Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

Sharon123's Note:

This recipe was a 1997 Grand Prize Winner in Better Homes and Gardens! Enjoy! Chicken needs to stand for 30 minutes before cooking.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (13 1/2 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped gingerroot
• hot cooked rice
• fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken, pat dry.
2. Cut into 1" pieces.
3. Place in medium bowl.
4. In small bowl stir together the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander,, cumin, salt, pepper, turmeric, and chili powder.
5. Sprinkle over chicken, toss to coat.
6. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or in fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
7. In a large nostick wok or skillet cook and stir onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers in hot oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
8. Remove onion mixture.
9. Add about half of the chicken to the wok or skillet.
10. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or till chicken is tender and no pink remains.
11. Remove chicken from pan.
12. If necessary, add more oil.
13. Cook and remove remaining chicken as above.
14. Stir together coconut milk and cornstarch.
15. Carefully add to wok or skillet.
16. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
17. Return chicken and onion mixture to skillet.
18. Stir in snipped basil and gingerroot.
19. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more or till heated through.
20. Serve over rice.
21. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
22. Makes 4 servings.
23. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Roosie]

This made for a good dinner, but honestly, I didn't think it was anything terribly special. We followed the recipe, using less chicken than called for (1 breast, 1 thigh), but keeping other measures the same and adding 1 sliced red bell pepper. I felt that the spices really didn't come through strongly enough- you could taste them, but they were kind of mild, IMO. I found that the flavors were too mild to really give this a defninitive Indian or Thai flavor. We used 2 Thai red peppers in lieu of jalepenos, but I think this would really benefit from the addition of some curry paste. This wasn't bad- just a little mild for my tastes. I guess I was expecting something with a more 'authentic' flavor. Being as its from BH&G, I maybe shouldn't have got my hopes up too high, but I do think this would make an excellent addition to the menu of a family that does not eat Thai food several times a week like we do! I think its mild enough that kids would like it, and still flavorful enough to be a treat for the adults. Thanks for the recipe, Sharon.

[twixxy]

Loved this! Hubby loved it too, except he wanted MORE SAUCE. :) I agree that the spices were quite mild for a Thai type dish, so I added about 4-5 T. of curry powder to this recipe. I think adding sliced green onions would be a nice garnish as well (or any other veggie you like). All in all a good recipe. :)

[**Jubes**]

Reviewed for Aus/NZ Forum Recipe Swap January 2012- Great instructions and an enjoyable dish for the whole family. Not quite what I expected- the spices were quite mild. I think reading some of the reviews, either doubling the herbs/spices or halving the chicken is a great option. Also I wasn't sure if this dish used Mexican chili powder blend or the ground (hot) chilli powder that is used in Asian style dishes. I used two green chillis from my garden and used 1/2 fresh Italian style basil and 1/2 Thai basil. Photo also to be posted