Though the name says chicken, this is a fun way to use up vegetables that you hate to eat. The original recipe penned by David Tans, used shrimp and fewer vegetables. The end product is a child of Italian and Asian cuisine and the blend of flavors and spices are amazing and beautifully balanced. For adding an extra tinge, i added some amount of capsicum paste too, which gave this a rich color and the addition of coconut milk has transformed it to extra rich and creamy gravy. Vegetarians can replace chicken with tofu, cottage cheese or soy.
Gather these:
- Pasta (Use your favorite kind or mix it up!) – 250 grams
- skinless chicken breast, cut to long thin pieces – 300 to 400 grams
- diced onion – 1 medium
- cherry tomatoes – 8 halved
- coconut milk – 2 cups
- peppers, red and yellow – 1/2 of each, pasted smooth, resulting a beautiful orange color.
- red chili flakes – 1 tablespoon
- coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, cloves and cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoon each
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- grated ginger and garlic – 2 tablespoon
- vegetables as needed – 1/2 cup
- turmeric powder -1.5 teaspoon
- pepper and salt
- fresh coconut oil
- cilantro as needed
Start with:
- In a pot of boiling salted water, cook your pasta al dente, run through cold water to thwart sticking.
- In a skillet, heat some coconut oil, add diced onions, saute till soft, followed by ginger and garlic.
- Once the raw flavor dies, add the vegetables and saute them for a minute or two.
- Dry roast coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and cumin, grind them well using the pestle and mortar, while you enjoy the aroma.
- Add this spice mix to the onions, mix them for a minute, followed by the pepper paste and pepper powder.
- Add the chicken,salt,and turmeric powder, followed by lemon juice and zest.
- Add the coconut milk, then the halved tomatoes, cook the chicken till tender.
- Once cooked, add the red chili flakes and some cilantro, check the taste.
- Separate the cooked pasta to the required bowls, add the chicken gravy, top with cilantro and indulge into it!
culinary bite 