Cardamom Chicken


This is a rich coconut chicken preparation that blends the Thai and Indian traditions. Look for boxed coconut cream in the freezer section of your supermarket. It's a fascinating ingredient to experiment with: grainy yet smooth in flavor, sweet, rich, and exotic. Frozen with shredded cabbage and carrots with a sweet-and-sour dressing and basmati. Serves 2.

1 whole chicken breast, skinned & boned
1-2 teaspoon hot chili oil or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 -4 fresh chiles, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoon coconut cream
2 tablespoon roasted peanuts

Rinse the chicken breast; pat dry and cut in half. In a large skillet, hea the over medium heat. Add the garlic, cardamom pods, and coriander. Add chicken and brown lightly on all sides. Add the chiles, seeded and finely chopped, and stir- fry for 12-15 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream (if stiff paste forms, cut into chunks first, then add and stir until melted). Add up to 1/2 cup more water as needed to thin sauce to the consistency of cream (this will depend on the form of coconut cream used). Heat through and serve hot with the peanuts on top.