My little sister, Kathleen, [who is not so little anymore… she’s a junior in college!] just got home from a study abroad trip this summer to India. I love traveling, so I was so jealous she got to go there! But I’ve loved looking at her pictures and I can’t wait to see all the cool clothes and souvenirs she brought back.
In honor of Kathleen’s return home, I made us some at home Indian food this week. I’m sure this isn’t authentic at all, but it sure was good! Spicy yet sweet, smooth and creamy. We loved the various textures and tastes of the chicken, sweet mango and sauce. It did take a little time to make, but it is so worth it!
Mango Chicken Curry
very very slight adaptations from Simply Recipes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons+ canola oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2/3 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 mangoes, peeled & diced
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then cook onions in pan until soft and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add a dash more oil along with the red bell pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin, and ginger, and cook for 2 minutes more. The oil will be absorbed by the spices, so add a dash more oil as needed. Throw garlic in the pan and cook for an additional minute or two, until the garlic begins to cook through. Then, add 3/4 cup mango, vinegar, and water to the pan. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes, constantly stirring. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
[The recipe can be made until this point the night before, or earlier in the day before you plan to serve this dish. Be sure to do this if you don’t have time to wait for the sauce to cool- a hot liquid in a blender/food processor can be disastrous, not to mention dangerous!]
Once sauce has cooled substantially, spoon into a food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Return to pan.
Add chicken to sauce, and simmer, covered, until cooked. This should take between 10-15 minutes. Be sure to check the largest piece of chicken for doneness.
Add the rest of the mango to the pan, along with the coconut milk. Cook until heated through, and serve with rice.
Notes:
There are additional suggestions with the original recipe that I did not try, such as adding extra vinegar at the end if it is too sweet, or adding sugar if it is not sweet enough. I did add about 1/8 cup of extra coconut milk to make it creamier. Feel free to adjust the seasonings depending on the level of spice or garnish with cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste. I think this could have been even better if I had marinated the chicken beforehand, but it was still good.
The Pajama Chef 