PINspiration: Curried Chicken Thighs with Coconut Rice

Sometimes I want something comforting and substantial, even though it's Summer and I normally crave light and refreshing. I find the perfect way to ease these cravings is with chicken thighs. They're cheap, easy, flavorful and satisfy both Boyfriend and myself. 

Since I'm still riding this coconut craze, I thought curry would be a great option. Time to crank up he spices. 

I found a recipe on Pinterest, no surprise there. For the original recipe go to this link. It seemed simple enough for a weeknight meal and had lots of thing that I liked. I'm not sure if I needed to use the basmati rice (especially since it was expensive) but you live and you learn. 

The image from the original recipe

I tweaked the recipe a little to include some other ingredients, like garlic powder, onion powder, peas and coconut oil, but I think it turned out pretty good. So good that I ate it twice in one day. Whoops!

Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice

 4 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
1 tbsp coconut oil
3-6 garlic cloves, minced
3 inches of fresh ginger root, grated
1/2 onion, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups basmati rice
1 can unsweetened "lite" coconut milk
2 cups frozen peas
chopped green onion (optional)
fresh cilantro (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack at lowest level, or at least low enough to fit dutch oven.

In a medium sized bowl combine curry powder, cayenne, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. One by one, place chicken thighs into mixture to coat chicken on all sides. Place dutch oven onto stove and turn heat  to medium high. Add coconut oil until it melts in dutch oven. Add chicken thighs (I did three at a time) and brown on both sides. When browned, remove from dutch oven and place on plate (I used the lid of the dutch oven, turned upside down).

Improv plate

When all chicken is done browning, add onions, garlic and ginger. Cook over medium heat until onions have become soft. Add tomato paste, stir, and cook for another minute. Add basmati rice and stir to thoroughly coat rice with tomato mixture. Cook for one minute. Add coconut oil and 2 cups of water. Stir and bring to a boil. When liquid is boiling, add chicken on top of rice and in liquid. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Add frozen peas to hot liquid, cover, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until rice is cooked.

When finished, spoon rice and chicken onto plate and top with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Maybe I should start wiping my plates.. haha

This recipe makes 6 very large servings, including a lot of rice to go with your chicken. I wouldn't mind adding more veggies next time, like bell peppers or maybe some sweet potatoes in the Fall, but this is good for now. If only I can keep myself from raiding the fridge for the left overs.

-Akemi-chan