Although this recipe comes highly recommend, I have not tried yet.
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bit size pieces
- 4 tbsp. margarine or butter
- 1 medium onion chopped small
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts lightly roasted
- 2 tsp paprika (hungarian paprika preferred)
- 14 fl.oz. coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 3 tsp tapioca starch or cornstarch
- Carbohydrate 5.8279125 g
- Cholesterol 129.92 mg
- Fat 8.807515 g
- Fiber 1.36045003208518 g
- Protein 54.32325 g
- Saturated Fat 1.19641875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (275g)
- Sodium 539.37284375 mg
- Sugar 4.46746246791482 g
- Trans Fat 1.67775075 g
- Calories 327 calories
Step-by-step
- Remove all skin and fat from chicken breasts and discard.
- Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, melt butter or margarine, add onion and garlic and saut for about 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add chicken pieces, cover and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until cooked through.
- Stir in pine nuts, soy sauce, paprika and coconut milk.
- Continue cooking on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in cumin and curry powder.
- In a cup, mix together tapioca starch and water.
- Near the end of cooking the chicken and while the sauce is bubbling, add cornstarch mixture to chicken, stirring constantly until sauce thickens slightly.
- Use only enough tapioca starch mixture so that the sauce has the consistency of gravy.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve over over cooked rice.
Avoiding Over-Reduction
Many cooks ruin coconut-based sauces by boiling them aggressively, causing the emulsion to break and separate into an oily slick. Simmer the pan on medium-high heat for only five minutes after adding the coconut milk to preserve a velvety body. Keep the lid off during this reduction phase so steam escapes efficiently, preventing the chicken pieces from turning rubbery inside the bubbling liquid.
The Role of Starch and Fat
Tapioca starch and cornstarch behave differently when introduced to high heat and acid. Whisking the starch into cold water before adding it prevents clumping by allowing the granules to hydrate evenly before gelatinizing at approximately 203 degrees Fahrenheit. Substituting margarine for butter alters the final mouthfeel because dairy fats coat the tongue differently than vegetable oil emulsions, changing how lingering spices register on the palate.
Balancing Spice Compounds
Paprika contains fat-soluble compounds called capsanthin that release deep red hues and earthy notes when bloomed briefly in warm butter or oil. Introducing ground cumin and curry powder near the end of cooking protects their delicate volatile oils from degrading during extended heat exposure. Toasting pine nuts beforehand activates Maillard reactions, producing nutty pyrazines that cut through the richness of the surrounding coconut sauce.
