As part of my training I’ll be adjusting my diet to get off
the last of the baby weight. Expect to
see some healthier meals. This one comes out at 356 calories for 1 cup of rice
and 1 cup of curry chicken mixture. It’s
amazing how much substituting low-fat and whole wheat can change the
nutritional value in a meal. I’ll admit
that you do end up compromising on flavour.
The hubby made it very clear that it was good but he knew it was “healthy”. I loved it, which I don’t often say after I’ve
cooked, only because everything tastes better when someone else makes it. At least it’s not salad.
The best part about this recipe is you’re really getting two
recipes out of it. I plan on making just
the rice portion of the dish next time and adding the chicken straight into the
rice. That way you end up with a great
one pot meal that is full of flavour and is super healthy. Another thing I might change is to use
pistachios instead of cashews and if it floats your boat you could even add
some golden raisins. The hubby isn’t a
fan of raisins so I would steer clear but I think it would be delicious. Here's a photo of the rice on it's own, mmmm!
Chicken Curry with
Cucumber Rice
Ingredients
·
1 tbsp olive oil
·
1 tsp mustard seeds
·
1 tsp cumin seeds
·
4 cloves garlic, minced
·
1 red pepper, half diced and half
sliced
·
2 large yellow onions, diced, divided
·
1 cup brown rice
·
1 tsp ground turmeric
·
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
·
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
·
½ English cucumber, peeled, seeded and
diced
·
Zest from 1 lemon
·
¼ tsp salt and pepper
·
2 tbsp roasted cashews, crushed
·
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast,
cut into 1 inch cubes
·
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into
small dice
·
1 small head of cauliflower florets,
cut into small pieces
·
2 tsp ginger, minced
·
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
·
4 tsp curry powder
·
1 can low fat coconut milk
·
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions
1. In
a large saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium high heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds and toast,
stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until seeds are fragrant and begin to
pop. Add garlic, diced bell pepper and
half of the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until onion
is soft and translucent.
2. To
saucepan, add rice and turmeric and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly
toasted. Stir in 1 cup broth, 1 cup
water and red pepper flakes. Bring to a
boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and
cook for 40 minutes until rice is tender. (my rice took a little longer, you
will know when it’s ready) Add cucumber,
zest, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with cashews, cover to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile,
in a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp oil on medium-high. Add chicken and sauté,
stirring occasionally, until cooked through and lightly browned, 10 to 15
minutes. Transfer to a large plate and
set aside.
4. Add
carrot, cauliflower, sliced red pepper, ginger and remaining half of onion to
skillet. Sauté, stirring occasionally,
for 5 to 6 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add water 1 tbsp at a time if skillet gets to
dry and vegetables begin to brown too much.
Add flour and cook, stirring to prevent clumping, for about 3
minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Add curry powder, 1 cup of water and coconut
milk. Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring
occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Spoon rice onto serving plate and top with
curry chicken. Garnish with cilantro and
serve.
ENJOY!
