I fell in love with Indian food last year and have craved it ever since. I’ve experimented here and there but it’s still completely uncharted territory to me. I recently discovered the show Spice Goddess on the Cooking Channel and I watch it whenever I get a few spare minutes.
Last week I saw her make this Chicken South Indian Style and was totally inspired. Sure, I didn’t have *any* of the spices called for in the recipe, nor did I have time to go hunt them down, but cooking is all about improvising. My yellow jasmine rice is one of my all-time favorite recipes that I’ve ever made for the blog, so I decided to use a similar mix of spices for this recipe.
And of course, there is the jasmine rice. So simple, so aromatic, SO important. This dish just wouldn’t be the same without the jasmine rice. It’s worth hunting down if your local market doesn’t have it. Ethnic markets or major supermarkets with well stocked ethnic aisles should carry jasmine rice in large, 5 lb. bags, which will be a fraction of the cost of the small “gourmet” rice brands. Check the bottom shelf, it’s usually hiding there.
Turmeric Chicken
Turmeric Chicken
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1/2 red onion ($0.65)
- 2 inches fresh ginger ($0.30)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic ($0.24)
- 1/2 Tbsp turmeric ($0.07)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1 whole bay leaf ($0.15)
- 2 lb. chicken, breast or thigh ($3.98)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($1.17)
- 1 13.5oz. can coconut milk ($2.15)
- salt & pepper to taste ($0.05)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (optional) ($0.20)
- 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice ($0.88)
Instructions
- Combine the jasmine rice with 3 cups of cold water in a medium pot. Place a lid on top and bring up to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed until you are ready to serve it.
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger using a small cheese grater. Saute all three in a large pot over medium heat with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
- When the onions have softened, add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Dice the chicken and add to the pot. Saute until cooked through (7-10 minutes).
- Add the can of tomatoes and the bay leaf. Place a lid on top and let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the stewed chicken mixture over a heaping portion of rice. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top if desired.
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
Star the rice first and it will be done by the time the chicken is cooked. Combine 2 cups of rice with 3 cups of water. Place a lid on top and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off after 30 minutes and let it sit undisturbed until you’re ready to serve.
Dice the onion, mince the garlic (if using fresh), and grate the ginger with a cheese grater. You can peel the ginger with either a spoon or a vegetable peeler.
Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large pot over medium heat with olive oil.
This is the mix of spices that I used: bay leaf, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Super aromatic and delicious.
Add all of the spices except the bay leaf and saute for about 2 minutes.
Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes and add it to the pot. You can use either chicken breast or chicken thighs.
Saute until the chicken is cooked through (about 7-10 minutes).
Now it’s time to add some liquid and let it simmer. I always forget the coconut milk curdles like cow’s milk so I made the mistake of adding them both at once.
I would suggest only adding the tomatoes at this point and waiting to add the coconut milk at the end. I added both – oops. So, add the tomatoes and bay leaf, place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
After it’s simmered a while, turn the heat off and then stir in the coconut milk. Because mine had been simmering in an acidic solution, it had curdled. It doesn’t taste bad, it just has an undesirable appearance. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fluff the rice just before serving.
Spoon the chicken along with a good amount of sauce over the rice. Top with fresh cilantro if desired.
Guaranteed to make your house smell good or your money back!
…wait, no, never mind.
Would the great chef/blogger at this site, who is better at experimental cooking than me, like to share in the bounty?
Chicken breasts covered in a deliciously thick lemon, turmeric and onion sauce for a splash of summer citrus.
Gotta try this one! YUM!
Enjoying this right now- LOVE IT! The only thing I will add next time is some lemon grass. This is delicious and even my littles enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing!
Just made this for my roommates! Soo good! Excellent blog Beth. :)
Just made this and it was great. Will definitely be making it again in the future.
Thanks for the recipe!
I would add the coconut milk to the rice, making coconut rice then spoon the other mixture over it. That way it wouldn’t curdle.
Chicken breasts covered in a deliciously thick lemon, turmeric and onion sauce for a splash of summer citrus.
This looks so good! I love turmeric chicken. Thanks for sharing – I had no idea how economic it is to cook this dish
this tastes great! i did use thighs instead of breasts as they were much cheaper at my grocery store. the combo of spices works deliciously. thanks for the recipes, i love your site!
This may seem strange, but I have a giant haul of indian spices left over. I live near an Indian neighborhood and got an entire grocery bag of cumin, garam masala, pink salt, hing, etc. for less than 30 bucks and have no way of using all this.
Would the great chef/blogger at this site, who is better at experimental cooking than me, like to share in the bounty? In honor of the great fiscal and physical benefits that this site has done for me, I’d be glad to send them out in sealed bags!
I never thought I would follow a food blog. Ever. I was almost certain I wouldn’t. And then came you. Yes, I realise this is a corny cliche from some romcom, but that is how my affair began with your blog. It’s an exception to my unplanned rule, and I’m better for it. THANK YOU for having such an exceptional (in the truest sense) blog. You’re rad.
Gotta try this! Have you ever created something that WASN’T fabulous?
;D Thanks! Fixed!
cook time: 45 hrs? :D