heat on low for a few extra minutes so the flavors can meld together.
4. Serve in bowls with rice mixture on bottom and chicken on top, mix together, and enjoy! 

In discussing the potential variations this dish could have, we decided adding chopped nuts, such as almonds or perhaps even pecans, to the rice mixture may afford extra complimentary flavors. The spice blend will also lend itself very well to tofu for those of the vegetarian persuasion.

All in all, it was a remarkably delicious and simple dish to make. Jon paired his portion with his homemade mango mint channin blanc. The fruitiness of the wine paired well with the sweetness of the rice. We will definitely make this again.