Description
Curried Chicken and Rice brings comfort right to your dinner table with tender chicken nestled in fragrant spices. Weeknight cooking becomes a breeze when you toss together this simple yet satisfying one-pot meal that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Grains:
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
Seasonings and Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (13.5 ounces) can coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Rinse 2 cups basmati rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until liquid runs clear.
- Transfer rinsed rice to a medium saucepan, adding 4 cups water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp butter.
- Heat rice mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover tightly, and simmer exactly 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove rice from heat, let sit covered for 10 minutes, then gently fluff with a fork.
- Pat 2 lbs chicken thigh pieces dry with paper towels, seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet at medium-high, searing chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium, sautéing 1 chopped onion until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 inch grated ginger, cooking 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cumin, and ¼ tsp cayenne, toasting 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can coconut milk, scraping skillet bottom to release browned bits.
- Simmer sauce on low heat, returning chicken to skillet, covering and cooking 20-25 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Mix in 1 cup chicken broth and ½ cup frozen peas, simmering 5 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve curried chicken over basmati rice, topping with ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Rinse rice thoroughly to remove excess starch, which helps create fluffy, separated grains that won’t clump together.
- Sear chicken at high heat to lock in moisture and develop a beautiful golden-brown exterior that adds depth to the overall flavor.
- Toast spices briefly before adding liquid to awaken their essential oils and intensify the curry’s aromatic profile.
- For a lighter version, substitute full-fat coconut milk with low-fat coconut milk or chicken broth, and use skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 48-53 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 423 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 473 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg